How to wake up diesel engine that’s been sitting about 3 yrs

[treedawg]

My dad passed away a couple of years ago. He owned a stump grinder at the time. It’s been sitting in the barn since he passed and I haven’t had the will to touch it. I finally decided it was time to get it fired up again. It’s a Rayco 1642 with a 42 hp, air cooled 3 cylinder duetz diesel engine. The grinder in the pic isn’t his but it’s the same model.

I installed a fresh battery then pulled the fuel filter and it still had plenty of fuel but I topped it off. It’s turning over and it’ll run for a second if I place a rag with regular gas over the air intake but dies as soon as I remove it. I cracked open the fuel line at the furthest injector and turned it over for quite a while but it never started blowing out fuel.

Any advice appreciated.

I realize this is a Yanmar forum but some of the the most amazing techs hang out here and I hope one can offer some guidance. If someone knows a better place to post this question please let me know.

 

[Harry in Ky]

I can't tell for sure from the photo but I suspect that's an F3L912 engine, which would have an inline Bosch pump. It could have either a manual shut off or an electric rack puller type, whichever the grinder manufacturer decided to go with. A photo of the pump might help identify it.

 

[thepumpguysc]

After 3 years the fuel is definitely stale.. now u have a tank full of stale fuel..
Use the hand primer to get fuel circulating..
Pull the air cleaner out..
Loosen all the lines AT THE INJECTORS and spin the engine until fuel squirts out of the loosened lines and tighten them up..

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I've cranked things been sitting 20 years. Hot battery and fired up.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Sitting in a barn, the fuel is fine.

You shouldn't have opened the filter, now you let in air! Crack an injector, crank it until fuel comes out and it will be fine.

SR

 

[4570Man]

You shouldn’t have pulled the filter. But at this point you’re going to have to keep on with the bleeding process. Put it at full throttle because it pumps more fuel that way and goes faster. Loosen the injectors and keep cranking. You might have to help it along with starting fluid.

 

[treedawg]

I can't tell for sure from the photo but I suspect that's an F3L912 engine, which would have an inline Bosch pump. It could have either a manual shut off or an electric rack puller type, whichever the grinder manufacturer decided to go with. A photo of the pump might help identify it.

Will see if I can find it and post pic tomorrow. It’s a 42 hp 3 cylinder duetz diesel.

 

[ponytug]

Congratulations on your stump grinder. I think that Deutz engines are like Yanmars- rock solid.

I would double check that a) there is fuel coming out of the fuel line just before the fuel pump, and not water or gunk, b) that if you have one, the circular diesel prefilter before the fuel pump is clean (many Deutz engines have a circular can like prefilter (aka screen)) just before the fuel pump. In lots of older engines, the screen gets gunked up with rust, dirt and algae. Lots of owners don't realize it is there.

As @Sawyer Rob and @4570Man pointed out, you can speed up the bleeding process by loosening the nut on the injector line closest to the injector until you get fuel at each injector. The newer Deutz engines are self-priming, but I can't remember about yours. One other item to check is that the fuel solenoid isn't stuck closed.

On the subject of double checking, I would double check that the air filter and air intake are clean. Mice and wasps have a way of gunking things up sometimes.

Once you do get it running, I would put a whole can of SeaFoam into the fuel.

All the best,

Peter

 

[DieselBound]

ponytug makes a good point about checking the air pathway. I had a recent event with a diesel engine in which a sticking EGR valve flap (on a car) kept the engine from running (would fire up and then die); I battled it as though it was a fueling issue, air, bleed and cranked, and sprayed fuel everywhere, but fire up and die it did; then I discovered the culprit. ONLY time for me in which a starting issue was related to air obstruction. And, of course, it's not rare to be battling more than a single cause at one time, so perhaps air and fuel: air is easy enough, so quickly rule that in/out.

 

[treedawg]

Congratulations on your stump grinder. I think that Deutz engines are like Yanmars- rock solid.

I would double check that a) there is fuel coming out of the fuel line just before the fuel pump, and not water or gunk, b) that if you have one, the circular diesel prefilter before the fuel pump is clean (many Deutz engines have a circular can like prefilter (aka screen)) just before the fuel pump. In lots of older engines, the screen gets gunked up with rust, dirt and algae. Lots of owners don't realize it is there.

As @Sawyer Rob and @4570Man pointed out, you can speed up the bleeding process by loosening the nut on the injector line closest to the injector until you get fuel at each injector. The newer Deutz engines are self-priming, but I can't remember about yours. One other item to check is that the fuel solenoid isn't stuck closed.

On the subject of double checking, I would double check that the air filter and air intake are clean. Mice and wasps have a way of gunking things up sometimes.

Once you do get it running, I would put a whole can of SeaFoam into the fuel.

All the best,

Peter

Air intake is clean and clear.

I cracked open the injector furthest from the pump but I'll go back and crack the one that's closest.

How do I check to see if the " fuel solenoid isn't stuck closed"

Thanks for to EVERYONE for the advice and tips...!!!!!!!