Well, now that was embarassing

woodlandfarms · Aug 13, 2014

So the other day I am coming up the ravine with the mower on and the tractor is dragging, just struggling to get up the hill. I posted, and got a response about possible dragging going on in the wheel motor area.

So today, got back on the machine, and it started out OK but got worse quickly. Same thing. Engine just would not make the tractor go. But it really felt like the engine was trying. Now I freak out. I am looking up all I can look up on the net about the pump and starting to freak out at the $6K purchase price. So I call Terry all in a panic. He has me go to the tractor with a phillps screw driver. Bend down, open the engine compartment and then unscrew the Pre Filter.

OK. So I change my filter when I do my yearly maintenance, but I realized I have not pulled the pre filter off in two years. I also have put in some Diesel cleaner stuff, and I am using a higher pressure diesel fuel pump to fill the tank (probably sloshing stuff up)

Anyway, 30 seconds later I am back and running. Thanks to Terry.

MossRoad · Aug 14, 2014

EEK!

What would we all do without Terry! :thumbsup:

cqaigy2 · Aug 14, 2014

Pre filter?? Good thing Terry was at the phone!

Thanks for the great photos as well.

Gary Fowler · Aug 14, 2014

woodlandfarms said:
So the other day I am coming up the ravine with the mower on and the tractor is dragging, just struggling to get up the hill. I posted, and got a response about possible dragging going on in the wheel motor area.

So today, got back on the machine, and it started out OK but got worse quickly. Same thing. Engine just would not make the tractor go. But it really felt like the engine was trying. Now I freak out. I am looking up all I can look up on the net about the pump and starting to freak out at the $6K purchase price. So I call Terry all in a panic. He has me go to the tractor with a phillps screw driver. Bend down, open the engine compartment and then unscrew the Pre Filter.

View attachment 386496 View attachment 386497 View attachment 386498

OK. So I change my filter when I do my yearly maintenance, but I realized I have not pulled the pre filter off in two years. I also have put in some Diesel cleaner stuff, and I am using a higher pressure diesel fuel pump to fill the tank (probably sloshing stuff up)

Anyway, 30 seconds later I am back and running. Thanks to Terry.

It looks like you need to use a more careful approach to keeping dirt and trash out of your fill containers, pumps and bulk oil containers. I don't think I have ever seen that much gunk in a oil tank strainer. Obviously the pre-filter was completely stopped up also.
Take a compressed air hose to the tank cap before opening to blow off all the trash, clean your hoses, pumps etc very good prior to using them, then wrap a clean cloth around the suction and discharge ends and tape them good to keep dirt daubers and other trash haulers out. Blow out all hoses with compressed air before using them also. An ounce of prevention will go a long way to keeping the oil and fuel system clean.

ponytug · Aug 14, 2014

It must be cruddy diesel week. I'm glad that you had a quick fix. Thanks for the photos.

I also have gotten in the habit of wiping the container and the tank down first and then blowing everything clean before filling.

I have a clear pre-prefilter installed inline to catch the 100 micron debris before the engine mounted pre filter catches the 50 micron stuff. It makes it easy to check on the crud in the line.

I took on a load of diesel for my big truck at a major truck stop and almost immediately had trouble with the idle. I kept loosing power on the way home, stalling out twice. Not a nice feeling in a 35,000 truck. I have ordered a bunch of filters, and I'm thinking of making a filter cart like Ken's to clean the tank.

If it isn't one thing, it is another.

All the best,

Peter

woodlandfarms · Aug 14, 2014

double post

woodlandfarms · Aug 14, 2014

Gary

It is a bit confusing but what you are seeing is a built in Diesel pre filter on a Deutz engine. The filter and the filter housing. No "oil" factored in (although diesel is more oil, isn't it?)

Anyway, I am pretty careful. that said, i can see the possible failure spots. The biggest was maintenance, i didn't perform it like I thought I had. This is a fresh batch of road diesel (Very possible I got the dregs of the tank if I arrived on a bad day). I have been using an electric pump to get from my plastic 55 gallon to my tractor. I have been letting the tractor fuel tank get lower than usual before filling up. The combo of the pump pushing a lot of fuel and an empty tank, I could be sloshing up sediment that has been in there for years. I also added some fuel additives this time around, maybe it sluffed stuff off the side of the tank as well.

But yeah, I was stunned how much was in the pre filter. Thought a mouse got sucked into it for a moment...

ponytug · Aug 14, 2014

Just one comment on the diesel fluid management in the Deutz; fuel comes out of the tank, goes through any external pre filter, then through the engine pre filter (Carl's photos), then the engine fuel filter, and up to the injectors, where about 20% is injected and the rest is used to pressurize the injector. The excess is returned to the tank. This means that the fuel in the tank gets polished pretty quickly.

As a side note, Carl your debris looks pretty rusty, so you might want to consider adding an aqua block type filter in fuel system somewhere, perhaps as an external pre-filter. (e.g. Racor 215R30, a 15gph/30micron water coalescing/removing filter). You could put it on the tub side wall ahead of the engine pre-filter. I know your machine lives in somewhat wet conditions... :laughing:

All the best,

Peter

woodlandfarms · Aug 14, 2014

Well, things just got more interesting. The machine failed again. Pulled the pre filter and it wasn't too bad. Going to replace the second but first I have to drain this diesel out.

So I go to my 55 gallon tank with the pump in it. I pull the pump and the pipe that goes into the tank is completely rusted. It is less than a year old and has generally been filled up. I am getting a whole new one sent to me but I have to put a filter on my tank. Should have in the beginning, just never got around to it.

I just got back in the house. My primary screw on filter was completely plugged. Smaller stuff. What a nightmare. Worried about my injectors but so far so good.

I drained my fuel tank, dumped the diesel, got fresh from the pump in a 5 gallon and we seem to be off and running again.