1533 Fuel Pump?

aledobud · Sep 29, 2018

I usually have to use the prime pump on the second fuel filter to get my 1533 to start if it hasn't been run is a while. Today, I did that before starting and it started right up, but died after a few seconds. Primed again, same thing. If I keep priming, it will continue to run, then die after I stop priming. Obviously a fuel supply issue. I haven't reached 50 hours so have not replaced filters. I will do that, but I was also suspecting the fuel pump might be disconnected or bad, but could not find it. Looked in the parts catalog and could not find one listed. Does the 1533 have a fuel pump? If so, where is it located?

RNeumann · Sep 29, 2018

The thing doesn’t have a fuel pump like you are thinking. A normal diesel vehicle would have two pumps. One that brings the fuel up to the filters and then the high pressure pump that is something like 2400psi. The high pressure pump is what is needed to inject the fuel into the cylinders. Your little hand priming isn’t affecting that one.
The fuel gets to the filters with gravity- that’s all the hand priming is overcoming. So it’s very likely something is either stuck in the fuel tank right where the hose comes off or you have a bad hose that has collapsed internally. You would have to have put mud in the fuel tank to plug a filter in only a few hours.
Pull the hose off the intake of the prefilter and see what you get- I’m betting it is anemic flow from one of the two things listed above. If it is good flow the clog is the filter or the hose between the first and second filter.
This all assumes you don’t have gelling with your existing fuel.

aledobud · Sep 29, 2018

Thanks for the tips. I'll start going through it all.

RNeumann · Sep 29, 2018

This is the hose you want to pull off to verify flow-

Mahindra 1533 1538 fuel shut off - YouTube

aledobud · Oct 21, 2018

I’ve only had time to check fuel to first filter. That is fine. Definitely will be installing a shutoff. Next I will take out the first filter and check that out.

aledobud · Oct 29, 2018

I finally had time to work on it this weekend. I replaced the first filter and blew out the line to the second filter. I primed it and it did start and continue to run. I mowed a while with no issues. So I guess something was clogged. The filter didn’t seem that bad but there was a bit of silt on the bottom of the canister. I also noticed that priming the second filter doesn’t get to the point of not being able to press down the plunger like it was doing. Not sure if it should or shouldn’t. Anyway, happy to have it back in business.