bleeding JD 4045

I am changing the fuel filters for the 1st time.
there are 2 racor filters using 2020 filters.
How do I bleed these after changing them?

After changing the fliter on the engine how do I bleed it?
I have no manual on the engine.

Thanks Ed

Should be a bleed thumbscrew on top of the secondary filter assembly. Prime it with the lever on the diaphragm of the supply pump while alternately opening and closing the thumbscrew. Pump till no pressure the open thumbscrew. Close thumbscrew. Repeat until you need to clean up fuel.

For the Racors you can manually fill the filter to near the top before putting the top back on. No need to do more on those. I keep a 2 gallon fuel container with diesel in it for this purpose.

Ken

"No need to do more on those. I keep a 2 gallon fuel container with diesel in it for this purpose."

Good idea IF the fuel has been thru quality filters before you store it.

Many folks will simply use a few quarts of ATF , as it is clean from the can and might or might not be useful to the injection system.

FF said:

"No need to do more on those. I keep a 2 gallon fuel container with diesel in it for this purpose."

Good idea IF the fuel has been thru quality filters before you store it.

Many folks will simply use a few quarts of ATF , as it is clean from the can and might or might not be useful to the injection system.

Click to expand...

Agreed, any fuel prefilled that can get to the "filtered" side isn't the best idea. In this case I didn't mean to prefill before filter replacement. If you put the new filter element into the housing first, then any new fuel added can flow only to the outside of the element which is the dirty side anyway.

Ken

so I have fresh fuel in a container, do i insert the filter then pour this down the center?

ATF? Transmission fluid? You would fill the filter with Transmission fluid?

thanks Ed

Mach_cat said:

so I have fresh fuel in a container, do i insert the filter then pour this down the center?

ATF? Transmission fluid? You would fill the filter with Transmission fluid?

thanks Ed

Click to expand...

No. The center of a filter element is the "clean side" Pour in any fuel around the outside of the element so that it has to migrate through the filter media first. Fuel from a jug, no matter how fresh is not clean at the micron level.

Mach_cat said:

so I have fresh fuel in a container, do i insert the filter then pour this down the center?

ATF? Transmission fluid? You would fill the filter with Transmission fluid?

thanks Ed

Click to expand...

I like to have some rags and a decent sized plastic bag handy, like a gallon ziplock bag because the filter will be dripping with diesel.
Turn off your fuel from the tank because it's possible the fuel will get pushed out depending on the level of fuel relative to the level of your filter.
Unscrew the top, then pull the old element out by pulling on the tiny built in plastic "handles" that are on the top of the element, it's a snug fit so a slight twisting motion helps.
Put the new filter element in and then slowly pour in fuel to near the top. Once you put a new filter element in there is no "center". I think it will be obvious once you're looking at it. I would not use any type of lubricating oil, just diesel.
Carefully replace the cover gasket and oring for the T handle with the new ones that come with the new filter. The cover gasket has a square cross section, make sure it's not twisted. Then put the top back on, don't tighten the T handle too much, just good and snug.

Ken

Many truck repair places use ATF to pre fill fuel filters as it is clean and available at the parts desk.

Finding a can , filling it with fuel , and dumping it into clean filters , at $110, an hour is not done.

If your fuel tanks gravity feed to your primary/Racor filter -- with the top off all you have to do is crack the valve and watch the canister with new filter fill.

The racors will filter any fuel added to the canister after the filter element is installed.

Depending on the level of fuel in the tanks fuel may or may not flow into the filters by gravity. Lift pumps often will not pull fuel through a mostly empty racor so some means of preefilling them is necessary. I used the jug of fuel method.

The on engine filter is usually after the lift lump on the pressure side so working the lift pump while venting will fill it. some engines will start and run with the on engine filter empty and self prime.

n.b. Modern common rail engines usually specify to not add fuel the the on engine filter in order to assure all fuel is well filtered.

I am surprised that you cant find basic operation instructions on line for your engine. Look at the JD web site.

Here is an online link to JD4045: http://manuals.deere.com/omview/OMRG35856_19/?tM=FR

This one is great.
Ed

Nice boat, Mach Cat

Apologies if I annoy anyone but quite frankly some people turn the simplest of jobs into a major operation.
Cleanliness is paramount and diesel in a jar from a filling station is fine, don't you use it in your truck ?
Personally I always warm up the engine first, (warm, not hot),(it starts easier after the filter change).
Have a plastic bag ready, slacken the filter, then place the plastic bag around the filter and unscrew the old filter slowly and catch it in the plastic bag, naturally have plenty of rags/kitchen paper and another plastic bag to put any dirty rags in, it goes without saying that you have the correct replacement filter.
Here you can differ slightly and absolutely on NO account can I condone using ATF fluid.
IF you wish to put anything in other than diesel, use diesel injector cleaner.
Fill the canister right to the top with either injector cleaner or just plain diesel, use your finger to rub a little to coat the rubber 'O' ring, then carefully refit the canister and screw hand tight.
Then simply start the engine on tickover (idle) it may run lumpy for a while and clear itself without bleeding, it will smoke a little as the injector cleaner does it's job.
In the unlikely event it stops then slacken 2 of the fuel pipes at the injectors, wad kitchen paper around the 2 slackened pipes, start the engine on tickover(idle) leave it running and immediately tighten the 2 injector pipes, remove the paper and clean the area.
It goes without saying to stay clear of any moving parts.


If you use a removable canister the same principle applies.
Keep calm, think logically, don't turn a simple job into a drama.
A good squirt of lemon scented washing up liquid into your bilge after the filter change will kill any smells and emulsify any oil residue and if used regularly leave you with nice clean bilges.

You can avoid all this fuss by installing a closed loop with an OB bulb pump. To see the details go to the Seaboard marine diesel site and look under Tony's tips. Note on port and starboard side of picture prior to filters a hanging loop of clear tube with an OB bulb pump set in the fuel line with two way stopcocks so that when not in use the loop is closed and no fuel runs through the tubing or bulb pump. All bleeding and filling of filters occurs in this closed system by use of the hand pump. No mess no fuss no need to carry extra fuel. I and many others have use this system for many years no down side.

I like to prefill with Lucas Injector Cleaner once in a while. It's a bit pricey but I don't change filters often.

Sometimes a diesel engine that sits for long periods without running can have a 'sticky' injector on start up, often all that's needed is a good run for a couple of hours and they'll be fine. Generally engines that are used regularly rarely have that problem and just need the injectors pulled every 8 or 10 years for checking and refurbishing when the boats laid up over winter. Personally I use injector cleaner when changing the fuel filter every 5 years and never had a problem.
For Perkins engine's with CAV 'sandwich' type filter you can buy a pretty cheap modification to change the filter head to one which accepts the 'spin on' canister type filter with a built in button push primer pump.
They are supplied by ASAP supplies in Beccles England and if you Google them you can browse the fuel pump section.
The fitting is a direct changeover and is child's play to swap over, same bolts etc.
As I explained it's so easy that if you follow my directions you don't need to bleed the fuel system at all, no need for fancy valves, pumps, taps and piping.
The reason I push it is because if you have to change a filter in rough weather(because that's when any crud gets shaken around) you need to be able to do it quickly with maximum efficiency for safety so keep it simple.
Having said all that the absolute key to safe boating is clean fuel tanks, fuel is like wine, when it sits in a tank any fines or water will settle to the bottom, there's no need for expensive Raccor filters, fuel polishing or some people even use magnets in the mistaken belief that they will clean fuel.
Instead of constantly fixing a problem, eliminate the cause.