Crud in fuel

[GlennT]

Boy was I surprised! My John Deere 670 has piled up 200 hours so today it was time to change the fuel filter. I really didn't expect to find much foreign material in the filter. When I acquired the tractor, I purchased two new plastic fuel containers from WalMart and rinsed them out before use. I buy all of my fuel from the largest Chevron dealer in this area and I buy from the onroad pump (I don't use enough fuel to make the tax significant). Also, EVERY TIME I fill the tractor's tank I pour the fuel through a funnel with a fine brass screen that is covered with a pair of my wife's pantyhose. Anyway, today I removed the plastic bowl from the fuel filter and was amazed to find that the paper filter was covered with black grit. There was also an accumulation of grit in the bottom of the bowl. Where in blazes did it come from? The grit is too coarse to have gone through the fabric and the screen in the funnel. Was the grit in the tractor's fuel tank? The dealership put in the initial fill of fuel. One thing for sure, from now on that filter gets checked regularly and I'll replace the paper filter as soon as it starts to change color. Another surprise: after locating the nut to bleed the lines (again the picture in my owner's manual does not match the actual tractor), I opened the nut a smidgeon, cranked the engine and it started within 2-3 seconds. That's alot faster than I expected. Anyway, after 50 years away from the farm and never having had any kind of a diesel engine before, all of these maintenance things are new experiences.

[skent]

Sounds like you need one of Bird's funnels. Mine is on order.

Steve

[Bird]

GlennT, the grit I don't know about; maybe got in the tank before you got the tractor. I guess you know there's a type of black algae that can sometimes grow in diesel, but it shouldn't feel like grit (or at least I don't think it ever does[img]/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif[/img]).

Bird

[GlennT]

skent: The UPS man just delivered my Smart Tech funnel. I poured a couple of cups of water in it to test it, but I haven't had a chance to try it out on the tractor. It's either 100 or 101 degrees at our place right now and I just haven't got the ambition to go out and undertake a project in this heat.

[Bird]

I finished mowing the yard and came in at noon, myself, GlennT.[img]/w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif[/img] Only 3 more months of this miserable heat this year.[img]/w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif[/img]

Bird