how to bleed out a major

[Kirbust]

I need help with how to bleed out a fuel system on a e27n major 4 cylinder diesel, this tractor
was mentioned in another post elsewhere re getting help dating it which has since been
resolved I believe.

I went and changed the fuel filter same as I did with dads tractors many years ago on his
farm but it is not working out PLUS the lift pump seems to have failed on this tractor as
well, is there a major issue with this brand tractor and their crap lift pumps?.....and
how do i get around that lift pump problem in the meantime, oh yes the part where the
fuel filter goes into has a bleed screw on top but some idiot before I owned it has rounded
it off, I also have as a precautionary measure ordered a new lift pump

[CalGG]

The Major deisel has a few years on it. I would not blame the manufacturer too much.

Just how long do you feel a lift pump should operate before a rebuild is required to restore "as new" performance.

A good lift pump will aid the bleeding process. Good choice on ordering out a replacement. Isn't it nice that you can!

[Kirbust]

will it hurt the tractor to wait for the pump to get here in the post?.....or is this a type of tractor
that only a dealer can handle fuel filter changes on?

[super6954]

Hi seems to me that you are mad at this tractor from your comments so far . Im sure there are plenty of dealers out there would love to charge you an arm/ leg, and the rights to your first born to do a job, that you can do easily your self. this tractor is not rocket science .
Regards Robert

[R W]

[quote="Kirbust"]I need help with how to bleed out a fuel system on a e27n major 4 cylinder diesel, [/quote]

What make of 4 cylinder diesel is fitted is fitted to your e27n, these were mainly fitted with a 4 cylinder petrol/kero engine or a 6 cylinder Perkins Diesel (P6). In Australia their a was conversion kit available that used a 4 cylinder Perkins Diesel (may have been an L4).

[Kirbust]

Hi seems to me that you are mad at this tractor from your comments so far . Im sure there are plenty of dealers out there would love to charge you an arm/ leg, and the rights to your first born to do a job, that you can do easily your self. this tractor is not rocket science .
Regards Robert

yes I can get quite mad quite fast when a machine thinks it has the upper hand and thinks it will NOT be
repaired, right now though I got the lip pump working but the canister where the fuel filter sits
in insists now on leaking from the bottom out of the bolt head....what have I done wrong, got the
filter in upside down do I?....or is there supposed to be a washer of some type under the head of the bolt?....can
someone kindly please give me a solution as this is my first time dealing withg a fordson and been
a lot of years since I last dealt with a diesel tractor as my dads farm was sold in the mid 1980s and dads
tractors were all IH & IH farmall, also please allow me to state that there was no washer between the
fuel filter canister and the bolt head when I took it apart

I have the gasket for the fuel filter housing in but cant be sure if it is sealing alright as the lip pump was working intermittantly but again seems to have stopped working. I want exact details of how to bleed this
machine out that is getting me madder than an angry bee

[Kirbust]

Hi seems to me that you are mad at this tractor from your comments so far . Im sure there are plenty of dealers out there would love to charge you an arm/ leg, and the rights to your first born to do a job, that you can do easily your self. this tractor is not rocket science .
Regards Robert

It doesnt help when I have a ratty business partner who says it shoulda been done at a dealer and is
constantly reminding me I should not have started this every 5 minutes when I did not think that the
case but so far it feels like rocket science, all is cleaned.....this tractor's not rocket science eh?....sure
feels like it to me, is there by any chance an upgrade to a spin-on fuel filter system out there, failing all of
it how about one of you perhaps proving its not rocket science by showing me in person as I am sure
that at least one of you must be nearby OR at least telling me step by step with instructions I
can print out and take to the tractor with me AND I need the "how to" insdtructions today please
as the weather is good right now as decent weather in the orkneys is rare

[Dandy Dave]

Please don't get mad and take it out the machine. Beat you ratty partner instead... If you could provide us with some photos of exacly what you have, then we would be better able to tell you exactly what to do. All leaks must be fixed. The bolt for the filter should have a copper washer on it. The rubber seal needs to be in good condition to work. Everthing needs to be kept extreamly clean. There can be no air leaks anywhere in the fuel system and the fuel must flow freely to the fuel lift pump, or primary pump. There should be a bleed screw on top of the filter and all the air needs to be removed from the filter first by pumping the pump. If the lift pump is not working then that will need to be corrected before proceding any further. You may have to turn the engine to a different spot for the pump to work if it is at maximum lift in that position. If you do not have the patients to work though the problems then you should find someone who can and watch what they do. We on this site are all over the world. Would OR be Oregon U.S.A.? Dandy Dave!

[super6954]

Hi
Like Dave says we can help you if you can help us with pictures to show us what you have. There are a few topics around the forum pages on the art of posting pictures on the forum boards, do a search for them if you need too .
There are different filters and things that can be fitted, Fordson had a couple of different types of housing too .

Are you sure it's an E27n tractor with a 4 cyl diesel as this is rare. Is the fuel tank the whole length and across the top of the motor right up to the radiator. Or is it a Fordson new major with the Fordson 220 diesel( common), or a Perkins 4 cyl fitted which is rare in this model, the fuel tank is at the back of the engine with a hole that the steering shaft and wheel comes through, it has a 2 piece bonnet between the tank and radiator. Also as you sit on the tractor looking forward the main fuel injection pump is on the right side of the Fordson Diesel and on a Perkins it's on the left I believe.
we need to know this if possible if you can't post pictures .

We might not all be on the right page for your tractor, the info above will tell us this
We all want you to be a happy Fordson owner and for you to join our Fordson family and be a happy member here too:).
So please help us with the info we need. In return we will try to help you sort the problems with the info you need Please don't beat the tractor .
Regards Robert

[Kirbust]

Please don't get mad and take it out the machine. Beat you ratty partner instead... If you could provide us with some photos of exacly what you have, then we would be better able to tell you exactly what to do. All leaks must be fixed. The bolt for the filter should have a copper washer on it. The rubber seal needs to be in good condition to work. Everthing needs to be kept extreamly clean. There can be no air leaks anywhere in the fuel system and the fuel must flow freely to the fuel lift pump, or primary pump. There should be a bleed screw on top of the filter and all the air needs to be removed from the filter first by pumping the pump. If the lift pump is not working then that will need to be corrected before proceding any further. You may have to turn the engine to a different spot for the pump to work if it is at maximum lift in that position. If you do not have the patients to work though the problems then you should find someone who can and watch what they do. We on this site are all over the world. Would OR be Oregon U.S.A.? Dandy Dave!

first, no OR means just that not OR as in oregon usa, I am in the orkneys slightly above scotland, second how does
one get around a siezed filter bleed screw that some dork rounded before ever I got the machine so how do I get around that, also I might have the patience to work out the problems IF I did not have someone always berating me every 5 minutes saying only an expert can handle this and you wont fix it....I will say this, this will be the last time it ever gets
a fuel filter changed or any other service should it be needed

[Kirbust]

the fuel tank sits right in front of the firewall and the steering wheel column has nothing to do with crossing through the fuel tank area as the steering column goes down behind & under the fuel tank then out to the front of the tractor, fuel tank is the width of the under bonnet area and the back of the fuel tank starts about in nearly the same place as the centre bonnet hinge point does nearest the operators area, is slightly rounded in design on the front side though squared off at the backside with sharpish rounded edges curving downwards somewhat on the tanks top and stops going towards the front of the tractor just before it gets to the battery which is just back of the engine, the fuel pipe comes out under the fuel tank on the front RH side where it drops down to the low pressure fuel/lip pump then rises high up to the fuel filter housing which takes an 85mm long fuel filter then drops down fast to the simms pump which is a pressure or vacuum regulated type I believe....the battery sits right in front of the fuel tank and the engine just forward of that.....I have seen on your website a picture of the fuel system in question along with in same picture a description of the fuel throttle lever right next to the high/low range lever and looking the same kind of lever as the high/low gear lever if this helps, your site has problems displaying my diagram so please email me (if allowed here) at
william.astor@yahoo.com and I will email a copy to you

[super6954]

Hi Kirbust
ive read your description of what you have and figured it out that you have a new major with the fordson 220 diesel engine not a Fordson E27n tractor . you are asking your questions in the wrong forum . could you please post your question in that forum and we can all help you from there ,it will be better there instead of taking up space here in the wrong forum and confusing everyone as seems to of happened now .
Regards Robert

[Dandy Dave]

Also, photos need to be uploaded to a photo hosting site like photo bucket and them loaded here. You may also need to size them so they fit on this website. No hole though the fuel tank??? Dandy Dave!

[Kiwi Kev]

Topic has been moved to New Major forum.

[Nick]

Hi, to be honest with anything like this, i.e older machinery, if you have a basic understanding of mechanics then servicing etc should be easy (im an electrician and i seem to be ok most of the time, unless of course ive had too much cider).

If you have a rounded off bolt head I would either file down the side until you can get a decent grip with a spanner, or you could use a pair of decent pipe grips to get it undone and then when you have it out, then file it down so a spanner will fit so you dont have the same problem next time you change the filter.

After you have bled all the air out of the filter housing, there is a bleed screw on the front of the pump also, once you have all the air out of the pump I always tend to slacken all the injector pipes until you see diesel coming out, then do them up and you should be good to go.

Let us know how you get on

[Nick]

Also forgot to say, on the main page, you can access the repair guide for the new major, which should give you the pictures etc you need

[Dons62FSM]

In case you missed a very important point in a previous reply, the lift pump can be operated manually only when it is not already being compressed by the engine camshaft. If it does not work, try turning the engine over one full revolution.

You can often use a hacksaw to saw a slot in a screw head and then use a screwdriver to remove it. You may have to widen the slot a bit. Careful work on the edge with a small punch and hammer can also do the job to turn the screw loose.

[Pavel]

How about the jack of all tools -- self grips, or locking pliers as some call them.
Pavel

[Kirbust]

hello everyone and thanks for your help, while I was in town today my business partner got the
tractor running which is lucky as there appears to be no way to put pictures up as I had
taken 4 pictures just a day or 2 day ago that I was going to put up here but as I said I
see no way of posting any pictures, regardless though it is now resolved

[Kirbust]

is there somewhere that can be bought a fuel filtration system that uses a spin-on system using the same old fuel pipes for the fordsons like the mid to late 1970s tractors did because this old style fuel filtration system that uses a bolt from the bottom to hold all in place is a hard to deal with outdated system that I hate as it is a clumsy poor designed system at best and NO one would have put up with taking more than 2 hours to get the fuel system sealed and I won't again. I had it sealed once when I last posted in this topic but it took me 2.5 hours to get it sealed with tons of swearing the last time but some jack-a-nape loosened it enough to cause me grief last week and now the system will not re-seat.

[Kirbust]

question for you folks, does this system require a washer to fit under the fuel filter canister against
the head of the bolt?

[Dandy Dave]

It should have a Copper Washer.

[JC]

Most of mine have a flange on the bolt head with a neoprene washer. A copper or fiber washer would also work. It needs something to seal it.