Fuel to the front??

[MemphisOrion]

I finally have glow plugs "working" on my 7.3 IDI, now I'm trying to figure out how to pump fuel through the injection pump. The fuel pump to the bus is all the way in the back and I know it is nowhere near the level it needs to be to get a steady flow.

Is it a way I can pump fuel at the front of the bus near the engine? Is there a way to manually push fuel through?

I hope I made sense

Thanks

 

[joeblack5]

With my 7.3 idi I was.not able to pump fuel thru the injection pump. That is because the rotary injection pump has a vane pump inside and uses the generated fuel.pressure to adjust injection timing.. there should be a Schrader valve on the fuel filter where you can connect a pressure gauge or if you wish let air out of the fuel filter after you changed the filter.

With my diesels I like to use electric pumps so that I know that I have fuel when I start the engine.

Good luck,
Johan

 

[Booyah45828]

Fuel pump or fuel tank is at the back? I don't think any idi's used an electric fuel pump stock, they all used a mechanical pump mounted on the engine block.

You can install a "primer" pump somewhere to get fuel flowing if you'd like. Those are often referred to as cube pumps and can be had pretty cheap usually. Or you can install a p4070 in place of your mechanical, but I'd be sure you have some sort of pressure gauge or warning light to tell you when it doesn't have enough pressure.

You can find and read alpinekid's posts on the forum. He's a member that has an idi in an e350 and is trying to get his started too. He used a green primer pump that I think is diesel rated to get his going.

Other then that, all you can really do is crank the engine while bleeding the filter. Your 2nd picture isn't all that clear, but I'd bet that the lift pump is between your 2 fuel filters.

And like johan said, you can't push fuel through the injection pump without it turning.

If your filters are bone dry, you can leave one loose/off, and then use an air gun and rag into the fuel filler neck to gently "blow" fuel up to the front out the loose/off filter. Be careful not to use too much pressure and damage anything.

 

[MemphisOrion]

Fuel pump or fuel tank is at the back? I don't think any idi's used an electric fuel pump stock, they all used a mechanical pump mounted on the engine block.

You can install a "primer" pump somewhere to get fuel flowing if you'd like. Those are often referred to as cube pumps and can be had pretty cheap usually. Or you can install a p4070 in place of your mechanical, but I'd be sure you have some sort of pressure gauge or warning light to tell you when it doesn't have enough pressure.

You can find and read alpinekid's posts on the forum. He's a member that has an idi in an e350 and is trying to get his started too. He used a green primer pump that I think is diesel rated to get his going.

Other then that, all you can really do is crank the engine while bleeding the filter. Your 2nd picture isn't all that clear, but I'd bet that the lift pump is between your 2 fuel filters.

And like johan said, you can't push fuel through the injection pump without it turning.

If your filters are bone dry, you can leave one loose/off, and then use an air gun and rag into the fuel filler neck to gently "blow" fuel up to the front out the loose/off filter. Be careful not to use too much pressure and damage anything.

Yes its all in the back, I'll get a pic of it, very interesting set up.

 

[rossvtaylor]

I don't know if this is of any use, but here's my 7.3 IDI. "priming assist" setup. I have one of the green Edelbrock diesel fuel pumps connected on either side of a one-way check valve, so the stock fuel pump can still suck fuel from the tank. I only turn this on after the ambulance has been sitting for a while. Yes, I know this is simply a mask of the symptoms (of leaking olive seals, cracked injector return lines, or a bad stock check valve). But this is a "spare" vehicle we use for taking mother-in-law into town for appointments, so it's not worth me fighting the tight access to fix the real problem. This does work and might be of help?

 

[joeblack5]

You have a really futuristic design bus. Could have been out of an early scifi movie, "Logan's run" or so.

Reminds me of an RV called vixen.

In the pictures you show it appears that the idi is sitting under the driver's seat?
Am I not seeing it correctly.

Johan

 

[Booyah45828]

You're seeing right.

Somehow they use an at545 and are also front wheel drive.

I'd love to see pictures of the drivetrain layout, but a google search revealed nothing.

 

[MemphisOrion]

You have a really futuristic design bus. Could have been out of an early scifi movie, "Logan's run" or so.

Reminds me of an RV called vixen.

In the pictures you show it appears that the idi is sitting under the driver's seat?
Am I not seeing it correctly.

Johan

Yes the IDI is under the drivers seat...They actually used the bus in Robo Cop:biggrin: