I needed to blow some snow today and after starting the skid and engaging the snowblower I started to lose power,rpms dropping, running rough. This happened to me once last winter but cleared up after bleeding the fuel filter a bit. Tried that this time and no luck. Engine will reach full rpms for a few seconds and then slow down and lose power. I changed the fuel filter and it started right away, I opened the bleeder on the bottom of the filter, like it shows to on the filter body, until diesel started running out and it died before I could close it. I suspect I have air in the system now. Is there a bleeder on these? Does it self bleed after a bit of cranking? Its gonna be 30 below tonight and I hate shoveling. Thanks
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skidsteer.ca
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You can still hear the fuel pump running? Mine has always fired up great with filter changes.
If you remove the line from the electric pump do you have soe flow?
Ken
If you remove the line from the electric pump do you have soe flow?
Ken
The fuel pump is still running. I haven't checked the flow . I'm thinking a big part of my problem might be trying to run summer diesel at 30 below. I'm going to throw some winter fuel and conditioner in it tomorrow and put the 4800 watt heater up against it. It is supposed to get warmer by Friday. Do you know the best way to bleed it if air is my problem? Right now it wor't fire at all. Dan
Update. Checked flow after having heater runnng against fuel tank. Just a dribble. Changed the inline filter and flow was much better. Filter was filled with clear slime, ice cold summer diesel? Started and ran fine for about 10 minutes worth of blowing and then died. Now sitting in middle of road with propane heater against tank again. Checked flow and almost nothing. I'm thinking I am going to have to drain the tank completely, change the filter again and try again.
skidsteer.ca
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That will do it.
Siphon out what you can and add winter fuel, it will mix with whats left and you'll be fine.
Ken
Earthwerks Unlimited
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Sounds like you need some Power Service Anti-Gel fluid. You'll get better performance too. Be sure it's the bottle for anti-gel (I think white bottle), not cetane-only booster (I think that is the gray bottle).
I've added some antigel / conditioner and 40 liters of winter fuel. The plan for tomorrow is to get it running long enough to move it from the unheated shop to the heated kennel. I'll let it warmup overnight and try again. My problem started when I moved it out of the kennel into the shop in the first place. If this works I'll just keep parking in the kennel until it warms up.
2 hours in the kennel with the heat on it and we are good to go. I stuck the hose from the fuel pump back into the tank and let it mix for 10 minutes and then went outside and blew snow for 2 hours. -38 windchill and no issues other than freezing my nads. A cab would be nice in these prairie winters.
heatpumpproducts
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i heard it was cold out west but thats coooooooooooold , even for us on the east coast ,
i read you could mix keriseen (not spelt write) but still , to the desiel in certain amounts , that would alow you to run the engine in temps that low .
and i also thought that the 80/90 weight oil in the final drives would be so thick that it could do damage after -20 .
as well as 10w30 in the hydraulics would be like mallasus and that can not be prewarmed warmed up .. or can it some how ? would doing this on a regular basis bring in condension somehow , and possibly contribute to frozen resrictions in the slow moving fluids at the bottom of the tank and return lines , oil floats on water and all that.
Earthwerks Unlimited
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Heatpump, NH has used 10W-30 as the hydraulic fluid for years. It works just fine. I live in Michigan where it can get easily -10.
I personally wouldn't like to use kerosene as its not a lubricant, i was always told it was "abrasive" thats why you can't use it as a fuel on its own, it would tear the pump apart due to having no lubricating properties. I know some fuel companies used to mix in kerosene into diesel fuel and got in trouble for it.
skidsteer.ca
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Kier
I'd go to 5/30 or 0/30 if your worried. But once the engine start the oil ciculates on a open center sytem anyway. Let it run for 5 minutes. Slowly drive off and don't push nothing in the first 30 feet untill the cold oil is out of the wheel motor (which don't circulate until you move the machine) Cycle the boom cylindere a couple time and go to work. The chain cases should have motor oil too, I don't thing 80/90 would hurt anything but it does get vary still. It works in alot of rear diff all winter long. All it would do there is rob engine power until it warms up.
Ken
I know this is old,but I went through this same symptoms when i bought mine last year.I went through the running fine till you applied for more power.My unit had summer fuel still in it.My problem was the inline filter down by the tank was froze.I went to napa got another inline fuel filter and she ran fine.
