While it may be true that adding an electric fuel pump is a good thing, I'm a bit
surprised that so many people are advising that rather than considering why the OP has
a problem to start with. I've replaced the primary and secondary filters on Yanmar
2GM's a dozen times and never had to bleed for more than a few minutes. The OP said
it takes two hours to prime; I usually change both filters, bleed, and have the engine
running again in well under an hour.

On a slightly different topic, the Westerbeke I had on my last boat was "self
bleeding" so I never had a problem with this. What makes a system "self bleeding"?
Does it have a special valve to release the air bubbles?

"Rich Hampel" wrote in message
...
Install a 12v DC fuel pump at the outlet of the tank and BEFORE the
filter set. When you need to bleed just turn on the 12v pump and
sequentually bleed everything until you reach the guard filter on the
engine. Such 12v pumps are arranged with diaphragm valves and will add
NO extra differential pressure requirements to the fuel system when not
operating .... they just sit there until needed.
BTW - be sure to specify a 12v pump that has EPDM
(ethylenePropyleneDiamineMonomer) gaskets and O-ring which are
compatible with diesel fuel.


In article , Chris
Butler wrote:

I just finished winterizing my 2002 1GM10 Yanmar Diesel (that runs on
a Menger 19' Cat boat) and think there must be a better way of
bleeding the fuel system. For the past three seasons I have changed
the water seperator and paper filter on the engine at the end of every
season. Then I begin the huge task of pumping the Raycor water
seperator for the next hour until fuel starts flowing into the engine.
After that I start pumping the lever on the oil pump (1 hour). Once I
get fuel into the lines the rest of the bleeding goes very easy. My
hand afterwards is sore and battered! I have tried cranking the engine
for short bursts with the compression lever up (this does not seem to
help). Is there anyway to prime or help this process along the way?

Even easier, pressurize the fuel tank with a shop vac set up to blow.
W edid this earlier this summer and it worked like a charm. We did
not even need to close the fuel tank vent as little pressure was
needed to move the fuel.

Matt

Rich Hampel wrote in message ...
Install a 12v DC fuel pump at the outlet of the tank and BEFORE the
filter set. When you need to bleed just turn on the 12v pump and
sequentually bleed everything until you reach the guard filter on the
engine. Such 12v pumps are arranged with diaphragm valves and will add
NO extra differential pressure requirements to the fuel system when not
operating .... they just sit there until needed.
BTW - be sure to specify a 12v pump that has EPDM
(ethylenePropyleneDiamineMonomer) gaskets and O-ring which are
compatible with diesel fuel.


In article , Chris
Butler wrote:

I just finished winterizing my 2002 1GM10 Yanmar Diesel (that runs on
a Menger 19' Cat boat) and think there must be a better way of
bleeding the fuel system. For the past three seasons I have changed
the water seperator and paper filter on the engine at the end of every
season. Then I begin the huge task of pumping the Raycor water
seperator for the next hour until fuel starts flowing into the engine.
After that I start pumping the lever on the oil pump (1 hour). Once I
get fuel into the lines the rest of the bleeding goes very easy. My
hand afterwards is sore and battered! I have tried cranking the engine
for short bursts with the compression lever up (this does not seem to
help). Is there anyway to prime or help this process along the way?

In article ,
(Chris Butler) wrote:

I just finished winterizing my 2002 1GM10 Yanmar Diesel (that runs on
a Menger 19' Cat boat) and think there must be a better way of
bleeding the fuel system. For the past three seasons I have changed
the water seperator and paper filter on the engine at the end of every
season. Then I begin the huge task of pumping the Raycor water
seperator for the next hour until fuel starts flowing into the engine.
After that I start pumping the lever on the oil pump (1 hour). Once I
get fuel into the lines the rest of the bleeding goes very easy. My
hand afterwards is sore and battered! I have tried cranking the engine
for short bursts with the compression lever up (this does not seem to
help). Is there anyway to prime or help this process along the way?

I think your problem may be that you don't fill the bowl, or have the
wrong Racor. Ours unscrews on top, the filter drops in. I can switch
filters without bleeding. When I do the primary (on the engine), it
takes about 5 minutes to bleed.

Note that there's a third bleed on the high pressure pump (follow the
line after the primary filter). Wasn't mentioned in our owner's guide
and it sometimes is the problem.

If you still have a problem, I "built" primer when I misdiagnosed a
problem: Outboard fuel bulb, hose and male and female fittings to let me
put it in line when I need to move a lot of fuel. Fills the bowl
quickly, then I take it out of line.

I also change filters in the Spring, after running for a while -- to
catch that spring load of critters.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

Jere Lull wrote in message ...
In article ,
(Chris Butler) wrote:

I just finished winterizing my 2002 1GM10 Yanmar Diesel (that runs on
a Menger 19' Cat boat) and think there must be a better way of
bleeding the fuel system. For the past three seasons I have changed
the water seperator and paper filter on the engine at the end of every
season. Then I begin the huge task of pumping the Raycor water
seperator for the next hour until fuel starts flowing into the engine.
After that I start pumping the lever on the oil pump (1 hour). Once I
get fuel into the lines the rest of the bleeding goes very easy. My
hand afterwards is sore and battered! I have tried cranking the engine
for short bursts with the compression lever up (this does not seem to
help). Is there anyway to prime or help this process along the way?

I think your problem may be that you don't fill the bowl, or have the
wrong Racor. Ours unscrews on top, the filter drops in. I can switch
filters without bleeding. When I do the primary (on the engine), it
takes about 5 minutes to bleed.

Note that there's a third bleed on the high pressure pump (follow the
line after the primary filter). Wasn't mentioned in our owner's guide
and it sometimes is the problem.

If you still have a problem, I "built" primer when I misdiagnosed a
problem: Outboard fuel bulb, hose and male and female fittings to let me
put it in line when I need to move a lot of fuel. Fills the bowl
quickly, then I take it out of line.

I also change filters in the Spring, after running for a while -- to
catch that spring load of critters.


On my old 1GM, I had the same prob till I filled the racor and made
sure all of the lines were full of fuel too. THEN, i got an electric
pump, it makes bleeding the system a breeze. However, it is good to
know you can do it the old way.
The electric pump installs in series with the regular pump between the
racor and the mechanical pump. It was fairly cheap from JC Whitney.

(Parallax) wrote in message . com...
Jere Lull wrote in message ...
In article ,
(Chris Butler) wrote:

I just finished winterizing my 2002 1GM10 Yanmar Diesel (that runs on
a Menger 19' Cat boat) and think there must be a better way of
bleeding the fuel system. For the past three seasons I have changed
the water seperator and paper filter on the engine at the end of every
season. Then I begin the huge task of pumping the Raycor water
seperator for the next hour until fuel starts flowing into the engine.
After that I start pumping the lever on the oil pump (1 hour). Once I
get fuel into the lines the rest of the bleeding goes very easy. My
hand afterwards is sore and battered! I have tried cranking the engine
for short bursts with the compression lever up (this does not seem to
help). Is there anyway to prime or help this process along the way?

I think your problem may be that you don't fill the bowl, or have the
wrong Racor. Ours unscrews on top, the filter drops in. I can switch
filters without bleeding. When I do the primary (on the engine), it
takes about 5 minutes to bleed.

Note that there's a third bleed on the high pressure pump (follow the
line after the primary filter). Wasn't mentioned in our owner's guide
and it sometimes is the problem.

If you still have a problem, I "built" primer when I misdiagnosed a
problem: Outboard fuel bulb, hose and male and female fittings to let me
put it in line when I need to move a lot of fuel. Fills the bowl
quickly, then I take it out of line.

I also change filters in the Spring, after running for a while -- to
catch that spring load of critters.


On my old 1GM, I had the same prob till I filled the racor and made
sure all of the lines were full of fuel too. THEN, i got an electric
pump, it makes bleeding the system a breeze. However, it is good to
know you can do it the old way.
The electric pump installs in series with the regular pump between the
racor and the mechanical pump. It was fairly cheap from JC Whitney.


I had a 2GM for several years, and the simple add-on of something
mentioned above made a big difference - the outboard fuel bulb. And
yep, I had a bleed screw on top of the fuel pump, too. That was the
last spot to bleed. Once clean (no bubbles) fuel was coming from
there, it would crank just fine. Usually took me only about 20 minutes
to change out the filter and get going again. Another idea - one on a
racor900FG that I just bought, is to put ball valves on each side of
the filter itself, w/the outboard bulb on the supply side. You can
shut off the fuel on both sides, change the filter, open the supply
side, pump, and basically bleed the system right there at the filter.
Just an idea.

I don't really understand the original posters problem. After changing both of
my filters on my 2GM it takes me about 3 minutes to bleed the system.
S/V Express 30 "Ringmaster"
"Trains are a winter sport"