Oil & Fuel Ford 5600 fuel system trouble?

[klw5600]

Last fall I began having trouble with my old 5600- it acted starved for fuel. Difficult to start, and then difficult to keep running. Could only get it to move in granny gear. I topped off the fuel with no improvement. Then I changed the fuel filter, which was filthy. After I got the fuel system bled (which is a pain, I might add) everything was fine again. That is until I pulled it out of the shed this week. It started easily, drove out from the shed, and almost to the field (150ft) acted like someone closed the throttle and fuel shut-off. Couldn't get it to start back up. It was later in the day and I let it sit over night before trying again. I was able to get it to start, but it acted the same as before- hard to start, and poor power. I got it back in the shed and did the following:
-pulled the fuel filter, which has less than an hour on it. Flushed it.
-drained the fuel. Had to use a siphon, because no fuel would issue from the tank itself (!) The fuel had particulate matter in it. I used a clean steel rod to stir up the bottom of the tank and break loose whatever gunk I could.
-removed the fitting from the bottom of the tank, and the fuel line running from the fitting to the fuel filter housing, and cleaned them. They were both really dirty. The fuel screen was cleaned until I could easily see light through it. Compressed air was blown through the disconnected fuel line to get the gunk out. The stopcock was taken out and the inside of the fitting cleaned until it gleamed, with shots of compressed air to make sure. Then I put it all back together.
-with everything back together I put a couple of gallons of NEW fuel just purchased that day. I bled the system, and it started and ran fine.

Then I took it out for a short drive, until it stopped on it's own. I figured I'd stupidly left the fuel level in the tank too low and pulled air into the fuel line as it sloshed around. (I'd only put a could of gallons in in case I had to siphon it back out again.) So, I put more fuel in, and commenced to bleed the system again. And crank and crank and crank. In fact I left the battery on a charger for a while and came back and cranked some more and got it running. And it ran great! I bought more fuel and filled it well over half way (15 gallons). Then I tried driving it back to the shed.

And it died. Just as if someone closed the throttle and the fuel shut-off. And of course it will not start. At this point I don't know if I just have air in there somewhere (even though it ran for several minutes at 1000 rpm or more) or if all the cleaning never addressed whatever the problem actually is. Anyone have any ideas?

 

[RickB]

The fuel tap and valve screwed into the tank bottom is supposed to have a screen about two inches tall attached to it. If the screen is missing, it takes only a couple small pieces of debris to plug the tap and starve the injection pump of fuel.

 

[Soundguy]

sounds like a really contaminated tank. Might even have biological contaminates.

I'd boil the tank oput, dump ALL the fuel, blow the lines out and flush them, change the filter, and PRAY none made it to the injection pump.. prime and go. you can't bandaid this sort of problem.. whole hog or you will get junky results.. like you have already been getting... Also.. use a biocide in your fuel from now on.. including any storage tanks.. / cans.

soundguy

 

[klw5600]

RickB- that screen is there and I cleaned it. It isn't hard to see how easily stopped up things could be without it.

Soundguy- you've got me worried. Boil out the tank? Right now I'm not up for that, although if this persists I might have to. (I have no idea how to, for one.) This afternoon I went back to the tractor and bled the connections between the injector lines and the injectors. I cranked several revolutions watching fuel flow, or spurt, from each line. Then I hooked it all up again and the tractor started. I ran it at about 900 rpm, parked, for about 45 minutes (it was dinner time). Then I drove it back to the shed and fiddled with the accelerator. Rpms go up, rpms go down. I did notice an occasional surge, however. I couldn't get it to reproduce itself with much consistency. Cut the fuel, and shut down. Started right back up.
With the occasional surge, I wonder if I'm not looking at an injector pump problem in the midst of everything else. I wonder if it isn't time for a trip to a professional shop. I promised myself I'd do that with this tractor when I bought my new one, anyway.

If I do need to clean the tank- how would I go about that? And is there a biocide you prefer? I'd never heard of them until you mentioned the problem. I thought what I was seeing might be silt from the fine dust we get around here sometimes. But now I wonder.

 

[Soundguy]

hunting rpms (without black smoke ) on a diesel is a a sign of fuel starvation.

if you don't want to remove the tank, at least drain it and perhaps power wash it then rinse with alcohol and diesel, allow to dry, and then reinstall the tap and fuel with conditioners.

power service's biokleen is the one I have used, though there are many on the market..

soundguy

 

[amottus]

I see this is an old post so I was wondering if you ever got this sorted out? I have the same issue on tractor (Ford 5600). Fuel just starts starving out from the tank. I have drained and blown it out a couple of times but with no long term luck.....

RickB- that screen is there and I cleaned it. It isn't hard to see how easily stopped up things could be without it.

Soundguy- you've got me worried. Boil out the tank? Right now I'm not up for that, although if this persists I might have to. (I have no idea how to, for one.) This afternoon I went back to the tractor and bled the connections between the injector lines and the injectors. I cranked several revolutions watching fuel flow, or spurt, from each line. Then I hooked it all up again and the tractor started. I ran it at about 900 rpm, parked, for about 45 minutes (it was dinner time). Then I drove it back to the shed and fiddled with the accelerator. Rpms go up, rpms go down. I did notice an occasional surge, however. I couldn't get it to reproduce itself with much consistency. Cut the fuel, and shut down. Started right back up.
With the occasional surge, I wonder if I'm not looking at an injector pump problem in the midst of everything else. I wonder if it isn't time for a trip to a professional shop. I promised myself I'd do that with this tractor when I bought my new one, anyway.

If I do need to clean the tank- how would I go about that? And is there a biocide you prefer? I'd never heard of them until you mentioned the problem. I thought what I was seeing might be silt from the fine dust we get around here sometimes. But now I wonder.