Kubota L3200 stalled after running kerosine

[JWR]

Pretty good story thanks.
However 1 micron is one millionth of 1 metre (or meter if you prefer), not millionth of 1 inch.

Cheers!

True, true. I knew better but thanks for the correction.

 

[JWR]

Is it possible that the injector pump can't compress that thin kerosene? Short of a vaccume leak that might also only develop on account of thinner fuel, it's the only thing I can think of.

I have seen wire drawing machines that used Kerosene as lubricant, so I am guessing it does have lubricity.

Neither #1 nor #2 nor any fuel is compressible. Neither is water or oil. Maybe you mean that injection pumps cannot handle thin kerosene (due to lubricity, droplet size, orifice size, etc.) ?
In general they can BUT what I am not familiar with (and unqualified to describe) is what the newest Tier 4 emissions control systems do or don't do and what sensitivity those systems have to fuel.

I gave a lot of weight to the Messicks guy earlier saying stay away from kerosene in the "newer machines" because of the Messicks reputation and experience. Even so, that needs some explanation because few of us know or understand exactly what the "newer machines" are doing differently for emissions, how they do it and what the sensitivity is to fuels and for that matter to additives. We do know by TBN comments that diesels below some size (HP? displacement?) have lesser emissions controls -- so much so that there are people out there purchasing machines just small enough to avoid the dreaded controls. We'd all be better off if we had a good tutorial and actually understood the various emissions controls.

 

[Industrial Toys]

No. of course, no liquid is compressible. So, what I meant is it can't pump the liquid to the pressure required. In the same way, I would speculate that a hydraulic jack would lift very little if filled with kerosene.

 

[the old grind]

Please bleed those injectors before you go to any more trouble. That the symptom is under load (going uphill) suggests that fuel delivery is weak only then ... when the governor tries add more to keep rpm up there. Air in the lines may compromise the greater pulse needed to deliver that higher (-est) amount.

I rarely blame something I've replaced more than once, but that's just me. Good luck with this. I agree that no harm was likely done to the machine.

 

[dodge man]

Most of these machines are self bleeding and I'm not sure how long it would take to get the fuel out of the lines but not long. A lot of the fuel ends up getting pumped back to the tank.

 

[ning]

No. of course, no liquid is compressible. So, what I meant is it can't pump the liquid to the pressure required. In the same way, I would speculate that a hydraulic jack would lift very little if filled with kerosene.

To be precise, everything is compressible, to various extents. Gasses are quite obviously compressible, while liquids typically aren't obviously so - but they do still compress; water compresses by 46 ppm per atmosphere of pressure. Oil - such as hydraulic fluid - compresses more than water.
Still, liquids in general can generally be treated as "incompressible" in rough terms, but that's just an approximation and they all are actually slightly compressible.

 

[jeff9366]

A BX, new or older is still pretty basic and forgiving of fuel. They have no emissions systems.

BXs since 2000 have had at least Tier I emission controls/engine modifications.

Hmm. I thought they all met Tier 4 now, but in their own way. Smaller engines didn't need the extra measures to meet tier 4.

During 1998 nonroad engine regulations reducing emissions were structured as a 3-tiered progression. Nonroad regulations use metric units, with regulatory limits expressed in grams of pollutant per kW. Examples of regulated applications include farm tractors, excavators, bulldozers, wheel loaders, backhoe loaders, road graders, diesel lawn tractors, logging equipment, portable generators, skid steer loaders and forklifts.

Each tier involved a phase-in (by engine power) over several years. Tier 1 standards phased-in from 1996 to 2000. Tier 2 standards phased-in from 2001 to 2006.Tier 3 standards phased-in from 2006 to 2008 (Tier 3 standards applied only to engines from 37-560 kW).

Very stringent Tier 4 emission standards, phased-in from 2008 through 2015, require substantial reductions of Particulate Matter above 19 kW power output. Sub-19 kW ( 19 kW = 25.4794-horsepower) powered tractors are required to meet only Tier II emission standards.

1) A few light tractors slightly exceeding 19 kW power output, with (small) engine displacements from 68 - 77 cubic inches, meet Tier IV emission standards without costly Diesel Particulate Filters. (DPF)

2) Some tractors with engine displacement around 100 cubic inches are governed by the manufacturers to limit power output to less than the 19 kW demarcation. Tractors under 19 kW ( 19 kW = 25.4794-horsepower) are presently exempt from stringent Tier IV emission controls.

Since full adoption in 2011, very low sulphur diesel fuel has contributed to decreased particulate matter emissions.



ARTICLE ON NON-ROAD DIESEL ENGINE EMISSION CONTROLS PROVIDED BY OOSIK.
Thank you, OOSIK.
Emission Standards: Emission Standards: USA: Nonroad Diesel Engines

 

[thepumpguysc]

How is this helping the poor fella start his tractor THAT HE KNOWS put Kero in??
You have 4 pages talking about lubricity.!!

 

[Industrial Toys]

Actually he must be kind of RICH! Kero costs a small fortune around here!

But, I do like that word "LUBRICITY"

 

[gator]

Thanks guys.

Total run time was about 5-10 minutes after adding kero. Temp gage was about 1/4 up from dead cold. Just in normal operating zone.

After draining the tank, changing the filter and refilling with diesel, another 5-10 mins. Same after I came back and ran it again. It did feel down on power even after refilling and up to the point it choked.

Total run time on questionable fuel, less than 20 mins.

I'll try draining the tank and cleaning everything out including purging the lines. . and I'll check injector spray. I ordered a set of injectors (returnable) just in case.

I would have thought dirt or water would have been caught by the filter/separator, as that's kind of it's job.

I'll keep this thread updated.

If you don't already have the Work Shop Manual for it download it for free HERE . If you don't have the owners manual with bleeding procedure, attached is the bleeding procedure from the WSM: