Volvo 210B starting problems

[Blocker in MS]

Good evening ladies and gentlemen. We have been servicing the Volvo 210B with the Volvo engine today and yesterday between other things. Now we cannot get it to crank. I have tried everything but bleeding air at the injectors. That is the next step. We did pre fill the new fuel filters like always. There was a little air bled from the bleed screw at both primary and secondary filters.

This machine is new around here and this is the first maintenance round I have had with it. The only other person to change filters on this machine had a very hard time cranking it afterwards also. Is there a Volvo step in here that is as-yet illusive to us?

I am certain we are having a starter issue also. We have had it almost fire a couple times and the solenoid kicks back in on the starter. That will be the next step to in this process. I would just like to make sure there is not something I missed.

I have changed many, MANY fuel filters on things through the years and this has been the worst issue by far I have ever come across.

 

[Blocker in MS]

My wife just gave me a rational explanation to this problem....it is friday the 13th.

 

[thepumpguysc]

This machine has the single pumps for each cyl.??
but they have a common feed, yes?? Go to the last pump, loosen the feed line & crank the engine..
Air should come out then the fuel.. tighten the line..
Now, go up to the injectors & loosen ALL THE LINES & crank the engine & wait for the FUEL to squirt & tighten..

 

[Blocker in MS]

Thank you pump guy!

 

[Mbar]

funwithfuel will be along to help, he is very knowledgeable about the Volvo’s. As well the pump guy said, bleed it very well. In my experience the belt driven fuel pump was on its way out. He recommended checking fuel pressure at the temp sensor. It needs to have no less than 45 psi.

 

[funwithfuel]

Like Mbar stated, the fuel pump may be at issue. That said, the fuel pump on the excavator platform seems to be very well built, I have only changed one. Look carefully at the pulley of the fuel pump, if it has any dirt/oil accumulation on the back side, it may be pulling air. Look very closely at the rubber hoses from tank to separator and out to lift pump. The first run hoses had a tendency to crack . If I can't read the mfrs name and ID , I recommend to replace. Bulk fuel hose is cheap compared to the frustration and aggravation.
Now. Measuring fuel pressure, yes, you can take out the temp sensor and measure there. The base should be like 1/4" BSPP iirc. I prefer to drill and tap a banjo screw. Potāto, potato, whatever floats yer bowl. You wanna see minimum, 45 as mentioned, if you don't, don't immediately condemn the pump, the overflow valve could be weak. This is the single most common problem in Volvo exc fuel systems next to crappy rubber hoses. At the flywheel side of the block, just below deck is the overflow, depending on where the engine was built and who had what on hand, it could be the banjo screw that holds the return to the fitting in the block or it could be the block fitting itself. A gentle squeeze on the plastic hose with some needle nose vise grips will increase back pressure , if your pressure doesn't increase, look at pump, if she shoots right up, look at overflow.
Good luck, apologies for the long path to get around the corner.

 

[funwithfuel]

By the way check out reply by Uffex
https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/threads/volvo-ec210blc-no-power.80147/#post-850451
Very clear. He got such cool infographics

 

[Blocker in MS]

Thank you very much funwithfuel!

 

[Blocker in MS]

She lives! Thanks for all the help everyone.

 

[funwithfuel]

What was the cause of your grief?

 

[Blocker in MS]

It ended up being the starter. We still have a weak starter, but managed to get it going before the rain hit. I need to rebuild it. It is just weak enough that as soon as the machine would try to fire, it would disengage the flywheel. We turned it over enough that it finally cranked. Excluding changing fuel filters, I have never seen this machine turn over more than three times at the most without running. That is good because that is about all this starter will give us. It is back to starting this way. Pulling that starter off is on the list.

 

[Mbar]

Sounds similar to the he Volvo hoe I messed with. Went to work on a no start issue. First had to diagnose the no crank issue. Found a broke drive in the starter. With the new starter it made enough cranking rpms to fire. Ended up replacing the fuel pump about a month later.

 

[Blocker in MS]

Well I wanted 15 minutes out this machine this morning to pull a lid out of a 17yd bucket and then I was going to pull the starter. Any guesses on the order in which those two jobs actually happened? The lid is still on the bucket. Should have a starter in a couple days. I got someone’s out of it for sure.