Slow start Up Perkins MD2010D

[Sarnia]

I have been having a problem with Slow Cold start Up.

Between weekends I appear to be losing fuel so that I have to crank the engine for a very long period before it eventually fires with very little smoke. If I immediately stop the engine it will fire up on the first twist of the key. It will continue to do this during a normal days use. However If I leave it for 24 hours It needs to be cranked for a long period again.

I have replaced heaters and checked with an ammeter (Note to self use ammeter first before spending £14!) It is not electrical!

So my thinking is it fuel starvation or an Air Leak?

I have replaced a slightly suspect line from the secondary filter to the injector pump,checked fuel lines for leaks and made sure all lines are well secure including banjos.. No Joy!

The engine bay is spotless there are no external fuel leaks or drips..

I get full revs under load once started plenty of compression. There is no hesitation or symptoms of fuel starving once started.

So its unlikely to be lift pump problem? Or is it?

If I prime the engine with the lift pump lever it only has a small effect on reducing cranking time . I have checked at the fuel vent of the secondary filter that the lift pump is working and the fuel does not appear to back drain.

Should I be feeling some resistance on the priming lever once I have replaced the vent and have built up a head of fuel to the injector pump?

Does a lift pump have a non return valve in it as I can only think that the fuel is back siphoning into the tank somehow?

I am a Diesel virgin so I eagerly await the experts advice or others experience with this problem?

Any ideas or help much appreciated.

Steve

Having read the many excellent replies, it reminds me of a vehicle I had as part of a small fleet used for haulage purposes, one had exactly the same symptons as yours has, fitters could not cure it, but they contacted the previous owner who told them they had used a starter spray (known then in those non-politicaly correct days as gipsies breath) with a high ether content, apparently, and the fitters confirmed that once an engine is started this way it seems to become addicted, and so it was, for both expediency and economics, we used it for the first start of each day only, no problems until the following morning when the 'addiction' was satisfied by spraying into the air intake.
Just a thought, how long have you had this engine, maybe contacting the previous owner may reveal something.

 

[TSB240]

Went back to basics checked that I had voltage at heaters but no current. Looked at all connections and checked for corrosion and resistance from battery through to heaters. No fault found.
So that pointed me at the brand new heaters.
They had blown
Turns out that supplier provided me with NGK Y-107R which need a pulsed supply. So they worked fine the first use then blew!

Started fine after replacing heaters with the right part!