3617. Beware breaking down rubber fuel lines!!

[drizler]

I was mowing field the other day and it just stopped. Odd, well after checking it and a few minutes it again started right up ran a minute then simply stopped. Soooooome brings the beast up to the shop and check the filters which seemed very clean looking at the pre filter through the clear side. I decide to see how they really are and pull the fuel line wondering why I didn’t have to tie it up to keep fuel from running out. On to filters I cleaned and blew out both though they were pristine.
Back to the banjo bolt I decide to wire wheel it rust free so remove it. Down goes the line and absolutely nothing come out and now it’s below a full tank. I look down in it and just see this crud as you can almost see in the picture. I put tiny screw driver in and lever it out bingo fuel running. Then I decide to look under the primer pump and find more which got cleaned. It’s all rubber gooey stuff which can’t be anything but inside lining breaking down. Interestingly none made it into the pre filter at all just stuck in the top under the primer and mostly on the line right at the end.

So it’s back running fine and I finished the field soon to be replacing all those OEM lines with something more resistant. The only thing different in any way in its operation was running fuel oil instead of diesel with Power Service which in the NE here in NewYorkistan is identical to diesel minus the dye since 2007. Even the dealer agreed with me on this once it came off warranty.

Anyway so that’s something to consider if you start stalling out . Here’s a few pics of the rubbery goo……

 

[drizler]

I found the culprit and it wasn’t what I thought at all. I use a Mr Funnel to screen all the fuel oil that goes into mine and it sits right down solidly into the fill pipe tight. Trouble is it can’t vent that way and it’s awfully slow. Soooo me had the idea long ago to stuff a screwdriver next to it to leave a gap to make it vent. Once upon a frozen day I now remember hearing a clunk but not registering what it was. Well fast forward a year or so I begin finding the goo.
So last week I tore off the armor and removed the tanks. I heard something rattling but thought it was the float . Later on I pull the sending unit to make sure it wasn’t breaking down but after wards there’s something rattling still. It gets the shake treatment and look what came popping out! It’s my el cheapo old Chinese long Phillips that got made onto a punch way back when. The goo came from the so called comfort grip and here’s the picture. Yes folks I will now take a bow, I did this to myself. The machine now runs fine minus the goo stuck in the top of the pre filter under the priming pump.

 

[ruffdog]

It is always a good day when you figure out a problem.