BX23 bleeding fuel lines

[wfd2]

I've read different things on the internet so I figured I'd ask here. Is the fuel pump on the BX23 self priming? Some folks turn key on without starting for a few minutes and others are saying crack open the bleed valve on the pump.

Is there are bleed valve and if so, where is it on the pump?

I'm attempting to bleed system after my wife thought she ran it out of fuel. I changed the fuel filters at the same time. Now after 10-15 mins of use she starts to sputter and loose power.

Any help is much appreciated!

Deke

 

[TripleR]

We have a 2200 and 2660, just turn the key on and the pump will prime never bled anything like on our bigger tractors.

 

[wfd2]

We have a 2200 and 2660, just turn the key on and the pump will prime never bled anything like on our bigger tractors.

TripleR,

Are you leaving the key on for an extended period of time to do this? I've started mine half doz times and still am experiencing the symptoms described above.

Thanks!
Deke

 

[hodge]

If you have run it for 10 or 15 minutes before it starts to die, then it isn't a bleeding problem. You have something else going on.
How many hours are on it? Have you checked the pickup in the tank? It sounds like something is blocking fuel flow, or the fuel pump may be going. If it isn't bled, it won't run. If it ran for 10 minutes or more, it was getting fuel fine.

 

[wfd2]

If you have run it for 10 or 15 minutes before it starts to die, then it isn't a bleeding problem. You have something else going on.
How many hours are on it? Have you checked the pickup in the tank? It sounds like something is blocking fuel flow, or the fuel pump may be going. If it isn't bled, it won't run. If it ran for 10 minutes or more, it was getting fuel fine.

Hi Hodge,

2003 model. 540 hours.

I have not yet checked the pickup in the tank but when I changed the first fuel filter the fuel flowed out of the line in a steady full force stream. I guess whatever is blocking the fuel may be sloshing around the tank, but you'd think the problem would then be random. This failure is like clockwork-- 10-15 minutes the engine looses power and starts to sputter.

My next move is to shoot some compressed air into the tank through the fuel line to see if that changes the time the failure begins to happen.

 

[hodge]

I had debris in a screen on the pickup of my diesel truck; it would move around, and would get sucked up against the end of the pickup tube opening. The area inside the screen was small enough that it would happen with frequency, although it wasn't predictable. I would check your fuel pickup, because it's free. You might also check the opening in the fuel cap; it should be vented, and that can get clogged. How about collapsing fuel lines? when it starts to die, check those and see if there is any difference.
It might help to back up- originally, the tractor quit and your wife assumed it had run out of fuel? So, for whatever the reason is, it had starved and quit, and now, after changing the filters, it will run, but has fuel delivery problems approximately 10 minutes after starting? When it does, what do you do? Have you shut it down, then restarted it, to see, at that point, if it is still having a delivery problem? Or, does the cycle start over?

 

[wfd2]

I had debris in a screen on the pickup of my diesel truck; it would move around, and would get sucked up against the end of the pickup tube opening. The area inside the screen was small enough that it would happen with frequency, although it wasn't predictable. I would check your fuel pickup, because it's free. You might also check the opening in the fuel cap; it should be vented, and that can get clogged. How about collapsing fuel lines? when it starts to die, check those and see if there is any difference.
It might help to back up- originally, the tractor quit and your wife assumed it had run out of fuel? So, for whatever the reason is, it had starved and quit, and now, after changing the filters, it will run, but has fuel delivery problems approximately 10 minutes after starting? When it does, what do you do? Have you shut it down, then restarted it, to see, at that point, if it is still having a delivery problem? Or, does the cycle start over?

When I changed my fuel filters the fuel poured out of the line from the tank to the first filter. Seems like really good flow. That doesn't rule out debris in the tank but the failure is happening at the same time, every time. I only get 10-15 mins of run time then it fails. Seems to me if debris was floating around the tank the failure would happen irregularly.

Checked the fuel cap by removing it when the condition was happening. Nothing changed. Vent seems good.

Collapsing fuel lines-- interesting. There is a small fuel line from the second fuel filter to the pump. This one could heat up in 10-15 mins. And it's got a pretty tight 90 degree bend in it (poor design) at the pump. I could have bent that line while installing the new fuel filter. I will by a new line and replace that since that should be inexpensive.

When it starts to run poorly, I did shut it down. And then start it back up but the condition persists when the tractor is still hot. Even when I let it cool for 10-15 mins it will still sputter. But when I let it cool completely I get full power for 10-15 minutes then the cycle starts all over again. And the performance degrades significantly.

 

[TripleR]

TripleR,

Are you leaving the key on for an extended period of time to do this? I've started mine half doz times and still am experiencing the symptoms described above.

Thanks!
Deke

No, just a few seconds, I think hodge may have it figured out. My 2200 did that once and it turned out to be bad fuel.

 

[wfd2]

No, just a few seconds, I think hodge may have it figured out. My 2200 did that once and it turned out to be bad fuel.

But if it was bad fuel, won't it be exhibiting these problems all of the time? Not just when it was hot?

 

[wfd2]

What about the electronic lift pump under the tractor? If that was going bad would the tractor exhibit these problems?

 

[wfd2]

OK, back to basics. I retraced my steps and found an important note.

When my wife "almost" ran it out of fuel, I asked her which can she used. I think she put about 1/2 gallon of gas into the BX. Unknowingly, I filled her up with diesel.

Would the tractor do this (run fine for 10 or so minutes, then sputter) if 1/2 gallon of gas was mixed with 6 or so gallons of diesel? I smelled the filler hole and it does indeed smell like gas.

My theory is diesel is heavier than gas and in 10 or so mins the gas gets mixed throughout the tank. Then it stars to get sucked into pump and burned.

 

[hodge]

Drain the tank and refill it with diesel. See if it runs the same. Hopefully the gas hasn't hurt anything. Some diesel engines can handle some gasoline, others can't.

 

[TripleR]

But if it was bad fuel, won't it be exhibiting these problems all of the time? Not just when it was hot?

While I am no mechanic I come from a family of them and diagnosing a problem is often the most difficult part. My non mechanic assumption was that on mine it took a while to get the gunk mixed in with the fuel and letting it sit allowed it to settle. I used an additive and new fuel to fix mine.

I now use a known source in a 300 gallon tank and haven't had an issue since.

 

[wfd2]

I just wanted to follow-up with everyone who was kind enough to share their experience and time with me. I did in fact drain the tank and replaced the filters (again) and found that with fresh diesel the tractor runs great. I'm blaming the gas in the diesel fuel. All is well now but I still would not have thought that it would run fine for 10-15 minutes then degrade like it did. Thanks all!