Lift Pump Test

[jonathanhsm]

Just taken off Lift Pump in quest to find why engine not getting fuel under load (see previous post Diesel Woes)
It's a cylindrical mechanical driven Mikuni unit as in picture top left on this link- http://www.motoridiesel.it/perkins_feed_pumps.htm

Is there a way of testing it to see if there's a problem. How long should it hold a vacuum - ie if I suck on the 'in' pipe I can hear air faintly hissing in the 'out' pipe until vacuum is lost in about 5 secs. Does this mean a knackered diaphragm or is it in normal tolerance?

And where's the best place to get a rebuild kit?

 

[doug748]

I had a range of opinions on my lift pump from "failed" to "nothing wrong with it".
In the end I sorted it out myself by fitting a temporary gravity feed tank to the engine (baked bean can with length of tube soldered on) which showed the pump was u/s.
I have retained the TGFT for use at sea if I get fuel supply problems.
Good luck with the diaphragm I had to replace the whole unit (no refurb kit available) on my Kubota/Beta.

 

[monkfish24]

Any local diesel repair shops will do it. The last one I put in only cost £7.50 inc VAT to test it. far cheaper and easier than paying for parts then realising it wasn't that.

 

[jdc]

kubota lift pump spares

...
Good luck with the diaphragm I had to replace the whole unit (no refurb kit available) on my Kubota/Beta.

That's what Beta told me as well. However since I have Kubota tractors I simply asked Thurlow Nunn Standen (local agri machinery service agents) if they could get the diaphragm for a kubota v2203M (ie Beta 50) and they had them in stock. So for spares, including filters, I now always get genuine Kubota ones, and at pretty reasonable prices. It's well worth getting the Kubota parts manual (which itself has a part number!)

 

[doug748]

Call me cynical but I did a wider ask for the 20hp unit and drew a blank.
I shall try TNS in future. Thanks.