John Deere 970 fuel filter change

[chriswheeler]

Good Morning,
Yesterday I changed the fuel filter in my new to me JD 970 for the first time. I changed the filter and cleaned everything up, installed the new filter. In the owners manual, it says this tractor with a little fuel pump is " self priming " So far, it hasn't been the case, system still full of air. My old Yanmar 3000 had air purge screws for this, worked great, this one doesn't. Am I going to have to go through and start pulling fuel lines to get the air out ?? Also notice that their is a small lever on the side of the fuel pump attached to the injector pump, nothing said about this in the owners manual. Anyone know what this lever is for ?? Thanks for the help.
chris

 

[RG1]

Is your fuel shutoff valve opened back up?

 

[Tx Jim]

chriswheeler
I see no lever on IP.

 

[zzvyb6]

Your diagram shows the fuel injection pump, not the fuel pump. There are two filters on your machine. One at the tank and one on the lower right side of the motor (as viewed from the back). Both have shutoff valves and clear plastic bowls. Shut off the valve, unscrew the retaining ring (you may need a strap wrench on the motor filter's ring), and dump out the bowl, maybe blow out the filter. If you empty both filter bowls, there may not be enough fuel in the lines to restart the motor. I do one at a time to make sure I can restart.

On the motor filter, the pump will return fuel to the bowl and bleed out the air. If you want to be safe, fill the bowl with fuel before you put it back one. This will take some dexterity to keep from spilling it. Don't loose the spring that secures the strainer to the top of the housing when you pull it off. Both work as a water separator, too. I had a bad experience with water contaminated fuel. When the water separator fills up, the motor quits.

Don't forget to open the shutoff valves after you are done. The lever points in the direction of fuel flow.

 

[chriswheeler]

Thanks ZZVYB6 and the rest. I have both fuel valves open, and the water separator below the tank did fill properly when the valve was opened. Thanks TX Jim for posting the diagram, yes I have it as well. In that diagram you can clearly see the little lever on the far side of the fuel pump ( not the injection pump ) between, and just below #31 and #32. Think my mistake here might have been to do both the filter on the engine, and the water separator on the tank at the same time. Thinking I need to take the engine filter bowl apart again and fill with fresh diesel and try again. Still can't figure out what that little lever is on the side of the fuel pump ???
Chris

 

[Tx Jim]

On the fuel lift pumps I'm acquainted with one opens a bleeder screw and pumps lever to displace air with fuel. I think you just need to bleed the air out of the fuel system and then you'll be good to go.

 

[kuboman]

The lever is likely a primer pump.

 

[zzvyb6]

The lever operates a priming pump to fill the bowl at the motor filter. However, if fuel has all drained out, chances are you will have to crack the injectors (12 mm open end as I recall) to bleed out the air. Back the injector nut off 1 turn, crank and wait for most of the bubbling to stop. You can just grind it out, too but it may take 5 to 10 minutes of [crank, fire, stall] to get a few cylinders going. Then it will catch on all 3.

This can be hard on the starter, solenoid, cables and battery.

 

[Tx Jim]

If inj pump never got air in it then bleeding injectors isn't required.

 

[chriswheeler]

Fixed. When I changed the filter and cleaned the rear separator, I also changed the fuel shut off valve at the engine filter. Handle was broken when I got the tractor. When assembling the core, I got the inner plug 180 degrees out from where it needed to be. Had to perge the air from every line, and injectors. Runs fine now, but what a pain. My fault clearly. I guess if I'd had the valve assembled correctly, the little priming lever on the side of the pump would have had some sort of a chance of working.
Chris