Water in fuel causes $10,000 damage to my Kubota Grand L6060

[Hay Dude]

I did $6,500 injector job on one of my Kubotas last fall. First time in my life I ever replaced diesel injectors in 35 years. 3 of 4 failed and the one that didn’t was “marginal”. $1,000 to have them tested. Each injector was $1,000 and then there’s labor and other small parts. The Denso injectors cannot be rebuilt.

IMO, the Kubota fuel water separator, the fuel filter and the fuel system in general is a mickey mouse system. Even on my 130HP Kubota, the fuel/water separator is virtually the same as on one of the Kubota 25HP tractors.
My AGCO’s and my Case-IH MX have 2 filters with a separator and a sensor for warning the operator there’s water in the fuel.

 

[cathy liebchen]

Glad you had KTAC insurance to cover that. We use a big Mr Funnel to strain water out when filling the tractors

 

[Torvy]

Ouch. I'm sorry that happened to you. Expensive equipment often has expensive repair bills. Hopefully your misfortune will help someone else avoid a similar fate. Thanks for sharing.

 

[jyoutz]

Glad you had KTAC insurance to cover that. We use a big Mr Funnel to strain water out when filling the tractors

I use mr funnel also. It does waste some fuel, but I just dump the residual in the bottom of the funnel into a fuel can that I use to burn brush piles.

 

[RalphVa]

Look at where the air breather is on your fuel tanks that you supply your tractor with. The one on my generator's tank was just a small elbow mounted on top the tank. I quickly put a piece of rubber tubing on it and have it up about mid block on the engine so that it will not catch any water when I wash off the top of the tank.

I recently checked that tank with an oil extractor after finding water in the gearbox of my brush hog. No water.

 

[5030]

IMO, the Kubota fuel water separator, the fuel filter and the fuel system in general is a mickey mouse system. Even on my 130HP Kubota, the fuel/water separator is virtually the same as on one of the Kubota 25HP

Yes, it is. On the T4 final units, the fuel needs 'polished' moreso than a pre 4 unit. Why I suggest a Racor or similar unit in the fuel supply system before the electronically controlled injection system. The Racor comes with an on board water sensor that can be wired to a dash light too.

Kubota needs to 'up it's game' as far as fuel 'polishing' on it's late model tractors.

 

[5030]

I did $6,500 injector job on one of my Kubotas last fall. First time in my life I ever replaced diesel injectors in 35 years. 3 of 4 failed and the one that didn’t was “marginal”. $1,000 to have them tested. Each injector was $1,000 and then there’s labor and other small parts. The Denso injectors cannot be rebuilt.

Interesting comment. When I had both of my Kubota's 'tuned up', Dennis pulled the injectors and spray tested them on the stand and replaced them and the cups and charged me the labor rate plus parts and they were all fine. Not even close to 6500 bucks. Far as replacement-rebuild, don't know because all 8 of mine were fine.

 

[Complete Turf Care]

I have been fighting fuel issues for years. I do have the Goldenrod filter on my nurse tank. Today, I will try to find their 'water block' filter. I just don't understand what I'm doing wrong. Here are a couple of threads I started in the past concerning my issues.

The mechanic did tell me not to put additives in the tank, because it does not remove the water, but only dissolves it, and it still gets into the tractor's fuel system. I'm not sure if that is totally correct.

How to clean rust out of a diesel transfer tank?

Last year I bought a used 100 gal. fuel transfer tank from my nephew. I got if for $275 including a good pump. It sat up most of the winter with about 75 gal. of diesel in it. Recently, I loaded it on my trailer and began using it. I pumped at least 300 gallons through it in the past 6...

www.tractorbynet.com

Oil & Fuel - L6060 trash in fuel tank

My L6060 has 82 hours on it now. My son in law was using it and said it ran out of fuel. It was low, but not empty. We added fuel and it ran fine for about 20 minutes then seemed to be starving for fuel again. I changed the fuel filter. I've had this sort of thing happen before when I got...

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[dodge man]

Just something I’ll throw out and I’m not saying this happened. I know someone that had problems with a diesel pick up, 6.7 Cummins. Like all high pressure common rails, they can eat injectors and are expensive. He was a contractor and burned a lot of fuel. His Cummins ate injectors at low miles, as in 10,000 miles. They said he had water in his fuel and showed him a jar of contaminated fuel. I always wondered if they kept that same jar of bad fuel and used it over and over to show people.

 

[5030]

I have been fighting fuel issues for years. I do have the Goldenrod filter on my nurse tank. Today, I will try to find their 'water block' filter. I just don't understand what I'm doing wrong. Here are a couple of threads I started in the past concerning my issues.

The mechanic did tell me not to put additives in the tank, because it does not remove the water, but only dissolves it, and it still gets into the tractor's fuel system. I'm not sure if that is totally correct.

How to clean rust out of a diesel transfer tank?

Last year I bought a used 100 gal. fuel transfer tank from my nephew. I got if for $275 including a good pump. It sat up most of the winter with about 75 gal. of diesel in it. Recently, I loaded it on my trailer and began using it. I pumped at least 300 gallons through it in the past 6...

www.tractorbynet.com

Oil & Fuel - L6060 trash in fuel tank

My L6060 has 82 hours on it now. My son in law was using it and said it ran out of fuel. It was low, but not empty. We added fuel and it ran fine for about 20 minutes then seemed to be starving for fuel again. I changed the fuel filter. I've had this sort of thing happen before when I got...

www.tractorbynet.com

I bottom drain my bulk tank regularly, draining off an accumulated gook and that goes on the burn pile as accelerant. Any bulk tank that isn't full to the top will collect moisture inside as the it condenses on the interior walls due to temperature changes (just like a cold drink container will 'sweat' on the outside because the contents is colder than the ambient air on the outside). Same thing happens inside a storage tank. Why I always add a biocide, in my case I use Powerservice Bio-Kleen and I also add Powerservice white or silver label diesel additive as well.

They all sweat inside, cannot get around that. Fact of storing diesel.