Oil & Fuel TC18 Starting

BuzzyG · May 24, 2011

I need some help starting my 2003 TC18. I am just getting used to the machine, and I now know that I can't trust the fuel gauge. With the gauge on half-full, I let it run out of diesel. I filled it up - , and I can't get it started now.

Is it a hard one to get primed so that it gets fuel to the injector pump, or is it more likely that I have a fuel filter problem?

Thanks!!

BuzzyG · May 24, 2011

I took off the fuel filter bowl, and I get no fuel at all to that point - no matter what the position of the valve.

I forced air into the full tank from the bottom end. I get bubbles in the tank - still nothing out the bottom end. Now that is a puzzle. I think there must be a kink that I can force air through, but the gravity feed of the fuel is not strong enough to get past the kink. Does that sound logical?

When I have more light tomorrow, I will take the cowling off of the tank and see what is happening between the tank and the bowl.

guyw · May 25, 2011

I have a TC18 and the fuel should flow fast enough to fill up the sediment bowl in a couple of seconds if the attach ring is left loose enough to let the air out as the fuel enters. Once you get that fixed, you will need to bleed the system. There is a bleed screw that you loosen up and fuel/air will start to bubble out of. I don't have the time this morning, but later on can send a copy of the pages from the service manual that show how to do this.

Guy.