Don't know if it was some type of modification, but the primer pump is near the filter.

After reading, the hardest part seems to be draining the tank down to less than a quarter, etc.

I read about as a quick way to test it.

Quote"""
My expereince has been the tank stcreen.
Quick, easy check is to have at least 1/4 full tank. On the driver side fender the fuel supply & return hoses are next to each other.
Just swap them and you will be drawing from the "return" line which extends 1 1/4" into the tank, and returning fuel thru the tank screen.
Not a long term fix, but will confirm a plugged screen and will get you home.
This courtesy of Vaman on this site

UnQuo;te
So thanks again

JUdge,

What is the primer pump mounted onto? It has to be rigidely mounted to be enable U to pump it by hand.

Better way to check strainer: Remove the rubber hose that goes from the tank to the steel fuel line. If the strainer is not plugged the fuel will run out in a full steady stream. If it only drips or comes out slowly, the strainer is plugged. Usual cause of this is Fungus in the tank.

Changing hoses is a field expedient to get U home if the strainer becomes plugger so much that engine won't run.

P E H

I'll look tommorrow, and maybe try for a picture. The car is at the mechanics. It is night here,

Is this some type of non-stock modification?

To summary what has happened. The car started when I bought it, although it had not been driven for nine months. I've known the last two owner, and saw the car working and had rides in it. After I bought it I started it about 20 times without a problem, and drove it about a 100 miles. It smoked, and after driving it the idle was rough.

I had new buyers enthuasiam and wanted to maintain it. The guy I bought it from gave me some parts that he had bought but not installed. I installed the fuel filters, air filter and glow plugs.

After I installed them I couldn't get it to start. I figured I must have knocked off a part. I learned I did screw up by not filling the fuel filter. I also learned that the primer pump is different than on the other 5 cylinders I have seen. The hand primer pump is attached to the fuel filter.

My mechanic took all the actions to test the glow plugs, and assure that the system had been purged of air. He adjusted the valves. The engine struggled to start, and when it began to start, it shut itself off.

The mechanic had me spend $50 for a shut off solenoid. The car was still hard or impossible to start. But under lots of hand priming, it seemed to be closer to starting. He had me spend $160 for a fuel pump that is attached to the injection pump. - He said when I wasn't there that it started up fine with the new fuel pump. When I got to the shop, it was still hard or impossible to start, again.

When it did start, he showed me that there was "too much" pressure coming out of the disconnected fitting on the top of the valve cover. He says that shows that the rings are bad. That to replace the ring the engine must be reoved. That the parts are very expensive. Better to buy a new engine.

Right now, I don't have a place to work on a non-running car.

I am losing confidence in the mechanic, but I don't have good options. I'm leaning towards the idea that there is still a problem with air in the fuel, or something clogged in the fuel system. But even if that is so, is the mechanics description that the rings are bad likely to be accurate?

I am sad and disheartened about this car. It was going to be for my daughter.

The amount of air or blow by coming out the valve cover hole or the attached tube could be critical if quite a bit of pressure is involved. This excess crankcase pressure if strong enough can shut the injection pump down. It acts on a diaphram inside the injection pump.
We plug the line from the valve cover and count the seconds the engine will continue to run sometimes as a test. This gives some estimation of remaining life of the engine or perhaps how much current wear.
Try to make sure that vent hose is not partially obstructed with crud. Take it off and wash it in a solvent. In fact leave it off for the test as you get a larger hole to breathe through. Also leave your oil cap off and try to start engine. If this is the problem engine should do a little better with the attempt to increase crankcase breathing ability. It may even run.
Very easy to do and let us know if any improvement. Nothing lost by trying. A quite easy little test.

to hopefully save this beauty

Well, I am able to get the car started, starting requires having the pedal floored. The first few times it started, and then died after just seconds.

When I got truly started, I notice that there was air in the clear fuel line. After about half an hour of running the air seemed to be cleared, and the engine would start, but again, it required starting as if the pedal was being floored.

When I put it into gear, usually the engine is going to stall, or top speed is about four miles per hour.

Can someone throw me some bones of advice on what would cause the engine to not even have power to be put in gear, or move the car at more than a couple miles per hour?

Check to see if your pre-filter is backwards. They flow one way. My dim-witted self did that once and had the same running issues you are having, flooring the pedal, traveling a few feet, low speed than choking out. I had put the pre-filter in backwards. Fortunately, it was the VW & not the Benz I had done this to. The car had enough diesel to idle steadily, but not to move.

__________________
1980 300SD (Mr. Sparkles), 1976 450SEL, 1982 300D turbo, 1989 VW Cabriolet morphing into a td cabriolet , 1997 TDI Passat, 1996 piece of Jeep,1993 F150, 1990 F250 7.3L...i think that's it, for now.

I hope this could be something simple. Is there a simple picture that shows so I can be double sure.

The fuel prefilter has one side that is straight and the other side at a right angle. The right angle feeds into the IP.

__________________
-Dan
1983 240D AT, 163K running on VO, "The Patience Tester"

Judge,

If U see bubbles in the fuel lines, that could be your trouble. Once the system is bled out U should not have any more bubbles. This suggests U have a leak in the fuel line and air is leaking in.

WHen a Diesel does't have any power, its almost always from a lack of fuel.

Have U disconnected the fuel line going into the IP and see how much fuel is squirting out when U puimp primer pump?

Did U ever get a pik of the primer pump? I'd like to see where and how its mounted.

P E H

Judge,
Update? Hoping for the best.

__________________
1980 300SD (Mr. Sparkles), 1976 450SEL, 1982 300D turbo, 1989 VW Cabriolet morphing into a td cabriolet , 1997 TDI Passat, 1996 piece of Jeep,1993 F150, 1990 F250 7.3L...i think that's it, for now.

There were issues in getting the fuel to prime, but I am now able to start it, but....

Car has no power. It can hardly be put into gear without stalling, and top speed seems to be about 20 mph. I confirmed that the clear fuel filter was installed the right way.

A different mechanic looked at it, and he also said that it was the rings. So now I've got two mechanics saying the same thing., and I believe that I will have to junk the car, unless a good engine just happens to fall my way very soon. I'm not in a place where I can keep the car stored.