5083e - wont start-gelled fuel.

[Bigfoot62]

On the bright side I got that "88.6 hour replace the fuel filter routine maintenance" out of the way.

Good deal!!! Now you don't have to worry about how to do that anymore.

Also, does anyone have any suggestions on what to do with a 55 gallon plastic barrel with about 1/2 a gallon of gas, 50 gallons of diesel (half of which is a year old), and an unknown quantity if water mixed in?

Burn fuel. You can mix a little more gas with it and it can be very useful when burning brush piles. (a 40/60 to 50/50 gas/diesel mix will light with a match, but not explode)

 

[boomer1025]

You know anyone with a waste oil furnace.

 

[beenthere]

Do these tanks have baffles? I figure there's some low pocket in the tank were the water is getting picked up but not draining. Fortunately the second time it died it is on a slight incline with the tank drain at the low end.

If you go to jdparts.com and look at the breakdown of the fuel supply system for your tractor, you will be able to see where the fuel lines connect and all the parts that make up the complete system. Should help you determine where to drain the water, if there is any, still in the fuel tank. Good luck. Sounding better, but still no cigar.

 

[JoeL4330]

you didn't mention how you fill from your supply barrels/cans/whatever ...if you use an electric pump that has a filter on it (water block, say) you can "polish" the fuel (try googling "polish diesel fuel") ...simply run it through the pump filter one or more times. If you don't have such a pump set up, consider investing in one.

As for the gas you put into the diesel, back when, it wouldn't have been a problem THEN ...but, gas, especially w ethanol deteriorates badly over time, which may have contributed to your problem ...

if you pump out from your can/barrel/whatever, I would not let the "intake" pipe go all the way to the bottom of the container ...you might cut it off at an angle, to be sure ...then, when it sucks dry you can either dump out the sediment/water or leave the sediment and water in the bottom, depending on how much free play you've allowed for in the suction pipe.

Also, if you suspect water in the fuel container, there are paste solutions you can smear on a dipstick, which will reveal the presence of water (that settles at the bottom). Again, you can google the paste or check with your friendly gas station...they often check their storage tanks that way.

Too long a post, I know, but filtering fuel on its way INTO your tractor's fuel tank avoids a lot of problems.

 

[JD3520Turbo]

I agree with the last post. You need to take your barrel of old fuel and filter it maybe even twice to clean it up, and then it should be good again. Don't suck from the bottom, suck from the top and leave a little at the bottom so you don't suck the bad stuff back into it.
Also, if you are going to use some of it for fire starter, DO NOT put more gas with it. Diesel fuel burns very good by itself. I have started many brush fires, and I only use straight diesel fuel an old feed sack a lighter and some small dry limbs to get things going. Doesn't take long to get going.

I have never heard of gelled fuel staying gelled in warm temps, so I have to agree with another post that it is some sort of algae growing in there.

What is amazing back in the 90s trucking fleets and contruction fleets used to get rid of their old crank case oil by mixing it in their fuel and burning it through their truck engines. 5% crankcase oil and they never new the difference. Don't think they can do that anymore, but it was common practice for trucking fleets back then.

 

[gocards1177]

It's all fixed up. At least as far as the fuel goes. Just got back from dealer. Drove it from my land to the dealer and dropped it off there to get the AC fixed. I wish I hadn't caused the problem in the first place but on the bright side I now know that ins and outs of the entire fuel system. Bleeding the air is child's play.

I'm not sure what I think about the mixed fuel barrel I have. I think I'm going to start by placing some of it in a few clear gallon jugs i have and see how it layers out.