NX5510 - Fuel issues?

[DieselBound]

[TnAndy wins the prize! Though I didn't catch his posting until after I'd gotten things resolved.]

Success (for now)!

With some help from the dealer I was able to verify how things actually are supposed to work re the primer: manual is outright wrong!

I kept opening up the thumb screw and priming and I'd get it to fire up, but it would shortly die. I noted that when the engine would die that the primer plunger was pulled down. Figuring that this was being caused by an inability to pull fuel (a vacuum existed) I disconnected the fuel line to the filter and (with the tank's fuel cap off) blew (by mouth) back down the line. I sensed an ever so slight initial resistance, but it was just a fraction of a second and there was then no resistance (I was readily blowing bubbles into the tank). Hooked up the line, purged and it started and stayed running. So... if you see that the plunger is pulled down then that means there's a blockage.

What the heck could have blocked things? Dealer initially was suggesting ice was the problem. Maybe so. I suspect that the nipple right out of the tank presents itself as a pretty cold spot (small area, small amount of fluid/fuel in which to wick away the cold). Perhaps water settled and froze, creating the blockage right there at the nipple/outlet.

I tried to twist the filter drain but that wasn't turning for me. Not sure what's up with that. I think that one needs to disconnect the wire connector but I wasn't able to do that (the drain piece wasn't readily moving anyway so I decided to not get distracted by it).

 

[countrybumpkin]

Glad to hear you have it running, I'd defiantly be looking at the tank to find out what was blocking the flow.

 

[DieselBound]

Glad to hear you have it running, I'd defiantly be looking at the tank to find out what was blocking the flow.

Not sure how I can get any debris out of the tank. If there is anything it's too big to fit through the outlet nipple.

I'm almost tempted to just let it go and see if it reoccurs, thinking that it might have been ice.

Original tank of fuel was run down to just below 1/4 tank before I pumped it full. If there had been anything in there from the factory or from the dealer I'd think that it would have surfaced with that tank fill. Just not seeing how I could have introduced any debris: have two filters on that storage tank; water filter is brand new and the debris filter was put in a few months ago. I've filled the storage tank only twice.

Right now I'm chalking this up to non-winterized fuel and cold temps.

 

[IslandTractor]

Great to hear you got it running pretty easily. If you store fuel you might want to put a water filter on your dispenser. I had a problem with a bad load of fuel and the water block filter saved me from pumping contaminated fuel into the tractor.

 

[DieselBound]

Island, yeah, I recently added a water filter to my storage tank. First flow of fuel after installation was the Kioti's first fill-up (for me). I get my fuel trucked from a local distributor; they're pretty good (Chevron), so I would hope that I don't get any crappy fuel from them. I'm really thinking that this will end up being attributed to non-winterized fuel and cold temps. I'm going to be dumping some Power Service into the storage tank: I already have it, might as well use it.

Man, this was sure a demoralizing event. $40k of equipment stranded off my property. Problems with, essentially, a new tractor. Armed with a useless owner's manual. And under a big time constraint. It was only going to be a 1/2 hour job (what I'd committed)!

 

[IslandTractor]

DieselBound, I would just add to your recent "lesson" that it's not only bad fuel delivery that can lead to water in a storage tank. I could never track down exactly how I got so much water at the bottom of my 30 gallon fuel storage tank but while a load of bad fuel is more likely, simple condensation over time can do the same thing.

The water filter in my case saved my bacon. Only problem I had was that I didn't have a spare cartridge so even after cleaning out the storage tank I had to take a trip to Tractor Supply before I could dispense again.

 

[TnAndy]

Not sure how I can get any debris out of the tank. If there is anything it's too big to fit through the outlet nipple.

First time it happened, nearly new, under warranty, and we FINALLY determined it was tank outlet blockage, the dealer removed the tank (royal pain), turned it upside down, and out popped a ball of plastic spiral drill shavings with some kind of roach looking critter wound up in it...it would float around in the tank until it ended up over the outlet, blocking fuel flow.


NEXT time it happened, out of warranty, I went to Home Depot and bought a cheap, Rigid inspection camera.....stuck it in the tank and could see a 'dirt daubber' wasp floating over the tank outlet (heck the thing is only 1/4"....doesn't take much to block it).....with the aid of a long set of grabber tongs, grabbed it and pulled it out. End of problem.

It's entirely possible yours was ice, it would only take a small 'cube' of it freezing in the tank to block the outlet....but if it happens again in none freezing temps, go looking for a bug.

IF manufacturers spent a buck more and put one of these in the tanks, a whole lot of these issues would be cured.

 

[DieselBound]

Andy, great input! I've really been wanting to pick up an inspection camera. If I run across this issue again I'll pull that trigger. With about 10 hours since the incident I've had no further hint of problems.