I'm in the final stages of a greasecar conversion, and can't get the car to start. Everything appears to be hooked up properly. The directions from greasecar said to prime the fuel system, but the instructions were for an older model Mercedes with that white plastic manual primer pump. My car has no such device. Is there any sort of manual primer for my car, or do I just have to crank it? Thanks for any words of wisdom, or personal experiences with this phase of the the conversion.

- Dan

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1987 Mercedes 300D ~200K (Greasecar & Biodiesel)
1993 Ford F-250 7.3 IDI diesel 165K (Biodiesel)
1996 Thomas/International Bus with DT466 engine

i belive the 87's have a self priming system.. just crank away.. wait for someone with better advice on that one... all i know is the 87's are self priming.. which i do not envy

just fill the filter with diesel and priming is not needed

I always hold the throttle down to prime faster. If it doesn't start after trying these two steps, crack three injector lines at the injector and hold the throttle down while cranking. BE CAREFUL with your starter that you don't overheat it.

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My Truck.. 2007 DODGE, 5.9 Cummins, 6spd stick, 4X4. My car..1977 240D, OTHER WHEELS...1955 VW Oval window bug, European Delivery (Holland) with a 1700cc, 2 barrel, Porsche drum brakes. 1939 WILLYS Pick-up. 1967 Triumph 200cc Tiger Cub. 1976 Honda 550F 4cyl Motor Cycle.

Agreed. Crack all six injector lines and crank it with your right foot on the floor. It may take a total of two or three minutes of cranking to get fuel out of the hard lines. Give the starter a break or two during this process. You'll probably need a second battery. Once fuel starts dripping all over the head, tighten the hard lines and start the engine.

Dang, there must be a hundred threads on here about folks not being able to get 603's restarted after opening up the fuel system. There must be some way we can Southern engineer a small hand operated pump spliced into a hunk of fuel line for priming a 603 like a 617. I wonder if the button style hand pump from a w115 300D could be adapted for this purpose? Thimk!!! There has to be a better way to do this.....

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Palangi

2004 C240 Wagon 203.261 Baby Benz
2008 ML320 CDI Highway Cruiser
2006 Toyota Prius, Saving the Planet @ 48 mpg
2000 F-150, Destroying the Planet @ 20 mpg



TRUMP .......... WHITEHOUSE
HILLARY .........JAILHOUSE
BERNIE .......... NUTHOUSE
0BAMA .......... OUTHOUSE

A german car mechanic wanted to charge $150 for bleeding the injectors, I decided to do it myself I got a small pump but not much got into it. So after so many try's to start the engine, my battery just died, and needed to be recharged completely. Next day I try with my feet on the accelerator and bleeding the injectors with the help of someone, and after short starts and pause to let it cool the starter, little by little it started to bleed diesel at the injectors. Then after a few more try's it finally started.
My original problem was to remove the ip from the car and install new seals, after I was done, all diesel from inside was probably gone, and air will not let the car start.
Thank you guys for all your help....

What I do to speed it along is to fill the spin on filter with fuel before installing it. It will start on the first crank, then stall. After that, a few seconds of cranking will be enough to prime it. There's no reason whatsoever to "crack the lines".

if for whatever reason one has found themselves run out of fuel out on the road. Cracking the injector lines to let air out is a must. suppose one could spin off the filter and fill it but that might not be as do able on the side of the road.

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Current fleet
2006 E320 CDI
1992 300D - 5speed manual swapped

former members
1984 300D "Blues Mobile"

1978 300CD "El Toro"

On the OM60x series engines, injector line cracking isn't necessary. It'll prime even if the entire system is aired up and the fuel filter isn't filled with fuel. Filling the fuel filter greatly speeds the bleeding process though. Foot to the floor during the cranking process helps greatly.

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Current stable:
1995 E320 157K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 125K (SLoL)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

Gone and wanting to forget:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™) [Definitely NOT a Benz]

Cracking the lines also greatly speeds the bleeding process.

I'm just saying... if its being done as part of a routine fuel filter change then yeah, go ahead and fill that filter for sure.

IF you run out of fuel on the side of the highway cracking a few lines is a better way to go IMO. less risk of killing the battery.

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Current fleet
2006 E320 CDI
1992 300D - 5speed manual swapped

former members
1984 300D "Blues Mobile"

1978 300CD "El Toro"

I'd rather take two seconds to crack the lines and have a helper than burn a starter up. It's less stress on the starter, so why not?

The only car I won't crack the lines on are om606s... They prime up way faster with a new design valve on the IP. I never even bother filling the filter with fuel.

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Only diesels in this driveway.
2005 E320 CDI 243k Black/Black
2008 Chevy 3500HD Duramax 340k
2004 Chevy 2500HD Duramax 220k

All you have to do to convince me is show me the page in the FSM that says to crack the lines.

I am sure it is possible to bleed a dry air filled 603 fuel system simply by cranking it...

but it will take a LOOOOOOOOOONG time, and it will likely destroy a very expensive difficult to replace starter... not to mention draining the battery several times over.

FIRST thing with any diesel system is get fuel TO the IP...

I use a leaf blower/shop vac on blow, and pressureize the fuel tank, then pinch the return hose, and open the outlet from the fuel filter.
next I UNPLUG THE GLOW PLUG RELAY...

next I loosen all injector lines at the injectors, and begin cranking...

it takes a LOT of cranking to get fuel to begin seeping out the last injector... close line nuts as fuel seeps out of them, and by the time you are on #4 or 5, it'll start running... seal it up, and don't EVER EVER EVER run it out of fuel again!

oh... since this trick is almost a daily ritual for anybody with failed delivery valve rings... be sure and park with the nose of the vehicle downhill in that situation to prevent the fuel all draining back to the tank leaving the fuel system dry...

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 560SL convertible
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
2005 Dodge Sprinter 2500 158"WB
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

One of these on the return line works for me:

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