Perkins problem

[Bonezink41]

So, just returned from a 3 day goat hunting trip. And as I was returning to the harbor I throttled down to slow for entry. The engine in my boat died.
The boat is a 42 Davis International Trawler. The engine is 1986 Perkins Range 4 M 200 TI. T6.3544M.
Once in the harbor checked oil first. Plenty of oil. Lost about 5 pounds of pressure over a 16 hour run.
Hot some rough seas so checked fuel filter. The Racor had no water or debris, but the second filter just prior to the injection pump was full of rusty water. Changed the filter and somehow ended up with a ton of air in the fuel system.
So far have bled the air out of the system. Still no start.
Help!!! I'm stumped...

 

[STB]

Check the supply valve(s). Then check it 2x more. Repeat for then return valve(s).

How do you know you got all if the air out? Those are a pain to bleed. What procedure did you use to bleed? Any time a Perkins 6.354 wont start after a fuel system service, my 2nd bet is always that it ain't bled, yet.

If it wasnt part if your bleed procedure, crack an injector and get someone to crank a quick time or two. Make sure fuel is squirting out, not foaming out or oozing out or not coming out at all. Good squirting flow. This will verify the lifter pump and give some sense of the bleed being done. It could also help show a clogged supply line.

Rusty water in the 2ndary is really strange...esp. without it in the primary. Those normally mostly trap the junk in the media. What model filter is it?

When you bled the system, how did the diesel coming out look? Can you catch some of it at the injector pump pump bleed screw into a clear cup and see if it looks clean and water free?

If nothing else turns up, pull the injectors and get them pop tested at a shop -- it is normally free. They could have been clogged or damaged by contaminants and need rebuilt, which is only ~$75-$90/injector and withba turn around time of a day or two.

The same could be true of the injector pump, itself -- but checking that aint free. I'd probably try cracking each injector's supply line a good bit one at a time while someone cranked just to see goodd flow to each. Not a good test, but something.

If injectors or pump quick look didnt turn up anything, I might try a leak down test. Cheap and easy to do yourself in boat. Ditto for pressure testing cooling system.

How does the motor oil look and feel? The coolant?

How does it sound when not starting?

Good luck!

 

[STB]

I should say I dont know how rusty water woukd make its way by magic into the 2ndary. I guess I'd like to know the model number, in part, to verify it is the fuel filter vs oil filter.