diesel questions

[RickSloan]

This is for a 324td swapped with a 524td drivetrain with a mechanical injection pump

I bought the car with a leaky injection pump. I got the car to start and run before pulling the pump so i could try to see where the leak was. I pulled the pump, and replaced with a pump from a car that had been sitting for 3 years. Everything is hooked back up and the car will not run. I opened the bleeder on the filter housing and turned the key and fuel came out. I cracked the lines at the injectors and cranked 10 secs and sat one minute.

Since i pulled this pump from another car, i put the timing where it was at TDC on the other car and matched it with TDC on my car. I do not currently have the tools to set the timing, i was hoping it would match up, i have even tried swapping it 180 degrees. There is fuel in my intake mani. I removed all the turbo piping so the manifold is open to the air. When i cover the intake opening with my hand the engine cranks faster.

I'm killing my starter and my battery trying to get this thing running... im not well versed on diesel but im learning. I have an 2000 ford excursion with a 7.3l turbo diesel.

What are my options, i need to get this thing running before it gets cold. Am i way off and just doing more harm then good? Does anyone have the timing tools i could borrow or a good diesel book i should be looking at?

What other info do you need? this car ran before i swapped the pump...

thank you in advance. and i know there are a few of you from other parts of the world that have a lot of good info. My girlfriend is from Germany and is versed in a few languages and if you could PM me i could have her write this in terms that may be easier to understand.

Again thank you in advance everyone

[DaveSmed]

Your not too far, I would be glad to stop by and take a look.

[bmwstudent]

I'm a diesel tech, but i need a little more info. Was the replacement pump known to be in working order? When you bled the lines at the nozzles did fuel come out? Try cranking the engine with the nuts on the nozzles cracked and unthreaded just a thread or two. Fuel under that high a pressure will escape from the nut and squirt up into the air, have a rag handy. If the pump is operating properly you should get fuel squirting out pretty well, first you'll get air bubbles then a good punch of fuel. After you get fuel coming out tighten the nuts on the nozzles, after closing enough of them it should start to run if its timed properly. If your off on timing just a little it may not run, it may start and have poor performance, either way if your timing is not spot on it won't be right. Is it a bosch in-line pump?

[RickSloan]

I have no idea if the pump was running. But the car was parked because it was hit. So I would guess the pump was working.

I need to do the timing. I cracked the nuts like you suggested but nothing has squirted, just bubbled. Is there any possible way you could come out to help me time it and get it going? I will make it worth your time.

[bmwstudent]

even if the timing is wrong you should still get more than bubbles. Timing simply controls when the injection event occurs. If you aren't getting a good punch of fuel it means it isn't bled yet. your timing may still be off but it will not fire unless bled properly. Can you send me a pic a of the pump? Sorry, i don't think i'll be able to make it up there soon, i just came back from vacation and we are kind of busy at the shop. Let me talk to my bmw mechanic friend and find out a little more about what injection system they use. I'm a tractor trailer mechanic but i do work on all types of diesels.

[bmwstudent]

This may seem like a silly question but when you bled the pump housing, did you bleed it at the return fuel line, or supply line to the pump. You should be bleeding it at the return line, it will be smaller in diameter and will return to the tank. Often times there will be a plug in the return line nut on the pump housing. If its there loosen it with a flathead screwdriver and try cranking it until you get raw fuel then try bleeding the nozzles.

[RickSloan]

this is really good information. I will check to see if there is a bleeder on the return line today after work and ill order timing tools tonight. I have been bleeding mostly right at the injectors. I crack the lines right there, and of course at the filter housing.

thanks guys, keep it coming

[bmwstudent]

it would help if i knew what type of injection system it has on it. Is the pump an in-line pump or a rotary pump. If its an in-line all six lines will come out of the top of the pump in-line just like it sounds. If it's a rotary pump the lines will come out of the back of the pump arranged in a circle. Either way you must bleed the pump housing. I don't want to confuse you but the injectors are actually inside the pump housing. That is where the high pressure work is performed. After that the fuel travels out of the pump through the individual lines to the cylinder head where the squirter nozzles are mounted. Can you send me a picture of the pump. Another possibility is that the shutdown solenoid is not working. Does it have a single wire going to a small electrical device that is screwed into the pump? If it does that is actually the shutdown solenoid, its possible that its not working after sitting so long. Try swapping it out for the old one in the other pump. A picture is worth a thousand words, i'm assuming this thing has an inline mechanical bosch pump. If it doesn't than my description of what to do and what stuff looks like won't make sense.

[RickSloan]

It is an inline pump. The lines come out of the back. I had no idea the injectors were in the pump, like i said i am learning as we go here. That is hugely informative!

Ill check the seinoid. Also i looked at the old pump to see if the return line has a bleeder. I took a picture and i will upload in a little bit.

Do i need to crack the lines at the pump or at the block/head?

[bmwstudent]

pics?

[RickSloan]

sorry for the delay, this is the back end of the pump. this is the one i pulled ffrom the car. the line you see it the return line.

i ordered a timing tool kit today and should hopefully have it by monday...

[bmwstudent]

That is a rotary pump, you can tell because the lines come out of the pump in a circle. Is there a bleed screw somewhere near the top of the pump? I see a bleeder on the line that goes off to the right and possibly one above that. Try bleeding both there, if you get good fuel there, then bleed lines at the head until you get a good punch of fuel out. If you don't get a good punch of fuel, i would guess that the pump solenoid has failed or the transfer pump isn't working and the injection pump isn't getting full. You must bleed the pump housing before it will allow fuel out of the lines. Remember though, if it isn't timed properly it still won't start and run properly. Look on the pump, does it say Roosa-master on it or bosch?

[E30_fiend]

Starting Diesel Tech here as well.

Something to consider is that your pump may not have ALL the air out of it. When I installed my knew $1800(ouch) pump on my John Deere, I had to prime the pump for a while. And timing is a huge factor as well. Make sure the number 1 cylinder is at TDC before trying anything else. I hooked my battery to a charger so I could keep cranking and not worry about killing the battery. I gave the starter breaks of course.

But anyway, seeing bubbles is a good thing. It's better than seeing nothing at all at the injectors. You might also try removing your fuel lines to the injectors and just watch the pump to see if you are getting fuel.

Remember, there is no ignition in diesel cylinders just high compression and a very fine mist of diesel. So even though you don't see a lot of diesel coming out, doesnt mean its not enough.

Another thing to try is cracking one injector at a time. I like to crack the fitting on the farthest injector away from the pump first. Then do the rest.

Good luck.


Taylor

[RickSloan]

Thank you both for your help, I'll try bleeding the pump more on saturday and ill set the timing as soon as i get the tools. The temps are starting to approach the 30's is there something i can add to the fuel or even right at the filter to make sure nothing is gelling?

[E30_fiend]

Your best bet with helping fuel is to have some additive in the fuel. Back east they make this additive that is specifically designed to de gell the fuel.

I don't know what you could do for the fuel besides that. I've never worked on a BMW diesel. Does it have a block heater? Any sort of fuel warming system?


Taylor