Lister Petter Starting Issues

[joshequi2001]

Got a Lister Petter PH2 that's had a full rebuild (Inc new pistons, rings, cylinders, bearings etc)
Also had new Injection pumps and had the original injectors professionally refurbished.

Problem I've got is it just doesn't want to start. Fuel pumps have had the spill timing done using a swan neck pipe. Valve clearances have been set and we seem to have good compression. Primed fuel system and have fuel to and through injectors.

When attempting to start, you can hear the compression from each cylinder in turn, and see the smoke from diesel from each cylinder.
Everything looks and sounds normal and it doesn't sound far from starting.
I tried taking both pumps back half a rotation of the set screw but it seemed further off, so tried advancing the pumps half a screw from original and it was worse again.

Maybe I'm missing something simple?
Can anyone give any advice or point me in the right direction?

Cheers

 

[startinghandle]

What spec oil have you put in sump?

 

[startinghandle]

Are you getting white smoke from exhaust when trying to start?

 

[joshequi2001]

10w40 Oil

Yes white smoke when trying to start

 

[Pan mixer]

Is it turning fast enough?

 

[startinghandle]

Are you hand cranking or does it have starter ?

 

[startinghandle]

What fuel are you using?

 

[joshequi2001]

Running off starter, seems to be fast enough I would say.

Using a bit of red diesel, tank was cleaned out using diesel twice

 

[Pan mixer]

Running off starter, seems to be fast enough I would say.

Using a bit of red diesel, tank was cleaned out using diesel twice

Bled properly?

 

[joshequi2001]

Yes, cracked fuel lines loose at injector end and fuel was flying out. Bled at lift pump, filter, both injection pumps and injectors in turn.

 

[Pan mixer]

Stupid idea - but it is going the right direction?

 

[joshequi2001]

Yes, correct direction. The whole situation has sort of got me at a loss.
Tried with a bit of easy start and it fired as you would expect on east start, but would just revert back to cranking when stopped spraying in.

 

[startinghandle]

I have petter ph 1 driving rob Roy sawbench...
When I bought it 20 years ago I fitted new rings and I put HD 30 oil in because that's what it said to use and it started with just a few swings of the handle and starting was no problem until I changed the oil and put in multigrade but I did not realise it at the time when it needed a few attempts before it fired
When I put hdx 30 back in starting improved
I won't bore you with too many details
but it starts and runs good now by doing this.......
When starting from cold I swing it over
On compression with fuel shut off to warm up cylinder then straight away turn on fuel and swing again
Also I put a 200-1 ratio of universal 2
Stroke oil into red diesel
I am not suggesting you do this but my engine swings and starts and runs better if I put oil only just above the
Min mark on dipstick
The oil I use is Fuchs HDX 30
One more thing....
I don't know what your engine is driving but if I am sawing small branches for any length of time the engine starts complaining

 

[Tim Howard]

My first thought was that it has the wrong oil in but I haven't checked. I had a new mower a few years back. After its first dealer service it was a pig to start and even after taking it back nothing improved. I then found out they had filled it with multigrade tractor oil after it seized up.
If you ring Morris oils they will tell you what oil it needs.

 

[startinghandle]

I have phoned a retired diesel specialist and the first thing he asked was did you set bumping clearance

 

[Netherfield]

Does it have a valve lifter fitted? Had two of those one with starter motor one without, but both easy to get going.

 

[AnyOldName]

Are you sure it’s timed right?

Sounds to me like the cam and the fuel injection are 360deg away from where they should be. If its been fully rebuilt then there could easily have been a mistake when re-timing it.

 

[2wheels]

Are you sure it’s timed right?

Sounds to me like the cam and the fuel injection are 360deg away from where they should be. If its been fully rebuilt then there could easily have been a mistake when re-timing it.

once did that with a hillman imp distributor. the drive on distributors usually had a big d on one side but the imp was the same on both sides.

 

[joshequi2001]

Re timed Injection pumps today and still the same outcome, although I did realise the lift pump seems a bit lazy (even though its a new one). Getting slightly more fuel from the Injection pump closer to lift pump than the one further away so have ordered a new one. Fuel was also free flowing through lift pump even when not being operated.

 

[joshequi2001]

I have phoned a retired diesel specialist and the first thing he asked was did you set bumping clearance

Was shimmed up and new bump clearance set