Cummins 330 hp 6B On Engine Fuel Filter Change Proceedure

I am getting ready to change the on engine fuel filter on my 2002 Cummins 330 hp engine.
What is the best procedure to make sure you don't get air to the injectors?
I have changed fuel filters on a 54 hp Yanmar before, but not this engine.
Any help would be appreciated.

Doesn't look like you are getting any answers. There should be a procedure in the manual.

I believe your engine is the 6BTA5.9 engine. I think they have a manual pump on the fuel lift pump that you have to pump manually with your finger. The manual should be able to give you the specifics. I don't think these need to be bled but can be primed from the manual pump (if your finer holds out).

Pgitug said:

I am getting ready to change the on engine fuel filter on my 2002 Cummins 330 hp engine.
What is the best procedure to make sure you don't get air to the injectors?
I have changed fuel filters on a 54 hp Yanmar before, but not this engine.
Any help would be appreciated.

Click to expand...

First off, I would not skimp on the filter itself. I would use the Fleetguard filter spec'd for the engine. Other than that, just fill the filter up with diesel. It is not terribly important that is is exactly full. These engines are considered "self priming" so they will get the air out on their own. I just try to avoid that scenario. It is not uncommon for it to start and then die. Once it starts, I run it up pretty good in hopes of passing the air before it dies. But usually just crank on it a bit more and it will start right up. Super duper simple!!!

Baker said:

First off, I would not skimp on the filter itself. I would use the Fleetguard filter spec'd for the engine. Other than that, just fill the filter up with diesel. It is not terribly important that is is exactly full. These engines are considered "self priming" so they will get the air out on their own. I just try to avoid that scenario. It is not uncommon for it to start and then die. Once it starts, I run it up pretty good in hopes of passing the air before it dies. But usually just crank on it a bit more and it will start right up. Super duper simple!!!

Click to expand...

What he said.

Baker said:

Other than that, just fill the filter up with diesel. It is not terribly important that is is exactly full. These engines are considered "self priming" so they will get the air out on their own.

Click to expand...

Our Cummins tech recommends using the manual priming pump, so the injectors never see un-filtered diesel.

Ours (450C) is likely different, but perhaps similar: just push the primer "button" a bit until the system "sqeaks" at you. Doesn't take long. The "self-priming part will take care of the rest.

-Chris

The manual pump on that engine is a button" that looks like the old high beam switch that used to be on the floor. Push it with your palm.
As long as you get some or most of the air out it will start. As stated previously this engine will self bleed.
There might be a bleed screw on top of the fuel filter housing I don't remember. If so loosen this up and prime until fuel comes out, them close it and crank her up.

I know what the techs say about unfiltered fuel but I always pre filled the filter with known clean fresh fuel out of a known clean container.

I've always filled the filters with ATF.

Good advice above. I just changed mine a couple days ago. In the past I'd prefilled the filter. This time I didn't, but I did use the manual primer on the lift pump. After about a minute of pumping I got the telltale squeeky sound. Cranked the engine and it fired right up, then died. A few more seconds of cranking with the throttle advanced and the engine self-bled and started.

The procedure varies substantially depending on if the engine is electrically high pressure injected of not. Filling filters on common rail engines is a no no.


Is it mechanical or common rail,

kulas44 said:

I've always filled the filters with ATF.

Click to expand...

bayview said:

The procedure varies substantially depending on if the engine is electrically high pressure injected of not. Filling filters on common rail engines is a no no.


Is it mechanical or common rail,

Click to expand...

330B is mechanical.

Baker said:

First off, I would not skimp on the filter itself. I would use the Fleetguard filter spec'd for the engine. Other than that, just fill the filter up with diesel. It is not terribly important that is is exactly full. These engines are considered "self priming" so they will get the air out on their own. I just try to avoid that scenario. It is not uncommon for it to start and then die. Once it starts, I run it up pretty good in hopes of passing the air before it dies. But usually just crank on it a bit more and it will start right up. Super duper simple!!!

Click to expand...

Yep. I did buy the Fleetguard filters from Tony. I got the ones with the drain. May never use it but it is there. Thanks for the instructions.

jleonard said:

The manual pump on that engine is a button" that looks like the old high beam switch that used to be on the floor. Push it with your palm.
As long as you get some or most of the air out it will start. As stated previously this engine will self bleed.
There might be a bleed screw on top of the fuel filter housing I don't remember. If so loosen this up and prime until fuel comes out, them close it and crank her up.

I know what the techs say about unfiltered fuel but I always pre filled the filter with known clean fresh fuel out of a known clean container.

Click to expand...

I found the primer button. And I will clean the container before i put in the diesel

Pgitug said:

Yep. I did buy the Fleetguard filters from Tony. I got the ones with the drain. May never use it but it is there. Thanks for the instructions.

Click to expand...

Fleetguard filters with a drain? Link?

-Chris

you should not fill a fuel filter before installation, better to fill it by manually operating the feed pump.
there is a bleed screw at the filter housing, above and slightly towards the front of the engine, open this before pumping and leave it open until fuel flows freely, there is another bleed screw behind the top of the fuel pump at the front end you could also check this. after you have everything bled and the bleed screws closed more pumping and you will probably hear the return valve squeaking, means you are ready to go.
as stated by others this engine self bleeds once it is going but if you try and start without bleeding you probably wont get it going!

I would also recommend using the priming pump and not prefilling this filter. This is your engine's last and final hope of getting clean and dry fuel. Fuel that looks clean, in a container that looks clean, may not be completely clean. I would let the fuel filter do its job and filter the fuel that your primaries have already filtered down.

Pumping that little button is a lot easier than taking out a clogged injector. However, many folks have pre-filled on engine filters including me and not run into problems. But you don't want to be the rare case that does have a problem.

On the older mechanical engines there is a way to fill [partly] the final filter.
Ensure the fuel is poured ONLY into the ring of small outer holes near the O.D. of the filter housing.

Be sure NO fuel enters the central hole.

This way the fuel must still go through the filter media.
The normal flow is from the outer ring holes through the media to the large single central hole.

I agree that no matter how well cleaned the jug is there is a chance of something entering the injection pump otherwise. Also unless the fuel that goes into the jug was filtered properly then the question remains, is it clean enough?

Cummins forbids[?] doing this with common rail engines though. They want you to key on so the fuel pump runs which fills the final filter. The key on must be done several times. The C.R. engine injection system are extremely sensitive to ANY contamination or expensive repairs may result if filtering is inadequate.

C lectric said:

The C.R. engine injection system are extremely sensitive to ANY contamination or expensive repairs may result if filtering is inadequate.

Click to expand...

Yeah...like a $900 injector!!!

C lectric said:

On the older mechanical engines there is a way to fill [partly] the final filter.
Ensure the fuel is poured ONLY into the ring of small outer holes near the O.D. of the filter housing.

Be sure NO fuel enters the central hole.

This way the fuel must still go through the filter media.
The normal flow is from the outer ring holes through the media to the large single central hole.

Click to expand...

I do the same on my 6BT5.9s...works like a charm, with no stutter on start-up.

ranger42c said:

Fleetguard filters with a drain? Link?

-Chris

Click to expand...

Here's a photo of the sbmar web page.

Ah. Thanks. "Early" engines...


-Chris

I think one of the reasons, probably the main reason, that all the diesel mechanics I have known filled the filter with ATF is because its more likely to be clean, number 2 is its in a handy size, I was told it lubricated stuff also. One mech I knew used Sea Foam, I think he just had a bunch in the service truck so thats what he used. Seamed to expensive to me, for that use anyway. I never looked at the fuel flow thru that particular filter but always assumed fuel went into the middle and was pushed or pulled thru the media and exited around the edge (small holes). Interesting.

kulas44 said:

I think one of the reasons, probably the main reason, that all the diesel mechanics I have known filled the filter with ATF is because its more likely to be clean, number 2 is its in a handy size, I was told it lubricated stuff also. One mech I knew used Sea Foam, I think he just had a bunch in the service truck so thats what he used. Seamed to expensive to me, for that use anyway. I never looked at the fuel flow thru that particular filter but always assumed fuel went into the middle and was pushed or pulled thru the media and exited around the edge (small holes). Interesting.

Click to expand...

You can fill the new fuel filter with automatic transmission fluid? Never heard of that.

Pgitug said:

You can fill the new fuel filter with automatic transmission fluid? Never heard of that.

Click to expand...

It's a "shade tree mechanic's" trick, doesn't seem to harm older diesel systems, but have not seen proof that it does any good either.
You will not find this procedure in your manual, and if you have a warranty it will definitely void it.

Not many here that are worried about warranties. And I've not seen that it does anything either way, good or bad either, but I am 100 % sure that when I open a new jug of ATF, its clean. On my own stuff, I just put the filter on, open the bleed screw, turn on the priming pump and wait till its full. Personally, I wont own a diesel engine without a 12 volt priming pump, unless its a gravity feed system.

"unless its a gravity feed system."

A gift from the NA gods.