TN65 won't start after running out of fuel

[Uncle E]

Hey all, I had my tractor stop on me when I was reversing downhill and I assumed it ran out of fuel, quite likely it did.

I put in 20 litres of diesel, and bled the lines to injectors and at the fuel filter and still no go.
I asked a mate to lend a hand towing the tractor to a flat spot. I put on a new fuel filter as it was something i had put on my to-do list and bled everything again, and still no go.
the fuel pump seems to be working well, the electrical line to the solenoid in the injector pump was frayed and exposed, so replaced it. tested that the solenoid still works. seem to.
i was testing again with a mate yesterday and he thinks there's still air in the lines somewhere even though it's been bled out out 10+ times as he sees air bubbles at the injector line when we crack the nut there.
could it be a seal on the fuel filter.

I replaced the filter from a Sakura SFC- 5708 to a genuine CNH filter, which looked a bit different and had a rubber seal in the centre unlike the Sakura. Could that be the issue?
If i use a engine start aerospray, the motor will go, but soon as i stop spraying it stops so it still seems a fuel issue. so either the solenoid is not open enough or filter or something else?

 

[Agvg]

Possible to bleed the injectors?

 

[Uncle E]

yeah, thats where we're seeing air bubbles still, and they won't stop.

 

[Uncle E]

bled on both sides of the line too, from out of the injector pump and at the cylinder.

 

[Roadworthy]

Perhaps you're not letting the fuel go long enough to get all the air out while bleeding. If you've substituted a different fuel filter it could be defective in some way. You may be able to rinse out your original filter in diesel to clean it then reuse it. If the filter does not seat fully is it possible you can get air into the system at that point? I wouldn't think so but a bad filter can certainly block proper fuel flow.

 

[sandman2234]

I am wondering if pull starting it is possible, to reduce the wear on the starter and battery? Anytime a diesel engine is run out of fuel it isn't going to be fun to get it going again!
David from jax

 

[Jerry/MT]

Hey all, I had my tractor stop on me when I was reversing downhill and I assumed it ran out of fuel, quite likely it did.

I put in 20 litres of diesel, and bled the lines to injectors and at the fuel filter and still no go.
I asked a mate to lend a hand towing the tractor to a flat spot. I put on a new fuel filter as it was something i had put on my to-do list and bled everything again, and still no go.
the fuel pump seems to be working well, the electrical line to the solenoid in the injector pump was frayed and exposed, so replaced it. tested that the solenoid still works. seem to.
i was testing again with a mate yesterday and he thinks there's still air in the lines somewhere even though it's been bled out out 10+ times as he sees air bubbles at the injector line when we crack the nut there.
could it be a seal on the fuel filter.

I replaced the filter from a Sakura SFC- 5708 to a genuine CNH filter, which looked a bit different and had a rubber seal in the centre unlike the Sakura. Could that be the issue?
If i use a engine start aerospray, the motor will go, but soon as i stop spraying it stops so it still seems a fuel issue. so either the solenoid is not open enough or filter or something else?

Do not use starter fluid to try to start the engine. You can break the rings doing this.

Did you bleed the filter first and then the injectors? I would start by removing the fuel line to the injector pump (IP). Open the tank valve and then turn on the key and crank the engine. You should have a gush of fuel without air bubbles. If it dribbles or is intermittent then you have restricted fuel delivery.
The general diesel fuel system starts at the tank then goes to a water separator and then to a lift pump, then to the fuel filter, to the IP, and finally to the injector lines and the injectors. between the tank outlet and the IP is the usual place to find blockages. They can be in the tank outlet strainer, the fuel lines and fittings, the water separator and filter head and filter. Many lift pumps have a screen under the dome like top that can clog. So if you work back toward the tank, the component that you remove and get full fuel flow is the culprit. Does that make sense to you? Assume nothing. do the checks component by component and you will find the problem.
I gather you are an Aussie and if you are in the tropical part of the country, you may be prone to high humidity operation and that will usually allow water to condense in the tank and breed a type of bacteria that lives in the fuel/water interface. These critters eat the fuel and cause a sludge to form in the fuel tank that can cause blockages over time. There are biocides that can help manage this but by keeping the fuel tank as full as possible especially between uses, one can minimize this condensation. No water, no sludge!

I hope this helps you.