kioti lk3054 starves for fuel when it warms up.

K5lwq · Feb 9, 2020

Mine tank is in the same place and the tractor is one of the early LK series. 96 I believe. I am sure yours should have the fuel pump but for whatever reason it is not there. I think if you can find where it bolts, should be exactly where mine is, and add the pump your problem should go away.

As far as I know they did not change anything till the LK3054XS. There is a lot different on the XS.

I should add that I had a problem with rust in my tank. I drained it, used paper shop towels to mop up remaining fuel and then used a shop vac to get the loose stuff out. Before I did that fuel filters were clogging pretty fast. No problems so far after cleaning tank.

ab2df · Feb 9, 2020

thanks for the input.

ab2df · Feb 9, 2020

pic of where I think yours bolts on.

ab2df · Feb 9, 2020

I think it's a 1992 if I got serial number conversion right.

K5lwq · Feb 9, 2020

ab2df said:
pic of where I think yours bolts on.View attachment 640878

That is where it goes for sure. Looks like it was never installed. Here is a bad picture behind the pump that shows how the pump is mounted to the hump in your picture.

Sorry for all the dirt and bad picture but it is dark so hard to see.

K5lwq · Feb 9, 2020

I marked your picture to show where it goes. I forget that I replaced my engine and it is a later model than the tractor. I still have the old one with the original pump. I will look tomorrow afternoon and see if the lift pump is there.

ab2df · Feb 9, 2020

hard to believe it ran all those years if it needed it. I have not made it out to get new fuel and return lines yet. maybe I should try to pick up a cheap electronic fuel pump on the off chance that would help. it really has me baffled. I got it to run for 10 to 15 minutes today before it quit, enough to reach operating temp.

K5lwq · Feb 9, 2020

Well I could not wait and managed to get to the old motor and it has the lift pump on it. What baffles me is mine is the 25HP and yours is 30HP. Why in the world would they think gravity feed was good enough for that one? We have the same engine and tractor except the 3054 was offered with shuttle shift and mine is 8x2 transmission. I have turned the fuel up on mine so it is close to the 30HP now. The only other change I made was put the 10 GPM hydraulic pump that was on the XS version.

This is a strange one for sure.

ab2df · Feb 9, 2020

the electronic fuel pump might be worth a shot, would perhaps know the pressure your lift pump puts out? thanks.

K5lwq · Feb 9, 2020

I don't know the pressure but am sure it is low. I use to have the service manual but my lovely Bride decided to put my manuals in a safe place. A lot of my stuff goes to this special place. Unfortunately nobody including her knows where this place is.

ab2df · Feb 9, 2020

lol. I hear you. Thanks again for the help and input I appreciate it.

ab2df · Feb 9, 2020

lol. I hear you lol. sorry last post didn't go out. thanks to all for help and input.

radios1 · Feb 10, 2020

K5lwq said:
Well I could not wait and managed to get to the old motor and it has the lift pump on it. What baffles me is mine is the 25HP and yours is 30HP. Why in the world would they think gravity feed was good enough for that one? We have the same engine and tractor except the 3054 was offered with shuttle shift and mine is 8x2 transmission. I have turned the fuel up on mine so it is close to the 30HP now. The only other change I made was put the 10 GPM hydraulic pump that was on the XS version.

This is a strange one for sure.

WHY is to save a buck!.:2cents:

justman777 · Feb 10, 2020

Just so I'm tracking symptoms and what you've done thus far:

- Tractor runs for X minutes until it warms up and then it starts acting like it's starving for fuel
- The filter bowl never empties
- You've pulled the fuel line from the bowl and have good flow from the tank
- You've checked your air path, and have a good filter and clean open path to the throttle body
- Your tractor ran just fine for X years until just a little bit ago

That about got it?

I think you could try a few things:
- Check the line after the filter bowl to make sure it's clear of debris. Pull the line if you have to and blow through it.
- Put in a cheap electric in-line pump to see if that does anything
- Check your body grounds to ensure something isn't losing conductivity as the engine warms up and metal starts expanding

Personally, I'd check the line after the filter bowl and clean the body grounds before I purchased a pump.

ab2df · Feb 10, 2020

yes tractor runs for about 10 min. then starts to die. I have new fuel filter and o ring, air filter. I pulled the fuel line to injector pump immediately after it quit and fuel was running out in a stream. today I put all new fuel and return lines in and blew everything out. I bled it got it running after 10 min it started to die, even with fuel cap loose. when it started starving for fuel I put air pressure to the fuel tank and it picked right back up until I shut off the air then it started starving again till I gave tank a shot of air, I did this 5 or 6 times and as long as there was some pressure to the fuel tank it ran fine. Maybe the injector pump is getting weak? Also I have redone the ground, although the tractor doesn't need power to run you can shut key off and it keeps running, it has a mechanical fuel cut-off. I was thinking of trying an electric lift pump myself if the new fuel lines didn't work. Not sure what the pressure is supposed to be for a lift pump.

MichiganIron · Feb 10, 2020

ab2df said:
yes tractor runs for about 10 min. then starts to die. I have new fuel filter and o ring, air filter. I pulled the fuel line to injector pump immediately after it quit and fuel was running out in a stream. today I put all new fuel and return lines in and blew everything out. I bled it got it running after 10 min it started to die, even with fuel cap loose. when it started starving for fuel I put air pressure to the fuel tank and it picked right back up until I shut off the air then it started starving again till I gave tank a shot of air, I did this 5 or 6 times and as long as there was some pressure to the fuel tank it ran fine. Maybe the injector pump is getting weak? Also I have redone the ground, although the tractor doesn't need power to run you can shut key off and it keeps running, it has a mechanical fuel cut-off. I was thinking of trying an electric lift pump myself if the new fuel lines didn't work. Not sure what the pressure is supposed to be for a lift pump.

Pressurizing the fuel tank to keep the tractor running would indicate one of the following:

Weak Fuel Lift Pump
Obstruction in the fuel system before the injection pump

The problem is somewhere between the tank and the injection pump. I would be suspect of the lift pump.

Hope this helps,

Industrial Toys · Feb 10, 2020

I am working on something totally unrelated but ready to loose my mind over a similar fuel delivery issue. Such nice stuff to work with repeatedly too!

Did you make sure your fuel tank is clean without something floating in there?

Possibly lines or fuel heating up and causing the suction of air. You are lucky to have a high mounted fuel tank. It "should" make things easier. I believe I saw a picture of spring loaded clips. If that is keeping lines tight on barbs, I would consider replacing them. I just bought a kit of single ear OEM style crimp on SS clamps.

ab2df · Feb 10, 2020

the tractor has no lift pump, and the fuel flow is good to i.p. and I put all new lines in. I think the injector pump Is getting weak, "worn out" and they run over 1000$ although conestoga might be able to rebuild it, they have not called me back yet.

MichiganIron · Feb 10, 2020

All KIOTI TD1400 engines have a lift pump. Your engine should be the TD1400 engine. The lift pump is a small diaphragm pump that runs off the fuel camshaft. The pump is "round" and bolts to the right side of the engine just below the Injection Pump. The fuel flow should be Tank to Lift Pump to Fuel Filter to injection pump. If you don't have a lift pump, you would not get necessary fuel flow through the filter to the injection pump. The fuel lift pump can be found on our Parts Finder at the following address michiganironandequip.com. Since this pump is before the fuel filter, it is susceptible to plugging from debris.

Hope this helps