I screwed up and didn't prime my filters!

[Keith]

Usually when I change my Racor fuel filters I just let the engine refill the filter instead of filling the filter housing with diesel before firing off. I did that again changing both filters in one engine set. I took them all apart for their annual cleaning. I started the engine and it ran fine filling up the Racor as always. Then it died. I figured it ran its secondary fuel filter dry but would start right up again. It did and ran for about 30 seconds and died again. Now I can't get it started. I have filled both the secondary and primaries with diesel but still no luck. By the way, I have 8X71 N's. Any ideas on what to do next?

Keith
Lady J

 

[bostonhatteras]

Get yourself a handheld spray bottle, like a windex bottle or something like that. Fill it with diesel and, with the air silencer removed, spray like crazy into the air inlet as someone is pressing the start button. You will get it to run with this method. I have heard it will run on wd-40 but I don't think this is true. Don't use ether for this either. Just be patient and spray diesel into the air inlet.

 

[Canuck Dennis]

Purchase the DD hand priming pump and prime thro the main engine filter, takes 20 pumps by hand and away you go, saves a lot of headaches and good practice for the future.

 

[dottieshusband]

Been there, done that! I've got side by side racors, and a canister type primary. If you refill the housings, and your racors top seals are not leaking air...it should start... but if any of the seals are leaking air, it won't. So double check all the seals, fuel cut off valve open....and crank..until I got the air leaks fixed, no joy, but with a good vacuum, it was off to the races.

 

[Keith]

Thanks, I'll give those suggestions a try.

Keith
Lady J

 

[Bob Bradley]

You can also disconnect a fuel return line and hang it in a bucket, press the stop button, and crank the engine. Once the fuel is flowing into the bucket, the system is fully primed.