Diesel Injection guys, a moment of your time?

[PHPaul]

I'm working a John Deere 455 with the Yanmar diesel. The poor thing has been abused and is worn very badly, but still runs if you can get it started (low compression I'm sure.) I've been nursing this thing along for a guy for years. Latest problem is that somehow or another, it got the fuel bowl, filter and lines full of water. I've disconnected the lines and run all the water out of the system as far as the injector pump, put a new filter in it and bled the air out.

I disconnected the injector lines at the pump and have been cranking it over trying to make sure I get all the water out of the pump, if any. I'm not sure what I'm seeing is what I should see out of a properly running injector pump. Fuel seems a little foamy like it's got a lot of air entrained, and I'm not seeing the volume I think I should see.

Have a peek at the video and tell me what you think.

 

[Raised on a Deere]

I'm working a John Deere 455 with the Yanmar diesel. The poor thing has been abused and is worn very badly, but still runs if you can get it started (low compression I'm sure.) I've been nursing this thing along for a guy for years. Latest problem is that somehow or another, it got the fuel bowl, filter and lines full of water. I've disconnected the lines and run all the water out of the system as far as the injector pump, put a new filter in it and bled the air out.

I disconnected the injector lines at the pump and have been cranking it over trying to make sure I get all the water out of the pump, if any. I'm not sure what I'm seeing is what I should see out of a properly running injector pump. Fuel seems a little foamy like it's got a lot of air entrained, and I'm not seeing the volume I think I should see.

Have a peek at the video and tell me what you think.

The pictures don't show me much as far as the foaminess or consistency of the fuel but you are seeing plenty of volume. If there is any foaminess from water it has to be only from water in the pump now that you have clean fuel going to the pump. The pump is not going to hold much so crank it a bit more to purge and then put the lines on leaving one cracked a bit for bleeding the air and spin the engine. With the combination of old worn pump, low compression etc you might have to pull the tractor with something to spin the engine really fast to get things going.

My only caveate is if the water sat in the pump a long time there may have been enough corrosion to take the pump over the hill.

I come from the school of making an old worn out diesel last for many more years to do lots of hard work by parking it on a hill and starting it that way. You could then work all day as long as you did not let it cool off between starts. Once when working on a similar problem as yours the hill wasn't long enough and had to drag it around the lot with another tractor a good bit to get it purged and going. Ran rough for several minutes before straightening out. It seemed to be moisture related.

Good luck

 

[PHPaul]

It's a hydro trans, so towing isn't an option.

I reconnected the lines at the pump and then cracked the nuts on the injectors and cranked until I had fuel.

It's at least trying to start now which is a major improvement. The other issue is that 8 times out of ten, if one cylinder fires the bendix on the starter kicks out and you get to try again. Also, battery isn't the greatest.

Continuing to futz with it, my time is cheap and it's something to do on a rainy day. Darn near a monsoon out there at the moment.

Feller that owns it ain't got two nickels to rub together so I'm not gonna throw any parts at it other than the new fuel filter.

 

[PHPaul]

After lubing the bendix on the starter, cleaning and tightening the battery cables and running the charger on boost, it finally spun fast enough and long enough to start.

Still not great but it does start and run and I've only got the price of a fuel filter and a couple of hours of my time in it.

 

[Redlands Okie]

Nice work