bleeding a Westerbeke M25XP

Stu Jackson · Mar 23, 2014

Just turn the knurled knob, nothing else.

Bleeding 101 http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,6377.0.html

weinie · Mar 23, 2014

Though the finger knob has been known to break off.

weinie · Mar 23, 2014

weinie said:
Though the finger knob has been known to break off.

ETA: I just looked at the new price to replace this (where I got the image from)...$174!!!

I paid $45 to replace my broken one a year ago! Talk about inflation! Universal parts must be getting rarer. (This part is different that the kutbota tractor parts diagram seem to indicate so I don't know if you can find it cheaper from that industry.)

Stu Jackson · Mar 23, 2014

weinie's right about the knurled knob coming off. Please be advised, however, that in the 15 years we have had our M25 engine, and in perusing this board, and many others with M25 series engines, I have only heard of this happening ONCE.

Just use your thumb and forefinger and turn it.

Not that hard. Literally and figuratively.

weinie · Mar 23, 2014

Stu Jackson said:
weinie's right about the knurled knob coming off. Please be advised, however, that in the 15 years we have had our M25 engine, and in perusing this board, and many others with M25 series engines, I have only heard of this happening ONCE.

Just use your thumb and forefinger and turn it.

Not that hard. Literally and figuratively.

Well Stu, now you know of a second time!

My M18 was like that when I bought the boat. I would bleed it by turning the whole assembly with a wrench. Unfortunately, I overtightened a clamp when replacing the small bleeder hose which spring a leak and wound up breaking off the little brass nipple, so I had to spring for a whole new thingamabob.

Stu Jackson · Mar 23, 2014

Knurled knob

weinie, I think YOU were that ONE.

weinie · Mar 23, 2014

Stu Jackson said:
weinie, I think YOU were that ONE.

Nah, I don't think I mentioned it before. It was definitely after all my OTHER engine woes.

Which engine, by the way, is running great. Knock on wood.... I'll find out when I go to start it this spring!

pk104 · Mar 24, 2014

Mine broke when I had my 30 Catalina. You make me number three Stu. $175 is a ridiculously greedy price. I would be finding an alternative. Gary

captcoho · Mar 24, 2014

obsailor said:
Spring in NY and time to change the fuel filters. I changed the Racor and engine fuel filters on my Cat 30 and followed the instructions in the Westerbeke manual including bleeding the filter. All ok so far.

The last step in the manual says to "loosen the bleed screw on the injection pump"

The manual diagram points to the injection pump (got that) but does not indicate the location of the bleed screw. I found a knurled nut (knob) on the outboard (away from the engine block) side of the injection pump and loosened it but got no fuel flow when running the fuel pump. I then loosened the bolt adjacent to the knurled bolt but again got no fuel flow when running the fuel pump.

Any suggestions on identifying the bleed screw? Thanks!

The fuel circulated back to the tank. Not like bleeding brakes, where fluid spurts out

weinie · Mar 24, 2014

captcoho said:
The fuel circulated back to the tank. Not like bleeding brakes, where fluid spurts out

But you should definitely hear a change in pitch of the electric fuel pump as air is removed from the system.

FHLIPSKY · Mar 24, 2014

"Universal" X-25 engine on my 1984 C-30

obsailor said:
Spring in NY and time to change the fuel filters. I changed the Racor and engine fuel filters on my Cat 30 and followed the instructions in the Westerbeke manual including bleeding the filter. All ok so far.

The last step in the manual says to "loosen the bleed screw on the injection pump"

The manual diagram points to the injection pump (got that) but does not indicate the location of the bleed screw. I found a knurled nut (knob) on the outboard (away from the engine block) side of the injection pump and loosened it but got no fuel flow when running the fuel pump. I then loosened the bolt adjacent to the knurled bolt but again got no fuel flow when running the fuel pump.

Any suggestions on identifying the bleed screw? Thanks!

I bleed the fuel with the hex-head fitting at the injection pump on the top right side of the engine. Fuel flows freely out around the bolt so make sure you use a rag. From here the fuel is distributed to each injector. Make sure the ignition key is on to power-up the electric fuel pump.

Stu Jackson · Mar 24, 2014

It's a Universal, not Westerbeke M25 -series engine

FHLIPSKY said:
I bleed the fuel with the hex-head fitting at the injection pump on the top right side of the engine. Fuel flows freely out around the bolt so make sure you use a rag. From here the fuel is distributed to each injector. Make sure the ignition key is on to power-up the electric fuel pump.

WADR, that's simply NOT the way to do it. You might want to save yourself a LOT of messy fuel cleanups by simply using the knurled knob, which is what it is there for to begin with. See the link I posted earlier. Just trying to save you unnecessary work.

BTW, it's an M25XP engine, not an X-25.