Lift pump priming lever - doesn't appear to do anything!!!

Hi there, I changed my fuel filter this weekend. I loosened the bleed screw on the top of the filter housing and then proceeded to pump the lever on the lift pump to fill the new filter and bleed it. However, after pumping the lift pump for some 10 minutes I thought that nothing seamed to be happening. I then removed the filter again to see that there was no fuel in there.
Using some fresh fuel i decided to fill the filter prior to refitting and then turned the engine over. After the engine fired and then died i then fired the engine up again with my foot on the accelerator pedal. I was expecting fuel to squirt out of the bleed screw which didn't happen so I just retightened. The landy runs fine and idles perfectly but just appeared strange that the lift pump didn't appear to do anything and likewise the bleed screw didn't seep fuel/air bubbles.
Could anyone explain to me what, if anything, I did wrong or is it a case that my lift pump is knackered?

lift pump has a diaphramoperated either by outer lever or cam ,if cam stops holding diaphram up ,outer lever wont work on the diaphragm ,turning engine over a little so cams no longer pushing on diaphragm will let outer lever work pump ,injection pump will pull dieswel through as long as system isnt completely empty ,if you want to test lift pump or bleed system slacken front banjo bolt on injection pump and see ifit squirts out fuel ,lift pumps often fail on tdis and its not allways noticeable till filter change

Just that performance is terrible. Don't get me wrong it will cruise happily at 70mph just takes so long to get there. Then try and get up a hill and it really struggles. Ordered a new lift pump now so hopefully that will sort it.
Thanks for your feedback.

stingrey said:

Just that performance is terrible. Don't get me wrong it will cruise happily at 70mph just takes so long to get there. Then try and get up a hill and it really struggles. Ordered a new lift pump now so hopefully that will sort it.
Thanks for your feedback.

Click to expand...

typical symptoms of lift pump failure-hopefully you ordered a delphi and not a britpart