I know whats going on now, after i had to clean the lift pump screen yet again, i decided to drain the tank. I put a10 gal washtub under the drain plug and let it rip. The fuel was a nasty yellowish color but there really wasnt much physical crud like i found in the screen. I had to empty the pan once and it filled it a good ways more before it was done, i thought it was odd since i was running out of fuel as i parked it last time but i ignored it and finished draining it out.
After pouring a gallon of fresh fuel in and seeing it turn clear, i was disappointed and i put my finger into the drain hole and felt all kinds of sandy stuff that was too heavy to drain sitting on the floor of the tank, so after getting mad for a minute, i determined the tank had to come down.
Where i was already nasty, i got back under the tractor and after looking around, turns out the tank is super easy to remove. It took me about an hr to get down, i removed the line from the bottom, pulled the upper line out of the two looms that hold it to the inside of the tank, then removed the vent line and the filler neck through the hole inside the left rear fender and then it just a bunch of skidplate screws that go into the tank so they arent really tight, and two strap bolts and the tank slides out the side. The pick up line is long enough after unlooming it earlier that it can be left attached until the tank is away from the tractor. The clamp is rusted and ruined on mine, so ill have to cut it and get a new clamp. Ill just leave the bad clamp on the sending unit, since its offically trash anyways...
Since i couldnt get the pickup line off, i just unscrewed the whole sending unit and it gets sad after i did that.
It looks kinda short...
This is a view looking into the fill neck hole, i think that pipe and ball is whats left of the pickup tube and fuel gauge sending unit. Lots of nasty crud all inside the bottom too.
It got dark on me so i put a bag over the deceased sending unit and stuffed it under the floorpan in case it rains, and dragged the tank inside the garage for now. I dont currently have a truck to haul it with but if a basic water hose, some dawn and some creative manuvering around of the tank will work, i think i can get it cleaned out and dried back out eventually. I hope this fixes the tractor and its sputtering and weakness, seems i was actually starving for some (really nasty) fuel that was constantly getting crud added to the mix from the rusting pick up tube piece and getting air into the line since whats left of it is perforated from rust. Ill check around online to see if i can find the sending unit for a reasonable price, and perhaps one thats made of something other than metal if possible.
www.mycnhistore.com
