No Power Under Load

   / No Power Under Load #1  

strez

Member
Joined
May 17, 2003
Messages
43
Location
Southern Tier, NY
Tractor
New Holland TC30 HST 4WD
A buddy of mine has a Ford 1220 CUT (for those not familiar, it's powered by a 3-cyl diesel, around 18HP or so I'd guess, with a HST). A few weeks ago he gave me a call and told me that the CUT seems to have lost it's power. I stopped down and helped him replace his air filter (very clogged) and fuel filter (didn't look good). The tractor recovered much of it's power, but not all of it.

As the subject indicates, the problem now is that when he puts the engine under a heavy load (mowing deep grass with the rear mower, mowing and going up relatively steep sections of his lawn) it starts to bog down. He needs to slow way down to keep the RPMs up while mowing. The blades have been sharpened on the mower and all grease fittings have been lubed.

What should we look at next? Any ideas will be appreciated!
 
   / No Power Under Load #2  
I would pull the muffler and see if it's plugged up.
 
   / No Power Under Load
  • Thread Starter
#3  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I would pull the muffler and see if it's plugged up. )</font>
Good idea . . . maybe some rodents got in there . . .
 
   / No Power Under Load #4  
Run's well when not under load ?

Suspect fuel as you have said the fuel filter was not in good shape. Perhaps there is another screen or a line may be partialy clogged.

Remember I'm just quessing.

Egon
 
   / No Power Under Load #5  
Does his tractor have one or two air filters? Mine has two...an outer and an inner. If he has 2 and only replaced the outer filter, his inner one may still be blocked.

~Rick
 
   / No Power Under Load
  • Thread Starter
#6  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Does his tractor have one or two air filters? )</font>
Only one air filter, not an inner/outer arrangenment as on other tractors.
 
   / No Power Under Load #7  
How do you check if the muffler is clogged? When I put my hand near the exhaust when my tractor is running there seems to be alot of pressure coming out of it.
 
   / No Power Under Load #8  
This is kind of a last resort before taking the engine apart, but you have to remove the muffler and run the tractor without it and see if the power comes back. Sometimes you can beat on it with a rubber hammer and stuff will fall out of it.
 
   / No Power Under Load #9  
<font color="blue">...when he puts the engine under a heavy load (mowing deep grass with the rear mower, mowing and going up relatively steep sections of his lawn) it starts to bog down...</font>

With only ~ 14 PTO hp... he can only do so much... even if it was new...

How many hours is on it? How long has your buddy owned it?
What do the cylinders read on compression tests?

It may possibly be "normal" operation for 14 hp... /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
   / No Power Under Load #10  
If you ever get hold of good IR thermometer see the EGT is.. or you can tell by the exhaust heavy black smoke indicates high load or restriction..no smoke = no fuel..

My 24hp does the same thing though when it's loaded hard.. I'd bet it's just taking a little bigger chunk than the engine can handle not sure though..
 
 
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