how to reprime diesel

Dean Beck · Apr 3, 2010

I have an early model 444 diesel and ran fuel too low now it will not restart, someone told me to reprime the fuel system.
OK need some coaching here,thanks

I also need to replace the battery, can someone tell what the cca number should be?
Thanks again

Leo B · Apr 3, 2010

First, make sure the fuel cutoff is pushed in, go to the left side of the tractor, on the injection pump you"ll see two bleeder screws, one in the pump casing, the other in the rectangular part on top of the pump. Loosen these up, I think it"s a 5/16" wrench. Go to the right side of the tractor where the fule lift pump is. There is a mechanical lever, push down on it a few times and then see if fuel is streaming out of the bleeder screws in the injection pump. If it"s only spurting with no steady stream pump the lever a few more times until a steady stream is coming out. Tighten up the top screw first, then the bottom screw. Loosen up an injector line, but don"t remove the line from the injector. Crank the engine until you can see fuel leaking out(careful it"s under high pressure) Tighten up the nut. Now have someone pump the manual lever on the fuel lift pump while turning over the starter. You may get lucky and it might start right up, if not repeat the procedure again until no air comes out of the bleeder screws.

We just replaced the battery on our 444 diesel last year. It"s a group 31 @ 1100 CCA

Andrew Anderson · Apr 3, 2010

1100 CCA"s seems a bit much. Those batteries are more expensive. 800 to 900 should do it. As for repriming. I find it best to loosen the lines from the injector turn the tractor over til fuel squirts out of the lines then hook them back up. Also It may be best to replace the fuel filter. The bottom of your tank usually has crud in it and when you run them out of fuel they suck it in the filter and clog it up.

Bob · Apr 3, 2010

That's the first time I've seen anyone b i t c h about a battery having TOO MANY CCA's!

WHAT is your problem?

Dean Beck · Apr 6, 2010

Ok guys first off thanks for all the help, i bled the fuel lines like instructed had someone turn engine over as I pumped the leve and it fired and ran.. it ran for 10 minutes or so
so I decied to try get some work done
made three passes in garden and it stalled again
it acts like it runs out of fuel,
Does this sound like trash in lines? If so what do I do next?

Leo B · Apr 6, 2010

The lines may have crap in them and need to be blown out with compressed air. Make sure the sediment bowl is clean. It could also be a worn arm in the fuel lift pump(right side of tractor). The arm or actuator rides on the lobe of the camshaft and that is what pumps the fuel. Sometimes this arm has too much sideways play in it and it jumps off the lobe, or the lobe is worn off square, therefore it seems like it's not getting fuel and dies. I've gone through this before. I have even removed the oil pan to make sure the arm was riding true on the lobe.

Usually a new fuel lift pump will solve the problem.

JimB2 · Apr 7, 2010

Either clogged fuel line or clogged fuel filters.

how to reprime diesel

Dean Beck

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Dean Beck

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