Priming Perkins 3cyl diesel

Working on another problem child. I have a zero turn with a 28hp “Cat” 3 cyl. It’s actually a Perkins. I am having trouble finding anything on it online. It began to surge. I suspected fuel filters so I replaced the cartridge filter and cleaned the pre-filter/screen. It was filthy and I thought Ah Hah! Had to be it. Now I can’t get the little bugger primed. I have fuel stream at the lift pump and cartridge filter housing is full. I can’t get anything at the injectors. Maybe a spit of fuel every now and then. I can’t find a bleed fitting in the high pressure pump. Suggestions or directions? Still working on it and headed back toward fuel lines and tanks

They’re a SOB to bleed.. U can run thru a starter and a battery if ur not careful.. Make sure you have all the orings on the filter where they’re supposed to be.. Loosen all the lines AT THE INJECTORS.. Loosen the inlet line at the inj pump..is there an electric supply pump to push the fuel.? U may have to crank the engine inorder for the supply pump to work…?? Wait until u get fuel to the pump inlet with NO AIR.. & tighten.. Once u get fuel at the pump inlet.. crank the engine until u get fuel squirting out of the injectors and tighten the lines.. U should be ok now..

As a suggestion - Before you do what Mike has detailed above, just make sure there is no dirt/water in the tank and/or cr@p in the suction lines between the tank and the transfer pump.

thepumpguysc said: They’re a SOB to bleed.. U can run thru a starter and a battery if ur not careful.. Make sure you have all the orings on the filter where they’re supposed to be.. Loosen all the lines AT THE INJECTORS.. Loosen the inlet line at the inj pump..is there an electric supply pump to push the fuel.? U may have to crank the engine inorder for the supply pump to work…?? Wait until u get fuel to the pump inlet with NO AIR.. & tighten.. Once u get fuel at the pump inlet.. crank the engine until u get fuel squirting out of the injectors and tighten the lines.. U should be ok now.. Click to expand... Filter is good. It has manual priming bulb. I have fuel coming out the vent in the filter base. I have fuel coming out the outlet of the lift pump. Cracked all the injectors and only got air then fuel out of #2. Started and it ran on what sounded like 2 cylinders but it didn’t run for long. I had to leave it for the night but did notice the primer bulb was sucked flat. That tells me something isn’t right back toward tanks. Cleaning and replacing lines probably necessary on 18 year old machine. Fuel caps maybe sketchy at vents??I will get back on it tomorrow and post any progress.

Yes, do your priming WITH OUT the cap on the tank..

Cleaned tanks and blew delivery lines out. Could not get fuel to 1&3 injectors. By passed existing pre filter and went directly to canister. Cleaned canister and checked orings. Pumped bulb got fuel out vent of canister and good stream outlet of lift pump. Can’t get fuel at injectors. Tore canister back down and found outlet barb for fuel line loose. Tightened it. Unhooked what looks like a primer circuit at injectors and I get fuel there. Bypassed canister filter and installed inline filter and hooked fuel line directly to high pressure pump. Pumped bulb and got nice stream at #2 injector but not 1&3. Center fitting at pump where injector lines hook up was loose. Had to remove fitting on the left to get a wrench on it to tighten. Made my self some work. Need advice. The plunger sitting in the hole where the spring seats falls to the side when trying to install fitting. Can I use some grease to hold it long enough to get the spring and fitting back in? Attached some pics with questions. Is first pic the electric fuel shut off? Should it click when key is turned on? Second pic. Manual fuel shut off? Third pic. Can I use a little grease here to center that gizmo? Fourth pic. Is that hose and tube arrangement a priming circuit?

1st pic looks like the electric shut off solenoid.. Does it screw into the housing that the inj pump sits in.?? 2nd pic is the MANUAL SHUT OFF LEVER.. 3rd pic do not use grease or anything for that matter.. Put the spring up into the delivery valve holder.. and with your free hand hold it from coming out when you lower it into the pump.. it should center itself.. Last pic is the fuel return line from the injectors..

If u decide to remove the pump, U HAVE TO remove the electric shut off solenoid FIRST..

Yes the shut off solenoid threads into the pump housing. I haven’t checked voltage at plug yet but can’t feel or hear it when key is turned on.

OK. I have a few more ideas to check this a.m. The reason I changed fuel filters was that the machine started surging as if it was running out of fuel. I did find the screen in the pre-filter pretty grungy. The cartridge filter was relatively clean. Maybe another problem was going on. It has 800 hours on it. Question. Best way to troubleshoot electric fuel shut off? I can check voltage at the plug. Thinking maybe ignition switch? Fuel I am seeing at injectors could be bypass when I pump the primer? Second. What do I get if I remove the four screws around the plate on the outlet side of the pump where the injector lines connect? Does that unit come out of the housing? I need a schematic.

Take the solenoid off and put a piece of duct tape across the hole.. U can shut it off manually.. Or run a hot wire from the battery to the solenoid.. if it’s a 1 wire solenoid. Get off of the injector return line.!! They have no function other than returning fuel to the tank.. If u remove the 4 bolts, the pump will come up..& u don’t want that to happen..

So when you prime the pump with key switch off fuel is shut off from injectors? Due to timing of the pump would you not have injectors that were closed at one static crank position? My disadvantage is not knowing the lay out internally for the pump.

That’s not your only disadvantage.. The priming pump is to get fuel TO the injection pump.. period. From there, the inj. pump has “pistons” called plungers, that pressurize the fuel slightly and send it to the injectors.. from there, the injectors hold onto the fuel until it reaches a set pressure and then releases it into the engine in a very fine mist that “catches fire” into the cylinder.. U CAN NOT get fuel to the injectors by using the hand primer.. The solenoid turn the “pistons” either to RUN or to SHUT OFF.

Thx. I have a full pump and full system. I can pump the bulb and fuel flows out of #2 injector line at the injector. I understand what you said it is just confusing to see what I described.

Then u have a problem with #2 cyl in the inj pump.. What ever u do, DO NOT take the top apart and bump the engine over.!! The guts will get pushed up and u won’t be able to get them back down without serious damage to the pump..

Ok. If in fact the pump is bad is the attached pic the necessary fix? Replacement procedure?

did u happen to see my screen name.?? I’ve got 40 years experience rebuilding them.. U can contact me directly at: my screen name at aoldotcom in your mail server..

To bleed these can't you loosen the return into the inj pump supply and run the lift pump for a bit?

I don’t think he knows it has 1..?? I just enlightened him.. That’s probably WHY only 1 cyl pumps.. not enough fuel TO the pump inlet..

Doesn’t have a lift pump.