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.

 

[oldharry]

Air is getting into the fuel line in spite of gravity feed: gravity and thefuel lift pump keeps the fuel at positive pressure feeding it to the injector pump, but each time the injector pump takes a charge of fuel it creates a momentary negative pressure in the lines. Any slight leak will introduce air into the fuel and bingo - dead engine.

Re check all your fuel line connections - wipe each one completely clean with a tissue. Try to start up again, then go ound each joint again - you will soon find where fresh fuel has escaped. Dont forget the filter O rings etc.

A very common fault even for gravity fed fuel systems, and one that stops the engine dead every time, usually within seconds of starting.

 

[brianhumber]

Have a 1.6 1987 vintage Ford in my pride and joy - very reliable and frugal on the fuel. In my exprience I would suggest that you are getting air into the injection pump.
On basis that if one joint is leaking other aged and disturbed joints may be about to as well, I would take all the fuel system pipework out and start again.
You could test trial run it using a can on deck supplying a continous run of temporary tube direct into the DPA pump. When it ticks over as normal you have proved tis a leaking joint in your system. Happy hunting.

 

[Evadne]

I would agree with the other posters. A tip on how to spot a fuel leak in a joint is to clean them all, and tie a scrap of blue paper towel (kimwipe) on the bit of pipe downhill from each. The slightest amount of fluid will turn the paper dark blue.

 

[twisterkai]

The Ford 1.6 & 1.8 diesels do not have the more traditional lift pump arrangements, it tends to be a priming pump that works in the same way as outboard motor fuel systems with a remote tank. You keep squeezing until it goes hard.(!!)

If you have satisfied yourself that all the timing adjustments have been set up correctly - apparently it's quite easy to set them up 180 degrees out - then I would be inclined to check that the fuel primer does indeed go 'hard'. It's that strange looking thing on the flywheel end of the engine at the top, originally the fuel filter was mounted alongside it. The rubber membrane inside eventually gives up (in a very small way) and therefore after hand priming there will be sufficient fuel in the system for starting but not running. Although there are no user servicable parts inside the unit, replacements are inexpensive, especially if sourced from a scrap yard.

Good luck!!

 

[Strathglass]

I presume that you are able to presurise the fuel system using the pump on the top of the filter.

If this pump is not pumped fairly regularally the diaphram will deteriorate and you will not get pressure. I have often had to change the filter tops when I used to run escort van's.

If you can'not sort out your problem yourself. Send me a PM I am just north of Dunfermline and may be able to help you. Either by phone or I can come over if you wish.

I have marinized and fitted those engines to a variety of craft and will soon be replacing the 1.8 Ford engine in a yacht. The new engine (Ford Endura 1.8) Non marinized, is due for delivery here on Monday.

Cheers

Iain

 

[VicS]

I ran a Fiesta 1.6D for many years. The body work started to fall apart but I'm sure the engine would have run forever.

There have been several references in replies to lift pumps and primer bulbs but neither was fitted to this engine in the car.

Only rarely did I have any difficulty getting it going after changing the fuel filter. Just had to keep cranking with the throttle wide open and it eventually cleared all the air out by itself and provided I then ran it at a fair lick for a few seconds it was then OK.

Some thoughts though:

Have you run the spill back back to the tank so that any air is vented that way? You haven't Teed it into the fuel feed between tank and filter have you?

Does your fuel feed come from the bottom of the tank or is it routed, as favoured by some, out through the top of the tank. If it's like that then air ingress at a high point above the fuel level is a possibility.

IIRC there is a vent screw on top of the filter body. That's not leaking is it? Also you are sure that the sealing ring on the top of the filter is OK?

I once had trouble wth a badly fitting drain plug in a fuel filter. It was the only one that I ever had with a plug rather than the plastic draining device that all the others had. I also once had an engine oil filter with a leaky body but I think if you had something like that you would spot it.

Beware of overtightening joints as that can make an otherwise good one leak.

It is possible for leaks to be so small that air can get in but no visible amount of fuel leaks out. A while back someone on here found a similar problem went away after he had painted everything, but it would be foolish to rely on that as a permanent solution.


This is a Bosch system not the Lucas one that was, I believe, fitted to Escorts?

 

[Jcorstorphine]

Re: Fuel Problems 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

 

[oldharry]

Re: Fuel Problems on Ford 1.6 Diesel

Trouble is that bubbles from air leaks can be microscopic - invisible to the naked eye, but still enough to stop the engine once they reach the injector lines.

You could try running a temporary fuel line directly from the pump to a can of fuel, and see if the engine runs Ok then. If it does, try putting your temporary line further back down the fuel supply system until the fault re-appears. I had a simialr problem with a Bukh, and found where the problem was this way.

If it doesnt then you know the rest of the system is good. It helps to narrow down the location of the fault, and to prove that the rest of the engine is Ok.

Good luck - this kind of fault is a real pain!