Starting issue now

[Jimc]

just to throw this out there, we have a member here, wciguy who makes the valve cover gaskets. they are usually in the classifieds. just send him a pm. i have bought factory onan ones as well as his. they are identical material and his are cut right on the money.

 

[Isaac-1]

With as common of problem as this tends to be I wish someone would take a video of the process and post it on youtube, etc.

 

[robkiller]

What are the reasons you can think of that would lead to a hard cold start?

Bad glow plugs
Bad injectors
Fuel Bleeding down
Compression

If you have any others or think what I have listed is wrong let me know. I am trying to figure out why I have a hard time starting the mep003a.

 

[storeman]

Crappy fuel/dirty filters/lack of fuel pressure to IP.
Air leak in fuel lines/not properly bled.
Sticking IP throttle linkage.
Valve adjustment off.
Injectors not functioning to specs.
Injector pump timing.

Glow plugs should be obvious, even testing by feel if you don't have a laser temp sensor.

 

[doghead]

Have you cleaned your fuel tank and fuel pump screens and filters recently?

Using fuel additive?

 

[robkiller]

Completed
Injectors = recalibrated
Throttle linkage sticking= not sticking
Bad glow plugs = check good
Using fuel additive = I am using additive is that bad or good?
Crappy fuel = has additive and is a month or so old
dirty filters = filter kit was installed and new filters have about 1 hour on them

Need to test
Valve adjustment =next week

Have you cleaned your fuel tank and fuel pump screens and filters recently= what screen are you talking about lol no?

lack of fuel pressure to IP = don’t know how to test that

Injector pump timing = I did change the pump but installed it just as it was when it was removed. This was the same problem before I changed the injector pump but I will try to check.

Air leak in fuel lines= don’t know how to test this

Fuel line not properly bled= changed the filters and injector pump and injectors could be how is this done correctly?

I am really thinking it is a lack of fuel at first. It takes forever to start kicking over and once it does it has a very low rpm like it is struggling. I turn it off and try it again. It does the same thing but after 4 sec of ver low rpms it starts to kick up the rpm and run. Once running for a bit it runs fine. I think this is fuel related. If you guys could shed some light on a way to test some of the things above that will give me a head start.
Thanks

 

[Isaac-1]

Just don't feel alone in this, I have a MEP-003a that does much the same thing, replacing the injectors did help mine, but has not fully cured the problem.

Ike

 

[Jimc]

rob there are filter screens in each fuel pump. on the bottom of each pump there is a hex head. 9/16 or 5/8" i think. put a wrench on it and turn. the bottom of the pump will come off and there is a filter element inside that can usually be cleaned.

 

[Isaac-1]

Speaking of these filters on the fuel pump, who else has mix and match sizes for the bottom covers? I have to use 2 different size wrenches when checking these on my MEP-003a

 

[TucsonVTXF]

Speaking of these filters on the fuel pump, who else has mix and match sizes for the bottom covers? I have to use 2 different size wrenches when checking these on my MEP-003a

my 2 primary pumps are the same size my aux pump is a different size as far as the wrench needed to remove the caps..... I ordered my pump screens from aircraft spruce...

 

[storeman]

TM5-6115-585-12

This user/unit level TM will walk you through all the fuel/bleeding issues. Replacing IP without timing it likely adds to the problem.
Jerry

 

[doghead]

The pump filters are shown on the picture I posted in post # 7. Just one is shown, but each pump has one.

 

[robkiller]

TM5-6115-585-12

This user/unit level TM will walk you through all the fuel/bleeding issues. Replacing IP without timing it likely adds to the problem.
Jerry

I took a look but I have the new filter kit that I bought here that converts it to the new type of filters and it has 2 filters. Anyone with this setup know how to bleed the fuel system?

 

[gimpyrobb]

Do you have fuel returning to the fuel tank with just the pumps running? What filters do you have? Got a pic?

 

[robkiller]

Do you have fuel returning to the fuel tank with just the pumps running? What filters do you have? Got a pic?

This is the link to what I have

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GV5cbhMOOUI&desktop_uri=/watch?v=GV5cbhMOOUI

 

[Jimc]

yes the napa 4770 heads with a water sep and filter canister. i use them on all my generators. i just make it myself though. they work great. with the pumps running after bit you should hear the fuel trickling back into the tank.....unless its really full.

 

[95blklsc]

This is a little bit of a side note regarding filters. Something to consider with filters is to put one rated for something like 10-20 micron first, followed by a smaller particle size rating. On mine I have a 30 micron filter/seperator on the inlet from the aux tank to grab any large particles. I also have NAPA spin on filter heads, although they are unfortunately 1-12 thread which makes it tough to find fine filters, it's easier in the 1-14 size. Anyway, the first filter in the primary fuel loop is a 10 micron followed by a 2 micron. Putting a very fine filter can really help prolong the IP life. There are some reputable studies on this floating around the web, but I don't have a link handy.

In the video above they used a 10 micron followed by a 6. While this isn't bad, I would probably spread it out a bit more if I had the option, maybe a 10 and a 2, or a 20 and the 6.

This is an easy way to look up details on NAPA parts, just change the part number at the end. Here are the two filters from the video.
http://www.nfhconnect.com/lookup/PartDetail.asp?Part=3405
http://www.nfhconnect.com/lookup/PartDetail.asp?Part=3352

Here was a thread I posed in about my fuel filter set up and challenge finding what I was looking for.
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?116022-NAPA-Spin-on-Fuel-Filter

 

[storeman]

If, after installing your new fuel filters, you reinstalled the check valve in the fuel line just ahead of the IP (and the check valve is functional) you should not have an issue with "Fuel Bleeding down". Assuming a good check valve, bleed air while cranking (throttle opened) by cracking the IP fuel-in fitting until clear. Then, while cranking with the throttle open, crack the fuel line at each injector one at a time until no bubbles.
Jerry

 

[robkiller]

yes the napa 4770 heads with a water sep and filter canister. i use them on all my generators. i just make it myself though. they work great. with the pumps running after bit you should hear the fuel trickling back into the tank.....unless its really full.

So if I hear the gas going back into the tank bleeding my filters is complete and should be ok?

 

[robkiller]

If, after installing your new fuel filters, you reinstalled the check valve in the fuel line just ahead of the IP (and the check valve is functional) you should not have an issue with "Fuel Bleeding down". Assuming a good check valve, bleed air while cranking (throttle opened) by cracking the IP fuel-in fitting until clear. Then, while cranking with the throttle open, crack the fuel line at each injector one at a time until no bubbles.
Jerry

Where is the check valve? I never installed one does it have one already? If so where I will make sure its working.