Bleeding a diesel engine
 

"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
"Gordon Wedman" wrote

-my other experience with Yanmars is that the hand lever on the engine
fuel pump is pretty useless for bleeding, hence my addition of the Racor
filter with pump.
Our Yanmar installation has an electric pump to draw fuel up from the
tank. Would a bypass switch to activate this pump make bleeding easier?
Is the hand pump on the engine a type that will pass fuel through if
pressurized from upstream?

--

Roger Long

I would say yes to both questions. If I use the pump on my Racor filter it
sends fuel past the engine pump and out the injector bleed screw.

I forgot to mention another trick is to get someone to hold down your
compression release lever, or jam it down, and then spin the engine with the
starter while the injector pump bleed screw is open. This seems to work the
engine mounted fuel pump a lot faster than you can by hand and will shoot
fuel out of the bleed screw. Best to cover with a rag.

Bleeding a diesel engine
 

Buy a Westerbeke, they are self bleeding and work great when you run all the
fuel out of the port wing.

Ooops, hey honey would you change too the aft tank?

Thanks honey, click click click, rumble rumble.

"Jere Lull" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Gogarty wrote:

Now, why can't boat diesel engines be set up like that? I live in terror
of the boat engine sucking air becaise it will stop and bleeding the
system in a seaway or even at the dock is an exercize in contortion and I
don't pretzileize so well anymore.

Simplicity, probably.

Personally, I can prime our Yanmar in a few minutes now. It all came
together when I realized the pumping happened when the lever was
released, which is counter-intuitive. Of course, we're blessed by a
designer who arranged the engine room so I need only open one of the
doors. See http://members.dca.net/jerelull/Xan-ER.html and drool over
our access.

--
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/

Bleeding a diesel engine
 

Bryan wrote:
Buy a Westerbeke, they are self bleeding and work great when you run all the
fuel out of the port wing.

Ooops, hey honey would you change too the aft tank?

Thanks honey, click click click, rumble rumble.

"Jere Lull" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Gogarty wrote:

Now, why can't boat diesel engines be set up like that? I live in terror
of the boat engine sucking air becaise it will stop and bleeding the
system in a seaway or even at the dock is an exercize in contortion and I
don't pretzileize so well anymore.

Simplicity, probably.

Personally, I can prime our Yanmar in a few minutes now. It all came
together when I realized the pumping happened when the lever was
released, which is counter-intuitive. Of course, we're blessed by a
designer who arranged the engine room so I need only open one of the
doors. See http://members.dca.net/jerelull/Xan-ER.html and drool over
our access.

--

I actually had this happen to me with my Yanmar 2GM because my fuel
guage does not work in spite of numerous fixes. Fortunately, I also
have installed an electric fuel pump in series with the mechanical fuel
pump and it pressurizes the system when the key is turned. I do have
to go below and open the two bleeder screws but that is fairly easy.
Before doing this, I did set the sails and auto-pilot so she wouldnt
roll so much. Otherwise I'd have gotten seasick screwing around the
engine compartment.

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/

Bleeding a diesel engine
 

Gordon Wedman wrote:


"Gogarty" wrote in message
...
For the very first time in some 60 years of driving, I ran out of fuel
yesterday. Der Klunker ('81 300SD) suddenly started sputtering and
stumbled to a halt, luckily in a parking lot. Opened the hood. Sure
enough, no fuel in the sight glass. A couple of kind gentlemen helped me
push the car out of the way and in due course road service arrived with
two gallons of diesel fuel. They were concerned that it would be very
hard to get a diesel that has been sucking air to start without a lot of
work. If this had been my boat they would have been entirely correct. But
this car has a built-in priming pump on the engine. A few strokes on the
pump, the sight glkass filled up and a few more strokes later a hissing
sound confirmed that the byapass valve on the injectopr pump had openen
meaning the pump was now ready to send fuel with no air to the injectors.
She started with a couple of turns on the starter.

Now, why can't boat diesel engines be set up like that? I live in terror
of the boat engine sucking air becaise it will stop and bleeding the
system in a seaway or even at the dock is an exercize in contortion and I
don't pretzileize so well anymore.


Well you can make things a little easier on yourself:
- Racor has a fuel filter with a built-in hand pump
-or you could install an electric pump in the fuel system
-only open the bleed screw on the injector pump, at least as a first try.
My experience (with Yanmars) is that if you pump fuel to the injector pump
the engine will start, run rough, and then operate normally. No need to
bleed injectors.
-my other experience with Yanmars is that the hand lever on the engine
fuel pump is pretty useless for bleeding, hence my addition of the Racor
filter with pump.
I agree with you about the hand pump on the Yanmar engines. It's useless.
I spent half a day trying to bleed mine after cleaning the Racor filter and
finally gave up and called a mechanic. A $100 lesson I remember well. He
took it all apart and installed a squeeze hand pump on the line between the
tank and the Racor. Now I pop off the Racor, replace the filter, place the
top of the Racor back on and squeeze the pump until fuel leaks out the
Racor a little then tighten it up. I haven't had a problem since changing
filters. I don't believe I've had air in the line between the Racor and
injectors but opening the injectors and squeezing the hand pump would
probably fix that also without too much work.
--
Bill Boyher
s/v Summer Rose