Dead tractor - help!

[john_bud]

I was fortunate enough to have a new filter on the shelf, so changed it out. To do this, I flipped the lever above the fuel filter to the off position, spun off the housing, removed the filter and spring, cleaned up an amazing amount of gunk (1/4" or so) that had formed on the bottom of the housing, filled the housing (maybe the mistake here) with the Howse antigel stuff hoping it would be combustible (couldn't do a 50/50 mixture since I didn't have any extra fuel handy, installed a new filter, put everything back together, and flipped the fuel lever back to the on position.

I've cranked and cranked to the point where the battery was starting to run down, but it will not start. It's on a charger now, but do I remember some priming procedure that has to be followed when changing a fuel filter or running out of fuel? Was COMPLETELY filling the housing with the antigel stuff (instead of the suggested 50/50 mixture) to blame (is it not combustible?)?

Didn't have access to fuel? Didn't you think that filling the bowl up 1/2 way then turning the fuel lever to "on" would do anything? Guess the obvious isn't always. I would dump the fuel bowl and get some from the tank. Howes is good, but at 100% on a cold day ... never tried that! While it's true some is good that does not mean more is better.

Anyway, now you are in a pickle, let's get you out. There is a screw air vent cock on the fuel injection pump. Should be straight up from the filter - a little to the front and it is sticking straight out. Will be about 1-1/2" -ish below the top edge of the pump. Open it up all the way counterclockwise. Be sure the fuel filter stop cock is in the open position! Let it sit there for a while (normally a full beer's worth - but it's too cold to stand around and sip a brew!). The engine should fire up when cranked- it may take 30 seconds of cranking. After it fires up, run it for 30 seconds then close the air vent. BUT - I would run the glow plugs 2 cycles so the air is as warm as possible.

Let us know if you win the battle.

jb

 

[5030tinkerer]

Thanks for the great link! I haven't had success in locating the operating manual for the tractor - I have EVERY other manual, just not that one. I think I can probably determine which is the input and the output line at the fuel filter, but where is the air valve you mentioned?

 

[5030tinkerer]

Thanks for the great link! I haven't had success in locating the operating manual for the tractor - I have EVERY other manual, just not that one. I think I can probably determine which is the input and the output line at the fuel filter, but where is the air valve you mentioned?

Hey John -

Obviously I don't need this question answered anymore - you must have been typing up your previous post while I was working on getting this ready to send out.

I don't know what it is, the fact that we're talking about diesel engines and tractors or what (well, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it anyway... , but I guess since I haven't ever had to actually work on anything with the tractor yet my brain isn't yet turned on.

I didn't realize that the filter was gravity fed and this whole 'air in the lines' thing had me so freaked out...no hand pump to pull fuel out, neighbor who permanently borrowed my 5 gal fuel cans, tractor stuck 1500' downhill from the diesel tank...well, you get the idea.

Anyway, thanks for the gentle ribbing about the obvious - gave my 12 year old and I a laugh this morning (though mine sort of sheepishly so). I'll work on getting it running after church this morning.

You guys are the best!

 

[5030tinkerer]

Well...it's not going so well. I have tried disconnecting each of the lines from the top of the fuel pump housing to see if any fuel came out - with or without the key in the on position. What looks to be the fuel return line (smaller diameter line feeding the upper side of the tank) let out fuel when it was disconnected. Every other line was dry and stayed that way with the key on or not, cranking or not.

I located the air bleed valve - a plastic looking knob sticking straight out from the side of the engine - and opened that up (counterclockwise). Nothing appeared to happen.

It seems logical that the fuel has gelled up in the lines from the fuel tank (assuming that it is gravity fed, which it looks to be). Could I just use a heat gun to warm up that line to get things flowing again (not sure it works that fast) or is there some other trick I could try? I have no way to get the tractor into shelter and its a very windy 14 degrees out (i.e. miserable) if that aids in the solution.

I did go ahead and add four capfuls of the Howes antigel stuff into the half full fuel tank yesterday (when it got up to 51) prior to the battery getting low.

 

[5030tinkerer]

Just an update - tractor still dead, but I did get it to run for about two minutes straight before it died again.

Still have the same questions about what SHOULD happen when the various fuel lines are cracked. When I went back out after warming up the last time, that's when the tractor started and died, started and died, started, ran rough, and died, and finally ran for two minutes before dying.

When I went back out, I noted that fuel had dripped down all over the ground by the filter(since I left the output line from the filter disconnected)...so that may mean that the supply line isn't gelled up. It may of course also mean that the supply line is gelled up, but allows SOME flow - don't really have a way of knowing, I guess.

The filter housing had been full of the Howes antigell. Now it looks to be about half to a third full with the tractor off. Is this how it is supposed to look? I would think that if the supply line wasn't clogged, that the filter housing would be full.

Anyone have any ideas? I am freezing my tail end off out there.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Like I said before you need to check the simple stuff. I am not familiar with your particular tractor so be easy on me. On my tractor I have a screen on the inside of the tank. To remove it you must take out the on/off valve and the fuel bowl. This will drain the tank. I found gunk covering that screen. You need to start at one end and work you way back. I would start at the tank and work toward the pump. You should have fuel flowing via gravity. If not you have a restriction somewhere.

You really need to get it into a garage where it can be warmed up. Get a friend with a truck or a tractor to give you a pull.

Chris

 

[5030tinkerer]

Like I said before you need to check the simple stuff. I am not familiar with your particular tractor so be easy on me. On my tractor I have a screen on the inside of the tank. To remove it you must take out the on/off valve and the fuel bowl. This will drain the tank. I found gunk covering that screen. You need to start at one end and work you way back. I would start at the tank and work toward the pump. You should have fuel flowing via gravity. If not you have a restriction somewhere.

You really need to get it into a garage where it can be warmed up. Get a friend with a truck or a tractor to give you a pull.

Chris

Hey Chris -

I greatly appreciate the guidance. The idea that there could be gunk on the inlet screen wouldn't actually surprise me. Now that I'm warmed up a bit, I'll go look closer for a way to get that to come out of there. Thanks!

I am in dire need of a pole barn - my heated garage isn't deep enough to house the tractor with its attachments on. I'll just have to make it work in the cold. If that screen IS gunked up, maybe I'll start running fuel from my tank through a strainer on its way in (though the tank does have a filter on it, of course).

 

[5030tinkerer]

DiamondPilot, AKA Chris, was dead on. Re-hearing (I'm a little slow, what can I say) that the fuel system is gravity fed and to start with the simple stuff was the key. The fuel line leading to the fuel filter was clogged. I removed the line from the filter, noted that it was dry, took a deep breath, and blew into the end of the supply hose (yum yum). As soon as I stopped blowing, fuel came rushing back out of the line (thankfully not on me at all). I reconnected and viola! (sort of).

When I turned the key to start it the first time, it just went click. Thinking that an anomaly, I turned the key again and it started right up. I thought my issues were behind me. I let the tractor warm up a bit (got to one bar on the temperature gauge anyway) and then shut it off and buttoned everything back up.

I went to start the tractor again, and it went - you guessed it - click. Repeated tries yield that same click. I think I fried my starter with all the trying. Battery is fully charged. Short of taking the starter off to be tested somewhere, can you guys think of anything else I can try?

 

[Diamondpilot]

Boy when it rains it pours. Try jump starting the tractor with a car or truck. Maybe the extra umph will get it going so you can get it to a warm place to work but it looks like you are in for a starter rebuild. You can also tap lightly on the starter or solenoid with a hammer and that sometimes gets you a few more starts.

You really need to drain the tank and clean it out. By blowing in the line all you did was clear it out but its going to happen again, that crap is still in the tank. I would drain and take it apart and flush it out with a gallon of Kerosene.

Chris

 

[5030tinkerer]

Boy when it rains it pours. Try jump starting the tractor with a car or truck. Maybe the extra umph will get it going so you can get it to a warm place to work but it looks like you are in for a starter rebuild. You can also tap lightly on the starter or solenoid with a hammer and that sometimes gets you a few more starts.

You really need to drain the tank and clean it out. By blowing in the line all you did was clear it out but its going to happen again, that crap is still in the tank. I would drain and take it apart and flush it out with a gallon of Kerosene.

Chris

Well, I am mindful that bad weather also brings out the worst in things. Thankfully, I raised the bucket all the way up when it was running last which should make working on it easier.

Plans are to clean up all the electrical connections before I go replacing anything.

I'm mindful that I just bought myself a bit of time on the fuel line. I'll DEFINITELY be cleaning out the tank when things are going again. I CAN fit the tractor in the garage without the rear blade installed and without the bucket on. Working from there is obviously night and day nicer.

Thanks so much for the assistance!