lk 30 54 weak on power

   / lk 30 54 weak on power #1  

m1garand762

Gold Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2013
Messages
474
Location
ohio
Tractor
kubota
my lk3054 is not able to drive in the 2 highest gears. it also stalls if trying to pick up more than about 500 pounds with the loader. i drained the fuel and changed the filter. what else could be my problem. all clyinders are fireing
 
   / lk 30 54 weak on power #2  
Fuel filter, air filter, fuel flow obstruction (maybe in tank), fuel "lift" pump, old/bad fuel, other (more expensive) possibilities too. Is this a sudden/new problem? How/when did the problem develop?
 
   / lk 30 54 weak on power
  • Thread Starter
#3  
i just got the machine a month ago. it sat for years ( the guy died) i drained the fuel and changed the filter nothing changed. air filter is new as well
 
   / lk 30 54 weak on power #4  
Well then, the injectors may be crapped up with the microbes that grow in old Diesel fuel or damaged by water in the fuel. This could have happened before you got the machine. But start with the cheap, easy stuff first. It's unfortunate you don't have a known good starting point (when it ran good) to focus diagnosis. I think I would start by making sure plenty of fuel is getting to the injection pump.
 
   / lk 30 54 weak on power #5  
Bought a used engine a while back for parts on my lk3054, The man I bought it from was told by a mechanic that it had low compression, and that that was the cause for the low power output. Long story short, I tore it down and found that the governor ball retainer had broken and allowed one ball out of position not allowing the governor to go to full fuel under load. If you run out of other ideas you might check for this. It's a bit of a job, but can be done in frame. Good luck
 
   / lk 30 54 weak on power
  • Thread Starter
#6  
today I replaced the fuel filter again, filling the canister with seafoam. I also dumped a cleaning does into the tank and operated it as seafoam states on there website. The power seams slightly better, however I think there is a clutch issue as well. Now when driving it in any gear forward or reverse it begins to slow to a stop after about 150 feet
 
   / lk 30 54 weak on power #7  
zenemek's comment reminded me that you should probably check out the control of the injection pump. I don't know anything about the LK models but assuming the engine is like the older CK/DK models:
Engine power is controlled by the amount of fuel injected into the cylinders. The injection pump has a rack which moves forward to inject more fuel and aft for less. There is a spring unit behind the injection pump that pushes the rack forward such that it rests against a "lever" that moves to regulate engine power. This lever is pulled forward (more power) by a spring connected to the hand and foot "throttles" and pushed aft by a centrifugal governor which pushes harder as RPM increases. The result is a system that produces a certain RPM for each throttle position that is nearly constant regardless of engine load.

So it would be good to verify that the injection pump rack can travel the full distance without binding or sticking. Also verify that the "lever" goes full forward at zero RPM and that the throttle springs (two, I think) are correctly attached to the lever assembly. I think your tractor has a manual stop lever on a removable plate which can be removed to view the injection rack pin and the IP control mechanism. This may be difficult if you don't have a "good" working tractor for comparison.

By the way, Kioti engines changed from an stop solenoid on the right side (external linkages) to one on the front of the engine (with no external linkages) during 2005-2008 with different models changing at different times. I don't know which version you have. But several of the early (2005-2008) models with the new configuration experienced broken teeth on the injection pump gears that control the amount of fuel injected. The broken pieces can effect the injection pump in odd ways, like jamming it in the off position or a jamming it in a high power position. I suppose it could also limit the forward travel of the rack, which would limit power.

Finally. it might help if you gave more examples and details of your symptoms. For example, when you say slow and stop, what exactly is happening? Does the engine die? Do RPMs wind down in proportion to forward speed? At first this was a problem in two highest gears; all gears now? It sounds like a fuel flow problem. If there is no restriction check the lift pump (small pump upstream of filter). It's a simple pump but check valves could be stuck, the diaphragm could be cracked. You should be able to measure a couple PSI fuel pressure out of that pump as you crank the engine.
 
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   / lk 30 54 weak on power #8  
The 3054 has no fuel solenoid, just a manual fuel shutoff cable. If anything, sounds like the lift pump is defective if all filters (fuel and air) have been changed with no improvement noted
 
 
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