Getting that Diesel Started

[Darth Garry]

A little something that I learned this weekend about getting the elusive prime on your injection pump (short of running an inline fuel bulb, which I'm sure works well) -

I started the engine out of an old oil bottle(cleaned out) due to the fact that my filter situation is not quite figured out yet.

We took and taped up the neck of the bottle, and then blew compressed air into it as the engine was being cranked. The compressed air sort of forced the fuel up the fuel line and into the pump, kind of like when you blow air into a juice box and then watch the juice squirt out.

Within 30 seconds, she was running.

Garry

[artry]

Same thing works from tank itself. a little pressupe in the filler neck and you get diesel all the way to the i pump. Then you can take off the "out" on top of the pump and fill it up if it's dry. All that's left then are the lines and you just leave em cracked at the injector coupling. It won't turn over too many times before they get wet there. Tighten up and drive away.

[mortskeg]

Yep, that's similar to what my diesel guru buddy does. He just pressurizes the return line to the tank instead, forcing fuel up the feed line. You can do this with a low pressure foot pump (for pool inflatables, etc) if you don't have a compressor.
I was wondering if you guys pre-oiled the engine (with a drill or something) or just went for it? At any rate sounds awesome! :)

[Darth Garry]

I preoiled the engine by dumping all of the oil all over the valve train with the valve cover off for the first time so things got pretty oily on the way down, and then I just cranked away for a while before we hooked up the shutoff solenoid.

Garry