Perkins 4107 Fuel Lines

[Stillraining]

It seems your bent on hacking off the steel lines and slipping hose over the ends and hose clamping them....do me a favor if not yourself, and at least flair the ends so they cant slip off so easily......Id loan you my flair tool or do it for you if you were local.

[Chief Engineer]

Since you are working on your own vessel....you can do whatever you want, cut lines, improvise an alternative, teflon tape.

It is too bad the engine compartment was so poorly engineered that such drastic measures need to be taken.

I have seen some hell-holes of engine rooms over the years....no wonder why engines are neglected.

[Stillraining]

Note:

The OP has deleted a post so the reason the two previous replies seem out of context.

[Chief Engineer]

I hate it when that happens........makes the threads look kind of
dis-joint-ed.
Like
some
kind
of
early

onset

in-san-ity

[Stillraining]

Ya...I almost always use the quote function but sometimes get lazy...live and learn.

[billwa]

Hmm... on boat tonight to reassess the plan. On the boat, things look a lot different to how I pictured it in my head during the week. So a rethink is in order.

The main problem I have is that the gap between the starter motor (B) in the photograph is too little to allow a filter change, without totally removing the bolt at position (A)... However the return from the injectors is on top of this bolt, so this needs to be removed as well to do a filter change.

Probably, rearranging the angle of this fitting will allow me to get this bolt out and do a filter change. Dont think I will need to chop the line and replace with rubber.

Have bought an electric pump and will unplumb and replumb around the mechanical one.

Next question relates to the "diesel heater", the little heater that can be used to shoot hot diesel down the air intake.

QUestion 1: should this come on automatically and get boiling hot while cranking the motor, or should it only come on when needed? The pipe leading to this gets boiling hot while cranking the motor - is this normal or do I need to track down an electrical fault.

Question 2: Currently, this heater is plumbed into the diesel for gravity feed from the tank, controlled by a solonoid... Would it be OK to put the electric pump (4 - 6 psi) to feed this heater, or would that provide too much flow. I currently dont think the diesel heater gets enough flow.

[Maddog]

I have the same engine. For about $50 you can replace the secondary filter with a spin on type. You should then have plenty of clearence to replace that filter. By the way that filter should be a 2 micron, before the pump you should have a primary filter/water seperator at about 20 microns, (Get a Racor spin-on series. It has a built in primeing pump that make bleeding the lines a snap). A new mechanical lift pump is about $50 and will last years. Call S&W Diesle in Wilmington, CA. BOB will help you out. I'm just a customer there. Good to see that someone else has a crusty old 4-107 too.

[shakey doug]

Take return fuel line off filter top to change filter so easy if bowl bottom section has standard drain plug i do this at least twice a month. The cold start heater has a small element which heats up when the heat position on the starter is selected this moves a small ball type valve allowing fuel to flow on to the hot element vapourising fuel ready for ignition some times this valve fails to completely shut after use causing heaps of black smoke at exhaust, take air cleaner off turn to heat you will see white fuel vapour and possible flames if working correctly. the normal yj seies lift pump works at pressure you mention. You mention in post 25 that the fuel tank is 150cm obove motor why do need a aux pump to help prime? stick with the engine unit treated well this good for 3000 hrs, if priming needs a help fit a outboard bulb nothing to be worried about if it gets sprayed with water. Some 4107s came out with a small 1pint can that was mounted 2' above heater element this supplied enough fuel thru 1/4''a pipe to do the job.

[billwa]

Well,
Got stuck into the fuel lines this weekend. First thing, pulled off the line to the primary filter, and no fuel came out???

Put my mouth on the line, and sucked on it - couldnt get any diesel out of the tank (checked the tap, fully open).

Next I blew on the line, aften nearly popping a lung, managed to blow some bubbles in the tank. Ended up pulling of all the lines before the first filter. They were all blocked solid with black mud. Im not surprised the engine needed a big squirt of ether to kick over. Im now surprised it kicked over at all.

Managed to clear all the lines using a piece of wire.

Replace the problem filter housing which was leaking. Cleared all lines, installed electric fuel pump. Bled the lines. Engine now kicks over on first turn of the key... Very satisfying.

The diesel getting throught the two Cav filters still is black, and seems to have a small amount of fine black sediment in it - but the Perkins seems happy to burn it. If it managed to run with the mud through the fuel system, the small amount of black crap left probably wont worry it?

On to the next job....

[Stillraining]

FWIW to you ( probably not much).....Im not one to get real excited about dirty fuel ...modern filters do a amazing job of filtration...just keep a sharp eye on your sediment bowl and change at least the primary filter out after say 8 to 10 hours run time the first go and see how bad it is....if you can pour water and mud out of it do it again...if not ,your probably good to go for a normal interval change.

As far as your cleaned out main feed fuel line....for the cheap price of new fuel line I would replace it..it is now undoubtedly rusted internally and thined...who knows when it will start leaking or at a minimum start restricting again due to it's now rough internal walls grabing and holding onto debris just like your arteries do in your own fuel/blood supply system.....Here again lost of fuel suply at the wrong time could cost you your boat or worse.

[DeepFrz]

Your next job should be (IMHO) cleaning the fuel tank. That was not black "mud", it was tar from the diesel fuel and if it had plugged your fuel line for sure there is much more in the tank. Go ahead, ask me how I know...

[shakey doug]

G'day Billwa,
If you are enjoying the way your engine is starting at the moment make the most of it because it is not going to last if you do not take the advice on cleaniing the tank & feed system. All fuel pumps & injectors hate any type of polluted fuel but particularly the dpa rotary type as fitted to your perkins.Imagine the amount of crap that will be stirred up in a bit of a punch and all consequences that follow.

[Minggat]

Originally Posted by billwa

Well,......


The diesel getting throught the two Cav filters still is black, and seems to have a small amount of fine black sediment in it - but the Perkins seems happy to burn it. If it managed to run with the mud through the fuel system, the small amount of black crap left probably wont worry it?

On to the next job....

A close friend of mine lost her boat on the rocks when dirty fuel found it's way thur an otherwise spotless 4-107 engine.

I'd say, when you're done with all this, besides getting down to a spotless tank, take your injectors in for a checkup. By the way, your starter is on the opposite side of the engine from mine. Shifting that over, if possible, could give you room. but it sounds like you've got a handle on the access issue.

[shakey doug]

Your 107 is fitted with a m45 lucas pull bendix starter you will have a big job ahead of you if you want to change it over.

[Stillraining]

Originally Posted by billwa

Well,
Got stuck into the fuel lines this weekend. First thing, pulled off the line to the primary filter, and no fuel came out???

Put my mouth on the line, and sucked on it - couldnt get any diesel out of the tank (checked the tap, fully open).

Next I blew on the line, aften nearly popping a lung, managed to blow some bubbles in the tank. Ended up pulling of all the lines before the first filter. They were all blocked solid with black mud. Im not surprised the engine needed a big squirt of ether to kick over. Im now surprised it kicked over at all.

Managed to clear all the lines using a piece of wire.

Replace the problem filter housing which was leaking. Cleared all lines, installed electric fuel pump. Bled the lines. Engine now kicks over on first turn of the key... Very satisfying.

The diesel getting throught the two Cav filters still is black, and seems to have a small amount of fine black sediment in it - but the Perkins seems happy to burn it. If it managed to run with the mud through the fuel system, the small amount of black crap left probably wont worry it?

On to the next job....

Some how I missed this when I posted...possibly added while I was posting...My comment was not intended to say that dirty fuel getting past your filters is ok ..on the contrary if it is you have a serious contamination going on and I would not be so cavalier as to poo poo it ...Personally in all my years I have not seen clean filters fail to do their job...I would clean your tank as suggested...your pump and injectors will coat a lot more to rebuild then doing that...or as myself and others have stated the cost of loosing your boat.

I still don't get to excited about dirty fuel...but mine never makes it past the filters...I make sure of that.