[dnelmo]

Hello all:

Well I pulled the most foolish of stunts and ran my L245H out of fuel. :banghead3 Having been raised right by my Dad, I have never before run a diesel out of fuel.

Do any of you have any guidelines for bleeding the fuel lines? I've cracked the lines at the injectors and I am not getting any fuel to the injectors.

Also I guess this would be a good time to change the fuel filter. It was last changed about 3 years ago but the tractor is used very little.

Thanks for any help you can provide, and I promise I will never, ever let this happen again.

David

 

[Volfandt]

Some models have a bleeder screw on the fuel injection pump but since I don't know if your's has one or not, you can go through some general diesel engine bleeding procedures.
1) If your fuel fiter is the bowl type, loosen the bowl enough to let the fuel overflow out. This will push out the air up to that point. If your going to replace the filter now's the time to do it. Once you get good flow tighten it down.
2) trace the fuel line to the injector pump. You may need another set of hands for this one. While cranking the engine over, crack the line going into the pump then tighten it back up once you get either the fuel spitting or flowing out of the loose fitting. This is pushing the air out.
Don't crank more than a minute or so at a time to avoid burning up the starter and/or running the battery down. And tighten down the fittings before you stop cranking so it doesn't suck in any more air.
3) It may start now, If it does, crack the fuel line at each injector one at a time to bleed off each individual circuit.
If it doesn't start, crack one line while cranking and tighten it back up once you see pressureized fuel spitting out.
That aught to to get it going for you.
Good luck

 

[dnelmo]

Thank Volfandt. I appreciate the suggestions. Today after work will be my first opportunity to work with the tractor. I'll post an update.

David

 

[RDR]

You won't have to crank the engine. If your's is like mine it is gravity feed. Where the fuel line attaches to the injection pump there is a nut or bleeding screw to loosen to bleed the air out. Let the air out there. It was a good suggestion to replace the fuel filter before bleeding the system. You might want to replace the plastic hose on the side of the fuel tank while it is empty so you can see the fuel level in the tank.

I would try to start it before bleeding the injectors. You might get lucky. Have the throttle wide open to help if it only wants to start on one cylinder. If it won't start crack the lines at the injectors. Keep it wide open to help push the air out. It shouldn't take to many turns of the engine to bleed the injectors since the lines are short. You should be able to throttle back before trying to start it.

 

[dnelmo]

RDR and Volfandt:

Thank you both for your responses. Tonight I was able bleed the air from the injector pump; I did not have to bleed the injector lines. The entire process took only a couple of minutes. Although I did crank the engine while cracking the valve at the injector pump, I wonder now if I needed to.

Thank you again.

David

 

[Volfandt]

:thThumbsU

 

[RDR]

You didn't need to crank it. It is gravity feed.

 

[Kbeitz]

I was told to hold a rag dipped in gas over the intake and the engine will start right up... Just make sure the rag does not get sucked in...