The pre-filter should be between the Fuel Supply Pump on the side if the Fuel Injection Pump and the Fuel tank. On later models it is within 6 inches of the Fuel Supply Pump. Assuming it is a plastic fuel filter like the later models there is no way to prime (pre-fill it) other than to pump on that Primer on the Filter Housing.

If you fill up the large filter housing with Diesel when you change the filter and pump a lot on the hand primer that may get all of the air out or it may not.

If after you have done the above and your car still dose not want to start; loosen the Fuel Injector Hard Line Nuts at the Injectors and crank the engine to bleed the air out. you will see fuel coming out up by the Injectors. When you see that tighten up the Injector nuts and start the car.

While the Fuel Injection Pump can bleed off small amounts of air (more so if the Engine is already running) I would not say it is self bleeding. If you get Air in the Fuel Injection Hard Lines between the Fuel Injection Pump and the Injectors it is extremely difficult and hard on your battery/starter to bleed that air out by cranking the engine.

The reason is that the Injector works like spring loaded. The Valve/Injector will not open until the pressure it is set to (in your case I believe it is 115 bar).

Air in the Injector Hard line is trapped between the Injector and the Fuel Injection Pump and when the Fuel Injection Pump Plunger tries to push the Air out it mostly compresses it and pushes little if any out of the Fuel Injector.

To get the air out of the Fuel Injector Hard lines as I have said above: you loosen the Injector Hard Line Nuts and crank the Engine until you see a good amount of fuel coming out. Since the Injector Lines are open at one end the Air is no longer trapped and the fuel can move through the line.

The first time you do this it is nice to have a Battery Charger or another running Car with a good battery that you can get a "Jump" from incase your Battery gets low.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel