You hit the nail right on the head, it was the rubber return line and clamp thanks brother.
3B air in fuel? FJ60
- Thread starter R.E.M.
- Start date
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Fantastic news! An easy and “quick” 
fix... 
fix... 
I've been fighting the air in fuel feed issue for a couple of months now. '85 BJ70 motor/tranny in my '79BJ40. I've been through the various bleeding exercises and put in clear hose to check for air. I've cleaned out my water separator, replaced the fuel filter, rebuilt the lift pump, and put in a new all metal Toyota primer pump.
I ran it today for about 5 minutes from a jar of diesel to eliminate the tank as the issue. Once that worked, I reconnected to the tank, bleed the fuel system again (filter, IP, injectors). Started and ran fine for ~10 minutes at idle. A few very very tiny air bubbles in the injector return line, totally solid on the feed line. After 10 minutes or so, the engine stumbled and died. The fuel feed line was completely empty when I checked it. I wasn't watching it right at the time when it died.
Questions"
I ran it today for about 5 minutes from a jar of diesel to eliminate the tank as the issue. Once that worked, I reconnected to the tank, bleed the fuel system again (filter, IP, injectors). Started and ran fine for ~10 minutes at idle. A few very very tiny air bubbles in the injector return line, totally solid on the feed line. After 10 minutes or so, the engine stumbled and died. The fuel feed line was completely empty when I checked it. I wasn't watching it right at the time when it died.
Questions"
- I disconnected the fuel feed line from the water separator and put a vacuum on it. It would not hold a vacuum at all. Shouldn't it? I did put a line clamp on the injector return line to isolate that part of the system, still no vacuum.
- Any next suggestions?
- How do I know when I need to rebuild the IP?
- How can I test the pressure between the lift pump and the IP, if I need to do that
so just reading your post...
you ran it from jug of diesel ran fine, connected back to tank got air again, so why are you worried about anything from the lift pump on.
and you state you ran it from a jug of diesel to eliminate the tank as an issue.... this dosent do that... it MEANS your tank is the issue since it ran fine from a jug of diesel (not connected to the tank) then re connnected to the tank you get bubbles.....
So, eliminate the water separator from the equation (permanently or temporarily) then retest from a jug of diesel and then from the tank again, this will tell you everything you need to know
The water separator/sedimenter can be replaced with a Racor filter/water separator to modernize and future proof that crappy sedimenter
Sounds to me like from your deductions its either the sedimenter or the tank connections....
you ran it from jug of diesel ran fine, connected back to tank got air again, so why are you worried about anything from the lift pump on.
and you state you ran it from a jug of diesel to eliminate the tank as an issue.... this dosent do that... it MEANS your tank is the issue since it ran fine from a jug of diesel (not connected to the tank) then re connnected to the tank you get bubbles.....
So, eliminate the water separator from the equation (permanently or temporarily) then retest from a jug of diesel and then from the tank again, this will tell you everything you need to know
The water separator/sedimenter can be replaced with a Racor filter/water separator to modernize and future proof that crappy sedimenter
Sounds to me like from your deductions its either the sedimenter or the tank connections....
I plan to go back to the jug. I'm worried because I ran it longer from the tank than I did from the jug (10 minutes versus 5 minutes). I thought both would fail before then if it was a source/feed issue. I would still like to know whether the feed line to the lift pump and follow-on plumbing should hold a vacuum. It doesn't and it seems like it should.
Thanks for the input/suggestion.
Thanks for the input/suggestion.