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avazquez · 05-01-2011, 15:54

I installed an outboard inline primer pump in my diesel supply line to make it easier to bleed my 4108 Perkins when I replaced filters. It worked fine for about a year but last weekend we sailed from Humacao to Culebra PR and upon arrival as we were anchoring, the engine began to accelerate and de-accelerate as when a filter is clogged. It finally died just when we dropped the anchor. I replaced the Racor and tried running the engine without any luck. I then noticed the primer pump was sucked and wouldn't fill up. As it turns out the internal check-valve was stuck. I replaced it and everything worked fine.

My question the is if there is a better option to help bleed the engine?

gettinthere · 05-01-2011, 16:18

in line electric fuel pump. small, simple, cheap

four winds · 05-01-2011, 16:27

When using an inline electric pump in addition to the lift pump, does it have to run anytime the engine is used?

Or only during priming and bleeding?

If turned off the fuel flows through it unhindered?

Minggat · 05-01-2011, 16:40

Yeah, I did that wit h my 4-108 as well. I wound up with a major leak at the bulb after about the same time.

Electric fuel pump. Make sure it's for diesel, not gas. Should be able to run thru it, but better to give yourself options. I plumbed mine in with a bypass. That way I can prime the injectors, then take it out of line. Or run thru it, which is also good if your lift pump fails. But you could then wind up pumping fuel into the crankcase if you pump thru the lift pump.

Point is, give yourself options... IMHO

avazquez · 05-01-2011, 16:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minggat

Yeah, I did that wit h my 4-108 as well. I wound up with a major leak at the bulb after about the same time.

Electric fuel pump. Make sure it's for diesel, not gas. Should be able to run thru it, but better to give yourself options. I plumbed mine in with a bypass. That way I can prime the injectors, then take it out of line. Or run thru it, which is also good if your lift pump fails. But you could then wind up pumping fuel into the crankcase if you pump thru the lift pump.

Point is, give yourself options... IMHO

Thats what I thought, a bypass with a switched pump. Where do you get the DC from?

Minggat · 05-01-2011, 17:16

That's a fair guestion which should be easily answered. But my boat is on the other side of the world from me and I just don't remember. As I thought about it, at first I thought I must have used the igntion switch, but that would also power my oil pressure alarm. So the answer is.. I dunno. Sorry

If you shut down the engine, that happens mechanically at the injector pump. So if you use a different source than the ignition switch you would need to remember that the fuel pump is still powered. You would not hear it because once it deadheads, it shuts itself off.

four winds · 05-01-2011, 17:42

I hadn't thought about a bypass method of installation.

Pumping fuel into the crankcase after a lift pump diaphragm failure was my concern. In that case an inline pump could not act as a backup anyway.

I currently have a bulb inline but it just doesn't look like a good idea to me.

Minggat · 05-01-2011, 18:03

Yes. But with emergency connections you could also bypass the lift pump.

four winds · 05-01-2011, 18:15

That's exactly what I was thinking. Something on hand to solve that problem at sea if needed.

I'm a couple of months from my first long coastal cruise (west coast FL) and trying to become as prepared as possible. I can fix almost anything if I have the parts and tools available.

Thanks for this discussion everyone.