Oil & Fuel Bad fuel... now what

[zuiko]

I apparently got a load of crappy fuel from a gas station. It should have been 50/50 (bought it in mid-November) but it doesn't seem like it was since I have had major gelling problems with it. It's probably at least 5% biodiesel now (required by state law) which is probably also causing a problem because of the lousy gel points on that and the fact that anti-gel stuff does not work on biodiesel.

I changed the fuel filter and put in a bunch of Diesel 911 and the fuel filter bowl just about empties out. The valve is open. I'm thinking maybe the screen in the tank is all clogged? Any ideas on what to do next?

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

I would drain the tank and add fresh fuel. Do you have anywhere to get offroad fuel. If you do that is what I would use.
Bill

 

[dirtworksequip]

Zuiko, the 990 doesn't have an in tank screen and just gravity feeds to the fuel pump thats on the side of the injector pump after it goes thru the fuel filter. If you look on JDParts you can see that there is just a fitting with the fuel hose. No screen. I'd try adding about 15% Kerosene to your fuel since you already have added the 911 treatment. You might want to pull the line from the tank at the transfer pump to see if you are getting fuel to the transfer pump. If you don't have fuel there you might try blowing back thru the hose and see if you can hear air coming thru that line into the tank. If you hear air back at the tank then you know its not clogged. If the fuel bowl isn't staying full the engine isn't going to run.

 

[atgreene]

Agreed. The only other thing you can do is warm the tank up to get it moving, add the 911 and Power Service and cut with kero. Power Service should take care of it, though. FWIW, if the tank is low on fuel, take a can of fresh diesel and warm it in the house (no, not on the stove) and dump it in the tank, should help get things moving.

 

[john_bud]

Siphon out the fuel into 5 gal cans and bring it in the house to warm up. Then use it with enough #1 or Kero to be 50-50. You have to blend it when it is warm or the gel will often stay. Same for additives, add them when the fuel is warm as they work by keeping it from gelling and don't work as well at ungelliziation (if that's a word).

 

[zuiko]

Well I drained and replaced the fuel... removed the screen (it is outside the tank in another sediment bowl) and cleaned it in D911. I had already replaced the fuel filter. I even blew air through the lines leading back to the tank from the fuel filter inlet. Still can't get the thing started. It will catch sometimes but it dies within 10 seconds. No fuel. Fuel filter sediment bowl never has more than 1/2" of fuel in it. If I start it out full it will quickly drain it down to 1/2". I am out of ideas at this point.

 

[dirtworksequip]

zuiko, the problem seems to be that the fuel bowl isn't staying full for some reason. I have looked at the JDParts pages and by your discription your tractor has the two fuel bowl filters instead of the one fuel bowl and one spin on fuel filter. The one models also have a fuel transfer pump on the side of the injection pump, where as the other models do not have this pump.

The only thing I can tell you is to try and figure out why your not getting the fuel bowl to stay full. Maybe try and set up a way to feed the bowl fuel from an outside source and see if it stays full that way. Or use an air hose to pressurize your fuel tank. Take the air hose and insert it into the fuel filler neck and stuff a clean rag to block off the escaping air. See if that will force fuel into the fuel bowl and keep it full.

Sorry, its sort of hard to diagnose your fuel problem from here not being all that familar with the 990 model tractor. Check all your fuses to make sure they are all good too. Are you opening your hand throttle? Just trying to cover everything. Also check that the fuel selenoid is working.

Sincerely, Dirt

 

[atgreene]

So you have fuel in the tank, a fuel line to the filter then the filter holder correct? If you take the fuel line off the fuel holder do you get fuel? If you take the line off the other side of the fuel holder will you get fuel?

I assume you are filling the fuel filter with fuel or power service before you try to crank it over? If you have fuel to both sides of the filter, try cracking the injectors slightly and see if it is pushing fuel.

Don't be afraid to change the filter again if it has been used once, I've had to replace multiple fuel filters before, as once soaked with bad fuel, wax, or water they will not pass fuel properly.

Do not crank the motor if you do not have fuel spewing out the line on the other side of the filter, it will do no good.

Good luck.

 

[JoeL4330]

Assuming you followed the previous posters advice about pulling the fuel hose at the inlet to the filter bowl and got a steady stream of fuel, then either the filter is plugged or there is an obstruction in the bowl inlet itself (unlikely) ...so, if fuel flows freely out of the hose, loosen the fuel bowl so it is barely seated ...the fuel bowl should now fill and tell you that the reason it wasn't before is that either the filter is plugged or there is an obstruction further upstream (which is also unlikely, because the filter would have done its job.)

If, however, the fuel did not stream freely out of the hose, use mouth-to-mouth (blow into the hose ...burbling noise should emanate from the tank.

If, as some have suggested, you have another upstream fuel bowl/filter/screen, whatever, ...same prescription, there ...or, temporarily bypass that and see if the bowl fills.

Also, I would drain a pint or two into a see-through container from the lowest point --(one of) your glass bowl ...let the drained fuel sit, look for water bubble(s) in bottom of container ...if so, drain all the fuel at this low point and deal with the water.

 

[deereguy]

Just a thought, on the filter, if it has an O-ring did you put the O ring gasket on the filter surface first or up on the surface between the O ring and the filter? I had this happen last fall on a piece of equipment and had a heck of a time until I took it to the third mechanic who told me I installed the O ring on the filter surface then the fuel didn't flow thu the filter correctly.

Good Luck!!