Starting problem and ran out of Diesel!!!

[flashdognz]

Hi All,

My beloved 60's super major won't start. Its a long story, but I ran out of diesel, and after refueling, I bleed the air at the fuel filter. Couldn't find a bleeder at the injecter unit. Was turning over strong with the starter moter, but really didn't sound like any fuel was getting through. After all this I read maybe I needed a fully charged battery to get the fuel through the remaining line in the injectors (I could see diesel running smoothing out the bleeder at the fuel filter when manually pumping the lifter).

So I fully charged the 12v battery. Got a surprise when putting it back in as I figured out it is postively earthed (first vehicle for me like this), I am assuming this now from documentation and the fact my battery terminal clamp sizes for +/- fitted the battery this way round (them being one small and one big).

Problem is when I turn the ignition all I hear is a single Click. Should I put a cable from the Neg on the battery to the other side of the Solenoid to see if the Solenoid has somehow coincedentally died through all this?

Any suggestions would be welcome. As now my Fordson isn't starting, I miss it more than I could have imagined . You don't know what you got till its gone. Up till now it has been a great starter. PS the battery was new about 18months ago and is reading 15v on my voltmeter after a full overnight trickle charge.

Thanks

Heath Macfarlane
New Zealand!

[whirly]

First - Welcome Aboard

Can't help on the electrical but this is the bleeding chart for the Minimec:



4 & 5 are the bleeds on the minimec injector pump. If you don't have a minimec then there is only one in the same location.

In short order someone will be around to answer your electrical problem.

[halloween]

My solenoid on the PM died a few months back, giving only a single click but no through voltage.
I could still start the old girl using the traditional method of the big screwdriver across the solenoid terminals.
To cap it all, the replacement solenoid I bought from the dealer stuck closed when voltage was applied and I didn't hear the constant whine of the permanently spinning starter over the sound of the engine. The smoke coming out of the starter was what alerted me. The starter survived though and the next solenoid worked like a charm

Just use a continuity tester across the empty solenoid terminals while someone presses the starter, that should tell you if the solenoid is working.

[flashdognz]

Big thanks from NZ to whirly and halloween. Between you both all my problems have been solved! I couldn't find the corresponding bleed valves on the injector unit. But looking at that diagram I decided to bleed the inlet side of the fuel filter (my previous attempt was just on the outlet side). Heaps of air came out. then I followed up with the outlet side again.

I then stuck rubber handle fencing pliers across the solenoid terminals, got some great crackling, then engaged the ignition. Starter fired straight away. Whoa Hoh! As the diesel started to pull through the injecters it spluttered a bit and gave up. Then I tried the ignition without the pliers. Wow, the solendoid must have been jambed before. Because it is working again now. I forgot to mention, I first put the battery in backwards (negative to the earth). I realised my mistake when trying to get the negative lead onto the positive terminal which would not fit. I didn't get a chance to try the ignitition, before and turned it around the correct way. Perhaps this made the solendoid stick, who knows. I'll stick with the solenoid I have for now as it is running fine, but I guess it is suspect.

Very happy. Thanks to you both for your quick responce. Now back to ripping up the front lawn before my wife gets back. Hopefully it will be a nice surprise for her!

Cheers,

Heath.

[The Swanndri Guy]

Flashdognz, good to hear that you have got your Major up and running And fencing pliers do come handy! As for being either positive or negative earth on an engine with a generator, that is determinded by which way the generator is "polarised".Also where are you in Enzed? TSG

[flashdognz]

Yeah the good thing about the fencing pliers is its stubby head could fit into where the solenoid was. I am in Canterbury, home of the big shake. Do you know it? Just drove past your area a couple of months ago for field days. The tractors there were too big for my wee tractor!

[NateSurvey]

I have a dexta 3 cylinder, and the second filter above looks about like mine. My system has been messed with. The 1st stage filter is gone. the filter element in the second stage is NOT STOCK. It has a bunch of rubber washers stacked in there to take up space, and the filter is too short. The fuel line from the tank to the second stage filter has a compression fitting, that is too small. The fuel line from the tank is not stock. I don't know what to call the ends of these fuel lines, but they look like a big blob of lead, or soldier is on them. I need a new fuel line end, as it goes into the fuel pump. So, what do I ask for at the auto parts? What is the stock filter? I hope you folks know. I have not yet gotten the numbers off this one.

Thanks everybody.

Nate