Kubota BX25 sputtering under load (not fuel filters?)

[timswi]

Thankfully I have not had any issues like this (knock on wood) but my BX23 lives in an air conditioned integral garage...Maybe that's why after almost 11 years.

 

[hallskb]

Well, my garage is like yours heated and aired to, but after thinking on it a while back, I'm not sure that's good either because after your tractor is hot, pulling it in to a 70 degree room, that could cause condensation too! Think about it! No, you were probably the one that got a tractor when someone put some thought into it........ before installing a raw piece of steel in a fuel tank and never thinking it could rust!! It's almost comical !! Ya know! Good ole piece of brass rod.... how hard could that be!! They should've put a crank on the front to start it too! Lol! Just put my newest filter on, and for good measure blew back through the tank as the dealer told me too.... For what? Oh yea, so the crap I just blew back in the tank can come back Dow the inlet!!!! I've gotta stop... I'm gonna laugh myself to death!!

 

[ultrarunner]

Even my Old Model A's has a lot of brass and plated metal back the the 1920's

Does seem kind of odd to have disintegrating sending units in this day and age.

Maybe the fuel is more corrosive with the new formulations.

My old sailboat from the 60's had a tank that was 100% monel... nothing to rust!!!

 

[hallskb]

Yea! They don't use common sense any more! Really! A plastic rod wood have been great! To, I don't believe these little filters at large enough ! For a gas engine ok! But the diesel ya get now is full of junk! When your filter clogs in an hour, it's either too small for the job or you've got way too much junk in your tank! Oh wait a minute .... I have both those issues! really, no joke! I've changed my filters at least 8 times in the last 4 weeks! And again just a min ago! Well maybe after next week, they'll change the part out and I won't have nothing to gripe about!

 

[hallskb]

Ok! After calling my dealer to get scheduled the fuel gauge arm inside the tank for rust problem, I restarted and drove my bx25 to the barn and yep. it died again and sputtered each time i started it! So this time, while it was sputtering, I looked under at the rear filter and the filter was less that half full of fuel! So I made it back to my shop and used my air hose and blew back, and at first it acted as there was something in the line between the filter and the tank because it sprayed me with diesel! So i held it firmer to the hose and gave it a good hot shot of 100#psi and it bubbled in the tank and diesel started pouring!! Put it back together and it hasn't sputtered once and hasn't stopped running! Great! But! What was it that stopped it up! Rust from the faulty gauge arm, a bee? Don't know but at least I know what is causing the problem and after they replace the rust factory in my tank, hopefully it wont happen again!!

 

[JimRB]

Is there any chance your tank has slime/algae in addition to rust? Frequently Asked Questions About Diesel Fuel Problems

 

[hallskb]

No jim, My tank is, was clean as a soup bowl because I cut a 3.5" hole in the top of the tank so I could clean it in the future if needed and put a piece of aluminum tread plate back over the hole! My reasoning behind that was A, to get out of the tank what was stuck in the line to begin with! If it stuck once, it will do it again, and B,I wanted to see what kinda crap was in my tank and how the outlet was set up! The outlet only sits up about a quarter inch from the bottom of the tank! I think it should have been up at least another 1/2" as to keep less crap from going down the outlet! clogs the line between the tank and the first filter and everyone then thinks their problem is the pump or the filters and start replacing them like i did 8 time before figuring out the tank crap issues! So I think Kubota should have recalled their bx25 with fuel rod rust issues and we wouldn't have had all these forums going on wondering and figuring out their mistake! But, yes ,I keep Stabil for diesels in it! THx After going completely thru the fuel system and putting all the pcs together, I have figured this out......When they installed the float assembly at the factory, they put a float rod that does and will rust and flake off in the tank that "will" get into the line! Also, you cant never get into the tank to clean it every so often to get some of the crap that gets in them or maybe the crap that got left in the tank from the factory, like plastic trimmings Etc.

 

[hallskb]

Kubota should have recalled the tractors early on and fixed the float issue and I think done a better job on the design of the tank as to keep crap from goin down the tube heading toward those pee ant little filters and should have put a manly filter/water seperator on them! Oh well, it takes us common sense folks sometimes to figure out what these engineers at the factory cant!!

 

[radioman]

Well, sorry to hear about your troubles, and I wonder if you have any pics of the rusted unit? Did you create some sort of rubber gasket for your aluminum plate cover so you can keep fuel from getting contaminated from dust? I wonder if you also have pic inside of the tank with fuel low. I always wondered what it looks like on that side of the tank! :thumbsup: You my freind, have bigger guts then me to cut a hole on the tank.

 

[hallskb]

Hey Radioman, I didn't take pix, should have! First off, diesel won't blow, besides, it's a plastic tank! No spark, and it was pretty much full! No problems! I used a 3.5 inch hole saw on my drill and cut slow about 1" back from the grey seat bracket facing at an angle, not sure what role it plays! I pumped the tank with a hand pump from auto zone, stuck an old sweat shirt that I had previously ruined with diesel changing the filters that now I know, never needed to be replaced( wasn't the problem)! Once soaked up, first thing I saw was the little inlet for the fuel to travel to the first filter, then immediately to the left, a little low well, for sediment, and it was there!! Dried it out with pap per towels best I could and vacuumed it out! Could feel little grit all through the tank before I vacuumed it. Then I bought 1/8" tread plate and drilled 8 holes. Then used Permetex "Utimate" grey tube, followed directions, but let parts set and hour before placing the plate on and installed 8 stainless screws! No leaks! Note: I first used another form of their gasket stuff and it leaked!! Use the Utimate!! So far no leaks! If in time it does, I will buy some type of "O" ring! After that... It did it again and prompted me to check the flow to the filter! Blowed it out no problems since!! I'm telling y'all this because Kubota won't!! It's not one thing causing these issues! It's dirty tank, clogged line and rust!! How simple it would have been to have put a lid and gasket on the tank!!! But, I guess, they wouldn't get paid for repairs, huh??