You will need to purge the air out of the injection pump, and this takes a LONG time.

Best method is to operate the priming pump until you hear fuel hissing past the pressure relief in the fuel filter. Once the filter is full, you will be pushing fuel into the IP instead of more air, and you can then pump some more with a decent chance fuel will get into the plunger set.

If you had not replaced the copper washers, I would have suggested you remove several pressure valve holders and pump the priming pump until you get fuel flow out the plunger sets. This will prime at least those and let you get some engine power to save the starter.

Once you think you have fuel in the IP (and it's hard to tell since the originally translucent hard plastic lines are now opaque), loosen the injection lines at the injectors (not the IP) and crank until only fuel comes out, not fuel and air mixed. This will take a while -- crank 20-30 seconds and stop a few minutes, else you will roast the starter. Once you get one or two lines running only fuel, tighten them down and they should start to fire at least some. This will spin the engine faster and reduce the load on the starter.

Eventually it will start -- it will run on three cylinders, although not well -- you can tighten down all the lines left loose and it should be fine.

Replace all the hoses if any are original -- a suction line leaking air into the fuel pump will prevent starting until replaced.

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!