Replaced diesel spill off blank and now won't start

[Ads1987]

Hi Guys,

I was doing some electrical wiring connector repairs at the weekend just gone and noticed the blanking cap on the 4th injector on my 1.7 d (ky) engine was splitting quite badly so I thought I would replace it before it started causing issues - in doing so I have now created a big issue!

As I took off the old blanking cover I heard the fuel drain out, I guess due to the pressure release in the system, after this the engine would just turn over for ages with no luck at starting.

I have tried using the manual choke, removing the air filter and spraying a small amount of brake cleaner down the intake, slacking off 3 of 4 injector unions and cranking the engine - all with no good results. Today I brought and installed one of those small bulb primers in between the fuel filter and injection pump, left one pipe off and pumped away until it pulled fuel through and I then connected it back on and pumped it more until it started pushing fuel into the injection pump.

But still it won't start, and even more worryingly it was stopping mid crank as if something had stopped the engine from turning. I am hoping there's just too much air in the system and it just won't start because of this but I don't want to keep guessing and potential do some real damage (if not already) because before this simple cap was changed it was running fine!

Thanks for your help and for reading this,

Adam.

[lloydy]

i would have someone turn it over on the key while you crack a nut on top of one of the injectors. only slightly loosen it and it'll be enough to get a bit of fuel through and it should then start.

[Ads1987]

ok i'll give that a go, do you know if people normally fit and leave the bulb primers installed or take them back off after?

I'm a bit worried about keeping on cranking it over now that it has just stopped a few times, don't want to cause damage but then I can't see what would cause damage just from draining the fuel from the injectors :S

Thanks for the reply

[lloydy]

they do leave the bulbs in, fit it on the return line. Just to clarify the nut i mean is the one that fixes the fuel pipe to the injector.

[colinthefox]

.........................and I then connected it back on and pumped it more until it started pushing fuel into the injection pump.

When you do this you have to fill the pump casing completely with fuel. The pump is actually two pumps, a low pressure vane pump which just pressurises the system, and a high pressure section which delivers from the low pressure section to the injectors. Only once you have the casing completely full can you slacken off the injector pipes to fill the high pressure section. If there's any air in the casing this just won't happen.

OH.........and it's NOT a choke. All it does is advance the timing at low speed, nothing else.
AND it is very bad practice to use any easy start type products because they pre-ignite, and this exposion can cause damage. The "stopping mid crank" could well be this pre-ignition happening.

[Ads1987]

The stopping mid crank was only happening today, I only used the brake cleaner today so surely that's completely gone by now! It wasn't stopping yesterday only today for some reason.

Lol sorry thought I may get picked up on calling it a choke but couldn't remember the proper name!

Thanks for the info on the pump, sounds like the bulb primer would be best fitted elsewhere, although I didn't think I could see a return line back to the fuel tank, guess I didn't look properly ?

I had kept pumping the bulb primer to try and fill the pump but it just seemed to be pushing bubbles back and forth, so that sounds like now I need to crack off the injectors one by one to remove the air?

Sorry lots of questions but thanks for the information, really helping!

[colinthefox]

If the priming bulb push the bubbles back and forth, then you'll need a non return valve somewhere to make sure the fuel travels only one way. I've never used one, so I don't know if a bulb primer has a valve built in, or if you need a separate one.

Cracking off the injectors won't help until the pump is completely full of fuel.

[max and caddy]

If you have a oil sucker or a vacuum pump of some sort the most effective method is to attach it to the pump return fitting and apply suction untill a pint or so of fuel is pulled ...crank the engine at same time if possible..works for me..

[Ads1987]

Ok cool thanks guys I'll try all of this tomorrow and let you know what happens

[Ads1987]

So we managed to get it started, thanks for all of your help guys it was really useful to understand a bit more about it!

The next issue has appeared, now when it runs it was making a chugging noise - after a bit of hunting around it turned out to be coming from the coolant header tank, the one accessed via the engine compartment and not the expansion bottle near the number plate. We removed the small hose from the dalek type cap and as the engine was running that cap was making a strange whistle/farting noise and actually forcing out air, we put a glove over it and it started to inflate. I stopped the engine running at this point because I don't want to do any further damage.

At the moment the coolant level in the header tank isn't all the way to the top when cold but it's only a couple of centimeters below, the expansion bottle is in between the two marks, so i'm wondering if its something as simple as the one way valve/seals on the cap failing and allowing the pressure to go straight past rather than letting the pressure build up or do you think it's really a serious problem that is forcibly pushing air through the coolant system?

Sorry for another essay!

Cheers.

[kevtherev]

Oh dear
Reads like a head gasket failure/cracked head
Pressurising the header with combustion gasses.

[Oldiebut goodie]

As above - coupled with stopping mid crank could have been water in cylinder preventing turning over on one cylinder. Does sound ominous.

[Ads1987]

mmmmm as I feared! apparently we have a tester at work that can dip the coolant for emissions so i'll give that a go and get ready to cry lol

[kevtherev]

mmmmm as I feared! apparently we have a tester at work that can dip the coolant for emissions so i'll give that a go and get ready to cry lol

I think it sniffs the gas in the header, rather than tests the coolant.
Be thankful you have an oil burner, to a petrol head this is catastrophic!

[Ads1987]

Well the engine isn't in the best of condition all round to be honest, has be sounding pretty tired recently and not starting very well etc.

So it's been on the cards, just working out if I want to try and get the original engine rebuilt fully, buy a recon unit or just fit a different engine completely - just cant make my mind up!