I feel so dumb!

[paccorti]

Last week I decided to perform my 250hr service. I first drove the machine to warm up the oil (so that it would drain better). I carefully drained and replaced the oil and filter. I drained and replaced the coolant. I fixed (hopefully) the leaky coolant plug with teflon tape. And lastly, replaced the fuel filter.

Now the one other time, I replaced the fuel filter I simply unscrewed the fuel bowl ring to bleed out most of the air that was introduced during the filter change.

Time to start the engine. Crank, crank, crank... it won't start. Ok, remove the new fuel filter and check that all o rings are in place... they are. In process spill much diesel. Crank, crank, crank... nothing. Ok, let me check the air bleed screw just before the injector pump. I loosen the air bleed screw and crank the engine, some (but not much) air bubbles. Tighten air bleed screw. Crank, crank, crank... nothing. Give up for night and go to bed.

Ok, maybe I need to bleed the injector lines themselves. I unscrew one and crank the engine, I crank it a lot! No fuel. Ok, what's wrong with this stupid thing, did I put that much air into the fuel line. Check air bleed screw again and crank, crank, crank dripping large amounts of diesel on floor. Ok there is NO air between the fuel bowl and the injector. Yet no fuel comes out of the injector lines. Read service manual.

Hmmm, the fuel shut off solenoid is right next to the injector. If the fuel solenoid is not activated the injector will not pump ANY fuel. Is it stuck? I grab a jumped cable and a large screwdriver. I unplug the solenoid and connect the jumper cable and screwdriver to the solenoid. I touch the solenoid with the positively charged screwdriver and hear a click. Ok the solenoid appears to be ok. Remove screwdriver and create two large sparks as I accidentally ground the battery (scaring myself). After all everything worked just fine a couple of days ago. Ok must be air in the line since NOTHING is coming out of the injector pump. Attempt to bleed some more and give garage nice diesel aroma. Go to bed disgusted.

Next day, the battery is getting kinda low from all this cranking, buy a battery charger to keep it going. Remove injector line from block and crank, crank, crank... nothing NO fuel. Read about and examine auto bleed system. Remove auto bleed line from fuel bowl for examination... squirting diesel all over the place.

Tonight, test solenoid again... clicks and works. Remove dashboard and examine solenoid fuse... looks ok. Turn ignition to run and try to feel solenoid clicking. Too subtle, can't feel, or is it not working... Hmm, the fuse that handles the fuel solenoid also handles the operator safety system. WAIT! I check the range selector, it is in neutral. I check the brakes they are NOT set. EUREKA! The tractor will never start without the brakes set (at least if I'm not sitting on it). Set the brakes and hear the pleasent clicking of the solenoid when key turned to run. Now, I can bleed the injector lines! Oops, sons in bed gotta give up for the night, at least I learned a lot.

Peter

 

[bky]

sounds like one of them days turned into a couple of them one of the days /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Thomas]

Heck you should feel dumb about that...call it a learning adventure. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif
Dumb would be more like gasing up the m/c while your better half inside getting coffee and you ride off and forget her. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif..NOW THATS DUMB /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif and if you don't believe me ask her,for she still reminds me now and than. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

 

[Westbilly]

A wise man once told me-----If the problem is really really hard, then it is something really really simple. I never forget that.

 

[Mosey]

Peter - Let me make sure I got this straight. If you are not sitting on the tractor and the brakes are not set, the starter will crank the engine over but it won't start? It makes sense except that I'm surprised they didn't set it up so that it prevents it from even cranking over. I've never tried to start mine without sitting on the seat, so I'll see what it does when I try to start it without sitting on the seat next time. I can’t remember if I set the brakes or not when I start it from the seat, but I don’t think I do, so I’ll check that next time too.

 

[Bob_Trevithick]

<font color=blue>...Dumb would be more like gasing up the m/c while your better half inside getting coffee and you ride off and forget her. ./w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif</font color=blue>

Thomas, tell me you're kidding..? /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif How far did you get before you turned around and went back to get her? You did eventually go back to get her, right? /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

When I had my last bike, my girlfriend at the time rode like a sack of wet cement.. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif .. had no concept of the physics behind this whole operation. If the bike had felt right, I would have known she wasn't there! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Thomas]

Soon as I shifted into 5th it hit me she was on the back /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif about 300yards or so,and by the time I found a place to turn around maybe another 300 yards /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif..man it was a long day after that. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

I know what your talking about when they set like a bump on a log. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[markcg2000]

'Bout half way through, I had it figured for an empty fuel tank /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif.

 

[Mosey]

I can start mine either while sitting on the seat and the brakes not set, or not sitting on the seat and the brakes not set. I have to have the range selector in neutral and both PTO levers off, but the brakes and weather or not I'm sitting on the seat don't matter.

 

[frank_f15]

have a 1998 b2400 and as long as all the levers are in netural all i have to do to start the tractor, is just press down on the clutch pedal and fire it up, saves geting on the machine. DO NOT HAVE TO BE ON SEAT.