Fuel disaster in tn75s

[ironpen]

I filled my tank and left the top off the fuel filler pipe. After about 4 hours cutting, the tractor began to run like it was fuel starved. I noticed the fuel filter was very dark and began to inspect and found I had left the cap off the fill area. There was lots of dust and clippings all over the back of my machine around the filler pipe. I put the cap back on, of course. I went and got a new filter and everything worked fine for a couple of hours, then it started again. I replaced the filter a second time and after 10 minutes of normal operation, same story. Now the filter still looks clean, but no fuel (or almost none) is coming into its clear body of the filter that allows you to view the element. This is not a factory installed filter, but one the dealership added.....on the right side of the engine before the line from the tank ends at the motor right below the throttle cable. It looks to me as though the line from the tank must be clogged. If I cut the engine, the filter initially has bubbles coming in from the line to the tank into the filter and then slowly fills up with fuel. Any suggestions on what to do now. I feel like a real idiot but I need to get this thing going. I need a fix that doesn't require me to remove the fuel tank, etc. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

 

[MAK]

I filled my tank and left the top off the fuel filler pipe. After about 4 hours cutting, the tractor began to run like it was fuel starved. I noticed the fuel filter was very dark and began to inspect and found I had left the cap off the fill area. There was lots of dust and clippings all over the back of my machine around the filler pipe. I put the cap back on, of course. I went and got a new filter and everything worked fine for a couple of hours, then it started again. I replaced the filter a second time and after 10 minutes of normal operation, same story. Now the filter still looks clean, but no fuel (or almost none) is coming into its clear body of the filter that allows you to view the element. This is not a factory installed filter, but one the dealership added.....on the right side of the engine before the line from the tank ends at the motor right below the throttle cable. It looks to me as though the line from the tank must be clogged. If I cut the engine, the filter initially has bubbles coming in from the line to the tank into the filter and then slowly fills up with fuel. Any suggestions on what to do now. I feel like a real idiot but I need to get this thing going. I need a fix that doesn't require me to remove the fuel tank, etc. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Back when I was a young man working on our farm, harvesting safflower I left the cap off the fuel tank of our John Deere 6622 combine. After a while it sputtered and died.... Dad came over and gave me a stern talking to. And then I had the pleasure of removing the fuel tank and cleaning it out. If you know safflower it has very fine hairs. I think I smelled of diesel for ever. Multiple fuel filters and cleaning the tank later it was back up and running. I look back now with fond memories. Not fun at all when it happened.

Sent from my iPad using TractorByNet

 

[Oldtractorfixer]

Can you remove the fuel outlet fitting on the bottom of the tank? If so get a catch bucket, pull the fitting and run a piece of wire up through the hole and keep clearing it till the tank is drained. Look down through the fuel fill hole. If there is still grass etc in the bottom of the tank you might get it with one of those finger things for retrieving bolts. Flush a little more fuel though the drain hole. Put it all back together making sure the lines between the tank and filter are clean. This may get it for you. Steiner tractor parts sells a screen stand pipe that you install in the fuel outlet in the bottom of the tank. This would also help. Good Luck

 

[mahlers]

Almost exact same thing happened to me... Here's the easy way to fix it: pull the fuel line off before the pump, and then blow compressed air backwards through it. You'll hear bubbles in the tank. Then, unscrew the fuel tank drain plug and drain the fuel out. Run the fuel through a paint strainer filter (you can get them at Home Depot - they fit in a 5 gallon bucket nicely) and then pour the strained fuel back into the tank. Repeat the line-blowing exercise. After you do this a few times, you'll get all the crud out of there and it should run fine.

What happened is that you got the fuel pickup line clogged, and there are two ways to fix it - either drop the tank and go in there to clear it, or get creative and blow compressed air backwards through the system.

Hope that helps!

 

[ironpen]

First thing Monday a.m. I am going to try it. Thanks.

 

[ironpen]

Follow up to my problem. I used a suction pump and took 17 gallons of fuel out into clean 5 gallon buckets. Removed the fuel pick-up stalk from the fuel tank and cleaned it (it needed it, for sure). Replaced the added fuel filter (again) as well as the factory fuel filter between the fuel pump and injectors. I used the paint strainer as suggested by mahlers and it REALLY did a thorough job. I then put the same fuel back in and cut for five hours yesterday and today with no problems. Thanks to all. This is not something I plan to repeat, but it was a learning experience for me.