Why oh why do people do things like this

[MrF]

Stuck in another mud hole with my old 3ciii with the mud up to the rear axle centreline, digger starts to run crap and cuts out while Im trying to walk it out "oh must be low fuel" I think and go do the walk of shame with a jerrycan of fuel only to discover lots of diesel in the tank whilst cursing myself for loosing track of the fuel level. "must have pulled some air in somehow because of the mad angle, maybe the pickup is stupidly high in the tank or something". Start to bleed up but she's not having it. About then started removing lines and noticed particles in the diesel AFTER the "filter"!
So, removes the filter which was newly fitted by the previous owner just before I bought it a few months back (with reciepts along with a freshly rebuilt diesel pump) and... its empty! As in, empty space full of horrid sludgey mess, no filter at all, not even the mesh.
Checks the pump, and the intake screen filter is blocked with sludge too. Much swearing, careful extraction and cleaning of screen/lines and fitment of a diesel filter off a renault master van as a temporary measure and its running well enough to extract itself out the mudhole without me having to go find the farmer and his big land tractor.

Now, the digger arrived with me a few months ago with reciepts for its pump rebuild and new filters etc dated the week of purchase, in fact collection had to be delayed because the pump rebuild had been delayed (and I rang the pump rebuild company to verify myself at the time because it cost me money) the canister was uber clean with the little change interval sticker filled out on it etc. Why oh why oh why bother to fake them, on a relic of a digger that was cheap to start with. And why oh why fudge a digger with a fresh pump rebuild on it, with no fuel filter innards at all, to save £1.95 + vat, which is what diggerparts quote for the short 3ciii diesel filter. /rant

Needless to say, my wife reminded me that I always say to people "ignore any reciepts or service records, and just change everything out regardless when you buy something" which Im now doing ,grudgingly she's right, I must carry partial blame. On the plus side, she told me later that she'd never been so glad to hear the sound of it coming into the yard under its own steam. I think she's coming round

£1.95, thats the bit that really really stings.

[si25]

that's disgusting, i'd bet the prick who put it together wouldt dare run his car with no fuel filters!

[Jeremy Rowland]

Sad to say I've seen this sort of thing all too often "penny wise pound foolish" as the saying goes.

Jeremy

[Gordon 2]

Any chance the previous owner was innocent. The filter could have slipped through the pocess without its innards i guess, and then he unwittingly fitted it. Look at it this way if he hadn't sold it quickly he'd have had all the trouble yr having, of course thats supposing the gunk and water was in the tank before you ran the machine,

[Martyn Henley]

mk2fuelfilters1.jpg

[MrF]

Any chance the previous owner was innocent. The filter could have slipped through the pocess without its innards i guess, and then he unwittingly fitted it. Look at it this way if he hadn't sold it quickly he'd have had all the trouble yr having, of course thats supposing the gunk and water was in the tank before you ran the machine,

I'd say I was definately stitched up like a kipper, it had the filter label dated from just before I bought it, and he had some diesel issue which delayed the sale as it couldnt start to get onto the loader under its own steam (and the original transport turned up with a normal trailer not a low loader, a seperate tale of woe in itself), which the seller said involved the pump being rebuilt (which now I assume means it was blocked and so he ragged the filter innards out). I bought it completely blind, and relied on the description etc, figuring I could resolve any issues when it arrived (which I have already done a fair few of)
You can see the innards and the filter core itself holds it together, so that would take a real leap of faith.

A friend brought over some of the correct short housing filters, and Its back running, but its still poorly, it wont idle smoothly at low rpm (it holds a steady idle for about 10 seconds then just gets slower and stops) and wont start without easystart hot or cold and its not dieseling on #3, although I ran it spraying the injector into a jar and it seems to be producing the same amount of diesel as a known good cylinder over the same timeframe but I know its not under pressure so not authoritive. Bit of a (frustating, avoidable) disaster but its still limping along as is until I can find time.

[MrF]

Image of fuel filters

Thanks martin, its a bit different, in that it has the later short filter assembly with a cast lower. I actually do have the one with the glass bowl underneath so you can see water etc, but its on my landrover 90
Theres no water seperator either, so Ill look at getting one suitable and splicing it in. Everything was really horrendously bodged, excavator battery held in by a lump of rotten wood, no air filter housing at all (grafted one on off a range rover I had lying round), loads of diesel leaks and lots of other horrification. But it still managed to work.
Its like old landrovers and lots of other similar stuff, in that the first few years of the partnership you spend getting rid of all the previous owners "fixes" before your happy with it.

[Martyn Henley]

It really sounds as if you have a pigs ear hole there Phil .. i have to ask this but is it the original engine ?

Martyn

[essexpete]

Are you sure there is not a separator on the tank bulkhead perhaps a little hidden. IIRR our old 3C111 did have on and a single CAV type filter.

I have bought from an agent in the past with the machine supposingly to have received a service. The oil filter had a partly obscured date which after it was too late I discoveded to be 3 years old!

[Gordon 2]

You should start from the tank. Turn the fuel tap off and disconnect the feed pipe or hose then turn the tap on and see how much and fast the fuel flow is. if it is not too good you will have to take out the tap to ensure that it does not have a blockage catch the fuel in a can or get someone or something to plug the tank. The tank really needs cleaning anyway. Use very hot water from a pressure washer and spend a long time making sure the water comes out clean. When done drain the tank thoroughly, using the hot water will help it evaporate and dry out. ( better to take tank off the machine) Next disconnect the feed pipe from the first separator or filter then blow down it with high pressure air backwards towards the tank, now refit the pipe to the tank tap clean out the filter or separator and reassemble it, repeat this along the system. If you have a lucas CAV DPA injection pump there is a filter under the inlet pipe that often needs cleaning. Remember also to clean the prime pump gauze and blow out the poppet valves. Have fun.