Thread: 97 Disco fuel bleed (or lack of)

The inlet banjo fitting at the injector pump can be cracked open to bleed from the filter to the pump, and then bleed the injectors.

Another common failure is the mechanical lift pump may be failing. There is a manual lever on the side of the lift pump, when operating correctly you can feel the pressure on the lever and a fair flow of diesel on every stroke, best seen at the bleed screw for the filter.
I say the lift pump as the engine can run with it failed, but when you introduce air into the system the injection pump struggles.

Post up what part of the country you are in, as someone may be nearby and able to lend a hand.

Originally Posted by jboot51

The inlet banjo fitting at the injector pump can be cracked open to bleed from the filter to the pump, and then bleed the injectors.

Another common failure is the mechanical lift pump may be failing. There is a manual lever on the side of the lift pump, when operating correctly you can feel the pressure on the lever and a fair flow of diesel on every stroke, best seen at the bleed screw for the filter.
I say the lift pump as the engine can run with it failed, but when you introduce air into the system the injection pump struggles.

Post up what part of the country you are in, as someone may be nearby and able to lend a hand.

The little lever on the lift pump moves but feels odd, doesn't appear to be doing a great deal either as I cracked the bleed screw on
the filter, operated the lever and a large quantity of nothing came out.

I'm in the Mittagong NSW
Cheers for the advice

The best was to bleed a 300tdi is to fit a cheap electric pump to the supply line near the tank. Once there's a good supply of fuel to the engine and the pump is bled it should bleed the high pressure side by itself. It may pay to remove the tank pickup and check it for blockage by algal growth. Your lift pump may also need replacing.

Originally Posted by Navy870

The little lever on the lift pump moves but feels odd, doesn't appear to be doing a great deal either as I cracked the bleed screw on
the filter, operated the lever and a large quantity of nothing came out.

I'm in the Mittagong NSW
Cheers for the advice

Make sure that the motor is not at TDC as the hand primer will not work. Move it off TDC and you should feel some resistance.

Tom.

The lift pump is working (couldn't get my great monkey hand in under the injectors pipes and get a good swing at it)
I used the lift pump to bleed it from the filter to the injection pump as advised above.
Not sure if I bleed up to the injectors with the lift pump or crack the unions when the engines running (Like I said, I usually work on jets
they are far more well behave )
Still no joy, its missing on at least one pot, heaps of white smoke out the back if I give it the welly.
Its also sprung a small but annoying coolant leak around the water pump (not from the head though) the alternator is making some seriously nasty bearing
noises and its electrics have a gremlin in the dual battery circuit.
Had to walk away from it today as my very large sledge hammer was temptingly close

The water pump leak is common after a blown head gasket. I would assume the over pressurising of the cooling system takes out the front seal and coolant runs out of the weep hole.

You had better sit down.............

White smoke may be atomised fuel being pump out of the cylinder due to low/not enough compression.
BENT CONROD due to hydrolock.

And don't forget to go over the valve clearances. A missing lash cap, bent push rod or similar will stop the engine running nicely.

Originally Posted by jboot51

The water pump leak is common after a blown head gasket. I would assume the over pressurising of the cooling system takes out the front seal and coolant runs out of the weep hole.

You had better sit down.............

White smoke may be atomised fuel being pump out of the cylinder due to low/not enough compression.
BENT CONROD due to hydrolock.

The water pump would make sense as the weep hole would be right where the leak is.
I check the piston height above the block, its as per the book so I think the conrods should be ok.
Thanks for the info.