Oil & Fuel 2210 Fuel Tank Crumple

[Dave246]

I just had a weird experience with my 2210 and am wondering if anyone else has seen this. I was blowing snow for several days straight in near zero or below zero weather. On the last day I was going to top up the fuel tank and realized the cap was frozen on from snow that had melted and then froze on and around the fuel cap. I had plenty of fuel in the tank to do the job so I just didn't worry about it. When I pulled the tractor back in the shed after about 45 minutes of work, I realized the fuel cap was tilted at an angle and was sucked down on one side below the lip of the hood. When I opened the hood, I realized the entire fuel tank was sucked down and "crumpling" on one side. Then it struck me the cap is vented and if the vent was also frozen, no air was getting into the tank. With some additional effort I was able to remove the cap and as soon as I did, the tank started to return to it's original form (un-crumple if you would.) I'll have to examine it next time out to make sure it didn't crack.
Just wondering if anyone else has had this happen?

 

[kennyd]

WOW

NEVER heard of that before...What's amazing is that the fuel pump had enough suction to be able to collapse the tank! I would have expected the engine it die long before that happened.

 

[Wildbill34]

Has not happen to me, but I often wondered about it as my cap has more than once been covered with ice after blowing the driveway. However, I keep it inside and the ice typically melts off before I need to use it again. After what has happened to you, I will start wiping the snow and ice off my cap after each use.

 

[SnowRidge]

I recently bought one of those horrid gas cans with the green no spill trigger contraption for a nozzle. It did the same thing, just from the temperature change between day and night, nothing external sucking fuel out of it. I am concerned that the plastic will fatigue and crack from the collapse/expand cycle, and that's with a little $6.95 one gallon gas can.

If I had your tractor, I would be real concerned and want to talk to a factory rep about it.

 

[jsb2b]

Well, I guess JD doesn't use a vapor recovery system like autos. Interesting. Now we know we have a powerful fuel pump. I will keep that vented cap clean as a whistle from now on. No dirt or snow on it for me!!!

I had brand new car in 1972 that would run out of gas in 2nd gear on acceleration. It was at the dealer weekly and even factory reps had looked at it and couldn't figure it out why it would stall out. After they put a new fuel pump and carb in it, I took it to another dealer and they found that the original dealer had waxed over the vented fuel cap during "dealer prep". The car was fixed by a toothpick!!!

 

[Dave246]

Yeah, I've had gas cans for my generator swell out or collapse in, depending on which way the temperature shifted after I filled them. But this was definitely due to running without air getting through the vent since the fuel had in it and at temperature for the few days before. I'm pretty sure the icing on the cap happened the night before this problem occured. It was probably properly venting before that. The tractor never so much as stumbled in the 45 minutes of running it at full rpm's while snowblowing though. I'm headed back to the cabin this weekend and plan to look over the fuel tank thoroughly for any possible permanent damage from being "sucked in"...especially in that cold weather. Who would have thought!

But if anyone knows any other reason why this might have happened, I would sure like to hear it.