Left fuel cap off 5045E---now what?

[Hay Dude]

Guess I am human---maybe to human. Filled up the tractor today and then did some spot mowing of CRP. It was dusty off and on. After mowing for about 2 hours, I realized I forgot to screw the cap back on the fuel tank. I am guessing there was close to 5 gallons of diesel that spilled out. The back of the tractor is a mess as the dust and crp residue collected on the spilled fuel. The tractor is still running fine but am wondering what would be the wise thing to do at this point? Should I go ahead and burn most of the fuel before attempting to change the fuel filteror go ahead and change it now and then maybe again after I use the fuel up more? Thoughts!

Yes. for now, the path of least resistance is to keep running it. However, its not advisable to run the tank down real low on fuel ever, if possible. You may have also gotten very little debris in the tank.
I’d just change the fuel filter a few times in the next 100 hours.

If you want to get elaborate about it, pull the line or drain on your tank once it gets low and do a rinse-out.

 

[rScotty]

I installed drop in strainers in both my tractor's fuel tank fillers and installed the Racor fuel polishing units between the fuel tank outlet and the primary filter on both. Have not changed a fuel filter (on the tractor since). The Racor filters down to 30 microns plus it pulls any water out. Has a clear bowl on the bottom with a drain. I get bulk fuel deliveries to the farm.

What a good idea. All of it just as you say. I've been meaning to do the same. Fuel isn't as dependable as it used to be. It's simpler to take care of the problem before it happens.

rScotty

 

[5030]

What a good idea. All of it just as you say. I've been meaning to do the same. Fuel isn't as dependable as it used to be. It's simpler to take care of the problem before it happens.

rScotty

Invariably you will always get a certain amount of 'junk' falling in a fuel filler when you remove the cap to fuel, especially when using 5 gallon diesel fuel cans and there is always that wayward bug that flies down the filler neck. Even though I fill from a bulk tan, it's interesting to see what collects in the filler neck strainer that otherwise would have went in the fuel tank. Why I added the fuel polishing units to both tractors too. Mitigating any impurities is always beneficial to the injection system, T4 or not.

 

[Raul-02]

Racor fuel polishing units

Them thar things are very expendolicious.
Do you see a meaningful positive result? Less frequent engine rebuilds; that sort of result?

 

[5030]

Them thar things are very expendolicious.
Do you see a meaningful positive result? Less frequent engine rebuilds; that sort of result?

Not really. I paid $25 bucks for the Chineseum Racor knock off base on Amazon (bought 2 of them) and the genuine Racor aqua block filters are 30 bucks each from the Racor Store (R11T's). So, 50 bucks plus some time to mount them and a bit of extra fuel line from my Kubota dealer. I don't believe 50 bucks for each one is all that expensive at all considering they filter down to 30 microns (the stock) Kubota spin on filter only does down to 80 microns and has no ability to pull out water at all. The small sediment filters on mine supposedly drops out water but the capacity is minimal.

The Racor filters remove water plus contaminants and they come with a clear bottom bowl with a drain valve so you can 'see' what is in the bowl and drain it easily.

Never rebuilt any of my engines yet, don't have enough hours 6000 on one and 3000 on the other to necessitate a rebuild. The VTE Kubota engines with proper care should last around 50K hours barring something out of my control.

Just had both of them in the shop (my Kubota dealer) this last spring for a valve adjustment, and injector spray test and both were given a clean bill of health.

Have a larger Racor on my Barnyard Buick (class 8 road tractor) and it works as advertised. Why I bought and installed these and probably why Kubota is now installing them on the new T4 final tractors. Their fuel systems are particularly prone to water in the fuel damage. Don't know what brand they are installing, just know they are and I don't know which models either. I presume the larger (more expensive) ones.

My big Class 8 tractor spends a lot of time in the barn not being used so condensation in the fuel tanks is always an issue. Aluminum fuel tanks do sweat inside even if almost full. It only comes out to haul grain to the elevator.

 

[Raul-02]

I paid $25 bucks for the Chineseum Racor knock

25 Bucks for something that when made here by Racor costs almost a thousand dollars?
How long ago did you get these? where did you get them?

 

[LouNY]

25 Bucks for something that when made here by Racor costs almost a thousand dollars?
How long ago did you get these? where did you get them?

Here you go straight from Racor for $226 and includes a built in priming pump;
Racor 460r30 fuel filter/water separator
A long way from a $1000, yes they do have systems that sell for that much, but are you feeding an engine that needs 250 gallons per hour filtered to 2 microns.

 

[5030]

25 Bucks for something that when made here by Racor costs almost a thousand dollars?
How long ago did you get these? where did you get them?

Never seen a Racor that cost a thousand bucks unless you are referring to the large industrial ones that go on large displacement industrial engines like on standby gen sets. Even a genuine Racor base in the R11T flavor is around a hundred bucks.

Bought them both on Amazon and I did a thread on them under the sub forum Kubota 'owning and operating' The filler neck strainer insert is there as well as the Kubota part number, your dealer can get them and I believe retail for them is like 12 bucks and they come with different sized rings so they will fit almost any filler neck.

Got them about 2 months ago. Got the filler neck strainers last year, when some 'clown' on here told me I was FOS and Kubota didn't offer them. Called my dealer and they got 2 of them for me. Even delivered them to the house for me.

Keep in mind that even though they are Chineseum, the threads that mount the spin on filters are the same across the board no matter who makes the base and the ones I purchased are very nice aluminum machined castings with a heavy powder coat off white paint. They come with brass barbed nipples and a pair of block off plugs because there are 2 inlets and 2 outlets plus a bleed port on each one (you supply the Teflon sealing tape).

Got the 'Conus' ones but any one will suffice. All about the same price. Bought them because Amazon stocks them so no waiting for that 'container' to unload...They were here in less than a week and no I don't do 'Prime' either. I do free shipping always.

You can get Racor Filters in the R11 flavor down to 2 micron but I thought that was overkill. 30 should be plenty.

In fact Racor told me that anything less than 30 micron pass would not work for a gravity feed system (like the smaller Kubota's have with the fuel tank mounted high up. Mine is 100% suction feed on both, saddle tanks mounted down low and the mechanical lift pump provides the suction.

There are a number of genuine Racor R11's on Flea Bay presently, all Mil surplus but none of them have mounting bases you can attach to a tractor. Just inline single port units, That don't work for me at all.

The R11 units are for diesel only. If you want to do gas, Racor has them as well, but a different series number.

 

[5030]

Here you go straight from Racor for $226 and includes a built in priming pump;
Racor 460r30 fuel filter/water separator
A long way from a $1000, yes they do have systems that sell for that much, but are you feeding an engine that needs 250 gallons per hour filtered to 2 microns.

Thanks Lou. I get tired of looking up stuff all the time. I considered the priming pump but with mine I don't nned it as I have the priming pump on the engine mount primary filter anyway. When I installed mine, all I did was fill the filter and attached bowl with clean filtered diesel and screwed it on to the base and then fired the engine up and opened the bypass bleed knob for a couple minutes to evacuate any air that was left.

Probably do the same when I change the filters. Bought a couple extra anyway.

 

[LouNY]

You can even get disposable RACOR filters in 2, 10, or 30 micron assemblies.
complete for less then $47, and replacement filters with no bracket for $29.
Parker Racor SNAPP One-Piece Snap-In Fuel Filter Water Separator Assembly w/ Bracket & Drain
Parker Racor Replacement Filters for SNAPP One-Piece Snap-In Fuel Filter Water Separators
So RACOR quality for very reasonable price.