Oil & Fuel Mahindra Max - fuel supply issues

[boost2525]

Looking for some advice here... I'm stumped. I keep getting air in my fuel system, and I have no idea where it's coming from. I'll check the fuel filter cup before I start and it's full of fuel. I'll run for a bit, and then I'll have a sudden power loss and the RPMs drop to idle (or lower). If I jump off and check the fuel filter there will be a big air pocket and most of the filter will be exposed with fuel only below the filter.

I'll shut the tractor off and run the auto-bleed routine (turn key to on, leave it there for a minute, system self bleeds) and it's a 50/50 shot on whether or not it fills the fuel cup up again. If I got lucky and it did fill the cup, there is still a good chance I'll have the power loss happen a second or third time.

I've checked all the fuel lines... no visible breaks and no fuel leaking anywhere. Removing the gas tank cap doesn't have any affect on it, but it does have negative air pressure (vacuum) because I can hear air rush in a lot of the times.

I do have an issue with my fuel gauge, the float keeps getting sucked into a crevice in the tank. This makes the gauge read wrong and maybe it's creating some sort of flow restriction? Anyone else have tips / tricks that I should look at to try and figure out what's going on here? Thannks!

 

[doneill127]

Had a similar issue. From a previous post

I'd like to thank you guys ! I've been having almost the exact same issues you've been experiencing but on a Mahindra Max which has a Mitsubishi SL3 motor. I started a thread in the Mahindra forum on a no start issue. No fuel to the injectors, found the stop solenoid wasn't working right, low voltage to the solenoid due to terminal corrosion. Fixed that and still kept losing its' prime. Like you checked the electric pump, seemed OK and once I got it running it was alright, a little rough under load and acceleration. So decided to drain the tank and see if there was any crud or pluggage. To drain it I hooked up some clear tygon tubing to the electric pump outlet and turned the key on. Wow, should have seen the air bubbles/foam coming out of the pump. Had to be some serious inleakage. Decided to change out all the cloth braided fuel line and spring clamps upstream of the electric pump with solid hose and worm clamps. Fired up first time with no injector bleeding. Real test will be to see if it starts tomorrow. But looks promising and it's not running rough under load.

So thanks again for all the lessons and knowledge on how everything supposed to work !
Last edited by doneill127; 06-21-2018 at 05:17 PM.

 

[nrosario]

I'm having the same exact issue with my Mahindra Max.
Took the fuel tank out, it wasn't too bad but decided to clean the inside thoroughly.
Already ordered all the fuel lines but it will take a while due to the COVID-19 situation.

I welcome any suggestion on alternatives to the OEM fuel lines.

Thank you

 

[Roadworthy]

I'd probably start by breaking the fuel line at the first accessible point after the tank. Grab a container and break the line. See if you have good fuel flow for ten or fifteen seconds. Continue working through the line until flow gets intermittent or stops.

 

[johnsonauto]

Looking for some advice here... I'm stumped. I keep getting air in my fuel system, and I have no idea where it's coming from. I'll check the fuel filter cup before I start and it's full of fuel. I'll run for a bit, and then I'll have a sudden power loss and the RPMs drop to idle (or lower). If I jump off and check the fuel filter there will be a big air pocket and most of the filter will be exposed with fuel only below the filter.

I'll shut the tractor off and run the auto-bleed routine (turn key to on, leave it there for a minute, system self bleeds) and it's a 50/50 shot on whether or not it fills the fuel cup up again. If I got lucky and it did fill the cup, there is still a good chance I'll have the power loss happen a second or third time.

I've checked all the fuel lines... no visible breaks and no fuel leaking anywhere. Removing the gas tank cap doesn't have any affect on it, but it does have negative air pressure (vacuum) because I can hear air rush in a lot of the times.

I do have an issue with my fuel gauge, the float keeps getting sucked into a crevice in the tank. This makes the gauge read wrong and maybe it's creating some sort of flow restriction? Anyone else have tips / tricks that I should look at to try and figure out what's going on here? Thannks!

View attachment 662654

Check for a piece of debris floating in the fuel tank, blocking the line

 

[doneill127]

I replaced all the lines with gates rubber fuel line. I took one of the braided lines to NAPA to match it up. Had a hard time finding worm clamps for the hose had to order online. Here’s a link to a thread that has a lot of useful info on things to check from a number of knowledgeable members. It’s kind of long though. What I cut and pasted above came from the post. A longtime diesel fuel pump mechanics talks about the braided lines.
https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/parts-repairs/397832-gc1705-loosing-its-prime.html

 

[TnAndy]

Check for a piece of debris floating in the fuel tank, blocking the line

That is exactly what it was with my Yanmar twice since I bought it in 2011. I fixed it by installing a screen up inside the fuel tank at the fuel outlet.

 

[boost2525]

Thanks all. I'm going to drain the tank and clean it this weekend to see if I can find any debris. I went ahead and ordered new OEM fuel lines and clamps just to have on hand. I'll run to NAPA and see if I can get some better lines but OEM might have to do.

 

[TnAndy]

WHILE you have the tank off, a great time to install one of these.....which is what cured my problems with stuff getting in the tank.

FINGER STRAINERS | Aircraft Spruce

I cut the plastic nipple off the tank outlet, drilled a hole bit smaller than the outside threads of this screen, then used the screen in a socket to force new threads in the plastic tank. Backed it out, put a generic O ring on the screen, and screwed it back in the tank. Inside, it has 1/4" threads to which I put a 1/4" barbed, brass nipple into, then connected the original fuel line back to that.

End of problems with tank obstructions. What EVERY dang tank ought to come with to start.

 

[nrosario]

WHILE you have the tank off, a great time to install one of these.....which is what cured my problems with stuff getting in the tank.

FINGER STRAINERS | Aircraft Spruce

I cut the plastic nipple off the tank outlet, drilled a hole bit smaller than the outside threads of this screen, then used the screen in a socket to force new threads in the plastic tank. Backed it out, put a generic O ring on the screen, and screwed it back in the tank. Inside, it has 1/4" threads to which I put a 1/4" barbed, brass nipple into, then connected the original fuel line back to that.

End of problems with tank obstructions. What EVERY dang tank ought to come with to start.

Could you please list all the parts needed for this conversion.
I'm no expert but will like to implement something like this to prevent these issues in the future.

"Rubber O ring and brass nipple."