Changed Fuel Filter and Now Won't Start

Passin Thru wrote:
Fill the filter with diesel and put it on again with key on so electric pump is running while you do this, crank engine and see if it will start. Repeat. Don't use WD 40 as it's a solvent and washes down cylinder walls and rings. It should sputter some and don't quit as it will pick up the fuel and expel the air. It is a self bleeding system but a slow one. I owned CAT powered Peterbilt.

'

Only problem is Cat Engines don't have electric powered fuel pumps. They are mechanical, at least on the engines I have experience with.

These Engines are the the Cat C3.4 , Cat C7, Cat C9, and the Heavyweight Cat 3512, which is a 12 cylinder, 3158 CU Inch, 51 Litre Diesel Engine

Here is a trick that worked for me. Take a smal bike air compressor and put the end in to your fuel tank. Wrap a towels over the fuel tank and not allowing Anny air pressureto escape. That will push fuel to your fuel filter while cranking your engine.
Worked for me.

Well, finally got it started. Tried all the filter refill, positive pressure in the fuel tank, raise the front end, prime, reprime, and reprime some more advice. No luck. Finally traced the fuel line up to the top of the engine and removed the one going into the fuel pump(?) - cranked no fuel, but when I cranked the engine I could feel slight suction, so rattached that line and removed the one going from that pump into the engine block (injector fuel rail?). Cranked the engine and got spurt of air then fuel (!!!). Reattached that line, went through the prime sequence, and cranked. Started right up, smoothed out, idles well, ran up to 1200 RPMS and let it run a while. No problems. I guess that line had a bubble of air that wouldn't budge. The line forms an arc from the pump up, over and down to the engine port. Tried it again the next day just to make sure, started right up. Headed out on a short road trip today.

Thanks to all for all the advice. Next time I'll pre-fill the filter (outside holes) like I've done in the past.

Whew! Glad that's over.

Tony

Fill the filter with diesel and put it on again with key on so electric pump is running while you do this, crank engine and see if it will start. Repeat. Don't use WD 40 as it's a solvent and washes down cylinder walls and rings. It should sputter some and don't quit as it will pick up the fuel and expel the air. It is a self bleeding system but a slow one. I owned CAT powered Peterbilt.

I have had to bleed the injectors on several diesels before. Brett is correct in pressurizing the tank with the bleed screw open or the filter a little loose until fuel runs out, but if it still doesn't fire, loosen at least 2 injectors , crank it over, and when it fires, tighten the injectors back down. That has never failed me.

talloto.
First off, to others, if the OP is correct, he has only "ONE" FUEL FITLER and no secondary and NO PRIMING PUMP. And, Brett and I talked for a while on my EXACT SAME SITUATION. If you didn't read my thread, here's what I had. I changed the filter and didn't pre-fill the new one "PER CAT'S INSTRUCTIONS in the CAT owners manual I had.

Second, if the OPs fuel level is/was lower than the mounting point of the SINGLE fuel filter, then, as it did in mine, when the filter was removed, the fuel in the line drained all the way back to the tank. OK, now you've got around a 25' long air bubble.

Third, on mine, the fuel "Disappeared" from the filter base to the "lift pump" or otherwise known as the "Transfer pump" too. I say disappeared because it didn't leak all over the ground when I removed the old filter.

Fourth, if that happened in your case as it did in mine, your line from the filter base is also "EMPTY"!!!! So, what you had totally when you tried to start it again, after the 30 second run time, was about 35' air bubble. So, as Brett and, Freightliner customer service advised, I had to pressurize the fuel tank and, open the line to the filter base. Then, when I got fuel there, I made sure that the filter was pre-filled. Then, that's when I found out the fuel line from the base to the back of the HEUI pump or, the transfer pump as some call it, was empty too.

So, I loosened the fitting and removed it from the transfer pump and had the DW pressurize the tank one more time. I finally got fuel to that point.

I buttoned everything all up and cranked it again. It took about 20 seconds of cranking before it started to sputter. Then, I kept cranking (for a total of about 35 seconds and the beast lit off. When it finally started, there was no sputtering or coughing. It was smooth as glass.
So, that's what most likely happened to the OP. I put some serious time on my starter that event. Never again will I face that situation. I've since installed dual shut off valves in the lines so I isolate that filter during the change out.
Scott

talotto wrote:
OK, so I screwed up:

330HP C7 Diesel Cat engine, changed the single fuel filter and didn't pre-fill, didn't go through the prime sequence.

Started normally, ran for 30 seconds or so then died. Can't get it to start since. I've tried the prime sequence, several times (key on 30 seconds, off, repeat 3-4 times then crank starter for 30 seconds - wait several minutes and repeat) but no luck.

Fuel filter and bowl are full of fuel, so I assume the fuel pump is working.

Any advice before I have it towed to the shop?

Tony

I don't believe that your Cat has a lift pump, so the on/off bit isn't going to help. Try pre filling the filters. If you get it to start, take it right up to 2000 rpm and keep it there for about 2 minutes.

Good luck.

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f124/changed-fuel-filter-now-not-starting-154799.html

Here is FIRE UP's ultimate solution to getting his C-7 up and running again.

Thank goodness I have never experienced this, but always prefill my filter.

I've used WD-40 for years as a starting fluid as it's very volatile.JMHO

If what Brett (Wolfe 10)said doesn't work.
Try what Twomed said with WD-40.
This works, but you will need to crank it for quite some time to get it to fire.
I know this will work, had a mechanic help me get my last MH started this way when nothing else we tried would work.
Just a hint, we cranked for way more than the 30 second crank time Cat recommends. Mechanic said start cranking and don't stop until it fires.