My 763F has the Kubota 2203 engine with 2050 hours and always starts easily and runs smoothly. I use it intermittently on my place. I'll try to make this version more brief. The forum timed out last time and deleted my whole rant!
Yesterday I ran my tractor out of fuel. I was working downhill when the low fuel alarm sounded and I made the mistake of turning around and heading up hill. The tractor died. I dumped in 5 gallons of fuel and gave it a try. After a couple of crank attemps it took off. I drove the tractor back towards the shop.
As I have cronicled in another post, my tractor suffers from the park brake engaging intermittently while driving. The only way to resolve it is to key off the machine and restart. Yep, it locked up half way back to the shop. I keyed off and crossed my fingers. The tractor did not restart. I tried until the battery gave up.
So after reading some blogs and reading the operators manual, I learned how to prime the fuel system and headed out this morning. I opened up the fuel bleed and gave the bulb a dozen or so pumps and had a stream of fuel. I pumped it up again until firm and cracked open the pump bleed. I added jumper cables and gave it a whirl.
It fired after a few attemps and all seemed good. I drove the tractor to the shop and while idling I loaded the bucket with the day's tools. I drove around the back of the shop where we are backfilling a trench and I unloaded the tools. I left the tractor at a high idle to hopefully charge the battery and did a few prep things. After having run for 15 or 20 minutes the tractor died while it was there idling. I tried to prime again. I kept getting little spits of air at the filter. I tried starting and it ran for 20 or 30 seconds.
Over the next six hours I tried lots of things. See if you can make anything from what I have observed. Releasing the bulb after a squeeze always causes a gurgle. I never feel like I get a steady draw of fuel. The check valve in the bulb seems to work most times as long as the bulb is verticle. All of the hoses seem pliable and sound. I cut one inch off the ends to eliminate any issues with the hose clamp areas. If I blow on the line from the bulb to the tank, the tank pressurizes, but I hear no air bubbling up through the fuel in the tank. When I release the pressure in the hose just air comes back. If I suck on the hose, I get intermittent fuel (don't do this at home kids).
I dumped another 5 gallons in since it seemed the tank pickup was not immersed in fuel. I lifted the cab and inspected the fuel line at the tank port. I cut the end off this line and redressed also. The tank port will rotate (normal?). I examined the full length of this line with my fingers from both the cab side and the engine side. I could not detect any cracks, nicks, flats, pack rat gnawing, kinks, etc. I tried opening the filter bleed and pumping the bulb fast and furious. I got several jets of bubbly fuel with intermittent air spurts.
Over the course of the day I expect I pumped 1/2 gallon or better through that little hole. I tried using a pair of vice grips as a secondary check valve on the line between the tank and the bulb. The bulb would pump up firm in 4 or 5 squeezes. I would pinch the line, crack the bleed, close the bleed, unpinch the line. Before releasing the grips, the bulb would stay collapsed. This suggested that there were no leaks between the grips and the upstream side of the system. I pursued this tedious method for 30-40 minutes. I tried cracking the pump bleed and running the bulb pump. I noted that this would push air completely around the loop and I could hear it bubbling back into the tank through the return line. I don't know what the inside of the tank looks like, but should the return bubble the fuel in the tank (like a kid blowing on his straw in his drink). I would expect it to just dump into the top of the tank, not have a dip tube.
Without knowing the inside of the tank, it seams the feed and return are reversed. I might consider this if I hadn't been the only guy touching the machine. Short of that, it seems like the fuel pickup in the tank (if there is such a thing) is no longer attached to the feed line (so why did it come loose now?). If that is the case, what is involved in fixing it. Please don't tell me the tank has to be removed! I am headed to the dealership in the morning to get a new bulb pump. Hopefully I can quiz one of their guys. I might install all new fuel lines just because. I look forward to your feedback and suggestions.
Daen
Yesterday I ran my tractor out of fuel. I was working downhill when the low fuel alarm sounded and I made the mistake of turning around and heading up hill. The tractor died. I dumped in 5 gallons of fuel and gave it a try. After a couple of crank attemps it took off. I drove the tractor back towards the shop.
As I have cronicled in another post, my tractor suffers from the park brake engaging intermittently while driving. The only way to resolve it is to key off the machine and restart. Yep, it locked up half way back to the shop. I keyed off and crossed my fingers. The tractor did not restart. I tried until the battery gave up.
So after reading some blogs and reading the operators manual, I learned how to prime the fuel system and headed out this morning. I opened up the fuel bleed and gave the bulb a dozen or so pumps and had a stream of fuel. I pumped it up again until firm and cracked open the pump bleed. I added jumper cables and gave it a whirl.
It fired after a few attemps and all seemed good. I drove the tractor to the shop and while idling I loaded the bucket with the day's tools. I drove around the back of the shop where we are backfilling a trench and I unloaded the tools. I left the tractor at a high idle to hopefully charge the battery and did a few prep things. After having run for 15 or 20 minutes the tractor died while it was there idling. I tried to prime again. I kept getting little spits of air at the filter. I tried starting and it ran for 20 or 30 seconds.
Over the next six hours I tried lots of things. See if you can make anything from what I have observed. Releasing the bulb after a squeeze always causes a gurgle. I never feel like I get a steady draw of fuel. The check valve in the bulb seems to work most times as long as the bulb is verticle. All of the hoses seem pliable and sound. I cut one inch off the ends to eliminate any issues with the hose clamp areas. If I blow on the line from the bulb to the tank, the tank pressurizes, but I hear no air bubbling up through the fuel in the tank. When I release the pressure in the hose just air comes back. If I suck on the hose, I get intermittent fuel (don't do this at home kids).
I dumped another 5 gallons in since it seemed the tank pickup was not immersed in fuel. I lifted the cab and inspected the fuel line at the tank port. I cut the end off this line and redressed also. The tank port will rotate (normal?). I examined the full length of this line with my fingers from both the cab side and the engine side. I could not detect any cracks, nicks, flats, pack rat gnawing, kinks, etc. I tried opening the filter bleed and pumping the bulb fast and furious. I got several jets of bubbly fuel with intermittent air spurts.
Over the course of the day I expect I pumped 1/2 gallon or better through that little hole. I tried using a pair of vice grips as a secondary check valve on the line between the tank and the bulb. The bulb would pump up firm in 4 or 5 squeezes. I would pinch the line, crack the bleed, close the bleed, unpinch the line. Before releasing the grips, the bulb would stay collapsed. This suggested that there were no leaks between the grips and the upstream side of the system. I pursued this tedious method for 30-40 minutes. I tried cracking the pump bleed and running the bulb pump. I noted that this would push air completely around the loop and I could hear it bubbling back into the tank through the return line. I don't know what the inside of the tank looks like, but should the return bubble the fuel in the tank (like a kid blowing on his straw in his drink). I would expect it to just dump into the top of the tank, not have a dip tube.
Without knowing the inside of the tank, it seams the feed and return are reversed. I might consider this if I hadn't been the only guy touching the machine. Short of that, it seems like the fuel pickup in the tank (if there is such a thing) is no longer attached to the feed line (so why did it come loose now?). If that is the case, what is involved in fixing it. Please don't tell me the tank has to be removed! I am headed to the dealership in the morning to get a new bulb pump. Hopefully I can quiz one of their guys. I might install all new fuel lines just because. I look forward to your feedback and suggestions.
Daen
