Ran out of diesel..How do i restart?

Will need to bleed of the air in system, may need to get mech. to do this unless you or friend know something of the fuel system.

Ether I would rule out, and I'd keep trying a bit longer.

Do NOT use ether-- your engine has an INTAKE MANIFOLD HEATER. Ether on a red hot wire can lead to an EXPLOSION.

Use your manual primer pump to to prime. Pump it until it goes from easy to very firm. Be sure to tighten it back down when you are finished.

The first time I changed the fuel filter, I put it back on dry. I could not get the air out of the system. I cranked for hours. Turned the key on then off a million times. It would just crank.

I found a tip about pressurizing the fuel tank. I cut a scrap block of wood to cover the fuel filler opening. Glued a little piece of inner tube to the bottom. Drilled a 1/4" hole through the block. I then held the block over the filler opening and used my compressor with a blow gun attachment to put air in the tank through the 1/4" hold drilled into the piece of wood. Just a couple squirts of air. Maybe 10 psi. Then I covered the hole with my finger while holding the piece of wood tightly to the fuel opening. I had my wife crank the engine over. Started within about 10 seconds.

Now I always pre-fill my fuel filter with Seafoam!

Good luck.

Ether BAD.

Check the side of your engine for something that looks like this...




You turn the round handle part to the left...it can then be pulled up. That round thingy is attached to a shaft that will "pump" your fuel system. Pump until it gets hard...close...turn righty-tighty.

Then try to start.


EDIT: NOT possible on ALL diesel...you may have to crack open the fuel lines going into injectors...crank to bleed...tighten fuel lines back up.

time_to_go_now wrote:
The first time I changed the fuel filter, I put it back on dry. I could not get the air out of the system. I cranked for hours. Turned the key on then off a million times. It would just crank.

I found a tip about pressurizing the fuel tank. I cut a scrap block of wood to cover the fuel filler opening. Glued a little piece of inner tube to the bottom. Drilled a 1/4" hole through the block. I then held the block over the filler opening and used my compressor with a blow gun attachment to put air in the tank through the 1/4" hold drilled into the piece of wood. Just a couple squirts of air. Maybe 10 psi. Then I covered the hole with my finger while holding the piece of wood tightly to the fuel opening. I had my wife crank the engine over. Started within about 10 seconds.

Now I always pre-fill my fuel filter with Seafoam!

Good luck.

I driled a hole in my cap and instaled a vale stem the first time i ran out of fuel and had to call road service only used it once after that worked great

From a prior thread (http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/28628438/gotomsg/28628646.cfm#28628646 he has a Caterpillar engine WITH MANUAL PRIMER PUMP.

Assuming he now has fuel in the tank, I would sure start by giving that manual pump 200 or so pumps. If that doesn't prime it because of the 30+ feet of AIR in the fuel line from tank to primary filter, then he will need to pressurize the tank (like to 2 PSI) with someone else cracking open the outlet to the primary filter. When air purged from the line, the manual pump WILL prime it just fine.

Moral of the story, don't run out of diesel-- it is a lot of extra work and is VERY HARD ON THE INJECTION SYSTEM. On all diesels, fuel is used to cool and lubricate the head and injection system. When near the bottom of the tank, the fuel in the tank will be hotter and hotter, as it recirculates. NOT a good idea to run low!

C7s didn't come with the fuel pump primer. The engine before it did. Same basic engine. I guess they figured they could save a few bucks.
There is block off plate held by two screws. The pump was availble from Cat.

Unless you have an idea of what you are doing - CALL A DIESEL MECHANIC. - trust me and the other than have made the same suggestion spend the money save the DAMAGE - Put the batteries on charge and make the call.

This is one of the two main reasons the Diesel Engine has never made it big in the US auto market.

BOL,