JD 950 bad injectors?

[Kudzupatch]

Bought a 950 with the 3 cylinder Yanmar engine. It has been sitting at least 3 years, probably longer than that.

Would not start and found it had a bad injector pump. Had it rebuilt. Installed and primed all the way to injectors.

Fresh fuel in the tank.

It fired up and ran for maybe 30 seconds. Running pretty rough and when I went to slow it down toward an idle it started to buck really bad and just died. Would not crank after that. Hit a couple of times and that was it. Now is just does spins over and nothing. None of the cylinders hit at all.

I tired some starting fluid, yes I know it not good, just to test with the engine fired right up. Ran for a few seconds and nothing.

New fuel. Tank looked empty but might have been some old fuel in there?
Pulled the air cleaner element out (needs replacing).
Checked fuel flow from tank through the filter and there is a good stream to the pump.
It is primed all the way to the injectors. I loosened the line(s) and I can see little squirts of fuel.

Still new to diesel but since it will fire on the starting fluid that leads to to beleive the injectors have failed. Possible something was in the line and clogged it?

Just trying to plan my next move. Leaning toward injector cleaning or replacement. As well as a cleaning of the fuel tank and the all the lines. Am I on the right track?

 

[zzvyb6]

Loosen the delivery pipes at the injectors 1 turn to see if fuel bubbles or spurts out. If not, crank 10 seconds at a time to see if they will eventually spurt some fuel. If it does bubble out, plugged injector(s) are good possibility, Maybe see if you can soak them a while then re-install.
It may have just run out of fuel but started on the original line contents followed by poor draw from the tank or injector line filter. The symptoms are typical for running out of fuel. Odd that all 3 would not fire. Any white (unburned fuel) or black (burned but insufficient fuel) smoke coming out ?

 

[loggin]

Bought a 950 with the 3 cylinder Yanmar engine. It has been sitting at least 3 years, probably longer than that.

Would not start and found it had a bad injector pump. Had it rebuilt. Installed and primed all the way to injectors.

Fresh fuel in the tank.

It fired up and ran for maybe 30 seconds. Running pretty rough and when I went to slow it down toward an idle it started to buck really bad and just died. Would not crank after that. Hit a couple of times and that was it. Now is just does spins over and nothing. None of the cylinders hit at all.

I tired some starting fluid, yes I know it not good, just to test with the engine fired right up. Ran for a few seconds and nothing.

New fuel. Tank looked empty but might have been some old fuel in there?
Pulled the air cleaner element out (needs replacing).
Checked fuel flow from tank through the filter and there is a good stream to the pump.
It is primed all the way to the injectors. I loosened the line(s) and I can see little squirts of fuel.

Still new to diesel but since it will fire on the starting fluid that leads to to beleive the injectors have failed. Possible something was in the line and clogged it?

Just trying to plan my next move. Leaning toward injector cleaning or replacement. As well as a cleaning of the fuel tank and the all the lines. Am I on the right track?

You are definitely on the right track. I would have the injectors checked and cleaned or replaced as necessary. I would also make sure there is no water in the tank.

Hopefully you also replaced the engine oil and inspected the condition of the hydraulic fluid as precautionary measures.

 

[dodge man]

Any chance the new injection pump was installed wrong? I know they have to be timed but don’t know how to do it.

 

[Hoss710]

check the handle when ur sitting on the tractor lower left dash make sure thats pushed in towards the front of the tractor all the way. if it isn't, then do so and try starting again. also I seem to remember a manual fuel kill leaver on or near the pump. another thing to check above the valve cover is a see threw plastic housing with 3 fuel lines going to it it should be full of fuel. and check those 3 lines for cracks or splits. if they are replace them.

 

[Kudzupatch]

Loosen the delivery pipes at the injectors 1 turn to see if fuel bubbles or spurts out. If not, crank 10 seconds at a time to see if they will eventually spurt some fuel. If it does bubble out, plugged injector(s) are good possibility, Maybe see if you can soak them a while then re-install.
It may have just run out of fuel but started on the original line contents followed by poor draw from the tank or injector line filter. The symptoms are typical for running out of fuel. Odd that all 3 would not fire. Any white (unburned fuel) or black (burned but insufficient fuel) smoke coming out ?

I checked two of the three lines before I gave up. No doubt there is fuel to the injectors. Remember it ran for a short period. So it was getting fuel, just doesn't seem to be any more. It does act like it it out of gas. That is why I suspect stopped up injectors.

White smoke when it fired up.
A little white smoke as it cranked over after it died.

You are definitely on the right track. I would have the injectors checked and cleaned or replaced as necessary. I would also make sure there is no water in the tank.

Hopefully you also replaced the engine oil and inspected the condition of the hydraulic fluid as precautionary measures.

Never worked on diesel engine but it is the only thing that makes sense to me.

I am suspect of the fuel or rather that there was something in the tank. Fuel is new. I thought the tank was dry but looking back I wish I had pulled the tank and cleaned it.

I think I am going to go pull a fuel sample and see if I can see anything in it. It is fresh but there might have been something in the tank.

Oil change is needed but it is at my neighbors and just want to get it home to my shop. Then it will receive a good bit of attention. Trying to avoid having to drag it home but that may be what I have to do.

 

[Kudzupatch]

I just walked over and pulled a fuel sample.

• Fuel from the tank is clean, nothing obvious in the fuel
• Fuel down stream of the filter has particles floating in the fuel
• Removed fuel filter and there was a lot of sediment in the bottom.
• Poured the filter bowl contents out and it was horrible.
• Appears the filter is missing a gasket? Not sure on that.

Therefore I ASSume that it was letting the sediment into the lines and I have clogged the injectors.
I was certain I had checked the filter. May have missed the trash on the dry filter element. Or it may have been in the tank. Regardless it seems to imply it stopped up the injectors.

 

[zzvyb6]

My filter had a spring in the bottom of the bowl to press it into the pipe nipple.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

All that trash may have starved it of fuel check for a fine screen at injection pump inlet if you're getting white smoke, it is injecting. Blow the whole fuel line out from pump to tank. Lick your calf over again and get fuel flow back to the pump. New filter included. Loosen three hard lines at the injectors and crank it over a few times so pump picks up fuel. Once it touches off, run some injection cleaner in your tank.

 

[loggin]

All that trash may have starved it of fuel check for a fine screen at injection pump inlet if you're getting white smoke, it is injecting. Blow the whole fuel line out from pump to tank. Lick your calf over again and get fuel flow back to the pump. New filter included. Loosen three hard lines at the injectors and crank it over a few times so pump picks up fuel. Once it touches off, run some injection cleaner in your tank.

Hey RUSTABOUT, trying to understand the part about "lick your calf over again"..?? Is this an old saying of some sort or some kind of code for something?? Haha

 

[loggin]

I just walked over and pulled a fuel sample.

• Fuel from the tank is clean, nothing obvious in the fuel
• Fuel down stream of the filter has particles floating in the fuel
• Removed fuel filter and there was a lot of sediment in the bottom.
• Poured the filter bowl contents out and it was horrible.
• Appears the filter is missing a gasket? Not sure on that.

Therefore I ASSume that it was letting the sediment into the lines and I have clogged the injectors.
I was certain I had checked the filter. May have missed the trash on the dry filter element. Or it may have been in the tank. Regardless it seems to imply it stopped up the injectors.

Definitely flush all the old fuel out and clean everything. Start again with fresh fuel and purge the lines going to the injectors. Hopefully all will run well. If not then you might have to pull the injectors and get them cleaned or replaced.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Hey RUSTABOUT, trying to understand the part about "lick your calf over again"..?? Is this an old saying of some sort or some kind of code for something?? Haha

Start over from the beginning. Lot of times you have to do that. Set it all back up correct and start again.

 

[loggin]

Start over from the beginning. Lot of times you have to do that. Set it all back up correct and start again.

Ha.. Had not heard that one before. Thanks for clarifying!

 

[Kudzupatch]

I think the injectors will have to replaced or cleaned. But will give it another look.

But since it is not firing on any cylinder and it has fuel to the injectors, I am pretty sure they are stopped up.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I think the injectors will have to replaced or cleaned. But will give it another look.

But since it is not firing on any cylinder and it has fuel to the injectors, I am pretty sure they are stopped up.

When you have those lines loosened on the injectors, just loose, not off, does it spray fuel all over ? Or just weep out a little fuel? I've had them shoot fuel six or eight feet when things are right.

 

[Kudzupatch]

Praise be to God! Finally got this thing revived from the dead.

Still not sure why it wouldn't start but pulled off the pump, removed the injectors and took them to my pump guy. He cycled the injectors a few times. Despite my ultra sonic cleaning they were not spraying right. He ramped up the pressure a couple of cycles and they cleared up.

I still have one that is not spray right but he said try it and see how it runs. It might be OK. He checked the pump and it checked OK.

We talked through the issue and we were both stumped. So I started priming at the pump, then at the end of the line. Installed the injectors upside down, spraying in the air. Once we got all three spraying I put it back together. It fired almost immediately.

Drove it home, it over heated... well the light came on in less than 1/4 mile. Turned out to be just about out of water. Battery is dead but it sitting outside my shop.

Tomorrow I pull that WAY TO HEAVY bushhog off. It instantly does a wheelie when you let out the clutch. Need to sort out a few things and take it for a drive and see what I have.

It needs an ignition switch and none of lights work. Past that I will find out tomorrow. If nothing else major is wrong I think I did good since I can't put a dollar amount on the frustration and labor of getting it running!

 

[Hoss710]

Great news!! you got yourself a keeper there !!!