90 won’t start after new fuel filter fitted

Hi
My son has just fitted a new fuel filter in our 90 2,5 diesel NA (12J engine) and now it won’t start. He is adamant he followed all the steps in the manual regarding bleeding & priming the fuel pump but the thing will not start

any tips on most likely cause and how to get it going

with bleed nipple on the injection pump loose does when you pump lift pump fuel pulse out,if it does slacken the injector pipes and turn engine over till diesel appears then tighten the nuts and try starting

jamesmartin said:

with bleed nipple on the injection pump loose does when you pump lift pump fuel pulse out,if it does slacken the injector pipes and turn engine over till diesel appears then tighten the nuts and try starting

Click to expand...

can I just check, do I slacken the injector pipes at the injection pump end or at the head end

90Novice said:

can I just check, do I slacken the injector pipes at the injection pump end or at the head end

Click to expand...

The end where the pipe screws onto the injector.

90Novice said:

can I just check, do I slacken the injector pipes at the injection pump end or at the head end

Click to expand...

At the injector end - half a turn - and be BL@@DY careful - any diesel will be at 180 bar, and it is NOT good for you ...

If this works, then great, but if not, take the fuel filter off with a container underneath to catch any spillage - if the filter is only half full, then your lift pump is kaput - happens a lot - the FIP can cope without a fully functioning LP until there is air in the system, then it simply can't .....

90Novice said:

Hi
My son has just fitted a new fuel filter in our 90 2,5 diesel NA (12J engine) and now it won’t start. He is adamant he followed all the steps in the manual regarding bleeding & priming the fuel pump but the thing will not start

any tips on most likely cause and how to get it going

Click to expand...

Are you sure he fitted the filter properly? There should be 4 rubber rings, all different sizes, and they need to go in the right places.
And cheap filters sometimes don't seal at all, whatever you do. Delphi every time for me.

Turboman said:

Are you sure he fitted the filter properly? There should be 4 rubber rings, all different sizes, and they need to go in the right places.
And cheap filters sometimes don't seal at all, whatever you do. Delphi every time for me.

Click to expand...

He did say it took ages to get any fuel to filter and the injection pump uses the lever on the side of the lift pump, many, many pumps

90Novice said:

He did say it took ages to get any fuel to filter and the injection pump uses the lever on the side of the lift pump, many, many pumps

Click to expand...

That all sounds pretty normal. You need to check that the lift pump isn't on the cam, or it won't pump at all. Or, as above^^^^, the lift pump may have failed. But I doubt it.

Turboman said:

That all sounds pretty normal. You need to check that the lift pump isn't on the cam, or it won't pump at all. Or, as above^^^^, the lift pump may have failed. But I doubt it.

Click to expand...

Another question, I have just had a look and the fuel filter head is only held on with one bolt ( one’s missing) I assume there’s a nut the other side as it’s going straight into the bulkhead. Any ideas on what size bolt it and how to get to the other side to fit it

90Novice said:

Another question, I have just had a look and the fuel filter head is only held on with one bolt ( one’s missing) I assume there’s aunt the other side as it’s going straight into the bulkhead. Any ideas on what size bolt it and how to get to the other side to fit it

Click to expand...

Just a regular metric bolt, maybe M6, not sure. You don't need to get to the other side, it is screwed into a Rivnut.

Problem is the rivnut might be turning and the bolt has been cut off or not put in because it turns.

Gmacz said:

Problem is the rivnut might be turning and the bolt has been cut off or not put in because it turns.

Click to expand...

Easy enough to remove it and put another one in.

90Novice said:

Another question, I have just had a look and the fuel filter head is only held on with one bolt ( one’s missing) I assume there’s a nut the other side as it’s going straight into the bulkhead. Any ideas on what size bolt it and how to get to the other side to fit it

Click to expand...

Post a piccie up - genuinely worth a thousand words....

Bet you 50p he has left one fo the old o-rings in the top half of the casing.
Do enough of them and they are easy enough, but as a rule a pita dated tech that needs binning as the earliest oppurtunity.

I remember ford industrial engines having these filters fitted.

lynall said:

Bet you 50p he has left one fo the old o-rings in the top half of the casing.
Do enough of them and they are easy enough, but as a rule a pita dated tech that needs binning as the earliest oppurtunity.

I remember ford industrial engines having these filters fitted.

Click to expand...

They used to be fitted on everything, prior to the German takeover.

They are no problem if you know what you are doing. I can fit one in ten minutes, and never have to bleed the pump at all, just the filter body and head, because I have done it thousands of times.

Delphi 296 filters are £1.50 each bought in bulk off the net. German filters for Tdi are 8 pounds, rising to arms and legs for the ones on modern Land Rovers.

Turboman said:

They used to be fitted on everything, prior to the German takeover.

They are no problem if you know what you are doing. I can fit one in ten minutes, and never have to bleed the pump at all, just the filter body and head, because I have done it thousands of times.

Delphi 296 filters are £1.50 each bought in bulk off the net. German filters for Tdi are 8 pounds, rising to arms and legs for the ones on modern Land Rovers.

Click to expand...

25 quid for a delphi one for my D3 and 40 quid for the wifes Audi and hers is just one of them tubular affairs with a rubber pipe in and out!

lynall said:

25 quid for a delphi one for my D3 and 40 quid for the wifes Audi and hers is just one of them tubular affairs with a rubber pipe in and out!

Click to expand...

Exactly. I won't spend money on cars.