B250 Fuel problem

[Redt]

Hi All, I have a B250 tractor that just slowed and stopped. Im new to working on diesel engines.
I checked the fuel coming out of the tank and found it was blocked.
Cleaned and also replaced the fuel tap and glass bowl as had been leaking for ages.
Not having much success at clearing air from fuel lines, any suggestions?
I also don't have a button to press for glow plugs and usually start by squirting starter fluid in air filter.
Struggling to find diagram of what parts are called and how they are connected.

Thanks in anticipation

[gecko.cx]

Welcome Redt.

International B250 I presume?
does your lift pump have the glass sediment bowl? Check the condition of the seal and make sure it is tight as it may be sucking air in past the seal.

[Jeremy Rowland]

Hi and welcome Adrian if you had a tank blockage due to muck then I'd guess that any fuel filters would also be blocked, make sure that you can pump clean diesel through the lift pump, taking note of what has already been said above, then change the fuel filters and undo the bleed plug on them and pump clean fuel through making sure that you purge any air in the system.
I am not sure which type of fuel injection pump is fitted to that machine, there may also be a bleed nipple on there which needs the fuel to flow through it without any air, finally in some cases it may be required to slack off each fuel injector high pressure line at the injector (the steel pipe) and spin the engine over till fuel is seen leaking from each pipe, then nip em back up and she should hopefully fire up.
If you problem was caused by muck in the fuel tank I would suggest that it would be prudent to drain the tank and clean it inside before filling it with fresh fuel, hope that helps.

Jeremy

[essexpete]

Be careful when re tightening sediment bowl, bleed screws, and any unions. Easy to crack, strip, wring off.

[hair bear]

I think they are a rotary pump and from experience a prize pita to bleed. I used to crack no1 injector pipe and it would eventually fire up on three then tighten it up and it would pick up on all 4.
When you say no glowplug button, do you mean it's missing, or it doesn't have glowplugs?
On the 275 there is a smallish lever on the dash which is twist and hold - for a good 30 seconds - and hold while cranking. Don't use fluid at the same time!!!
Pics are always good

[Redt]

Thanks for all the replies. Checked all connections and glass jar all seem ok.
Pic of injector pump. I have asked what the dial thing is as on the picture?
The fuel filter was bypassed when I got it and its always run ok.
I did give the tank a good slosh around while I had the fuel tap out. Taking off the tank is too much, cause of the steering column through it.
I put in a new fuel tap with an internal filter, so hopefully that gets over any small amount of crap left in fuel tank.
I have undone nut X slightly and get a few small bubbles and then fuel, but it is a pulsing thing not constant flow? is this correct?
I then turned over engine a few times to build up pressure and cracked the connection to the injector, on each cylinder. when turned over I get drips of fuel coming out again a pulsing thing rather than constant flow, and not a high pressure squirt?

[kaos]

The fuel filter was bypassed when I got it ...

Ouch.

Okay, here is my recommended procedure:

Step 1: (Not essential, but if it were me it would give me immense satisfaction.) Get hold of this previous owner and give him a thorough slapping and a "Do not *DO* that to innocent machinery."

Step 2: (Again, not essential, but some people seem to find it soothing.) Offer up a prayer or a votive offering to your deity of choice that the fuel pump has survived the treatment.

Step 3: (Here we come to the essential bits.) Take a good look at that filter housing and try to find out why the previous owner took this cloth-headed decision. Possibly corrosion or other vicissitudes of age and wear have made it impossible to keep air-tight. If so, find a replacement housing. Ideally this should be of the same type as before, if only to keep to the same filter type, but in a pinch, any diesel filter/housing should do.

Step 4: Plumb in aforesaid filter.

Step 5: Some injection pumps (I'm not sure about this one) feature a "last ditch" mesh filter behind the inlet banjo. It's worth checking for this and cleaning it, if present.

Step 6: That dial thingy is a manual pump. Unscrew until you can pull it out and use it for airing out the system. Work from the fuel tank is order. Probably sediment bowl, then fuel filter and finally fuel pump. In each case, pump until you get clean fuel, free of bubbles, flowing.

Step 7: (You may be able to skip this, but at the cost of quite a lot of cranking.) Loosen the pipes at the injectors and crank the engine (at full throttle) until fuel free of air flows (it will be pulsing).

Step 8: Cross your fingers and try to start the engine, possibly with the aid of a little start spray.

Step 9: Once you have got the engine running it is time too look at the preheater system and weaning it of the start spray.

--
Good luck and best regards, Kári.

[Redt]

Thanks Kari.
what is the inlet banjo and where is it?

Thanks

[gecko.cx]

I've marked the banjo couplings I can see (including one shoved into a hose?) blue and green
the "inlet" is the one to the right of your priming pump

In yellow I've shown the glow plugs - do you have a multimeter to test them?




(the injectors also have banjos on the return line)

[Jeremy Rowland]

Thanks for the above posts they are quite comprehensive, just to confirm though; Adrian the plug you have marked with an 'X' is the bleed screw for the pump, as Kari says unscrew what looks like the dial object and the top should raise, you pump this up and down with the bleed screw open to vent the system of air, you may also need to bleed up to the injectors as I suggested in my first reply.

Jeremy