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Old 02-26-2012, 08:50 AM   #1
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Perkins 4-236

Hi folks

I am new to your forum today. After reading some of the posts here, and

realizing the incredible knowledge base among the various posters,

I am certain there is someone that would be willing to offer some

advice on how to prime my engine. It is a Perkins 4-236 Diesel that has

sat idle since 2007 when I purchased the boat. The refit is complete and

it is now thime to pay some attention to the power plant.

Your advice into my little issues would be greatly appreciated

Thank you
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Old 02-26-2012, 03:30 PM   #2
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RE: Perkins 4-236

Quote:
Capt Nemo wrote:


Hi folks

I am new to your forum today. After reading some of the posts here, and

realizing the incredible knowledge base among the various posters,

I am certain there is someone that would be willing to offer some

advice on how to prime my engine. It is a Perkins 4-236 Diesel that has

sat idle since 2007 when I purchased the boat. The refit is complete and

it is now thime to pay some attention to the power plant.

Your advice into my little issues would be greatly appreciated

Thank you
Hey Captain Nemo, Welcome aboard! The Perkins 4.236 was widely used in forklifts years ago and I have had lots of experience with it in that application. Assuming it is the same CAV filter assembly and pump I am familiar with, I will offer what I would do to prime it. First of all, remember the air compresses and diesel doesn't, so you need to start at the beginning (the fuel transfer pump) and methodically remove the air. At the transfer pump you should have a thumb lever to allow you to pump/ move diesel. If it feels like it is not moving much fluid- remember the cam shaft lobe may be "up" and your movement is not producing much. You can't see this, but it is OK to bump the engine over a little which rolls the camshaft lobe down and this gives you a full stroke when you push the thumb leverdonen### Next, follow the pressure line out of the transfer pump till it attaches to the filter/ filters. There will be a bleeder of some sort at the top of the housing. Locate it and open it. Pump the fuel until you get clean (no air) fuel. Close it. ### now go to your fuel injector pump, there should be a small bleeder on the side of it, it takes a 5/16" wrench to open it. Back it out about 2 turns, and if you have an electric fuel shut off solenoid, turn the key on to energize it. Pump diesel till you get clean fuel and close it. ### Finally, I prefer to loosen 2 of the 4 injector lines at the injector. The ones farthest from the injector pump seem to work best. Have someone spin the engine as you watch for diesel to start to Pop" at the injector, then snug these, loosen the other two, spin and bleed and you should be started! Good luck. Post some pics if you have a different system and I can modify my directions as needed.
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Old 02-26-2012, 07:32 PM   #3
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RE: Perkins 4-236

Carl, I can try. What you have to remember with any old style fuel system is that you have to remove any air introduced with a method that assures you have no air where you begin ( if that makes sense). I guess on the first post I should have mentioned that I assumed he had fuel beyond has Racor and to the engine. Some diesel engines don't need a fuel transfer pump. Think tractors ( gravity feed) or some applications where the injector pump has an internal transfer pump. But my experience with most injector pump/ injector/ injector line set ups is that what you are shooting for getting rid of any air all the way to your IP prior to any attemp to push fuel into the injector lines. If any air were left prior to the IP, it would just end up as more air past the I pump that that has to be pushed through. Keep in mind that to push fuel beyond the IP requires spinning the engine. You can't push fuel past it with the thumb lever. And if there is air remaining, it will require lots of battery and spinning over to get rid of it. ### Carl- I hope I didn't make this more confusing than I did on the first post:smile:I don't seem to be able to type as fast as Marin and also think- being that I'm only using my right pointing finger and iPhone. Heck- I can't type anyway!!!
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Old 02-26-2012, 08:08 PM   #4
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RE: Perkins 4-236

That's a GREAT explanation, Forkliftt.* Your instructions fit my procedure on my boat to a T.*

If you've never done it, it can be intimidating.* But after the first time, it becomes a routine matter.* I'll print your instructions and place them in my maintenance manual as a reminder for use years from now when I become more forgetful.*
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Old 02-26-2012, 08:18 PM   #5
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RE: Perkins 4-236

Yup!!* What Steve says is exactly the correct procedure for bleeding out the 4 and 6 cylinder Perkins with CAV rotary IP.* Pay particular attention to what he said about the fuel pump*being up on the cam lobe.* You can*feel the resistance of the fuel passing through the pump if it's pumping.* If it's on top of the cam there is no resistance and no oil flow.

A friend of mine spent two days trying to bleed his 4-236 to no avail.* As soon as I pumped the pump I knew what was wrong.* *

Larry B
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Old 02-27-2012, 08:27 AM   #6
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RE: Perkins 4-236

Quote:
Old Stone wrote:
Just realized after I bought my Albin trawler way back, the fuel filter totally clogged. Only filter the previous owner had not attended to, so it was my turn to learn. Not knowing how to properly change the filter, I got some air in the system. Had to do exactly what you have explained. Once I learned the correct way to change the filter, never had a bubble again. Totally forgot that was a Perkins turbo. Must be gettin' too old. :no:
*I didn't know there is a way to change the filter without getting air in the system.* How's it done?
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Old 02-27-2012, 09:17 AM   #7
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RE: Perkins 4-236

Because the lift pump is a pain in the a$$ sometimes, I use a restaurant style red plastic ketchup bottle with the thin neck to fill the fuel *filters through the bleed hole.

Fool proof is to plumb in a squeeze bulb ala boatdiesel.
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Old 02-27-2012, 12:38 PM   #8
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RE: Perkins 4-236

Quote:
superdiver wrote:Forkliftt wrote:

Hey Captain Nemo, Welcome aboard! The Perkins 4.236 was widely used in forklifts years ago and I have had lots of experience with it in that application. Assuming it is the same CAV filter assembly and pump I am familiar with, I will offer what I would do to prime it. First of all, remember the air compresses and diesel doesn't, so you need to start at the beginning (the fuel transfer pump) and methodically remove the air. At the transfer pump you should have a thumb lever to allow you to pump/ move diesel. If it feels like it is not moving much fluid- remember the cam shaft lobe may be "up" and your movement is not producing much. You can't see this, but it is OK to bump the engine over a little which rolls the camshaft lobe down and this gives you a full stroke when you push the thumb leverdonen### Next, follow the pressure line out of the transfer pump till it attaches to the filter/ filters. There will be a bleeder of some sort at the top of the housing. Locate it and open it. Pump the fuel until you get clean (no air) fuel. Close it. ### now go to your fuel injector pump, there should be a small bleeder on the side of it, it takes a 5/16" wrench to open it. Back it out about 2 turns, and if you have an electric fuel shut off solenoid, turn the key on to energize it. Pump diesel till you get clean fuel and close it. ### Finally, I prefer to loosen 2 of the 4 injector lines at the injector. The ones farthest from the injector pump seem to work best. Have someone spin the engine as you watch for diesel to start to Pop" at the injector, then snug these, loosen the other two, spin and bleed and you should be started! Good luck. Post some pics if you have a different system and I can modify my directions as needed.
*When I was messing with the pump that fills my gravity tank for my diesel stove this winter I acciedently hooked up the pumps electrical backasswards and pumped air into the tank, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY into the fuel lines going to my port engine....* I had to do just as you say (except I got it out of the original manuals that came with my 1978 perkins).* It does take two people to do it, but its easy once you figure it out...* the discription is WAY more daunting then the actual work...

*I Have a 4-236 on one of my boats and I did find it a bear to bleed until one time I followed the instructions in the manual step by step. and Voila it fired. Mine won't go at all if there is ANY air in it at all. and sometimes getting it all out takes time with the hand pump. I remedied this *by installing a low psi 12v pump I got at napa after my Racor and before the filter on the motor. I have aligator clips on th leads and when I'm bleeding *I simply clip on my leads to the bat. or 12v source.Crack the bleeders as outlined in the manual, and in just a couple of moments she's ready to go. Once it's running I disconect my aligator clips and All's Good.A proper switch would be good for the pump, never got around to it...*
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Old 02-27-2012, 06:18 PM   #9
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RE: Perkins 4-236

If I remember correctly it was only about 5 psi.*
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Old 02-28-2012, 11:59 AM   #10
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RE: Perkins 4-236

Quote:
sunchaser wrote:



Because the lift pump is a pain in the a$$ sometimes, I use a restaurant style red plastic ketchup bottle with the thin neck to fill the fuel *filters through the bleed hole.

Fool proof is to plumb in a squeeze bulb ala boatdiesel.


I use a plastic squeeze lab bottle to fill the CAV filters when changing them which is the same concept I think. Since getting that I haven't had to prime beyond the filter assembly. Saved my butt once when I forgot to open the fuel valve on one motor and ran her dry! Just squeezed fuel into the filters, cranked for a while and they fired right up.
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Old 02-29-2012, 06:07 PM   #11
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RE: Perkins 4-236

I have 4-236's on my boat, a PO at some point plumbed in outboard style pump bulbs in front of the racors. As suggested earlier, this is a great, and cheap addition. They have enough pressure to push fuel all the way to the injector pump bleed screws (there are two bleed screws on the IP BTW). I never have to mess with that little lever on the lift pump.

They also are really nice for filling my racors after a filter change, much less messy than pouring in fuel.

Also, I once had trouble getting one of my engines bled, and had turned over the starter quite a bit pushing fuel through the injectors. No matter what I did it wouldn't start. I finally remembered having read about exhaust back pressure build up on the forum. I pulled off the hose on top of my exhaust elbow, put it back on, turned the key and IT"S A MIRACLE! It fired right up.

That was a great feeling as we were in the middle of nowhere in the Bahamas at the time, perhaps my best ever mechanical brainstorm.
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