Lift pump not working

Willie cameron

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22 Aug 2016
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Hello I have a volvo penta md2010 the engine will not run,I have replaced all copper washers and rubber hoses through the whole fuel system and also both filters ,even got a fresh fuel can and fed the hose from there,tried hand pumping the lift pump did not pump any fuel at all,even left the lift pump out unconnected and hand turned the engine many times whilst I tried hand priming the lift pump,still did not work,so bought a brand new lift pump with new copper washers and bolts,did the same as above , also the whole I high pressure fuel pump has been replaced,do these lift pump fail often?
 
Are you sure you have the correct filters.

My friend had a similar issue in the past turned out the filters were not correct even though they fitted the CAV housings perfectly.

Problem solved by punching holes in the top face of the filter cartridge.
 
do these lift pump fail often?
Very occasionally, not often. To check if the pump is working, loosen the bleed valve on the injector pump (assuming there is one) and see if you can get fuel to leak out with vigorous pumping. It can be a sweat pumping these by hand, you have to make sure the engine is in the right position. Alternatively, do it with a few turns of the engine using the starter motor.

You have of course opened the fuel stop-cock. One of the commonest problems is a tiny air-leak somewhere along the supply line before the pump, perhaps at the pre-filter or fuel stop-cock, or even a rusty inlet pipe in the tank. Also they may struggle if the fuel tank is too low or too far away . A solution in this case is to fit a small 12v electric fuel pump into the fuel line - they cost about £15. But don't do that until you have double checked for blockages and air leaks.
 
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They fail but not often try sucking fuel through the fuel line to see if its free ! As for popping holes in a filter cartridge ? that sounds like diesel bug or dirty filter All that does is eliminate the filter. You also need the cam in the right place to be able to manually pump Get a small container of fuel and put the lift pump input in it and try pumping to see if it works !
 
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