what black gritty stuff is is youre fuel sender float comining apart . if you thought pickup tube was fun youre in for a real treat.. a 6point 1/11/16 socket might help but i doubt it another trick is ahose clamp around it. but shes probally going to crumble no matter what you do. us techs have a saying it might go easy it might go hard but it will go. good luck my brother
It is an Isuzu. I ran it with the screen off the check valve and the bulb started to suck in again, but was running fine. It had picked up some degree in the see-through in-line filter. Drilled the holes out below the check valve to about twice the size and drove it another 45 minutes and ran good with seemingly no more collection in the filter. Have I got the lion's share of the grit? Would be nice, but will see. Just glad it is running ok, not counting this problem. I like having the extra filter and being able to see inside. Where is the fuel sending unit located? I am getting pretty good at the fuel tube, so time to find a new place to wonder "what where the thinking when they built these things...) Thanks.
It would seem that after draining a full tank and rinsing with 6 gallons, even with the tank slightly deformed, that much of it would have come out. I at least now have a second filter installed that I have been wanting.
fuel seneder is located between stat and eng. and yes acess is limited.
side note. most of these older fuel sys compnets were devolepd prior to the EPA. mandate of ultra low sulpher fuel. now we gotta deal with it.
Thanks 7lbs. I will need more time to evaluate and don't need the machine at the moment.
I would suggest replacing the fuel pick up tube inside of the fuel tank, even if it was not found to be bad once it was removed. I would simply count it as being DONE & know that it is a huge / common problem with most of these older machines. Once the right angle fitting is removed, try to blow compressed air through it, just to make sure it is OPEN to flowing fuel through it. I would also recommend replacing the GROMMET that holds the right angled fitting to the fuel tank as well. ALL of this is just normal BOBCAT maintenance on these older machines anyways. Replacing the fuel line from the right angled fitting to the fuel squeeze bulb is another good idea, along with adding an inline fuel filter to the fuel line before the small lifter / transfer pump. I consider that very cheap preventative maintenance that will helps keep the transfer / lifter pump alive a lot longer.
Replacing the squeeze bulb is also a VERY GOOD idea, too. If you order one through BOBCAT, you will see the word "SIERRA" on it & you can get those cheaper through the marine parts supply places; WEST MARINE or LAND & SEA!! That IS a great place to save a few dollars here & there.
Great info mmsllc and thanks. The bulb was replaced, along with the line from the 90 degree fitting to it. The inline is just before the bulb.
I am still having issues with the bulb collapsing after running for a short time, so I cut the check valve off. It seems to start ok , even after sitting for a couple of weeks. I noticed the metal tube on the check valve was pinched? I don't know if that is the way they are designed, or if I had a damaged one. It looks like it would not have taken much to restrict fuel. It runs good, but still have to test it further. I have some material in the bottom of the see-through in-line filter.
I have removed the check valve from a machine before without any issues. If you run it dry, priming can be a little harder. Just open a line after the primer bulb, squeeze the bulb then hold your finger over the end to create a vacuum. Repeat till you get fuel coming through.
Well I'll chime in as well, another 853 with a fuel problem. My bulb was missing when I got the machine so I used one from my outboard engine/tank and worked for a while. Would only run for a short period then die. I couldn't get any fuel to come out of the bulb. Then I thought maybe the lines were reversed so removed the return line and fuel started pouring out, so I made that the supply line and connected the other as the return. Ran fine for a few months then last week the machine stopped dead after a half hour of running, full tank of fuel, and again, disconnected the bulb, nothing came out, pump pump pump, nothing. Swapped the lines again and fuel started flowing out of what I now had as the return. Jeez!!??
The check valve should be in the fuel tank, there will be a tube with a filter screen/one way valve.
Thx Tazza,
It is not uncommon for the pickup tube to be an issue, they get old, hard and crack or break off.
I leave the tube just sitting on top of the hole with a rag around it for now for ease of getting it out. Much less difficult without that screen on there. I have operated the machine about 5 hours now and seems to start and run fine without the check valve. Not picking up much in the see through filter either. I hope it is ok for now. On to chain case oil change and want to put a coupler on the hydraulics to change that oil as I put in some JD oil before I read on here about only using Bobcat. Taking those motors out sounds like a bad idea.
The main reason people say to only use Bobcat fluid is if it's under warranty, you must use it or it will be void. Yours will not be under warranty, if the oil thickness is right, i'd stick with it.
Thanks Tazza. I put in about 3 gallon I think, so maybe it is ok. Good idea though about using it for the chain case. I had forgot how much fun this machine is to run when it doesn't quit all the time. At least for now....
Hello Fellows, Well back to trying to solve my fuel problems. Machine has been running fine for the last 6 months, yesterday it started acting up again, ran out of fuel but the tank is full, same problem as 7240. It's now stuck in a field off my driveway and I need to get it moving. I lifted the cab and looked for the fuel pickup tube but can't get my arms, hands anywhere near where it should be. It looks like, from the parts manual diagram, that it is right under the hydraulic pump (hydrostats?), how do you get the pickup tube out? Is it just friction fit in the grommet? Is there a clamp that needs to be removed? Do I remove the grommet with the right angle fitting or does the grommet stay and just the fitting come out? I need to be able to reach it first. ARG! Thanks
