Hello all, I've enjoyed reading your posts for some time and there is obviously quite a bit of knowledge represented here. Perhaps somebody can clarify something for me regarding what I suspect is a failed primary fuel pump on a diesel MF65.
A couple of weeks ago while doing some box-blading, it began to surge. I was smart enough (?) to know that I needed to get headed back towards the barn. I almost made it to the barn before the tractor just shut off. Suspecting a clogged filter I started with the sediment bowl. I drained it, cleaned it, and put it back on the tractor. I bled the lines through the primary filter, the secondary filter, and both bleed screws on the injector pump. When I tried to bleed the individual injector lines at the injectors themselves, I was never able to get a steady stream of fuel out of them. Only little dribbles now and then. I have pulled the tractor with my truck with the lines opened and still nothing more than a dribble of fuel from the lines. Two days ago, the last time I worked on it, I noticed something that hadn't been there before. There was a steady stream of fuel coming from the junction of the primary pump and the engine block immediately after I primied it with the handle. At this point there was sufficient pressure at the injector pump to again see a steady stream of fuel coming from the botton bleed screw. Considering the pump is leaking at the engine block I would say it has failed. However, if indeed it has failed why can I get plenty of fuel to the injector pump with it? Once fuel is at the injector pump, I would think that I could bleed the air from the injector lines and thereby start the tractor. I don't have a problem buying another pump, I'm just interested in what somebody with more experience has to say.. by the way, I have no idea what year model it is -- I can't find a serial number anywhere. It must have 1,000,000 hours on it. There's no tach, the power steering appears to have quite decades ago, the tie-rod ends are held on with electrical wire, and the seals are so bad that oil gushes out of the bellhousing on the slightest downhill grade. Still, it outworks my father's 235 at least by 3 to 1. I really like old junk! I'll be splitting it this next winter to correct some of the internals...
A couple of weeks ago while doing some box-blading, it began to surge. I was smart enough (?) to know that I needed to get headed back towards the barn. I almost made it to the barn before the tractor just shut off. Suspecting a clogged filter I started with the sediment bowl. I drained it, cleaned it, and put it back on the tractor. I bled the lines through the primary filter, the secondary filter, and both bleed screws on the injector pump. When I tried to bleed the individual injector lines at the injectors themselves, I was never able to get a steady stream of fuel out of them. Only little dribbles now and then. I have pulled the tractor with my truck with the lines opened and still nothing more than a dribble of fuel from the lines. Two days ago, the last time I worked on it, I noticed something that hadn't been there before. There was a steady stream of fuel coming from the junction of the primary pump and the engine block immediately after I primied it with the handle. At this point there was sufficient pressure at the injector pump to again see a steady stream of fuel coming from the botton bleed screw. Considering the pump is leaking at the engine block I would say it has failed. However, if indeed it has failed why can I get plenty of fuel to the injector pump with it? Once fuel is at the injector pump, I would think that I could bleed the air from the injector lines and thereby start the tractor. I don't have a problem buying another pump, I'm just interested in what somebody with more experience has to say.. by the way, I have no idea what year model it is -- I can't find a serial number anywhere. It must have 1,000,000 hours on it. There's no tach, the power steering appears to have quite decades ago, the tie-rod ends are held on with electrical wire, and the seals are so bad that oil gushes out of the bellhousing on the slightest downhill grade. Still, it outworks my father's 235 at least by 3 to 1. I really like old junk! I'll be splitting it this next winter to correct some of the internals...
