Fuel prime lift pump dead?

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Pkplonker

Pkplonker

Member
Posts
16
Location
Warwickshire
Hi all,

Could not find anything in the search so this has called for my first non introduction post!!

I have a 1988 2.5d N/A.

Just changed the fuel filter and am not getting fuel to pull through. I've slackened the union bolt on the filter and nothing is pulling through. I've since taken off the lift pump pipe to filter to see if any fuel is coming from the lift pump and am not getting anything.

Is the fuel lift pump dead?

Thanks in advance
 
Easy one to check. Disconnect the two fuel pipes and place your fingers over the two holes in the lift pump. By moving the prime handle up and down one finger should be sucked towards the hole whilst the other is pushed away from the hole. Also make sure that they are the right way round with the pipes!
 
The pump needs to be off the cam for the manual part to work.
If lever is all floppy either its on the cam or its broken inside.
 
Thanks guys! So, little bit of progress, I've reconnected everything back up and am using the starter to turn it over, get it firing occasionally. I've got all bleeds and banjos shut to try and build up the negative pressure and then bleeding occasionally at the filter. Still not fuel coming out but it is drawing fuel(as the water drain will let some out) so I think it's slowly filling the filter.

It's got the charger on now as the battery is draining so will try again tomorrow turning it over a few times, bleeding and recranking until I get fuel out the banjo when I open it. I'll then move on to bleeding the injector pump and injectors in turn. Assuming this plan works!

Any additional thoughts are still appreciated!

Thanks.
 
Did you fill the fuel filter with clean fuel before you fitted it, saves a lot of priming! And like said above, if the lift pump wont prime on the lever crank the engine over half a turn and try again.
 
Pkplonker said:
Thanks guys! So, little bit of progress, I've reconnected everything back up and am using the starter to turn it over, get it firing occasionally. I've got all bleeds and banjos shut to try and build up the negative pressure and then bleeding occasionally at the filter. Still not fuel coming out but it is drawing fuel(as the water drain will let some out) so I think it's slowly filling the filter.

It's got the charger on now as the battery is draining so will try again tomorrow turning it over a few times, bleeding and recranking until I get fuel out the banjo when I open it. I'll then move on to bleeding the injector pump and injectors in turn. Assuming this plan works!

Any additional thoughts are still appreciated!

Thanks.
Click to expand...

crack the nuts on fuel line at the injectors and let the air out as you crank the engine. when fuel comes out tighten that nut, then the next 1 , it will start
 
Thanks again. No matter how many times I try and turn it over a smidge, it's not landing right allowing the hand lever to work manually. The difficulty is that it's a 2 part filter, which makes it difficult to fill, then install.

Am I better to stop the filter bleed and just start bleeding direct from the injectors?

Thanks.
 
Pkplonker said:
Thanks again. No matter how many times I try and turn it over a smidge, it's not landing right allowing the hand lever to work manually. The difficulty is that it's a 2 part filter, which makes it difficult to fill, then install.

Am I better to stop the filter bleed and just start bleeding direct from the injectors?

Thanks.
Click to expand...
Complete waste of time bleeding injector lines if there is still air in the filters or pump.

Get the manual priming going, if it never stops in the right position for priming, there is a problem with lift pump. When you can pump with the primer, do everything up, except the bleed banjo on top of the filters. Put a bucket under the filters, pump lift pump, wait a bit, tapping filter elements occasionally to encourage air bubles to rise. Then repeat. Take your time, it will probably take half an hour, and several sessions of pumping and waiting. When you are sure there are no air bubles from filter bleeds, do them up.
Then open the two bleed screws on the injection pump, and pump lift pump again until clear fuel runs from them.
Finally, open two injector unions, and get an assistant to turn the engine on the key. Tighten unions as it turns and it will fire.
 
With the PDA pump on my old 2 litre diesel as soon as the fuel system was disturbed it was a full bleed job.
It literally takes minutes.
The pump holds an awful lot of diesel on its own.
 
Not getting any suction blocking both pipes on the fuel lift pump so I think it's dead. New one going to be ordered from Craddocks. We will see where that gets us! Thanks for the continued help
 
lynall said:
With the PDA pump on my old 2 litre diesel as soon as the fuel system was disturbed it was a full bleed job.
It literally takes minutes.
The pump holds an awful lot of diesel on its own.
Click to expand...
Would that be DPA by any chance? :D
But you are right, even a single air bubble in low pressure side is enough to stop it dead. And the bleeding is a simple job once you have good technique, I have been doing it since a child, can do it with my eyes closed.

Pkplonker said:
Not getting any suction blocking both pipes on the fuel lift pump so I think it's dead. New one going to be ordered from Craddocks. We will see where that gets us! Thanks for the continued help
Click to expand...
Thought so! In my experience, if the manual primer wont pump, lift pump is always knackered. Hope that is a Delphi pump you have ordered?
 
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