L3400 power loss..

[RadarTech]

Good late Friday evening!
Got a little head scratcher going on..

My little 3400 is having power loss when going uphill..
It happened before.. and I’m wondering what else I can do..

Last time I was sure it was a fungus growth in the tank.. so I put a helping of bio clean in, changed the fuel filter, and it seemed better.. now 2 years later, it appears to be back..
Changed the fuel filter again.. and fuel came out dark brown/black!
Changed the air filters…
Found nothing in the tank with my magnet..
I was expecting something rusty…

I’ve got a whole new fuel filter body inbound.. and new air filters.
Oil is about 8 months old, but it has sat and only run maybe 25 hours in the last year..
Hydro and filters are about 8 months old too..

What else should I do/check?

I want to lick this issue as I’m about to do some serious brush clearing…

Got a used squealer 600 for a good deal…
And 4 acres to clear….
We’ll likely only clear 2 at most..

Thanks!
RT

 

[RjCorazza]

A contaminated fuel issue is usually a "go big, or go home" problem.
I would start by draining and cleaning the tank, replacing fuel filters, flush lines with fresh fuel, and add a biocide.

Equally important is to find out where and how the fuel is being contaminated. The bacterial growth (anywhere from dark specks in the filter, to thick black slop everywhere) requires water to grow. Somewhere you're getting water in the fuel, that must be addressed. I use a water blocking filter on my transfer tank, and keep the transfer tank relatively full when possible.
Good luck.

 

[RadarTech]

Sounds like I’m gonna be in for some serious work.. I looked at removing the tank. Shouldn’t be too bad.. It has about 7 gallons in it now…
But what do I do with that fuel?

 

[RjCorazza]

I use diesel for starting my yearly burn pile.
I have never had a bacterial contamination issue, but did have significant water contamination with (4) 55 gallon drums of diesel that I stupidly pumped unfiltered into my zero turn mower. I drained the mower tanks back into the barrel, then pumped it back out into a clean barrel with a water blocking filter. The last several inches in the barrel was thrown on the burn pile.

 

[Thomas]

Check out youtube might be some ideas help stop bacterial contamination issue.

 

[old and tired]

…But what do I do with that fuel?

Raleigh has hazardous waste collections. I dropped off 15 gallons and they got it out of the truck without me lifting a finger. You can use it to burn brush and stumps... small amounts, I just light it on fire in a coffee can. I would also, mix bad diesel with Garlon to brush onto tree bark that I want to kill...

I *might* have been near a place that was burning an old building in a fire pit... the trackhoe that did most of the work; it's fuel filter was getting clogged with rust. We *might* have drained 30 gallons into a 55 gallon, open top barrel and from 12 feet up, stopped the fork lift abruptly before the fire pit. That might have been a sight to see, IF we did it....

 

[diesel85]

You can also find someone with a waste oil burner. A friend who runs an auto shop has one, and burns everything in it, except lots of gasoline. They just filter the heck out of it before it goes into the tank.

 

[5030]

I have a Kleen Burn waste oil heater and it has a centrifugal filter on it that removes any contaminates from the waste oil before it consumes it. I burn everything including brake fluid but no AF as it don't burn.

 

[JWR]

You said
"My little 3400 is having power loss when going uphill..
It happened before.. and I’m wondering what else I can do.."

1) So what did you do to get rid of it the first time? Just went away ?
2) How much of a "power loss?" Could use a more thorough description of that power loss in order to offer worthwhile comments.
3) Not starving for fuel is it? Any different with a full tank?

 

[RadarTech]

You said
"My little 3400 is having power loss when going uphill..
It happened before.. and I’m wondering what else I can do.."

1) So what did you do to get rid of it the first time? Just went away ?
2) How much of a "power loss?" Could use a more thorough description of that power loss in order to offer worthwhile comments.
3) Not starving for fuel is it? Any different with a full tank?

First time I added bioclean to it and waited 2 days, changed fuel filter, added normal diesel additive and then filled the tank.. and then let it idle 10 min before working it hard…

I think that was extreme… now I admit it doesn’t get run like it used to.. maybe 3-4 hours a month.. where it used to be 20-30 hours a month. Driveway got better…

Struggling— going up a 4-5 % grade it bogs down to the point of nearly cutting off.. if I stop going up the engine returned to full RPM.

Hydro is full.. and I think it was no different full or not..

Note that last weekend I bushhogged stuff that was 5 ft high— grass, briars, and even a few cedar trees (2 ft high —or so)
It didn’t miss a beat— but it had a full tank for sure.. I topped it off on the drive to the property..

I wonder if I could have a blockage of water in the hydro filters? That only appears as an angle?

When I bush hogged it was level..
And I only have issues on an incline… never on level land…

 

[JWR]

Hmmm... that is intriguing. With the two data points of -- GOOD operation on the flat with a full tank and trouble on inclines... I do not know if the L3400 has a lift pump feeding the fuel injection pump or not. Sounds like it COULD be a lift pump issue if there is one.

A second thought: Not that this is your problem but I had a MF 2660 delivered brand new with a fuel pickup in the tank configured such that I could not climb a 40% slope with a half tank of fuel (!!) But with a full tank no problem. The AGCO/Massey people installed a "T" in the fuel line pickup inside the tank which placed a pickup effectively in both ends of the tank. I believe it took a check-valve also to make sure that the redesigned "T" would always get fuel and not suck air from the other end. It was starving for fuel on slopes until this mod was installed.

Note: Before the mod if I only had a low level of fuel in the tank it would have cut out at a MUCH lower % grade than the 40%.

 

[RadarTech]

Hmmm... that is intriguing. With the two data points of -- GOOD operation on the flat with a full tank and trouble on inclines... I do not know if the L3400 has a lift pump feeding the fuel injection pump or not. Sounds like it COULD be a lift pump issue if there is one.

A second thought: Not that this is your problem but I had a MF 2660 delivered brand new with a fuel pickup in the tank configured such that I could not climb a 40% slope with a half tank of fuel (!!) But with a full tank no problem. The AGCO/Massey people installed a "T" in the fuel line pickup inside the tank which placed a pickup effectively in both ends of the tank. I believe it took a check-valve also to make sure that the redesigned "T" would always get fuel and not suck air from the other end. It was starving for fuel on slopes until this mod was installed.

Note: Before the mod if I only had a low level of fuel in the tank it would have cut out at a MUCH lower % grade than the 40%.

I just did some googling and it appears that there is a lift pump in it.. and one thread said it is common for it to fail…

 

[RadarTech]

Hmmm... that is intriguing. With the two data points of -- GOOD operation on the flat with a full tank and trouble on inclines... I do not know if the L3400 has a lift pump feeding the fuel injection pump or not. Sounds like it COULD be a lift pump issue if there is one.

A second thought: Not that this is your problem but I had a MF 2660 delivered brand new with a fuel pickup in the tank configured such that I could not climb a 40% slope with a half tank of fuel (!!) But with a full tank no problem. The AGCO/Massey people installed a "T" in the fuel line pickup inside the tank which placed a pickup effectively in both ends of the tank. I believe it took a check-valve also to make sure that the redesigned "T" would always get fuel and not suck air from the other end. It was starving for fuel on slopes until this mod was installed.

Note: Before the mod if I only had a low level of fuel in the tank it would have cut out at a MUCH lower % grade than the 40%.

I just checked and it appears they are less than $100….
When I get back to the property I need to check the fuel level and see if I can reproduce with less than a full tank.. maybe even pump some out and try it.. and then fill it and try it.. if it is reproduceable, just order it.. maybe the local kubota shop will have one in stock..

If this is it.. I have a feeling that this will save me from A breakdown…

Thanks!!

 

[Smokeydog]

If you have or had a black slime problem you need to treat the source too. Bulk container or 5 gallon cans. Any thing that touched the fuel. Usually takes several to many biocide treatments to fully eliminate. Hard problem to eliminate so prevention is important. Only grows where there is water in fuel so do your best to eliminate the source.

 

[RadarTech]

Update…
Yesterday I ran down the drive and back up.. nothing added to the fuel… it bogged down… came back to the shop.. this afternoon I added bioclean to the tank.. the bottle says it treats 100 gallons.. I added maybe 1/8 of the bottle … more than a splash… less than a pour..
Nothing measured..

Let her sit about 20 min.. cranked her.. took the trash down.. and came back up.. didn’t run perfect.. but much better than yesterday..
tank is 3/4 full..
I added a little bio clear to each of my 5 gallon cans..
I’m gonna have to make the same trip tomorrow to retrieve the garbage can..

The driveway is 1/2 mile long and drops 220 ft from the carport to the state road.. it is rather steep in places..

We shall see how she acts tomorrow.

 

[RadarTech]

Update.
Today I was down in SC doing some property clean up.. I had 1/2 to 3/4 tank of fuel.. after 2 hours or hard work, it starting bogging down.. on flat ground…
I remembered the lift pump note here, and went and filled the tank..
BAM.. no more issues… so I think the lift pump is it! I have a new one on the shelf .. just have to install it…