daily drain fuel sediment bowl

[ugabulldog]

Tractor manual says to do this, has a thumb screw at bottom of bowl. Who else does this regularly? Also, should I do this with tractor running or off? Don't want to get any air in diesel lines!! (Tractor doesn't have a manual lift pump as far as I can tell, I have looked everywhere and doesn't have one where manual shows it should be.)

 

[Oldoak]

Drain the sediment bowl with the tractor off. I never did it on a regular basis. Not very often at all.

Daily drain? Even monthly, if a tractor sediment bowl needs draining that often, there is a serious fuel contamination problem either with the fuel distributor or the tractor owners fuel storage or the tractor's fuel tank.

 

[Coyote machine]

You're not likely to get air in the lines by draining the fuel bowl at the petcock at the bottom of the bowl. It's there to allow you to get sediment or more importantly, water out of the fuel flow to the fuel distributor and injectors.
If you're changing your fuel filters as required and your diesel is clean and free of any water or contaminants, that is your best bet to keep your tractor running well.

 

[oosik]

WoW! I've had two tractors here for over 35 years and have NEVER drained the fuel sediment/water separator bowl. Both tractor had clear glass bowls so you could see any accumulation of sediment or water and I never have had any.

You actually need to collect some of the fuel you are draining out of the sediment bowl and see if there is any water or sediment in the fuel. Its very difficult to believe that the fuel you are purchasing or that your fuel storage techniques are so bad that daily purging is necessary.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Mine also has a clear reservoir, and I just visually check it.

 

[Texasmark]

Tractor manual says to do this, has a thumb screw at bottom of bowl. Who else does this regularly? Also, should I do this with tractor running or off? Don't want to get any air in diesel lines!! (Tractor doesn't have a manual lift pump as far as I can tell, I have looked everywhere and doesn't have one where manual shows it should be.)

I don't remember the last time I replaced a filter or drained a bowl on any of my tractors. Diesel fuel filter membrane is too small to allow water molecules to flow through and if you use clean diesel from clean tanks with a final filter at the output of the tank there won't be any water there to drain anyway.

Lots has changed since a lot of manuals were written....lubricants especially.