Kubota: PUMP, FUEL ASSY 17121-52030

[Big Wave D]

Trying to determine if I need to spend the $100 or so on a new one of these.

Back ground: tractor was rather low on fuel, thought I'd run it out. Added fuel to a bit over 3/4 mark on fuel gauge, opened fuel by-pass petcock assembly, cranked motor over, acted like it wanted to go but wouldn't stay running.

Fast forward to today, check for any fuel blockages (none), bypassed fuel pump assembly, bled out air, and tractor fired right up, both the key fuel shut off solenoid and manual shut off do what they are supposed to, so it seems to me to not be a problem of the injector pump shut off having failed.

1) Seems like the Fuel Pump is bad. Is there anything else I am not properly testing or should be looking at?

2) Is it possible to test the Fuel Pump, either on the motor or bench test?

3) I only see one bolt holding it on in the parts schematic, anything else needing to be undone?

4) It appears like it is cam actuated. Anyone ever heard of the cam going bad and therefore not activating the plunger in and out?

5) Is it okay to run the tractor with the Fuel Pump bypassed?


Thanks in advance to anyone that might help with this.

 

[kuboman]

Trying to determine if I need to spend the $100 or so on a new one of these.

Back ground: tractor was rather low on fuel, thought I'd run it out. Added fuel to a bit over 3/4 mark on fuel gauge, opened fuel by-pass petcock assembly, cranked motor over, acted like it wanted to go but wouldn't stay running.

Fast forward to today, check for any fuel blockages (none), bypassed fuel pump assembly, bled out air, and tractor fired right up, both the key fuel shut off solenoid and manual shut off do what they are supposed to, so it seems to me to not be a problem of the injector pump shut off having failed.

1) Seems like the Fuel Pump is bad. Is there anything else I am not properly testing or should be looking at?

2) Is it possible to test the Fuel Pump, either on the motor or bench test?

3) I only see one bolt holding it on in the parts schematic, anything else needing to be undone?

4) It appears like it is cam actuated. Anyone ever heard of the cam going bad and therefore not activating the plunger in and out?

5) Is it okay to run the tractor with the Fuel Pump bypassed?


Thanks in advance to anyone that might help with this.

First question is what tractor are we talking about. If it is gravity feed (tank is above injection pump) then it will run just fine without the mechanical pump. It just makes purging the air out after a filter change more difficult.
Most of these small tractor pumps do not have a lift pump inside the unit so they require a pump to supply the main injection system.:thumbsup:

 

[Big Wave D]

Bit of an oversight on my part, sorry.

It is a mid '90's L35TLB. The motor is the D1703TLB.

It seems like the tank keeps about 3/4's of the fuel above the height of the injector pump. If I had to guess, I would say that the user could burn that much fuel but would need the pump to scavenge the rest of the tank. As the fuel column burned off, there might be issues with intermittent fuel starvation.

I don't want to damage anything. Can't be good to have the engine acting as if it is running out of fuel that often.

Thanks

 

[kuboman]

Bit of an oversight on my part, sorry.

It is a mid '90's L35TLB. The motor is the D1703TLB.

It seems like the tank keeps about 3/4's of the fuel above the height of the injector pump. If I had to guess, I would say that the user could burn that much fuel but would need the pump to scavenge the rest of the tank. As the fuel column burned off, there might be issues with intermittent fuel starvation.

I don't want to damage anything. Can't be good to have the engine acting as if it is running out of fuel that often.

Thanks

The only time it would be an issue is when your filter starts to cause restriction. As long as you have a tight system it will draw from the tank, no matter how low it is. I would still replace the lift pump but you can certainly run the engine till you do.

 

[Big Wave D]

Thanks kuboman, :thumbsup:

I do plan on replacing the Fuel Pump, but it is nice to know that I can still use the tractor. Have a few things I really want to get to and didn't have money budgeted for this outlay for the part at the moment.