Primer pump

[edvanland]

Recently changed my filters, filled them with diesel then opened the valve and turned on the primer pump. The old 8V92 fired right up, OK good to go.  Left for Quartzsite, course this was in Feb 07.  Bus ran lousy and seemed like it pulsated.  Trip went fine did some four wheeling and also Jerry I think is his name came up from Yuma and met me.  After I returned home I put the bus in the garage and figured I would take it to Phoenix to W. W. Wilson and have them put it on the Dino.  Took it down last week to have this done.  Well the mechanic started checking things before he put it on the Dino and it only had 6 PSI of fuel pressure.  Changed the filters again, no change, did more checking as in running it out of a bucket of fuel as he thought one of the fuel lines might have been corroded, no change.  They told me it was probally a bad fuel pump and did I want it changed, well du if it was bad yes I wanted it changed.   the fuel pump now had 7 PSI, no good.  I mosey back to the shop and started talking to the mechanic, not supposed to be in the shop, he was in the back saying a few words to the betterment of man kind as he could not figure out why the low pressure. I was looking at the primer pump and noticed both valves were open.  After a short discussion with him and me explaining what I did, thought I did, when I changed the filters we decided to shut one valve comming from the primmer pump. He stated I did not touch that valve and I knew he did not.  Fired the old girl up and now had 70 PSI.  Well after new filters, new pump and 5 hours of his time the bill was $747, they did buy lunch, and the old girl was good to go.  He said there is no reason to put it on the Dino, unless you want to spend another $200 dollars so I declined.  Well after all this I will never ever forget to shut that one valve next time I change the filters.  Yes some dummy, ME who is not a mechanic, cost himself $747
plus 200 miles of driving in 110 degree weather. The gremlins are in Northern Arizona. 
W.W. Wilson seems to be knowledgeable and through, was it expensive YES, will I go back to them if need be YES.  Thanks for reading how some of us should be kept out of the engine compartment.
BusNuts are crazy and I love it.
ED
MCI 7

[boogiethecat]

Many engines probably need more flow than my Cummins 5.9... but for it I simply stuck an electric fuel pump in the line with no valves at all, and it's beautiful.  To prime I turn it on, and when I'm done, turn it off... and the one way valves inside flow plenty of fuel to keep the engine totally happy.  I use the kind that goes tick tick, (a pulse pump) because that style has nothing in the way of the fuel except two check valves when turned off.... motorized rotary pumps wouldn't work in this setup because the rotors would block fuel when not running.
But as it is on my bus with this nifty pulse-pump, it's kind of a no brainer.
Odds are good that if you were to use a very high flow rate electric pulse pump like this, even high flowing engines would work with this setup... then no valves, no hassles, and no 747's flying out of your wallets!!
Cheers
gary