Starting a rebuilt motor for the first time

[cseger1]

Anybody got a procedure they want to share? My SD22 is fully rebuilt and installed and I am going to start it tomorrow. Reading a lot about gassers online but didn't find info for an old diesel. One thing I really want to do is install an oil pressure guage. The spot where the idiot light sender unit is will be really tough. Can I install a sender in another spot? What about the oil inlet to the alternator/vacuum pump? Would a tee'd in pressure sender in that line give a good reading? Some other spot?

Also, I really want to prime the oil lube system but I don't know where I could attach something to spin the oil pump shaft...

As you can tell, I am nervous about the oiling, are there other pitfalls to watch for?

[waynosworld]

I put a tee in the oil line going to the vacuum pump on 2 engines, it works fine, one was mechanical, one was electrical, I like electrical better.
I started mine without priming anything, but I did use a lot of lubricants when putting the engine together, I was of the conclusion that by the time the engine would actually hit, there would likely be lots of oil everywhere as I have never had one hit right away.

[ehtrain]

1. bleed your injector lines while your glow plugs are out to get fuel prime with minimal engine load
2. run proper 15w-40 oil with a heavy zinc additive like lucas stabalizer. As modern engine oils have little to no zinc for wear prevention. These old solid lifter motors need everything they can get for anti-wear
3. after your fuel system is primed, coolant system is full, and oil is heavily added to for first break-in
4. after your engine is running if you have timed it or not this is when to check. if you have a new cam and lifter set. DO NOT SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. run the enigine for a period of at least 20min if possible. at varrying rpms between 1000-2000 rpms.
5. after your first 20 min of running most of the parts have done there basic wear matting and majority of the engine oil's ability to resist wear and other things has been greatly deminished. AT MOST run 2000km on your first oil change. I like to change the oile after 350km then again after 1200km. then I proceed with normal 5000km or 3 month which ever comes first oil change. I also run heavy oil additive first several changes. If your plan to run synthetic. stick to heavier oils not lighter ones. these engines need the larger molecule size of conventional oils. synthetic oil is molecules are smaller and offer better oilling in tight fitting motors that are all aluminium
6. make sure every oil you use has API certifed CD lettering or greater. first letter being "C" means compression ignition which is diesel. "S" is spark ignition which is gas. and the second letter usually is "j" on modern oils tells you what additive package the oil meets. the higher the letter the more updated it is. please remeber these are not modern engines. the additive packages are designed for modern engine emissions and operation conditions.

[cseger1]

Great info. So far I have had it run for 30-40 seconds. I can make it run longer if I throttle up but I am a little worried about how high it's revving to stay lit. Will barely idle with the plugs on but shudders to a stop as soon as the relay clunks off. I am thinking (with the help of forum members) that it's air leaks in the fuel lines or the filter banjo bolt.

I think I may check all my valve clearances, assembling the head was the first time I have ever done that job and I wouldn't be surprised if something I did wrong is keeping one cyl from building enough pressure to ignite.

[ehtrain]

if the motor was apart did you get your injection pump back into place it was before? if not did you time it?

second it may take more then 30-40 seconds to clear out the air in the injection system. so it may spit and sputter for a minute or 2 depending how well you were primed up to the injectors.

also if you followed your service manual I believe the gap for my sd25 is .014 not sure what sd22 is. it also gives an easy way to check the valve lash with only 2 turns of the crank shaft

[cseger1]

Nope, the position was not noted and actually, I am not sure if this is the IP originally from the truck. Currently I am using the block from the original truck, head from a donor, top-end from a kit, and all the bolted on shit came from whichever part I happened to pick up and bolt on. On the IP itself, I am using the lift pump from the other IP. Which I think I am going to send out for a rebuild. So again, nope. The IP needs to be timed.

I've been thinking about this as my problem. Also bad fuel. I drained the fuel tank and refilled with fresh diesel and everything coming out of the tank looks really good, but who knows? Might be bad.


I'm using clear fuel line everywhere and I am very confident that the priming process is complete. No air in the IP unless it has a leak happening inside itself. Is that possible?

When I set the lash, I did it with the FSM in my lap. Hopefully the info there is good.

[ehtrain]

well if your IP wasn't marked your timing could be way out. in which case your engine will barely run depending how far out you are.

[cseger1]

well if your IP wasn't marked your timing could be way out. in which case your engine will barely run depending how far out you are.

Ehtrain, you nailed it! The pump was way off. Almost 3-4 MM. I rotated it back into position and the motor ran off the first warming cycle. I ran it for 2 or 3 minutes and it was pretty good. There is still a little uneven-ness to it. It's got a "lumpy" idle. Off idle it runs very smooth though. I bought this truck in need of a rebuild so I am not sure how smooth it should be. My tractor has a Kubota motor that runs like butter.

[ehtrain]

good to hear you got it going.

when you had the head off did you have anyone service the injectors or injection pump? and sometimes it takes a bit to bleed the air out of the injection system. Hopefully you have no air leaks and you will be good