I ran out of fuel on the last sail of the season. ( I keep my fuel low because we race the boat). I have bleed the lines before with no problems, however this time I can not seem to get the line to bleed. I have filled the fuel filter with fuel and I can hear air coming out of the first bleed however I have yet to get fuel to bleed. I am aware that after the first screw there is another bleed point. Does anyone have any suggestions. I have probably pumped for over a half hour and need to winterize the boat soon.
- Status
- Not open for further replies.
A
Andy Falls
Hit the starter.
Bill: Close your raw water intake. Hit the starter a few times and then try it again. Then try bleeding again. If this does not work, I would remove the pickup tube from the fuel tank and be sure that it is clear. If you have not done this before there may be a screen on the pick up tube that is plugged. Once you know that this is clear you need to be sure that there is fuel in the primary filter. Then try bleeding again. If you have left the tank that low on fuel for a prolonger period of time you may have growth in the tank too. If you find this is the case you may want to pump this fuel out and use it in a furnace or get rid of it in some other environmentally correct way. The you can clean up the tank and refill. Good luck. Let us know how it turns out.
Bill: Close your raw water intake. Hit the starter a few times and then try it again. Then try bleeding again. If this does not work, I would remove the pickup tube from the fuel tank and be sure that it is clear. If you have not done this before there may be a screen on the pick up tube that is plugged. Once you know that this is clear you need to be sure that there is fuel in the primary filter. Then try bleeding again. If you have left the tank that low on fuel for a prolonger period of time you may have growth in the tank too. If you find this is the case you may want to pump this fuel out and use it in a furnace or get rid of it in some other environmentally correct way. The you can clean up the tank and refill. Good luck. Let us know how it turns out.
R
red coles
Bleeding lines
Hello Bill: My suggestions are to add a squeeze bulb between tank and engine. Use this to bleed to filter on engine, then operate your compression release levers and bleed at injectors using starter. Closing raw water intake is up to you. If impeller runs a long time without water it will be destroyed. I personally don't close my water intake. Good luck red
Hello Bill: My suggestions are to add a squeeze bulb between tank and engine. Use this to bleed to filter on engine, then operate your compression release levers and bleed at injectors using starter. Closing raw water intake is up to you. If impeller runs a long time without water it will be destroyed. I personally don't close my water intake. Good luck red
W
William Berson
running on empty
Although it might reduce the boat's weight a bit, a practice of keeping the diesel tank near empty all the time is going to cause no end of trouble. Condensation will be maximized, causing the tank to be an incubator for bacteria and other nasties which will continuously clog the filters and the input screen. In a nasty sea, when you might need the engine the most, the fuel will slop around and you may pick up a gulp of air which will stop the engine dead till you bleed it.... and on a dark night, in a dead calm, you'll run out of fuel. Better to ask the crew to skip the second helping of lasagna at the pre-race dinner.
Although it might reduce the boat's weight a bit, a practice of keeping the diesel tank near empty all the time is going to cause no end of trouble. Condensation will be maximized, causing the tank to be an incubator for bacteria and other nasties which will continuously clog the filters and the input screen. In a nasty sea, when you might need the engine the most, the fuel will slop around and you may pick up a gulp of air which will stop the engine dead till you bleed it.... and on a dark night, in a dead calm, you'll run out of fuel. Better to ask the crew to skip the second helping of lasagna at the pre-race dinner.
J
Jack
Contamination
If you keep the tank thatlow you may have contamination in the line or injectors. What kind of fuel filter are you using?
If you keep the tank thatlow you may have contamination in the line or injectors. What kind of fuel filter are you using?
B
Bill O'Donovan
Stop the bleeding
I think the hand pump on the 18 Yanmar is useless. After replacing the fuel filter at the engine, fill up the cup best you can and screw it on. Then use a West Marine 807 syringe (snipped off for better flow) to fill 'er up at the bleed screw. Red Coles' advice is chancy. See the Archives for a disaster with just such a bulb flow, in which particles fell off and killed the engine.
I think the hand pump on the 18 Yanmar is useless. After replacing the fuel filter at the engine, fill up the cup best you can and screw it on. Then use a West Marine 807 syringe (snipped off for better flow) to fill 'er up at the bleed screw. Red Coles' advice is chancy. See the Archives for a disaster with just such a bulb flow, in which particles fell off and killed the engine.
A
Andy Howard
If your not getting any fuel through the line then Steve is probably right about the fuel pickup line, and a whole lot of nasties in the bottom of your tank. You might want to consider getting a 3 or 6 gallon portable tank (complete with squeeze bulb) to bypass your main tank so you can at least winterize for now.
M
Miles
Sounds like...
If you're consistently getting air out of the bleed screw maybe there is an air leak between the tank and the pump? I sometimes have problems if my Racor filter that comes before the pump isn't tightened properly, the priming pump just sucks up air and not diesel. I assume you put enough diesel in to at least cover the pickup tube? Sorry, had to ask ;.) It shouldn't take a half hour of pumping though, maybe a few minutes...
If you're consistently getting air out of the bleed screw maybe there is an air leak between the tank and the pump? I sometimes have problems if my Racor filter that comes before the pump isn't tightened properly, the priming pump just sucks up air and not diesel. I assume you put enough diesel in to at least cover the pickup tube? Sorry, had to ask ;.) It shouldn't take a half hour of pumping though, maybe a few minutes...
any time you are cranking......................
the engine for more than 15-30 seconds you SHOULD close the raw water intake. My mechanic actually recommended that we ALWAYS close the raw water intake and start the engine with it closed. Once the engine start running you can open the valve. If you do not do this and the engine does not fire, you always take the chance of flooding your cylinders with raw water from the muffler. The exhaust pressure is what pushes the water out of the muffler. When you are cranking and the engine does not start there is no way to evacuate the muffler so it CAN back up through the exhaust hose. I personally do NOT do this but have not had any engine starting problems either.
the engine for more than 15-30 seconds you SHOULD close the raw water intake. My mechanic actually recommended that we ALWAYS close the raw water intake and start the engine with it closed. Once the engine start running you can open the valve. If you do not do this and the engine does not fire, you always take the chance of flooding your cylinders with raw water from the muffler. The exhaust pressure is what pushes the water out of the muffler. When you are cranking and the engine does not start there is no way to evacuate the muffler so it CAN back up through the exhaust hose. I personally do NOT do this but have not had any engine starting problems either.
R
red coles
Re squeeze bulb
Hello Bill My advice is always from personal experience. If not I will say so. I have had a squeeze bulb now for 3 yrs. No problem. If it should self destruct, I would assume the filter on the engine would take care of this. As for the raw water intake, I do not think it's a good idea to run the pump without water. One solution would be to put a valve on the output side and use this to keep water out of the engine. Anyway, take all advice with a grain of thought. If it doesn't seem right, get other sources. Good luck red
Hello Bill My advice is always from personal experience. If not I will say so. I have had a squeeze bulb now for 3 yrs. No problem. If it should self destruct, I would assume the filter on the engine would take care of this. As for the raw water intake, I do not think it's a good idea to run the pump without water. One solution would be to put a valve on the output side and use this to keep water out of the engine. Anyway, take all advice with a grain of thought. If it doesn't seem right, get other sources. Good luck red
- Status
- Not open for further replies.