3208 cat diesel

if I change fuel filter on a 3208 cat how do I prime the fuel system. It is in an old ford truck

It should have a hand primer on it. All the 3208s I have been around, prime easily, if the primer works!!

I use to let mine sniff a little ether till it picked up the fuel...

Fill filter with fuel before installing. When you start it, bring rpm up. Should clear out on it's own

As Nick said, use the primer, but fill the new filter with fuel before screwing it on. A lot less air to expell from the system.
Loren

(quoted from post at 19:22:50 12/16/16) if I change fuel filter on a 3208 cat how do I prime the fuel system. It is in an old ford truck

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There should be a round knob on top of the filter housing. Unscrew it until it releases the pump. Fill the new filter with fuel before putting it on. Usually just a few pumps and it will prime right up. Be sure to push the pump back in and tighten the knob back. I had a LN8000 Ford with a 3208.

There's likely a glass one on the passenger side too. I've always used the hand primer,should be ontop of the filter housing,it helps to loosen an injector line carefully and after it starts turn it off and retighten

If the primer feels dry, not feeling like any fuel moving, spray the plunger with penetrating oil of some type to wet the O-ring. There's usually a bleeder screw you can break loose to get air out until fuel starts moving to help you. Main thing is to fill the filter!! I haven't had my hands on one of them in years!! Not a power house, but dependable if you keep them serviced. There's a bypass valve in the oil filter housing most folks don't know about to clean at oil changes that helps oil warm up faster in cold weather. Not sure how as I've not worked one in 15-16 years.

The other guys forgot to tell you to open the bleed valve on the top of the IP and then pump the primer 'til you are spilling pure diesel without air bubbles out of the plastic line that hangs down over the front of the engine.

Don't prefill the filter unless you do it on the unfiltered side.Whoever says"prefill the filter."Can argue the point.

Do not prefill it unless you fill the unfiltered side .Anyone who wants to debate this,I'd like to hear it.

They have been saying this for years, and it sounds good in theory. On the newer equipment there is usually an electric pump, and a return, so the need to fill the filter at all ceases to exist. However, in practice it's not always feasible on much of the older equipment because of the way the filter, the filter housing, etc, may be designed.

That said, I've been doing this since I was in my teens (I'm 48 now), and Dad was doing it since he was in his teens (He'll be 70 this coming August), growing up on a tobacco farm and working with his Grandpa's tractors. I can assume what he did he learned from his Grandpa, just as I learned from him. In other words, there are at least 80 years of filling filters out of a jug of clean fuel just between myself and my Dad, both for ourselves, and for our customers, and neither of us have ever had an issue. Go back a few more years with his Grandpa and I'd guess at least 100 years between the three of us......

I've also known quite a few of my customers who do the exact same thing, and again, no problems to speak of.

Ultimately, you and the critics are correct, and yes, that little bit of fuel gets in unfiltered. Too the OEM is going to make a HUGE deal out of using 'unfiltered' fuel. However, the fuel is filtered as it's pumped from the tank at the station, so it should be clean. However, if the container your using is so dirty that it makes a difference, then you need to get a clean, new, container before you do anything else, because then you are definitely asking for problems if you put dirty (not just 'unfiltered') fuel straight into the injection system.

My manual for a 3304 says do not prefill filter.

9660 Deere combine. Prefill the filters. Its a chore to prime the system if you don't.