Bolens G154 ( Iseki TX2140 ) fuel line broken now won't start after repair

[JoeBuyer]

My diesel fuel line from the tank to the fuel filter/bowl was snagged by a branch and broke. I did not notice and the tractor ran out of fuel. I repaired the line, filled the tank, opened the bowl to remove any air, bled the low pressure line to the injector pump and cracked each high pressure line at the injectors until I saw diesel ooze out while I cranked it over. Basically, all the normal things to restart a diesel. The diesel did not spray out, it more or less dripped out after about 1/8 turn of the injector nut. The tractor chugs as if it is going to start and I get some black smoke but it will not start. It seems it is not getting enough fuel. Is there some other bleed procedure on these engines I am missing? I have the Mitsubishi K3A 3cylinder engine. Thank you.

 

[NHmitch]

My diesel fuel line from the tank to the fuel filter/bowl was snagged by a branch and broke. I did not notice and the tractor ran out of fuel. I repaired the line, filled the tank, opened the bowl to remove any air, bled the low pressure line to the injector pump and cracked each high pressure line at the injectors until I saw diesel ooze out while I cranked it over. Basically, all the normal things to restart a diesel. The diesel did not spray out, it more or less dripped out after about 1/8 turn of the injector nut. The tractor chugs as if it is going to start and I get some black smoke but it will not start. It seems it is not getting enough fuel. Is there some other bleed procedure on these engines I am missing? I have the Mitsubishi K3A 3cylinder engine. Thank you.

A few steps were wrong, and I think that is where the problem was. I have the ke70 engine, but I looked up in your manual for the TX2140 with the K3A engine, and I found the instructions that are almost identical to mine. Instead of removing the bowl you have to open the screws above it in the order shown, and then the air bleed screw on the injector. Then you have to close it, and crank the engine with the throttle open. If you take the bowl off, and the crank the engine with the other injector screw open you will introduce more air into the system, so the steps are:

1. Open the two air bleed screws above the fuel filter with the fuel filter bowl in place and let the fuel drain until there are no more air bubbles, and then close both screws.

2. Open the screw on the injector pump and let the fuel drain with the engine off, until there are no air bubbles and then close the screw.

3. Now, with all of the screws tightened, push the throttle all the way forward, and crank the engine a few times.

4. Now start the engine like normal.

That should take care of the issue. If you take the fuel bowl off you will have to re-bleed the system. I had to bleed mine the other day, and after I followed the manual, it started right up, and ran very smoothly. I hope that this helps. The images are from your manual, and the link for the manual is: I know that it says TX1504, but it is the same engine.
http://sonnys_bolens.tripod.com/iseki/TX2140-2160-OM.pdf

 

[JoeBuyer]

NHMitch,

Perfect. Thank you. I have that Manual in printed form but it is at home and my tractor is at my remote farm. I will try this procedure in the morning.

 

[JoeBuyer]

I tried this, even bleeding about a cup of fuel. No bubbles whatsoever. The procedure I was doing prior more or less did the same thing. I have the same problem as before, a lot of black smoke and it "almost starts" until I stop cranking ( so I don't over heat the starter motor). One of the cattle operators said today he had a hard time starting it a few days ago when he moved it. So maybe I have a second problem going on and this is all coincidental. I noticed that I can keep my fingers on the tops of the glow plugs which doesn't seem right but I didn't have any meters to check current draw with me.

 

[North West Farmer]

JoeBuyer,

I have an International 606 with glow plug assist start and on a couple of occasions it has had glow plug issues. One time the wire that heats up the glow plugs simply became unhooked and on this tractor it has a glow plug meter that shows when the glow plugs are functioning. The meter did not move. I didn't crank the engine prior to locating the problem.

On a second occasion I had been working on the tractor and had knocked three of the six glow plug wires off of the glow plugs. When attempting to start it blatted and pushed out smoke that wasn't exactly black, but somewhat brownish gray.

In normal starting if I don't engage the glow plugs long enough prior to attempting to start, the tractor produces massive quantities of gray smoke and the corrective action is to engage the glow plugs a little longer and usually it takes right off.

If you are getting black smoke it sure sounds like the glow plugs are not heating anything at all, otherwise I would expect gray smoke, indicating the fuel is being heated.

Have never tried cranking the engine with the glow plugs not functioning at all so I have never experienced the black smoke issue at starting.

The black smoke would make one think it is definitely getting fuel. Considering you touched your glow plugs and felt no heat, it sounds as though you somehow may have damaged the electrical system supplying the glow plugs when the fuel line was fouled or possibly disconnected something while working on the fuel line.

Good luck is finding and correcting your problem.

Nick, North West Farmer

 

[NHmitch]

Hmm, thats too bad, I was hoping that it would start for you. I thought about your tractor situation when I started mine today, and I checked my fuel that was low after running out last week, and having to bleed mine. Its sounds like it may be another issue. I agree about that there would not be smoke if it was not getting fuel, and it may be that it is not getting enough fuel, or has bad compression? Also, it may be the glow plug issue that you think. Below is a trouble shooting guide that may help. I'll do some more research and see what I can find. You could try emailing Sam from Sam's Bolens. He specializes in Bolens and Iseki repair so he should be able to help. His email is: samsbolens@sbcglobal.net. His phone number is (219) 661-1405. He will be open tomorrow from 9am-530pm. Its worth a shot if you can't get it running. Does it crank slowly? There also should be a fuel shut off valve. Could it be possible that the valve is partly closed from when you took the fuel line off? You could also have a clogged injector nozzle, or a very dirty air filter. Both would cause these issues. I hope this helps a bit, sorry the bleeding procedure didn't work.

 

[JoeBuyer]

The voltage drops on my battery from 12.97 to around 11 when I engage the glow plugs. I connected 1 glow plug and it pulled 11 amps, when I connected all 3 my in series meter went over range. So I know at least 2 are drawing current. The glow plugs may have warmed up slightly with 30 sec of glow, but too little to tell. They certainly are not getting hot up on top, but with this much current draw I would have to think they would be heating. I don't know if glow plugs draw current when they go bad or not.

I looked at the smoke again today and it is grayish black, for some reason I thought it was black yesterday. But I am now thinking I didn't pay enough attention yesterday. As far as the injectors go, I still would have expected more than a little fuel oozing out with 1/8 to 1/4 turn of the injector nut. I wonder if it is possible that my injector pump is not putting out enough pressure or that I still have a pocket of air in one or two injectors and it is providing enough "cushion" that those injectors are not opening. When it acts like it wants to start it is sputtering, so maybe only 1 injector is functioning?

 

[284 International]

In my experience, and according to things I have read, grey smoke means little combustion is occurring, as when the chamber is cold and no preheating device is used. As the engine approaches the point it will run, the smoke turns darker.

It is possible you have had both colors of smoke. I would start by putting your battery on a charger, and letting it top off while you do the next couple steps.

Re-verify the system is bled. Then crack the injector lines at the nut, and crank the engine. There should be clear pulses of fuel, but you aren't going to get much out each time it cycles. Crank until the pulses seem equivalent in volume and timing. It may be a couple cycles: you want to go long enough to purge the equivalent volume of the hard line.

Then, use a jumper wire or some other method to test each glow plug and make sure each is pulling current. If one is not, that is your problem. To really boost the probability of it firing, a hair dryer set on high flow and high heat aimed at the intake manifold and cylinder head while you work will warm things up if you can't get it in the hot sun.

Remove the air filter cover and filter, and aim the hot air down the manifold. The hot air is somewhere above 140 degrees Fahrenheit, so even on a 90 degree day is as much different as the atmospheric air temperature is from 40 degrees.

Activate the glow plugs, and let them warm for 20 seconds or so. Turn the charger onto "boost" if available, preheat for another 10 or 15 seconds, then crank the engine. It should fire up after a little bit of cranking. Using this method I have started my 2 cylinder Yanmar on only one cylinder, so it definitely helps if properly done. Make sure to run it and get any residual bubbles out of the system. You may feel or hear an occasional pop or miss as an air bubble is dislodged, maybe for a few hours of operation afterward.

Good luck!

 

[Ilikeurtractor]

The voltage drops on my battery from 12.97 to around 11 when I engage the glow plugs. I connected 1 glow plug and it pulled 11 amps, when I connected all 3 my in series meter went over range. So I know at least 2 are drawing current. The glow plugs may have warmed up slightly with 30 sec of glow, but too little to tell. They certainly are not getting hot up on top, but with this much current draw I would have to think they would be heating. I don't know if glow plugs draw current when they go bad or not.

You can take out the glow plugs and connect a jumper cable to the threaded part of the glow plug body to ground, activate the switch and you should see the element get red hot for a definitive test.

I looked at the smoke again today and it is grayish black, for some reason I thought it was black yesterday. But I am now thinking I didn't pay enough attention yesterday. As far as the injectors go, I still would have expected more than a little fuel oozing out with 1/8 to 1/4 turn of the injector nut. I wonder if it is possible that my injector pump is not putting out enough pressure or that I still have a pocket of air in one or two injectors and it is providing enough "cushion" that those injectors are not opening. When it acts like it wants to start it is sputtering, so maybe only 1 injector is functioning?

Another test you can do is break the injector lines to two of the three cylinders and crank the engine at full throttle and look at the smoke. Do this test for all three cylinders and compare. This will help you determine if it's a cylinder-specific problem.

 

[JoeBuyer]

284 Imternational,
Great advice. I will try that. That tractor is on a remote piece of property so it will be a week or so before I get back there to try it out.

Ilikeurtractor,
When isolating the injectors, what do I do to the hard lines? I can't have them open or capped I assume.