Do I need to do anything special when fitting a new diesel lift pump?

[NealB]

The new lift pump arrived this morning (for Newage BMC 2.2 Commander).

Removing the old pump was just a matter of disconnecting the in and out fuel lines, undoing the two retaining nuts, and (carefully) pulling the pump away from the block.

Is fitting the new one just as simple, or do I need to do anything to ensure that the actuating arm is in the correct position?

Thanks for any tips.

BMC 2.2 Diesel Lift Pump,liftpump

 

[Aardee]

There was nothing special needed when I recently replaced the mechanical pump on my VP2002, it's impossible to get the "timing" wrong. Always good practise to replace the copper washers on the banjo fixings when you refit them.

 

[NealB]

There was nothing special needed when I recently replaced the mechanical pump on my VP2002, it's impossible to get the "timing" wrong. Always good practise to replace the copper washers on the banjo fixings when you refit them.

Thank you!

I think that, as long as I insert the actuating lever into the block as high as posssible, all should be hunky dory.

 

[penberth3]

The new lift pump arrived this morning (for Newage BMC 2.2 Commander).

Removing the old pump was just a matter of disconnecting the in and out fuel lines, undoing the two retaining nuts, and (carefully) pulling the pump away from the block.

Is fitting the new one just as simple, or do I need to do anything to ensure that the actuating arm is in the correct position?

Thanks for any tips.

BMC 2.2 Diesel Lift Pump,liftpump

You've got it, that's the important bit. Some pumps can be fitted with the lever on the wrong side of the cam. Then the cam breaks the lever!

 

[NealB]

Thank you for that (much needed) vote of confidence

 

[david_bagshaw]

my tip is

as above , connect inlet , loose bolt outlet then use priming lever to re fill inlet pipe and chamber with fuel. tighten outlet.

bobs uour uncle.

 

[NealB]

my tip is

as above , connect inlet , loose bolt outlet then use priming lever to re fill inlet pipe and chamber with fuel. tighten outlet.

bobs uour uncle.

Bloody thing still wouldn't start this afternoon.........I'll give your, 'leave the outlet pipe loose' tip, a try tomorrow .

 

[Boater Sam]

Bloody thing still wouldn't start this afternoon.........I'll give your, 'leave the outlet pipe loose' tip, a try tomorrow .

You will have to bleed the injection pump properly before it will fire up.

 

[NealB]

You will have to bleed the injection pump properly before it will fire up.

Thank you.

The owners' manual does, indeed, say that the injection pump needs to be bled, but that section, and its diagram, have been neatly crossed out by a previous owner.

The diagram, in fact, shows a different injection pump to the ones fitted on our engines.

I've had this boat since 2007, and have never had to bleed the injection pumps. I cannot see any obvious bleed point to do so, but will take another look tomorrow.

 

[Boater Sam]

You have let fuel run out of the pipes to the pump and let air in when you took off the old pump. The pump needs to be full of fuel and then crack open the injector pipes at the injectors, crank with throttle wide open and stop control not pulled out until they are spitting fuel and not air. Nip 2 up and crank, nip the other 2 up when the engine starts to fire up.

 

[NealB]

You have let fuel run out of the pipes to the pump and let air in when you took off the old pump. The pump needs to be full of fuel and then crack open the injector pipes at the injectors, crank with throttle wide open and stop control not pulled out until they are spitting fuel and not air. Nip 2 up and crank, nip the other 2 up when the engine starts to fire up.

Thanks again.

I just found this (via google, it's not in my owners' manual), and it shows the same injection pump as on my engines:

Slacken the two air bleed valves on the fuel injection pump. One bleed valve is located on the govenor housing, while the other is incorporated in the hydraulic head locking screw situated immediately above the pump name plate. Operate the lift pump, and when fuel issuing from both valves if free from air bubbles, tighten the bleed valves.







Please keep your fingers crossed for tomorrow (I've done a lot of finger crossing lately!).

 

[NealB]

(Apologies for thread drift!!)

What I really don't understand is that both engines started easily, on Tuesday last week, having just been launched after five years ashore, and then ran beautifully for over 90 minutes, in gear.

Similar story on the Wednesday.

We then went to head out for a potter, full of engine-confidence, last Friday ........ but the starboard engine refused to start.

I've no idea what changed between switching off on the Wednesday, and refusing to start on the Friday (and, yes, good suggestion, but the stop lever is definitely in the 'run' position).

If posts #6 and #8 don't have the desired effect, it might be time to call in a local BMC expert (as mentioned on the E. Coast forum).

 

[penberth3]

Thanks again.

I just found this (via google, it's not in my owners' manual), and it shows the same injection pump as on my engines:

Slacken the two air bleed valves on the fuel injection pump. One bleed valve is located on the govenor housing, while the other is incorporated in the hydraulic head locking screw situated immediately above the pump name plate. Operate the lift pump, and when fuel issuing from both valves if free from air bubbles, tighten the bleed valves.







Please keep your fingers crossed for tomorrow (I've done a lot of finger crossing lately!).

Don't undo the screws too far and drop one! IIRC it's a 5/16" spanner (or 8mm)

 

[NealB]

Don't undo the screws too far and drop one! IIRC it's a 5/16" spanner (or 8mm)

Warning noted: thank you

 

[Boater Sam]

Hold the locking nuts whilst loosening the bleed screws, don't force and snap one off!

 

[NealB]

Well ....... I've now lost count of the number of times I've tried bleeding: the lift pump outlet pipe, the secondary filter, the injection pump and the injectors.

I even had a professional mechanic spend an hour or so, trying the same 'tricks', early this evening.

And still it doesn't even sound like it's trying to fire.

Hmmmm ......... so points for me to ponder this evening include:

1) install an electric pump between the tank and the primary filter (as previously discussed). I do have a suitbale pump, and some rubber fuel hose.

2) same idea as 1), but install a hand, bulb type pump

3) investigate other possible problems eg faulty injectors, faulty injection pump (but it was running perfectly on Wednesday last week).

 

[Boater Sam]

Put some heat into the air going in whilst cranking with a blow lamp. If it still will not fire up it is not getting fuel.

Try the obvious first, stop control lever gone over centre? Blocked filter? Fuel pick up rusted through or blocked?

Do you get fuel from all the bleed points and the injector pipes when you bleed?

Is it fuel or water?

 

[NealB]

Put some heat into the air going in whilst cranking with a blow lamp. If it still will not fire up it is not getting fuel.

Try the obvious first, stop control lever gone over centre? Blocked filter? Fuel pick up rusted through or blocked?

Do you get fuel from all the bleed points and the injector pipes when you bleed?

Is it fuel or water?

Thanks, yet again, Boater Sam!

The stop lever, is definitely in the 'run' position (I've probably checked it over a thousand times this week: and I've got a duplicate engine on board, that is running, so I'm very confident that it's in the right spot).

I took out the primary filter last week, as I thought fuel might be the problem. It looked absoutely clean, so I sawed the element in half to have a closer look inside. Other than blue paint (from the new hacksaw blade), the inside was clean as a whistle.

I get a good squirt of fuel from: the 'fuel out' connection on the lift pump, the secondary filter's banjo connection, the two bleed screws on the injection pump, and from all four injectors. It looks, smells, and feels, like diesel rather than water (I'd spent several days last year cleaning out both fuel tanks, polishing the fuel, and I added a strong dose of Marine 16).

The pre-heaters seem to be working ok (though I've never used them before). Will a blow lamp add much?

If I can get motivated, I might try setting up a container of brand new fuel, to feed directly, under gravity, into the fuel line that feeds into the injection pump.

Plan B is to see if I can find a local tractor mechanic who likes old BMC engines.

 

[Boater Sam]

Its not as though the old BMCs are complicated, its just modern "mechanics" never learnt to bleed fuel systems 'cos all the jap stuff is self bleed.
Heating the air going in will even get a knackered engine with low compression started.

When you crank with the injector pipes cracked, is it a violent spray of fuel as it must be or a dribble? If the later, its not bled.

 

[NealB]

Its not as though the old BMCs are complicated, its just modern "mechanics" never learnt to bleed fuel systems 'cos all the jap stuff is self bleed.
Heating the air going in will even get a knackered engine with low compression started.

When you crank with the injector pipes cracked, is it a violent spray of fuel as it must be or a dribble? If the later, its not bled.

I'm no mechanic (yes, yes, you've guessed that!), but to my eye it very definitely looks much more of a spray rather than a dribble.