Diesel help needed to score a 'new' 327

[Zeke's Garage]

I know this is a stretch for this forum, but I'll roll the dice..

My dad who is in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's, has parked in front of one his garages, a Case 580 D Construction King backhoe. It's been there for nearly 6 years and hasn't been touched. He was a heavy equipment mechanic for a living, but I was more interested in the cars, and never learned a thing about diesels. I have a decent understanding of hydraulics, and I can however operate it, so getting it started and running is my main hurdle.

Anyway, I need to get it started and moved because it's blocking in two crated 327s and other various parts, which I need for my truck, and some of my Mom's pool furniture. You can guess which is more important... even after 6 years.

Anyway, Can anyone give me some simple steps for starting up a diesel that has sat for a few years? I've got a general plan that includes:

1. Draining and replacing the fuel
2. Replacing the fuel filter(s) <- need to verify types and locations
3. Checking the hydraulic fluid <- Not sure where this is done yet though
4. Charging/replacing the battery, verifying electrical
5. Priming the fuel system <- is this necessary? Or will the pump do it just fine during cranking? I always heard goofy things about older diesels being run dry.

I appreciate any insight anyone may have. I'm headed over with a couple of charged batteries, Diesel, and a pile of keys I found in his shop. I'm sure one of them will be for the backhoe..


--
Shawn

[ole dollor]

i am not a expert on diesel's , i would make sure it had fuel in the tank and filters, check the dip stick and make sure it was full of oil, put the batteries on and see if it would turn over and start. might have some starting fluid around or better yet...some of the old wd-40 , not the new stuff , the old type wd-40...it would start a diesel better and faster than anything around....

[terry b]

If that hoe has glow plugs i dont think you want to spray it with starting fluid. You will have to prime the fuel pump.

[Lattimer]

Always have to prime any diesel if you open the fuel system or run it empty. Most have a manual pump by the filters just for this. Sometimes you have to crack open an injector line to get it primed.

If it has fuel in it----I'd do as stated above. Fresh battery, check the oil, and crank it. Might need some ether to get it going.

Diesel doesn't go bad sitting like gasoline will. It can sit for a very long time and still burn fine as long as it is clean.

[special-K]

Your right on track. You definitely want the old fuel out. Use a good does of conditioner with the new fuel.Pour the conditioner in first or,if using a can,put it in the can first before filling. I'm not sure what people mean by "prime". The fuel pump will pull the fuel to the injector pump. The issue is "bleeding" the air out after opening the system. I'm not familiar with this machine and if it was me I'd research how to do the air bleeding.

[ole dollor]

Originally Posted by special-K

Your right on track. You definitely want the old fuel out. Use a good does of conditioner with the new fuel.Pour the conditioner in first or,if using a can,put it in the can first before filling. I'm not sure what people mean by "prime". The fuel pump will pull the fuel to the injector pump. The issue is "bleeding" the air out after opening the system. I'm not familiar with this machine and if it was me I'd research how to do the air bleeding.

priming the injectors is done by a manuel pump that you pump by hand . kinda like a bicycle pump to air up tires, its useully close to the filters and you can send fuel to the injector with out turning the motor over, bleeding would be cracking the injecter lines untill fuel gets to them while turning the motor over with the starter.

[mr48chev]

It's wasted time to crank a diesel that you have drained the fuel from and expect it to crank without first priming it and bleeding the lines to the injectors.

It isn't that hard to prime it as there should be a primer pump on the engine somewhere with a lever that you can work with your hand. It looks like a mechanical fuel pump for gas but has a lever on it to work manually.

If you drain the tank and change the filters pour clean diesel in the filters before installing them so you don't have to pump them clear full too.

Then loosen the fitting on one of the injector lines at the injector and work the pump until you get fuel up to it without air and tighten it back up and go to the next. Then it should fire up when you go to start it. I spent three years as the mechanic on a dairy farm and had one farm worker who always thought he was "too busy" to go to the fuel tank and fill one particular tractor we had on the dairy.

[Wrenchbender Ret]

If you change the fuel filter/s, pour them full of clean diesel fuel before you put it/them on.

[04sshd]

charge/jump the batteries, make sure there is no air in the fuel systems (if there is than prime it), get a can of ether and use it sparingly in the air intake. Start cranking and wait for it to fire up.

[Zeke's Garage]

Thanks for the tips guys.. So am I hearing that engine starting fluid is ok on diesels as long as there aren't glow plugs?

I went over there yesterday, but forgot the extra batteries.(I was there to mow the 4 acres, so I had plenty to do) I tried to get some info off of the filters, but they had been painted over, so I'll probably have to talk to a tractor supply place on Tuesday.

I'll probably get over there again today and at least see if I can get it to turn over. There's an active bird nest up in the exhaust stack.. I kind of hate to blow the baby birds out to all the waiting cats..

[ryanroo]

If it was just parked there running, i would just go to cranking. the lack of initial fire up will give it time to circulate a little oil to the upper end of the engine. if the injection system is sealed up, it shouldnt have much if any air in it. i imagine it will take a minute or two to fire depending on the condition of the engine. i would try not to ether it if you can, but as stated go slow with the ether if you have to. diesel doesnt really go bad like gas. i have been involved with the resurrection of a few oil burners that had sat for more than 6 years and it was just some fresh batteries and cranking. it would be good to do the filters for sure, but i would get it running first so you arent dealing with air in the system and an engine that hasnt fired in many years. i dont know what engine that hoe uses but some dont have the hand actuated prime pump. you just have to crank them a while. if it does act like there is air in the lines as was mentioned cracking the line at the injector will help

[burnin oil]

Dont change the filters yet. If it is partked infront of the garage it obvously ran at one point to get there. Charge the batteries or replace them. I do not know Case equipment but if it is a Cummins engines I do know those. With a mechanical pump there should be a button that is the size of a 50 cent piece. Push on it a few times. If it is really hard then you have fuel in the filters. If not pump it around 200 times till it gets hard as a rock. This should have it ready to crank. The older pumps that look similiar to a sb chevy have a little lever on them that does the same thing. Now that you have this done cycle the glow plugs and crank. If it doesn't start but is blowing white or black crank a little longer with the throttle wide open till it catches. It should fire and run ruff for a minute then settle into an idle. If nothing after a minute or so of cranking (don't fry the started) then you will need to bleed the injectors.

The reason for not changing the filters for a quick start of the motor is that there is no reason to add air to the system that almost always happens when you change them. Then you are stuck fighting the air out. Sometimes it is a cake walk and others you will go rounds. If you have a water seperator you could always drain a little fluid. Just don't run it low or your repriming the system!

[72 K20]

If it was just parked there running, i would just go to cranking. the lack of initial fire up will give it time to circulate a little oil to the upper end of the engine. if the injection system is sealed up, it shouldnt have much if any air in it. i imagine it will take a minute or two to fire depending on the condition of the engine. i would try not to ether it if you can, but as stated go slow with the ether if you have to. diesel doesnt really go bad like gas. i have been involved with the resurrection of a few oil burners that had sat for more than 6 years and it was just some fresh batteries and cranking. it would be good to do the filters for sure, but i would get it running first so you arent dealing with air in the system and an engine that hasnt fired in many years. i dont know what engine that hoe uses but some dont have the hand actuated prime pump. you just have to crank them a while. if it does act like there is air in the lines as was mentioned cracking the line at the injector will help
__________________

What he says X2

I have started diesels that have set for several years with no problems. If you have to use starting fluid use it sparingly. Batteries are always the problem when any piece of equipment sits for a length of time. Clean the battery connections as well.

[burnin oil]

Next to batteries it is deteriated fuel line that lets air in. Then you loose prime. Been there and got that t shirt! Resurected an old Mack for a parts vehicle. Would only run for a minute or so before it lost prime. A real pain to load on a trailer that way, especially with an air leak causing the spring brakes to lock up!

[motorcritter]

I've been resurrecting and repairing Mercedes-Benz diesels for quite some time. Lots of good advice here, but I would avoid ether on a flow plug engine. That is one of the few things that will damage a older Benz. Getting the lines bled, and finding any leaks on the return lines goes a long way towards a short start-up. I've seen Benz injector pumps 'freeze' up with contaminated (waste vegetable oil, usually) after a extended rest. Good luck to you, and welcome to the wonderful world of oil-burners.
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[Zeke's Garage]

Wanted to give you helpful folks an update.

I was finally able to get over to my parent's house with a couple of charged batteries, some diesel and a huge ring of heavy equipment keys..

I put in the first battery, picked up the first 'Case' key I saw, and got the pig to turn over. I sussed out which unlabeled lever was the throttle and opened it up. She turned over for about 15 seconds.. blew out an (empty) birds nest from the stack, and fired right up. I shut it down after a minute or so, and proceeded to fill the power steering pump and the main hydraulic fill with 'Tractor Fluid'. I found about 10 5 gallon buckets of Hyd. fluid in the shed. Fired it up again, got steering, pulled up the bucket and rear outriggers and found that I had no brakes as I started rolling backwards toward the fence.. I quicky dropped the bucket and scraped to a stop.

Took me a few minutes to realize it was a hydrostat transmission, and the mystery lever on the left of the steering wheel was forward and reverse.

So I got it moved, let it sit and idle for a bit and it seemed just as happy as it could be. I've got a couple lines leaking for the rear boom, but otherwise it was running like it had been used yesterday.

So again, thanks for all your help, and I'm looking forward to digging out an engine and beginning my fuel injected tunnel ram build on my '67.

Shawn

[68gmsee]

Glad you got it going. I didn't see this when first posted but I would have said - don't use starter fluid on a diesel. Good way to break the pistons and rings due to the high compression (don't ask how I know ).

I just had to do a complete overhaul on my diesel tractor - new rings, pistons, sleeves, etc. I had to primed it with the fuel pump lever, cranked it and finally had to use spray bottle with diesel fuel (not starter fluid) in the air intake to help start it.