P38A [RESOLVED!] P38 DSE non start - fuel issue

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@wammers - just about to head out and start work on the car. Just had a thought - for bleeding the air out of the fuel lines would bridging the in tank pump do the job? Just trying to avoid damaging starter motor
 
P38_OTMS said:
@wammers - just about to head out and start work on the car. Just had a thought - for bleeding the air out of the fuel lines would bridging the in tank pump do the job? Just trying to avoid damaging starter motor
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Yes power from battery positive to terminal 5 on relay 12 the one that is contrary in orientation to the other three. That will run lift pump..
 
^^ doesn’t appear to do anything. Forgive my lack of knowledge on the workings of a mechanical fuel pump but I’d imagine that the pump needs to be turning in order to get fuel through?
 
P38_OTMS said:
Yea I’ve figured that now. It’s getting close to starting but the starter motor keeps getting too hot so don’t wanna risk it
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Tony would not approve, but a quick squirt of Easy Start will likely get it running and push most of the air through the injector pipes, then you can bleed the injectors while it runs like a dog. Wear gloves, high pressure diesel can penetrate the skin and do nasty things to you.
 
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tanis8472 said:
Need to turn over engine.
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To bleed injector pipes yes, on his year of car the lift pump only runs with glow plugs and when engine is running. Powering lift pump as i described will bleed lines from tank, filter and injection pump in a few minutes. It will NOT bleed the injector pipes. That must be done by cracking injector pipe nuts at injector slightly open cranking engine then nipping up nuts as air free fuel emerges.
 
wammers said:
To bleed injector pipes yes, on his year of car the lift pump only runs with glow plugs and when engine is running. Powering lift pump as i described will bleed lines from tank, filter and injection pump in a few minutes. It will NOT bleed the injector pipes. That must be done by cracking injector pipe nuts at injector slightly open cranking engine then nipping up nuts as air free fuel emerges.
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Sorry, Tony, I did not make it clear, I was referring to the injector pipes.
 
Datatek said:
Tony would not approve, but a quick squirt of Easy Start will likely get it running and push most of the air through the injector pipes, then you can bleed the injectors while it runs like a dog. Wear gloves, high pressure diesel can penetrate the skin and do nasty things to you.
Click to expand...

I know nothing compared to you and Wammers but EasyStart would be my last resort.

When I swapped my FIP it didn't take much cranking to get the air out. Have we another issue here? Are the leak off pipes all sound? Lift pump pumping as much as it should?
 
Leak off pipes all appear to be ok. Lift pump appears to be fine. I think if I had enough patience / battery life and starter motor longevity then we would be ok. It is so, so close to starting.

I don’t want to use easy start either but I’m not far off that
 
wammers said:
To bleed injector pipes yes, on his year of car the lift pump only runs with glow plugs and when engine is running. Powering lift pump as i described will bleed lines from tank, filter and injection pump in a few minutes. It will NOT bleed the injector pipes. That must be done by cracking injector pipe nuts at injector slightly open cranking engine then nipping up nuts as air free fuel emerges.
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Which is what I was replying to.
 
P38_OTMS said:
Leak off pipes all appear to be ok. Lift pump appears to be fine.
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Just a thought, is the fuel filter housing all good? They have been known to crack and let air in. It should have 2 seals for the filter, one round the outside and one around the centre part. I think the fuel comes down the outside and is sucked up the central threaded part of the housing to go to the FIP.
 
P38_OTMS said:
Leak off pipes all appear to be ok. Lift pump appears to be fine. I think if I had enough patience / battery life and starter motor longevity then we would be ok. It is so, so close to starting.

I don’t want to use easy start either but I’m not far off that
Click to expand...
ive been watching this post with great interest as i have more or less the same problem as you, except mine didn't just die there and then, i changed engines as i found an enormous crack in the head of my old engine which ran fine but overheated when it felt like it, bought a doner vehicle which had been in and out of numerous workshops to get it running, found out in tank pump was gone, fitted a temp inline pump while engine still in donor vehicle and got it running so far so good, anyway swapped enginge and box and all was ok for a few weeks still a bitch to start when hot so i swapped injector pump from my old engine on to the donor engine and checked all glow plugs at the same time fine for a few days then bitch to start again when hot so bought the hot start fix of ebay, worked great for a while then got worse, in tank pump ok new last year glow plug ok , new filter, increased timing by about 1 mil at a time, came home for sandwich about two weeks ago and havent been able to get it running since, almost goes same as yours but just wont have it , even easy start wont work , so just purchased hawkeye total and waiting on that, so i will let you know what my findings are when i get it, and yes lots of fuel at injectors, just wont quite have it
 
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