New Thread - How did you buy your Power Trac

[Phils]

Yeah, Tim, it took me awhile to figure out the vaporlock fix. If I had never found a resolution it would mean little in regards to my satisfaction. I've been dealing with it for a year and a half, but it just meant after 45 minutes or so of hard work I'd have to take a 20 minute break. I tend to do that anyway so it was just the machine's choice of "break time" not mine.

I took it to a friend's last weekend and worked it HARD all day. Only once did it die of a fuel related cause, and when we refilled the empty tank it was fine again. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

There is still some vaporlock happening but it is no longer stalling out the machine. With the electric pump I can hear a difference between pumping vapor and pumping liquid. It happens after I've been working for awhile then shut it off. When I next start it (after 5 to 10 minutes of it parked and off) I can tell that there is vapor in the lines from the sound of the pump. It still starts fine and runs fine. I'll probably use tracdoc's idea and get some racing insulation for the fuel hose from the pump to the carb.

I am now using regular gas instead of the premium that I'd been using, which was one thing I tried (in vain) to help or eliminate the problem.

I doubt PT has redesigned for this problem. I haven't talked to them and I've seen no indications that they monitor this board. It also doesn't seem to affect everyone which I possibly attribute to California's crappy fuel blends. I made incorrect assumptions and tried wrong approaches. I can tell you the worst places to mount the electric pump. I replaced the cheap 1/8" fuel tubing with genuine 1/4" automotive fuel hose, and it made the problem worse because the gas wasn't flowing through the hose as quickly, i.e. it was in the hose absorbing heat longer. I may email Terry a link to the posts if he is interested but since it appears to be limited to a few machines they probably won't redesign anything. I'm not even sure what they should redesign. Moving the exhaust to the right side would place it near the wiring harness and battery. The stock fuel pump is on the left side and I don't think there's a choice on location. PT has tried insulating mufflers and exhaust on other models and that led to problems with mufflers burning out. The Kohler with exhaust exiting out the back was a better design than the Robin exhaust exiting out the front, routed to the side then alongside the tub, next to the fuel line and pump.

Phil

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

<font color="red"> I doubt PT has redesigned for this problem. I haven't talked to them and I've seen no indications that they monitor this board. </font>

It will be interesting to see if there is a redesign. As you know, there are fairly constant changes, although the basic machines are the same. Changes are tried all the time, and some incorporated, without announcements.
PT may not see every post on this board, but I assure you they do monitor it and learn from it.

 

[TimOb]

Phil,
Do you know if the robin 25hp is the same design? I would imagine if the design is the same, and it's a problem related to the actual fuel chemical mixture, then some California robin 25hp machines might even experience problems worse than yours since the 25hp should theoretically require more fuel.

Come to think of it, maybe I have it backward. Fuel pumping faster thru the lines might actually prevent the problem.

Of course there are probably enough other variables to cause the whole dynamic to change.

Anyway, kinda makes you wonder,

Tim

 

[Phils]

Yeppers, Tim, I would think that the bigger engine sucking more fuel would help alleviate the problem rather than making it worse. Again, a smaller diameter hose seems to help, as I learned when I installed a larger diameter. Keeping heat away from the fuel hose seems to be the one common solution in each of my trial fixes. The closer the heat or the longer gas is exposed to heat (like when the engine is 'off' after some time working hard), the more the vaporlock is a problem.

Our weather is changing quickly: low 60's and the woodstove fired up last weekend. 90's and coolers running this weekend. I may mow Sunday so it'll be another step to find out if higher ambient temps will cause me to take more frequent beverage breaks again. They'll be reformulating gas for summer and that could change the equation some too.

I hope Charlie is correct about PT monitoring this board. Seems like a no-brainer to me for them to do so, as I mentioned to Terry when I was buying that I was making my decision based on TBN. And I'm sure others have too. And I can also see where they wouldn't want to ever post as we could keep them pretty busy with questions and suggestions.

But on the other hand, a feedback forum like this with customers I would think priceless.

Phil

 

[funpilot]

Back to the question of how we bought the Power-trac. I actually bought mine researching Kubota tractors that brought me to this web site. Posted some questions in the Kubota forum and was immediately directed to look at this brand based on what I was looking for. Posted here for a while and got very interested in this line of products. Watched very carefully for the used postings at Power-trac and bought a completely equipped used 425. My wife loves it so much she has actually named it. And it is now "her tractor..." My only regret is that I did not buy one 20 years ago.