Fuel problem of Ford 1.6 diesel

[Jcorstorphine]

I have a Ford 1.6 Diesel (ex Fiesta) which after lying dormant (in bits) for many years in my garage, I have breathed life back into, well nearly. It starts and run for a few seconds, sometimes a bit longer then abruptly stops. I have bled it until the cows come home but it still has the same problem. When I built the boat I fitted the tank so that it is gravity feed into the engine so I know there is no air getting into the fuel line.

I may be mistaken but every time I bleed the fuel lines I still seem to be getting air bubbles out of the connections.

Plan tomorrow is to take out the injectors to reduce the load on the starter and fit plastic pipes to the fuel lines with ends of the plastic pipes into a container to check for air bubbles. I have to say I have never had this problem before on my old BMC or my Volvo MD2B. It is almost as if air is leaking into the fuel pump.

Any suggestions as to the above.

 

[hlb]

If it runs after bleeding and you get bubbles, then it's air or maybe a blockage. I ran a truck to the middle east. It got a twig in the up pipe out the tank. It stopped the truck, then I bled it, then twig went back up pipe to elbow. Did it for weeks, stop start 1000 miles across desert till I finally found the thing.

 

[burgundyben]

Does it take lots of cranking to make it start?

If so double check your fuel pump timing, if timing way out the cranking will pump enough fuel in, eventually this makes the engine run even though timing miles out, when this fuel is burnt off and the only fuel getting in is at the wrong time the engine will konk out.

HTH

 

[stephenzoie]

I seem to remember that the lift pump which I recall was fitted to the fuel filter had an air leak problem on the Ford escort/fiesta diesel engine. it could well be this causing your problem.

 

[Jcorstorphine]

Re: Fuel problem on Ford 1.6 diesel

Many thanks for all your replies. The engine as mentioned is the old 1.6 engine with a CAV injection pump. It also has a CAV combined priming pump and filter cartridge. The one area of the system I did not bleed (cos I have just read the manual) is where the spill fuel from the injectors and the run off from the pump return to the fuel tank. In the manual it does make very specific comment about bleeding this area. (by the way, I have taken that line direct back to the tank so I should not be circulating air.)

As I mentioned in my posting I have obtained some clear plastic pipe which I can fit in the lines between the supply and the filter to see if there is any air bubbles. I will also fit some clear pipe to the fuel line terminations, again to see if I am picking up air when the end are ducked into diesel. If I still have problems I may set up a small tank on the roof of the wheelhouse to improve the gravity drain.

Once again thanks all.

John C

 

[barchetta]

I had this self same problem with a Ford 1.6 so may be able to help.
Try bypassing the primer/fuel filter temporarily. (sorry just trying to remember the exact configuration of the primer and the fuel filter - it was a few years ago! Ah thats right, a separate primer then into the fuel filter, so pipe directly into the fuel filter) Does the problem stop? My primer pump had a hairline crack that was not visible that allowed air to be constantly sucked into the system. This gave the exact same symptons as you described.
My temporary fix straight to fuel filter became permanent as I found that the engine self primed and self bled quite readily when cranked over, the primer pump was surplus to requirements.
Its an easy one to try anyway.
Hope this helps.