Kubota L3200 stalled after running kerosine

[lockmedic]

Hi gang.

I've come here a lot as a result of Google searches but have never found a need to start a post until now.

Been a rough weekend here. Put in 2500 feet of buried dog fence wire using a subsoiler across rough terrain, 1 paved driveway crossing, and bushogging 2 acres of more rough terrain. Saw briers galore. . and found a yellowjacket nest.

Anyway worked all day yesterday without issue. Shut down as I was running low on fuel last night. Needed to work about 30 minutes more this morning so rather than run into town and buy more diesel I thought I'd just throw in a couple of gallons of Kerosene I had left from the garage heater this winter. Stored indoors in a sealed container, no water in it.

I've run kero in lots of diesels in winter over the years without adverse effects, figured this would be fine for what little I had to do. In hindsight that was a terrible idea. I'm an idiot, I'll admit it. If I had to guess I'd say the mix was about 80% kero, 20% diesel.

I filled up and the started my circular pattern around what I had to mow. I made it about 200 feet in and on an uphill section it stalled. Wouldn't restart.

I completely drained the tank and changed the filter, and drained the lines up to the fuel pump. Figured I'd just bleed out the rest by cranking.

It took a good 5-10 minutes to restart giving the starter a minute to rest with 20 secs of cranking. Smoked a bunch and it took 20-30 seconds for all the cylinders to come in but it eventually ran smooth. Continued mowing.

Same place in the mowing pattern (slightly uphill), it sputtered, smoked, and stalled again.

I hopped off, cursed, grabbed the machete and finished the weed wacking the old way.

Came back once it had cooled off, pulled the line off the pump and drained some more fuel (in case it had sucked up a lump of kero or water or something) and tried restarting. Same process, again it took a while and coughed/smoked but eventually ran smooth.

Started mowing again. Same thing. . .a few minutes of running and almost exactly the same place in the pattern it starts to cough and sputter. This time I lift the brushcutter up and point it downhill so it'll at least roll onto the trailer if I have to take it in or get it to the workshop.

I fear the worst, like I've worn out some critical part in the injection pump ($$$).

Thoughts? I have not tried bleeding the injector lines (yet).

 

[arto98607]

uch:

I would remove the fuel tank & filter(s) and clean thoroughly/replace again and bleed the injector lines.
You may be getting air into the system?

 

[mddorange]

:welcome:
To the TBN forum Lockmedic. This is a great place to get help on anything.

Enjoy.

 

[Agvg]

Does you have a good flow of diesel when it stops? Can it be engine temp related?

 

[thepumpguysc]

The pump is a lot tougher than the injectors.. I would presume the injectors got hot from lack of lube in fuel & probably swelled/over heated & blued the tips.
Its a guess tho, seen it afew x before. All you can do is flush the system, refill w/ GOOD DIESEL FUEL & bleed the system & see what it does.

 

[lockmedic]

Thanks mddorange et. al.,

Could be temp related but I sorta doubt it. AFAIK it's still a super simple diesel engine that just needs fuel, air and compression to run.

thepumpguysc: good to know. The injectors are a heck of a lot cheaper than the pump.

I have new, clean, good fuel flow to the low pressure pump. I can unhook the line and get gravity flow through the filter. I should be able to tell if the injector pump is doing its job by cracking the lines at the injector. . . so if bleeding the lines doesn't work I suppose I'll pull and check the injectors. I *think* we still have a pump/injector shop here in knox. . . they can be bench tested for flow and spray pattern I take it?

 

[diesel85]

Every time I hear people running kerosene in diesel engines these days I cringe. There is no lubricity in kerosene. To me, it's like running parts cleaner through a diesel engine.

There's someone at my work that swears by mixing kerosene in diesel, even during the summer in a brand new BX. I told them not to, but they said their "farmer buddies" told'em they been doing it for years in their diesel tractors.

At least when they have an early wear related issue, I'll be the first to tell them, I told ya so.

 

[4570Man]

So what’s their claimed advantage in doing it in the summer time?

 

[diesel85]

It's funny you ask... they shrug and tell me the same line: their "farmer buddies" told'em they been doing it for years in their diesel tractors.

 

[4570Man]

It's funny you ask... they shrug and tell me the same line: their "farmer buddies" told'em they been doing it for years in their diesel tractors.

I doubt that unless having a 8n ford and a garden counts as a farmer. Even if it runs fine and doesn’t screw anything up kerosene is $5 a gallon. There’s plenty of people pouring atf in diesel ( the idea is probably right regardless if atf if the right way to get there ). Then this idiot is burning half kerosene.