John Deere Yanmar diesel engine just stopped

Nigelr · Jul 29, 2017

Okay thanks I'll try that in the morning. Hopefully if the rebuild hasn't altered things it should work out.

Spanner · Jul 29, 2017

I reads like you're on the right track Nige.
When turning the crankshaft always turn it in the 'forward' direction. This eliminates any backlash errors for precise timing.

Nigelr · Jul 30, 2017

Slight hold up - the electric lift pump has stopped working! I can only guess that leaving it with an open pipe has let some corrosion seize things up inside. Anyway it makes a faint ticking noise that's all, so a new one is coming on Tuesday, hopefully.

Spanner · Jul 30, 2017

Try the battery. The Lift Pump was full of diesel - it shouldn't be damaged.

Jumper leads will be an easy diagnostic device.

Nigelr · Jul 31, 2017

Thanks for the thought Spanner. I did check the voltage, and also gave it 15v with a bench power supply, tapped it, shook it, explained how disappointed I was with it, but no joy. An unlucky coincidence i can only suppose.

Anyway I've also discovered the fuel has been deteriorating even with the biocide, so I have to get a barrel of fresh diesel and drain everything. I hadn't realised its storage life is so short when I went to using a tank!

Spanner · Jul 31, 2017

Use of a diesel fuel 'conditioner' additive with 'biocide' included will keep your bulk fuel in better shape. Your bulk tank does have a filter on the outlet I hope?

And I trust you're not buying any Ethanol-blended fuel. (B5, B10 etc)?

Funny-peculiar how we now have 'Bio-Diesel' but we add 'Biocide' to kill the Bio growth in the non-Bio fuel!

I wouldn't be surprised if the Lift Pump has suffered from water also.

Nigelr · Jul 31, 2017

Yes the water could well be the culprit couldn't it? I just bought 'tractor diesel' and thought nothing of it. There's a lot of farming round here. Anyway I'm going back to drums, now I understand it's actually a good thing to have a new one every year.

Spanner · Jul 31, 2017

I can't remember if we asked: You had water in the fuel and in the FIP causing the self-destruct. That may have been occurring over a period of time maybe?
Anyway, I recall you cleaned out the fuel tank but there may have been water present in your bulk fuel supply and it may still be in your fuel lines and in the Lift Pump.

I don't think the LP is too expensive but any small electric fuel pump from Halfords will do with some jiggery-pokery of the connections and the hose fittings. That's if yours doesn't arrive tomorrow.

Before you connect the fuel hose to the FIP. Turn the key to 'On' and let the LP send fuel into a large container for at least 2-3 litres and let that settle so you can check for water in the bottom. If it's clean you can pour it back into the tank. No waste. Just a precaution...

Nigelr · Jul 31, 2017

Yes I went from drums to an IBC tank (it's translucent) and 500 litres of tractor diesel. Then I saw water in the bottom and it all discoloured and stuff started growing. So I added a biocide and that seemed to fix it - after draining off the water no more formed.

So over last winter I drained the mower tank, vacuumed it out and cleaned the pickup pipe, mesh filter bowl, new spin-on fuel filter and filled it with biocided fuel. But now there was a bit of water in the separator again, and some brown solids, and the fuel in the tank is mud coloured!

So I'm going to dispose of all the old fuel, vacuum again, pump the fresh through as you say, and put the IBC tank on ebay!

Spanner · Jul 31, 2017

Yeah, Good call. I don't think storing diesel in translucent tanks is a good idea. UV's encourage the diesel bug to grow on the moisture/diesel boundary layer. Your brown solids and mud are the result.

Depending on the previous use, not all IBC's are rated for petro-chemical/solvent storage and may degrade in the presence of fuel.