3cyl Perkins lift pump?

[QRTRHRS]

Need some advise on the 3cyl Perkins diesel in my 2001 Terremite with ~1100 hours.

Been doing some routine maintenance so I decided to change out the fuel filters. In addition to the screw on filter, it has an in-line filter before the Mikuni manufactured lift pump. The Mikuni has a lever on the side which I assumed is for priming?

After changing the screw on filter, I cracked the bleeder nut and started working the lever. After many pumps, I still had no fuel moving.

The barn floor slopes and I had the tractor facing downhill so I topped off the fuel and pulled the line off before the pump. Got fuel there if I drop the line but not enough to allow gravity to feed the pump. I rigged up a hose with a funnel to the pump and filled it with fuel. I thought maybe gravity would allow the fuel to flow through the pump to the filter bleed off but that did not work.

I then turned the engine over and did get fuel to the filter bleed off until the air seemed to stop. I hooked up the stock fuel line and cranked. Nothing. I cracked the fuel line into the injection pump, got a little fuel but not alot. Closed that, cranked some more.

It would fire but not take off. I was going to try cracking the indivdual fuel lines then it sounded like it was going to go so I left them go for the time being.

Cranked it a few more times while working the fuel throttle and little by little, it took off.

Let it run a few minutes, shut if off, started it up. No problem.

I know zip about this little Perkins engine. Am I correct in assuming the lever on the side of the Mikuni lift pump is for priming? If so, can that fail yet the pump still works or is the pump destined to fail soon?

 

[Farmwithjunk]

That lever is for priming system. (manually operates lift pump) It will pump fuel but absolutely will NOT pump air. Sounds like it was air locked. Sorta strange.....It'll prime the system once it doesn't need priming. BTDT.

 

[QRTRHRS]

I have not really done much servicing on this machine since I bought it used. I had picked up a new oil and fuel filter then when I went to change the fuel filter, I noticed the inline filter before the pump. I took the inline off in order to match it up then put it back on and changed the cannister filter.

That may have been my downfall because when I swapped the cannister, I had a lot of fuel drain down out of the lines to the filter housing which is below the lift and injection pump.

Thing is, what little bit of fuel between the lift pump and the inline drains out anyway when changing the inline.

I may just crack the highest fitting which is on the injector pump and see if the primer will function now that I have it running again and no air. Or, maybe I should let well enough alone, naw.