Starting a Petter PH1 single cylinder Diesel engine

[Baldbloke]

It's annoying, but as Khriss says it will be fairly simple to sort out. I would take the fuel line off at the two anticipated filter points, clean those out. I would then try turning it over with the end of the pipe to the injector in a jam jar and check fuel is pushing through. I would then follow Khriss' suggestion, take the injector out, screw it to the pipe and check that fuel is squirting through well into a jam jar. After that I would put it back together and try again - that may be enough to get it running. If the fuel is getting to the injector but not spraying out nicely in a fine mist then it's injector cleaning time, but I don't think that's the problem as it wouldn't run properly then and this is a starting issue rather than a running issue. My guess is that it will be a partial blockage, probably in a filter.

 

One other thing, when you run the pipe to the injector into the jam jar, once you have ascertained that fuel is coming through, add some to the bottom of the jar and immerse the pipe end. Then turn it over again and see whether air bubbles are coming through into the jar. If so, it suggests you have an air leak somewhere in the fuel system so you aren't pumping as much fuel through as you should be. It will still run like that but be much harder to overfuel for starting.

 

Alec

Very good Alec, thanks for that, much appreciated in the detail (including in your last paragraph), as are all the other comments from everyone else[emoji1303]

 

An update about the seller: he’s just this minute replied and has committed to call around tomorrow evening to give me a lesson in basic diesel mechanicals and how to start her[emoji1303][emoji1303][emoji1303]. So the implication that he had disappeared laughing with my £800 was a maybe a tad unfair.

 

I will update you all tomorrow evening......even if I’m found to be as stupid as I possibly am🤣

[muttley9050]

Take it thats a Hi lift one ? if so your 2k was a good investment, I bought a Lifton loadstar 750 high lift about 4 years ago for breaking, then thought it was far to good to break and kept it, its been used day in day out on some jobs and it makes my life so much easier, it will go to a new home one day but i dont when, paid 1.5k for it running and all working and today i would think 3k +

Yeah it's a high lift. If I ever sell it I expect I will make a profit.
Parts aren't really available any more so everything has to be made but I like to tinker.

[Baldbloke]

The bright orange one? 
 
I  could never start it by myself, I needed someone to drop the valve lifter decompresser thingy.  I still cannot remember what happened to it.

I too asked my wife to operate the lever so I could keep it spinning after the compression came in by keeping both hands on the cranking handle.

[Khriss]

Spray from injector should be cone shaped, by the book, but if it spits n dribbles its fxxxkd. Diesel mechanic showed me if you blow hard into intake pipe, a bad  injector foams back on yr tongue, he could have been taking the  piss 🙁 but he does do an enormous amount of deisel engines. K

[Baldbloke]

At least you can start it which is not the end of the world 

Very true! Trouble is, I’m either at work or my wife is, so driving the two necessary vehicles simultaneously is also beyond me. My neighbours are also even more ancient than me, and our combined efforts would probably make a news story🤣

[Baldbloke]

 Ahh yes, Buyer Beware,   Bald statement that is, but they are simple motors so it wont be massive money to sort out. If you take the injector out then reconnect it to spray in a jam jar, that will rule out several things - I put an R14 filter on mine just to be on safe side. K

This one just has a universal throw away plastic filter floating where the original used to sit.

The beauty is that any air trapped within it is easily seen.

[topchippyles]

4 minutes ago, Baldbloke said:

Very true! Trouble is, I’m either at work or my wife is, so driving the two necessary vehicles simultaneously is also beyond me. My neighbours are also even more ancient than me, and our combined efforts would probably make a news story🤣

Like stubby then are you a coffin dodger 🤣

[Khriss]

Just now, topchippyles said:

Like stubby then are you a coffin dodger 🤣

He slays coffins with his mighty 395 with wrap handles, so i have been told. K

[Baldbloke]

Spray from injector should be cone shaped, by the book, but if it spits n dribbles its fxxxkd. Diesel mechanic showed me if you blow hard into intake pipe, a bad  injector foams back on yr tongue, he could have been taking the  piss [emoji853] but he does do an enormous amount of deisel engines. K

I now have visions on having to remove the the air filter to give the inlet manifold a blow job[emoji12]

[Khriss]

1 minute ago, Baldbloke said:

I now have visions on having to remove the the air filter to give the inlet manifold a blow job

Its yr friday night ☺️ you just go fr it 😋 K