Accidently put gasoline in Kubota L3240

[TexasL3240]

I recently was in a hurry and put 5 gallons of gasoline into my tractor. The tractor had about a 1/2 tank of diesel in it at the time. It cranked and ran for about a 1/2 day before losing power and then began to spit and sputter. After I realized what happened, I drained the fuel tank and replaced with diesel fuel and replaced the fuel filter. Since then, I have not been able to get it to crank. Not even a hit. Any suggestions to what I am doing wrong.

 

[Ezlivn]

I googled and found this.......

Diesel fuel has a lower ignition temperature than gasoline, allowing combustion to occur simply by compressing the air/fuel mixture. Gasoline engines require a spark plug to ignite the fuel. Too much gasoline will not allow the engine to work efficiently and quite possibly not at all.

Also, diesel engines use an injector pump to pressurize the diesel so it will form a fine mist when pushed through the injectors. These pumps require the lubrication of diesel to continue to work. Excess gasoline will cause failure in the injector pump and damage the injectors.

 

[zman007007]

did you fill the fuel filter with diesel before installing? If so you may still have to bleed the injectors to get the air out of the lines before it will crank.. zman

 

[rjkobbeman]

When you say you cannot get it to crank, I assume you mean fire? The battery should crank the engine over until it is dead. (Don't recommend cranking it for too long at a time.)

Anyway, as has been said, you may need to replace the mixed fuel as best as you can with the new diesel... in the filter/water collector/etc. If you don't drain those out, you will be cranking a LONG time before the fresh diesel gets to the cylinders. I don't know how much fuel the injector pump hold... but that might take a bit to get new fuel to it.

 

[TexasL3240]

Yes, I forgot to state that. when I replaced the filter, I filled it with diesel before trying to crank it. I thought I might have to bleed the system but am not sure how to do that. the manual states that to bleed the system you turn the knob while the engine is cranked and it will bleed the air from the system. not sure what to do since i cant crank it. does it have a manual pump or do i still crack open the knob and try cranking it.

 

[rjkobbeman]

Yes, I forgot to state that. when I replaced the filter, I filled it with diesel before trying to crank it. I thought I might have to bleed the system but am not sure how to do that. the manual states that to bleed the system you turn the knob while the engine is cranked and it will bleed the air from the system. not sure what to do since i cant crank it. does it have a manual pump or do i still crack open the knob and try cranking it.

Oh, so when you say you can't crank it... you really mean you can't crank the engine over? Is the battery dead from too much cranking already? Not being able to crank the engine should have nothing to do with the bad fuel. It has probably drained the battery from already cranking it too much trying to start it.

If you can't crank the engine over, that is the first problem you have to deal with. I would start by charging the battery.

 

[Sumpter]

If you cranked till the battery died you may have damaged the starter. Check that all out and then bleed the injectors. I would think it would fire right up then. IMO

 

[ultrarunner]

I don't want to be the bearer of bad news...]

Two years ago at my Kubota Dealer they had a new tractor... less than 30 hours and all torn down... I asked what had happened.

The owner let his brother-in-law use it and the nephew filled it with 5 gallons of gas... they continued to run the tractor until it lost power... they were not able to get it to run again.

The fuel injector, head, cylinder bores and pistons were damaged... lack of lubrication and heat.

 

[Jeepnford]

Could the cylinders be full of gas and liquid locked? Or worse,seized? Oops,while I goofing off Ultra posted something similar.

 

[doall]

I think he means "start" not "crank". If you loosen the fuel line in the top of the injectors and turn the engine over until fuel comes out it should start. Dont forget to tighten the lines back up when fuel comes out though.:thumbsup:

 

[TexasL3240]

Thanks for all of the information. I will try all of the suggestions. I will post my results. thanks again.

 

[Chilly807]

If it ran for that long, it's possible there's damage to the injection pump and injectors. Gas doesn't have much lubrication quality, if you're lucky there was enough diesel left to keep the pump elements and injector needles from scoring.

My wife works at a Volkswagen dealership, they recently had a TDI diesel that had been filled with gas and then driven. The quote for repairs was enough that it really isn't worth fixing the damage.

You may be luckier.

Sean

 

[puckgrinder85]

Im still unclear if the engine even turns over with the starter or not, or even by hand? Does it?

 

[arsenix2001]

It sounds like its locked up. Aside from lubrication issues the addition of gasoline lowered the octane/cetane level ALOT. I could imagine it was predetonating its buns off till something let go and "stall" no more starty. Hate to say it but im pretty sure your engine is toast, obviously it may not be... Just my guess, but either way have it checked out and best of luck that its something simple like an air pocket, but that wouldnt expkain the stall in the first place :/

 

[Zork]

I think there is still confusion on whether the engine will crank (turn) or not. And, if it can't turn whether it is battery, starter, or engine related. If it is battery/ starter/ electrical you need to fix that first.

Assuming you have basic to moderate skills and you take the appropriate safety measures. Save yourself some time and put a wrench on the crankshaft and see if the engine will turn first. That will tell you all sorts of things you need to know. If the engine turns, get that gas out of those lines by removing the injector lines and pumping diesel through the pump first without the lines on it, then put the lines on and bleed them and see what happens. HOWEVER,

I tend to agree with the "toast" prognoses. If the engine wont turn with a wrench, remove the injectors or glow plugs and see if you can turn the engine with a wrench. Removing the injectors and or glow plugs permits fluid to be pushed out of the cylinders, if there is any in them. If it is seized the right answer is a new engine or long/short block and maybe an IP. However, I once freed a frozen engine by filling each cylinder with diesel fuel (We could not turn that engine and a rebuild was out of the question. I don't know if it was seized; but I know the pistons and cylinders were obviously not fused together). You could always remove your injectors and fill each cylinder with diesel fuel and let is soak for days. Then take a big wrench, with breaker bar, and see if you can turn the engine. If you can, then rotate the engine many times with fuel in the cylinders. If the engine frees up, it may stay tight, you can remove the fuel from the cylinders, put everything back together, change your oil and see if she will start. If she starts, run her at the lowest rpm you can for an hour or so, then change your oil again and realize that every day you spend with her is a gift.

 

[The Dougster]

At the risk of sounding like a dork, let this be a reminder to everyone that the fuel containers are different colors for a reason... an expensive lesson.

 

[JJZ 109]

At the risk of sounding like a dork, let this be a reminder to everyone that the fuel containers are different colors for a reason... an expensive lesson.

True. A friend once lent me a snowmobile that he'd filled with diesel for his tractor because he'd put the wrong fuel into a red can.
The sled lasted a mile before she blew.
One of the first things I did when I got a tractor was to get a blue can and write "DIESEL" on it in big yellow letters with a paint marker. I've since built a dedicated 15 gallon diesel storage jug with 12 volt pump, so it's no longer an issue.

 

[ultrarunner]

It happens more than one would think...

My brother owns a classic 68 mustang and a Mercedes diesel... I did a 100% restoration on the Mustang and he calls one day all upset saying he just had the Mustang towed in to a shop because it started to shake violently and then the motor died... mechanic was quoting him a new motor when I arrived.

I asked my brother to tell me what had happened... he said he had just filled it up and got about 4 blocks from the station when it happened... we both looked at each other at the same time and he said an explicative... he had just filled his car with diesel.

Long story short... the car was fine and has been the last 9 years.

I've put gas in my Kubota... thankfully, I caught it before I started the engine... loaned my neighbor an empty yellow diesel fuel can and he had refilled it for me with gasoline.

Another neighbor trashed his new Stihl Brush Cutter he got from his kids for Christmas... didn't add oil to the mix...

Insurance helped another friend when his son filled the tank of their Brush Bandit Chipper with gasoline...

 

[jake98]

I'm not a mechanic, but I don't see why a deisel would score up it insides from gas when gas engines don't..

 

[Willl]

Jake, If it did any damage as to the lack of lube from the fuel it would be in the injector pump.