Bad fuel aftermath

[Chilly807]

Welcome to the zoo !

I agree that both filters should be changed, and be sure that only good fuel is in the tank, otherwise you'll be changing filters again. Other than completely draining the tank, there's no way to be sure all the water is out. You MAY have a problem with MBGs (micro-biological growth) in the fuel if it had water in it, a dose of algicide for fuel will eliminate that problem if it is there.

One thing you don't want to do is let the tractor sit for too long before this gets sorted out, otherwise the water will attack the fuel pump and injectors. Rust in there is a very bad (read expensive) thing.

Good luck,

Sean

 

[bp fick]

You have gotten great advice. Contaminated fuel of that magnitude isn't going to be solved with "mechanic in a bottle" which is slang for putting any additive in an engine or fuel tank instead of actually fixing what is wrong. It just doesn't work.

As all the others have said; drain ALL the fuel. Change that rear filter too!!
Finally, find a neighborhood Kubota oriented guy who can actually help you with this stuff instead of that "mechanic". He's the one that belongs in the bottle.

 

[radioman]

Welcome to the zoo !

I agree that both filters should be changed, and be sure that only good fuel is in the tank, otherwise you'll be changing filters again. Other than completely draining the tank, there's no way to be sure all the water is out. You MAY have a problem with MBGs (micro-biological growth) in the fuel if it had water in it, a dose of algicide for fuel will eliminate that problem if it is there.

One thing you don't want to do is let the tractor sit for too long before this gets sorted out, otherwise the water will attack the fuel pump and injectors. Rust in there is a very bad (read expensive) thing.

Good luck,

Sean

hence the reason I outlined steps to take. one was to blow out the line to tank. There been tooo many posts here about crap in line or tank inlet causing power issues. just get er done- drain, replace, blow, fresh fuel and drive.

 

[DiezNutz]

To expand on what some of the others have touched on, regarding how Diesel goes bad in the first place...

Diesel fuel absorbs moisture right out of the air, as well as from condensation, or any other convenient water source (the term is "hygroscopic"). The problem is accelerated by high humidity and repeated warm/cool temperature cycles in the storage location (e.g., as in an unheated shed).

Diesel is more hygroscopic than gasoline, and it also naturally wants to biodegrade. You can sometimes get away with storing gasoline for long periods of time, but not Diesel (especially not with fuel stabilizers formulated for Diesel storage). Diesel (like gas) is also seasonal in its formulation.

It isn't directly the water in the fuel that threatens corrosion, but the water makes the fuel that much more attractive to microbes that are present in the fuel. Bacteria eat the fuel and "poop" waste contaminants including acids that are corrosive to the entire fuel system, and fungi typically are responsible for sliming up your filters and lines. I'm not big on biocide, because while it does kill the organisms, it doesn't get their remains out of the fuel, and you typically still have slime problems to deal with.

Many people new to handling/storing Diesel fuel don't realize these things at first.

Tips to avoid problems in the first place:
- Plan on using the Diesel you buy in a timely manner; don't let it sit around for more than a few months. (especially without stabilizer)
- Never let your Diesel tractor sit unused for long periods of time (especially without stabilizer)
- Keep your fuel containers clean and never store them on the ground. In a drywalled, climate-controlled building is ideal, but do what you can. Try to not to let them sit partially full - either keep them full, or empty.
- Use an additive (goes double for cold climate). If nothing else, PowerService is cheap and widely available - even at WallyWorld. I like to put my additives in the containers when I fill them, then they're premixed and ready to go.

Might've missed something, but that's about the long & short of it.

 

[farmgirlky]

Thanks everybody! My tractor was just carted off by a Kubota dealer mechanic. When talking to him on the phone (after being educated by all your posts), he mentioned everything you guys said, so I feel good about sending it to him. And it just so happened that he was delivering a tractor on my very road today (I'm 40 miles from the dealership). So it was kismet. I will follow all your guidelines for protecting my fuel, but I'm pretty certain that the fuel was bad when I got it, since I bought it at a place of questionable repute and I don't tend to let diesel sit for long. But it's still very good information to have. Thanks again for all your help.

 

[texasjohn]

Whenever your tractor no longer runs, it's a terrible pain.
I bet when you get it back it'll be running just fine and you'll put in some fine seat time. Let us know how it goes!

 

[rdsaustintx]

Whenever your tractor no longer runs, it's a terrible pain.

So very true.

Oh, that some other things in my life were nearly as reliable (and damage tolerant) as the Kubota.

 

[Chilly807]

The great thing, and sometimes the bad thing too, is that with a group of people this size and with such diverse backgrounds, is that at least a couple of us have had the same problems you have before.

For instance, I work with diesel fuel injection systems and governors 40 hours a week, and have for 25 years. I'm not much good with electrical, but there's someone else here who is, same with hydraulics.

The only tricky part is trying to figure out who knows what they're talking about and who doesn't. Free advice costs nothing and sometimes is worth just that.

Glad to hear you're on the road back to diesel health, fuel quality is something we don't have much control over. I try to buy at a station where I know they have a lot of turnover, but there's no guarantee it's going to be good.

Sean

 

[farmgirlky]

Update: I got the tractor back late last week, and it seemed to be running much more smoothly, but I didn't have time to mow with it long enough to find out if it was truly fixed. Finally today my neighbor borrowed it to mow a pasture, and he said it made it about 20 minutes before it started losing power and dying. After it starts that, it continues to lose power even with the mower turned off. So I put in a call to the mechanic and asked him what he did. He said he drained it, and replaced BOTH filters. So he's coming back tomorrow. Any advice?

 

[MarkV]

I'll be interested to hear if it runs better after sitting a bit. If so I'll bet there is junk in the tank that is blocking the fuel outtake when you are running and it has some suction. Often after sitting the obstruction will float and all will be fine for a little while. Sorry the fix didn't work. It sounds like they did what they should.

MarkV