Losing Power and Looking for Advice

[EddieWalker]

My 37hp Century tractor is losing power. My first thought is to change the fuel filter and blow out the fuel lines. I'm also wondering if my aftermarket electric fuel pump is putting out enough psi. I'll have to buy a gauge to measure that.

This kind of started last year when I gave up on my wiring and ripped everything out. I ran all new wires just to what I felt was important. Key to the starter. Alternator and electric fuel pump. My glow plugs are powered off of a button that I hold in and count to ten before starting and for the first time in a very long time, it starts every time I want to use it. Instead of a wire to the solenoid that turns the tractor off, I ran a manual choke cable to it. Push it in to turn off the engine, pull it out to start it.

Could I have overlooked something electronic that could cause a loss of power?

Last year, I noticed that I had trouble getting up to RPM while bush hogging. Once I was at 2500, I had plenty of power to mow, but when I hit something or bogged down the engine, I had to stop, push in the clutch and wait for my RPM's to build back up again before mowing. Yesterday, it started out that way, but I had to keep going slower and slower to keep the RPM's up while mowing, then it got so bad that just turning too tight would bog the engine down. I was in my lowers of low gears when I finished up the area I was mowing and not sure if I could make it back to the house, but then I disengaged the PTO for the mower and I had plenty of power to drive back.

What am I missing? or what else should I be looking at?

Thank you

 

[seville009]

Start with a new fuel filter and see what happens

Many threads on power loss, with the general consensus being fuel starvation- a bunch end up being solved with a new fuel filter

 

[Bayfisher]

eddie chk your inlet side of the aftermarket fuel pump for a screen, it may be clogged, otherwise/also chk your fuel pressure remains steady under load.

whats the fuel pressure for your tractor ?

 

[EddieWalker]

I blew out my fuel lines and checked the fuel filter without finding any issues. I ran the electric pump and fuel shot out 5-6 feet. I couldn't find an issue, so I put it back together without any change.

Yesterday I got my zero turn stuck at the edge of some mud. I debated over using the Mule to pull it out or trying the little tractor. Where it's located, my best odds of not getting stuck where the tractor, so I started it up and started driving to where I was stuck. It barely had enough power to move forward in my mid range gears, so I drove in my low range, in 2nd gear. It was really bad and then it died on me.

I noticed that the clear plastic fuel filter looked empty and it got me to thinking that maybe there is an air lock. The only way that I could think of to purge the air out of the line was to loosen a bolt on the injector pump where the fuel line connects to it. I cracked it and turned on the electric pump with the key. Fuel came out freely, but the fuel filter didn't fill up. I figured that I had wasted my time on that idea, but tried to start it up anyway and hopefully get it back to my house.

It fired up with more power then I can remember it having in a very long time. It was a brand new tractor!!! To say that I was amazed would be an understatement. I put it in mid range, engaged the PTO to run my 6ft bush hog, and started cutting foot tall grass in second gear. I haven't been able to that in years. Then I went to an area with 2 foot tall grass and down shifted to first, but stil in mid range. I cruised along like it was nothing. I'm still in shock over how much power I have all of a sudden. This must have been a slow, ongoing problem that I only realy noticed when it got so bad that I couldn't avoid dealing with it.

I don't really know what I did or why it's fixed. Hopefully somebody that knows diesels will comment with what happened in case somebody else has similar issues.

 

[LouNY]

Glad it's working good for you at the present.
Do you think it's possible your push pull cable was not moving your fuel valve all the way.
Good luck with her, they are female and fickle at times :drink:

 

[TnAndy]

Check your fuel tank for crap. Empty fuel filter bowl is a good sign something is floating around in the tank and blocking flow. If you see it empty, or even with air in it, pull the filter inlet hose off and see if you have good flow, or just a trickle.....then work backwards to the tank. My tank outlet is easy to access, yours may or may not be......but if you only see a little dribble coming out of the tank, stick a pipe cleaner or long skinny screwdriver up the outlet and see if you don't get hosed with fuel.