29 Year Cat Nap! Correct Fuel Bleeding Procedure D7E 48A With Pony Motor

If the tank is plump full the fuel should gravity over time to the bleeder screws. Or you can apply a bit of pressure, 5 lbs will do it to the fuel tank and push the fuel through the system. A tire valve in a rubber plumbing end cap over the tank fill threads or many use a inner tube with a hole cut in it and a clamp over the fuel tank filler. The tube works great as you have a ideal expansion tank for the air. Do not put much pressure in the tank. A couple pounds will push the fuel readily and a couple lbs per square inch in a big tank will put a lot of pressure on the tank. Good luck and keep us posted.

The easiest way to bleed your tractor is with the fuel tank half full or more as it works faster, firstly bleed the filter head as you already quoted, then slacken the injector lines at the injector, with the throttle set in the off -stop position fuel will weep out of the unions, some will take longer than others but it will ensure an easy start up, it is common for me to see people starting their CAT that as soon as they drop the main engine onto compression to pull open the throttle, this should be avoided until the engine has been rotated on full compression for at least a min' or 2 or longer creating good cylinder heat, then open the throttle from the stop position to half way or more, being ready to control the speed as the engine barks into life, I do have the old CAT spanners to undo the pump vent valves but never use them.
tctractors

Hi and Thank You All very much for your advice including, (Old-Iron-Habit, Old Magnet, Garlic Pete, TCTractors)

I will keep you all posted as to the results. I have all the new filters now. I am in the process of pulling all the drain plugs checking the rest of fluids for moisture and contaminants. I purchased the Cat 2n1 hex drain plug tool (interesting tapered design). No water in the bottom of the diesel engine oil, my whole body can attest to that. I made the mistake of using for the first and last time some plastic mechanics gloves to keep diesel oil off my skin to remain cancer free (I pretty sure I bathed in enough of it to be a cancer research specimen) instead I couldn't hold the slippery drain plug on the engine and I took a good old fashioned diesel oil bath on my entire self by the time I found the plug in the drain plug in the drain pan..... and was able to screw it back in.

Interesting to note the dip stick says to check the engine oil with the diesel engine running, this is confirmed by the OEM operators manual (at idle on level ground) . I am used to checking automatic transmission fluids in the this manner. I wonder how many Cats use this method for checking oil levels in the engine?

I would like to find the cat injection part #/bleeding tool if anyone knows of one for sale?

It might be interesting to see how 29 plus year old diesel fuel burns in the D339T. I think if it is clean and filtered very well with new filters it should not hurt anything. Correct me if I am wrong in attempting to use the old fuel? The tank is 3/4 full. The diesel fuel filter housings were all full and I did not see one drop of water in the bottom of the three filters. The cleanable pre-filter screen had some dirt on it and did its job but needed to be cleaned.

Interesting to note the dual cartridge fuel filters looked almost new (Nice quality Baldwins circa 1987). I will drain a sample at the tank as well and check for water and contaminants. The fuel does smell older and the color of course is darker. I think Rudolf Diesel would use it. And I am just very curious to see if it will burn well in the Diesel, where else can one find 30 year old diesel to test?

There are two bleed wrench options, the original hard to find but handiest version or the 1/4" drive socket wrench part #5P2682.

when i bought my 5r d6, it had been sitting in the shed for twenty five years, it ran fine on 25 year old diesel fuel, in fact, we had it running within an hour of purchase and drove it on the truck to take it home, it had about a half tank of fuel in it, i used all that fuel to landscape my 1 acre property. the same farmer had a d25u that had been sitting in the shed for 43 years, never moved, never started, my dad bought the d2, clutch was seized so we winched it on the trailer and took it home, when we fired it up the diesel ran fine on that old fuel. that tractor has never been put to work and just sits in the shed at dads we fire it up and drive it around the yard twice a year. we got the clutch unsiezed and it works fine, i don't think he has added fuel to it as it came with a full tank, we bought those tractors from the original owners, back in 2006, so add another 10 years to the life of the diesel in the little d25u. runs like a top.

That is pretty impressive! I expect the filters will plug up a little early with old (good) non bio diesel, and I understand that.

I know the modern Bio Diesel fuel have wreaked havoc on many a diesel fuel system, especially ones that sit. I have seen the thick tar like layers of heavy sludge that develop on the bottom of Bio Diesel tanks. I have seen bio diesel shut down equipment and trucks at a great expense to their owners. Some government fleets are forced to run certain grade Bio Diesels.