No Fuel Feed

[Gil Kruemmel]

Last time out on my 85 H31 had a great sail day, however, upon returning to the marina channel and powering up, my 2GMF diesel ran for a couple of senconds, then cut off, and continued to cut off everytime I turned her over until she wouldn't even start at all...had to call a tow. I checked the fuel filter, no fuel there at all....fuel pump? Air in the line? Help? I had just fueled up.

 

[Jim Stevens]

Fuel problem

Gil,My boat is older with a yanmar yse 12 but I may be able give you some general diagnostic advice. If your fuel system is similar, you'll have a 12v fuel pump in the fuel line immediately upstream of the feed to the engine injector pump. Mine's plastic with hose clamps. There's also a return hose that runs from atop the cylinder head/s back to the diesel tank- this isn't the one I'm talking about. -Find the fuel feed, disconnect it at the engine and stick it in a bucket.-Turn your ignition key to on-Listen for the electric fuel pump to run and see if you are pumping a solid stream of diesel into the bucketIf you aren't I can only think of a few reasons why not-No fuel in tank- tank connection plugged - tank connection dip tube broken/leaking above diesel level-Leaks in hose/ connections in fuel tubing anywhere on the suction side of electric pump. This includes the gaskets and seals of your fuel filter/s if it/they are upstream of the electric pump. This will cause your electric pump to suck air and that air will in turn vapor lock the injector pump.If the pump does pump diesel the filter should fill with fuel to the top. For a small leak you'll need to let the hoses and filters sit full of diesel for a while and look for drips, they can be a pain to find.Maybe if you just filled up on diesel you may have ran your tank all the way empty and your filter completely dry and just coincidentally filled the tank while leaving it airbound, but I doubt it. You're probably sucking air somewhere.In the end you'll need to establish that nice pure stream of diesel from the 12v pump discharge - no bubbles. Then you'll have to bleed the air from the suction of the injector pump and the discharge of the pump right at the injector cylinder head connection/s to get it going.good luck

 

[Gil Kruemmel]

The Problem

My mechanic found the problem...a filter (screen) installed by the manufacturer of the fuel tank (less than the size of a tobacco pipe screen) which was clogged up. The screens are good for gas engines, but do not work well with diesels.

 

[Jim A]

Yeap, check the screen

The same thing happen to a guy on the dock! They changed filter, polished his fuel and changed his injectors. It turned out to be the screen in the tank!