Black stuff in fuel filter

Thought I’d give Idaho Wolfman a break for once and post here,...... lol.....

Glad you figured out your issue with the fuel! Can anyone tell me what the “outlet” of the inside of the tank is manufactured? I take it that it must be a bit higher than the bottom of the tank to aid in avoiding foreign particles getting into the fuel line to filter?

I have the same issue as what was originally posted here. Fuel flows strong when removing the line from the inlet side of fuel filter. (L3200). I never thought of the spraying of the inside of the tank.... going to have to give that a shot tomorrow hopefully......

Thanks again everyone for all your advice and help!

Chris

I was talking to a co worker of mine the other day about this issue -algae in diesel. He has been a tractor collector and restorer for his whole life, along with his father. They owned over 100 tractors at one time, down to about 60 now. He tells me he has never had algae in his diesel that he has ever seen, but he has heard of others that have had it. It made me kinda wonder - what are the contributing factors to this. I understand algae really well when it comes to water as I have a pool and was into aquariums for many years, so I understand THAT type of algae and how it developers, and also how to prevent it. Most algae needs sunlight to really kick off. But what is the deal with this diesel algae? Why do some people get it and some don't? What causes it to form in some tractors and not in others? Algae has to have water/moister I would think, so is it a result of diesel, untreated, just sitting in a tank for long periods? Is it possible to have algae in fresh diesel just a couple weeks after refueling? If you use your tractor enough to keep the tank cycled every month or so with new diesel for example, is that good enough to prevent algae ? I'm just curious about this and what others experiences have been. To the OP: Do you have any idea what caused the algae to become a problem for you, or what contributed to it ?

Tornado, interesting post. I believe this was “something” put into the tank. Looks to be chewing tobacco. A nice going away gift from an ex. I think I’m going to just take the tank off and flush it all out. Just not sure where to start. Looked on YouTube but the L3200’s on tgere are older than mine and not quite the same. Could very well be same in concept I’m sure. Going to have to give it a shot as I can’t do a thing with it if it’s not able to run.

Has anyone ever removed the fuel tank from a ‘14 L3200?

Has anyone ever removed the fuel tank from a ‘14 L3200?

Click to expand...

Later today I will post how to do that. Once you have the trick it goes from hours to minutes.

Tornado said:

I was talking to a co worker of mine the other day about this issue -algae in diesel. He has been a tractor collector and restorer for his whole life, along with his father. They owned over 100 tractors at one time, down to about 60 now. He tells me he has never had algae in his diesel that he has ever seen, but he has heard of others that have had it. It made me kinda wonder - what are the contributing factors to this. I understand algae really well when it comes to water as I have a pool and was into aquariums for many years, so I understand THAT type of algae and how it developers, and also how to prevent it. Most algae needs sunlight to really kick off. But what is the deal with this diesel algae? Why do some people get it and some don't? What causes it to form in some tractors and not in others? Algae has to have water/moister I would think, so is it a result of diesel, untreated, just sitting in a tank for long periods? Is it possible to have algae in fresh diesel just a couple weeks after refueling? If you use your tractor enough to keep the tank cycled every month or so with new diesel for example, is that good enough to prevent algae ? I'm just curious about this and what others experiences have been. To the OP: Do you have any idea what caused the algae to become a problem for you, or what contributed to it ?

Click to expand...

A variety of bacteria and molds and even algae can survive desication by forming spores that blow around in the air. When a spore lands in a favorable habitat the bacteria or whatever comes out of dormancy and begins to divide and form a new colony. The ones that can inhabit diesel tanks require both water and fuel to survive. Once a colony has gotten started somewhere, storage tank or filter or wherever, individual cells will keep breaking off and set up housekeeping elsewhere. Also big chunks can break loose too, clogging lines and filters. So figuring out where a tractor "caught" an infection can be hard, but either out of the air or from an already infected fuel source. Since water is a requirement for growth, water in the tank is the real enemy.

Disconnect battery.

Raise hood (bonnet) and disconnect electrical connector to lights near hinge. Back out two bolts on hinge about half way, release the clip on the pneumatic lift rod, and lift hood off. Be careful not to put torsion on hood around plastic headlights.

Remove rear bonnet from instrument cluster.

Disconnect 3 or 4 hoses from fuel tank and label them.

Disconnect electrical lugs from fuel level sender on left side of tank. Pull cable towards rear and out from under tank support.

Electrical cable on right side on top of fuel tank and under support. Take pictures. The connector for the headlights will need to go back to the same place when you reassemble. Electric cable has about three connectors towards front of engine that need to be disconnected. Then move cable backwards to rear sliding it between the tank and the tank support.

Tach cable - if it is inside the support, disconnect at panel and move the cable forward to clear the tank support.

Accelerator rod - disconnect and move out of way if it is inside the tank support.

Tank support has two bolts each side on bottom of support facing outwards. Remove these four bolts.

With everything clear, lift straight up on tank support. You should have the tank support, the tank, and the heat shield as one assembly.

Any questions, just ask.

Post script: There is a bracket from the heat shield to the air intake that needs to be disconnected.

Jim L. said:

Disconnect battery.

Raise hood (bonnet) and disconnect electrical connector to lights near hinge. Back out two bolts on hinge about half way, release the clip on the pneumatic lift rod, and lift hood off. Be careful not to put torsion on hood around plastic headlights.

Remove rear bonnet from instrument cluster.

Disconnect 3 or 4 hoses from fuel tank and label them.

Disconnect electrical lugs from fuel level sender on left side of tank. Pull cable towards rear and out from under tank support.

Electrical cable on right side on top of fuel tank and under support. Take pictures. The connector for the headlights will need to go back to the same place when you reassemble. Electric cable has about three connectors towards front of engine that need to be disconnected. Then move cable backwards to rear sliding it between the tank and the tank support.

Tach cable - if it is inside the support, disconnect at panel and move the cable forward to clear the tank support.

Accelerator rod - disconnect and move out of way if it is inside the tank support.

Tank support has two bolts each side on bottom of support facing outwards. Remove these four bolts.

With everything clear, lift straight up on tank support. You should have the tank support, the tank, and the heat shield as one assembly.

Any questions, just ask.

Click to expand...

Thanks Jim! On my way there now. Appreciate the help greatly! I’ll keep you all posted and let you know how it goes!!

Jim L. said:

Disconnect battery.

Raise hood (bonnet) and disconnect electrical connector to lights near hinge. Back out two bolts on hinge about half way, release the clip on the pneumatic lift rod, and lift hood off. Be careful not to put torsion on hood around plastic headlights.

Remove rear bonnet from instrument cluster.

Disconnect 3 or 4 hoses from fuel tank and label them.

Disconnect electrical lugs from fuel level sender on left side of tank. Pull cable towards rear and out from under tank support.

Electrical cable on right side on top of fuel tank and under support. Take pictures. The connector for the headlights will need to go back to the same place when you reassemble. Electric cable has about three connectors towards front of engine that need to be disconnected. Then move cable backwards to rear sliding it between the tank and the tank support.

Tach cable - if it is inside the support, disconnect at panel and move the cable forward to clear the tank support.

Accelerator rod - disconnect and move out of way if it is inside the tank support.

Tank support has two bolts each side on bottom of support facing outwards. Remove these four bolts.

With everything clear, lift straight up on tank support. You should have the tank support, the tank, and the heat shield as one assembly.

Any questions, just ask.

Post script: There is a bracket from the heat shield to the air intake that needs to be disconnected.

Click to expand...

Jim,

I have everything done. The tank is somewhat ***8220;loose***8221;. However I can***8217;t pull it out. Am I suppose to loosen the actual bracketing that the cluster mounts to?


I have the rear bonnet loose but not completely off. I don***8217;t know what I***8217;m missing?


Update: it***8217;s out! However, how does one go about cleaning a diesel fuel tank?

Isopropanol is one cleaner. You can get that in a pressurized can with a straw to aim it.

Now that you have the entire assy out, the heat shield and tank support can be removed to make it easier to manipulate the tank as you clean it.

Take another picture as the tank fits into the support in a sort of funky way.

Jim L. said:

Isopropanol is one cleaner. You can get that in a pressurized can with a straw to aim it.

Now that you have the entire assy out, the heat shield and tank support can be removed to make it easier to manipulate the tank as you clean it.

Take another picture as the tank fits into the support in a sort of funky way.

Click to expand...

Thanks Jim! Just spray it in and slosh a bit around?

I would think flashlight and inspection mirror if you want to be thorough. That is, if you think there might be a "gift" in the tank. Now you can have the filler port on the underside to allow gravity and solvent to ease the "gift" out.

Tornado said:

I was talking to a co worker of mine the other day about this issue -algae in diesel. He has been a tractor collector and restorer for his whole life, along with his father. They owned over 100 tractors at one time, down to about 60 now. He tells me he has never had algae in his diesel that he has ever seen, but he has heard of others that have had it. It made me kinda wonder - what are the contributing factors to this. I understand algae really well when it comes to water as I have a pool and was into aquariums for many years, so I understand THAT type of algae and how it developers, and also how to prevent it. Most algae needs sunlight to really kick off. But what is the deal with this diesel algae? Why do some people get it and some don't? What causes it to form in some tractors and not in others? Algae has to have water/moister I would think, so is it a result of diesel, untreated, just sitting in a tank for long periods? Is it possible to have algae in fresh diesel just a couple weeks after refueling? If you use your tractor enough to keep the tank cycled every month or so with new diesel for example, is that good enough to prevent algae ? I'm just curious about this and what others experiences have been. To the OP: Do you have any idea what caused the algae to become a problem for you, or what contributed to it ?

Click to expand...

First of all it is NOT algae! Algae is a plant and requires sunlight, something lacking in fuel tanks.

In my other life I worked as a propulsion engineer for a large aircraft manufacturer located in the Seattle area whose name I won't mention. Our customers had problems with aircraft particularly in the tropics with this bacterial sludge in aircraft fuel tanks. I believe these bacteria are anaerobic-they don't need air to live but they do need hydrocarbons and water and they live in the interface. An airplane goes through a lot of ambient temperature changes in a flight cycle and it's tanks exchange air with the atmosphere as it climbs, cruises, and descends. So there is plenty of opportunity for condensation to occur.
Tractors, especially those that are used occasionally, are often stored with a partially filled tank. The diurnal cycle of atmospheric pressure and temperature allow water vapor to enter the tank and condense adding water to the fuel. This provides a medium for bacteria to grow in the fuel water interface.

To reduce this condensation caused water in the tank. keep the tank as full as possible all the time. Don't store the tractor with a mostly empty fuel tank for long periods of time. Also treat the fuel with a biocide. It doesn't take much biocide to kill the bacteria and keeping the tank full minimizes water condensation.

That's probably more than you wanted to know about this issue.

Here’s what I found. There were two total about it this same size. Hoping to get it put back together no later than Saturday.

JerryMT said:

First of all it is NOT algae! Algae is a plant and requires sunlight, something lacking in fuel tanks.

In my other life I worked as a propulsion engineer for a large aircraft manufacturer located in the Seattle area whose name I won't mention. Our customers had problems with aircraft particularly in the tropics with this bacterial sludge in aircraft fuel tanks. I believe these bacteria are anaerobic-they don't need air to live but they do need hydrocarbons and water and they live in the interface. An airplane goes through a lot of ambient temperature changes in a flight cycle and it's tanks exchange air with the atmosphere as it climbs, cruises, and descends. So there is plenty of opportunity for condensation to occur.
Tractors, especially those that are used occasionally, are often stored with a partially filled tank. The diurnal cycle of atmospheric pressure and temperature allow water vapor to enter the tank and condense adding water to the fuel. This provides a medium for bacteria to grow in the fuel water interface.

To reduce this condensation caused water in the tank. keep the tank as full as possible all the time. Don't store the tractor with a mostly empty fuel tank for long periods of time. Also treat the fuel with a biocide. It doesn't take much biocide to kill the bacteria and keeping the tank full minimizes water condensation.

That's probably more than you wanted to know about this issue.

Click to expand...

Interesting. I have no experience with the issue as Ive never seen it first hand. I had just always read people call it "diesel algae". Thats partly why I was confused, because I know algae really well having been heavily into aquariums for years and in managing a swimming pool. Algae, like you say, always needed sunlight to grow. I figured this was perhaps some different type of algae, but its interesting to read that its not really an algae. I found an interesting link I read that was helpful as well: http://criticalfueltech.com/faq.html

I am still curious why some people, like my co worker I spoke with, who has spent his whole life on tractors and restoring antiques and going to tractor shows etc, claims he has never had a case of this in any of his machines that he has ever noted, yet someone who owns a single tractor can walk out one morning and see it in the filter. Its clear how it forms, I guess it comes down to simple things like how you store the equipment. Anyone know how long it takes for this sludge to begin to form in the ideal environment? Is it something that takes a long time to begin forming, or can it do it in say just days? Ill keep digging and reading

Update! I’m happy to say I did end up getting my 2014 L3200 back to full power! I took the tank out and flushed it buy sloshing about 1/2 gallon of diesel in the tank at a time with a very rapid shake. Did this 14 times until no residue could be seen when emptying. I did see two pieces of what appeared to be chewing tobacco come out along with oodles of smaller gradual looking pieces. Upon start up, it didn’t want to run much different. But then after about 3 minutes it cleared rite out and back to power to spare!!!

I can’t thank Orange Tractor Talks enough! Especially The Idaho Wolfman and Jim L.

I thought I’d run thru whatever i could to help others if you needed to do the same thing......

Pictures are very important. You cant take enough. Doesn’t look too difficult to get things back in same place as they came from, but it gets confusing when putting it back together at least for myself. Mark everything even bolts as in the end they all look about the same so trying to figure out where they all go back to is a challenge. I did this over 3 days so maybe if one did it straight thru would be better. Before I started to slosh the inside of the tank i took the tank to the car wash and rinsed off the OUTSIDE ONLY of the tank. This ensured me that the pieces I would be possibly seeing after each “slosh” would be actually coming from the tank and not just falling into the tub off the outside of the tank. I think the most important thing to know at least for my L3200 is that there is a pressure relief thumbscrew/bolt just above the engine oil fill cap that will release any fuel lock pressure you may have. Just turn it out one full turn. Let tractor run at decent idle for about 30 seconds. Then turn back in and snug it down. That’s a very handy feature especially for someone like myself that is not trained in the mechanical field to say the least.

I had put off doing this for too long. Glad it didn’t ruin anything major long term.

Thanks Again!!

nice job taking everything apart, and getting it back together!
now would be a good time to change both(?) fuel filters

B737,

I’m not aware of a second fuel filter Existing on this model?

im not either, its why i put the question mark, not familiar with filter configuration on L's, but after having gone through all this work to clean everything so well, now would be a perfect time to service fuel filter again

My bad. I didn’t catch that. Yes I agree. I had all hoses off from tank and cleaned all of them as well. I’m assuming if there’s a second filter it may be in the tank but my local dealer only showed one.

L3200 has only one fuel filter. When changing it or rinsing with kerosene be sure to keep track of the two O-ring's on the top of the filter.