Fuel blockage in tank

[Springer]

I have a little bx-2680. 70 hrs old
Last year it would run and then start surging and sometimes shut off. I changed the filters and the fuel pump with a after market one on Amazon. When the tractor shut off, I noticed the fuel pump was warm to hot. But the problem returned almost immediately or rather never stopped.

Today I drained the tank and bought new filters and fuel pump. This is the $207 pump from Kubota.
With the filters and pump removed, I thought I better flush the tank with something. I found a half gallon of diesel treatment, in an unopened bottle.
With the wife watching, I poured the treatment into the tank but it only dripped out the open line?? I started up the compressor and used a big piece of foam rubber to seal the tank inlet and blasted air into the tank. My wife said that the dripping was faster but not flowing?? I could feel the tank blow back when I removed the sponge.

I crawled under and put my air hose in the tank outlet. I blasted air and could hear the fluid gurgling in the tank. When I pull out my air hose, the diesel treatment fluid came out like a cow pissing on a flat rock!!

I blew something loose. But what? Again I blew into the tank inlet and all the fluid came through. I replaced the filters but kept the pump out until I get some advice.

I don't know what was clogging my line of tank. I don't want to button it up again and have the problem return. I also don't want to gum up a brand new pump.

I research taking off the gas tank but that sucks. I was hoping to pull it off and clean it thoroughly but I basically have to tear down the whole back end. Should I just put it together and hope for the best? Add more fuel treatment with a fresh tank of fuel?

The fact that I only have 70 hours in 4 years might explain it. But I do treat the fuel in the winter and I'm in North GA so we don't see much winter. And I keep it in a car port.

 

[chim]

Have you been using algaecide? With the fuel usage that low my bet is you're growing colonies of "crobies" in the tank. I'm betting someone on here has a good method of killing the slime and cleaning the tank without removal.

 

[Hugo Habicht]

You could get one of those USB inspection / endoscopic cameras and look into the tank:

Pardon Our Interruption...

You should be able to see if there is any growth or something floating around and possibly be able to siphon it off with a hose.

I use "Grotamar" for algae growth prevention in devices that are not used a lot and hence do not see a lot of Diesel consumption. It is also suitable for treatment with a higher dose they claim, but I do not know how efficient it would be and if it would dissolve major growth.

 

[BX'r]

Install a tank cleanout access plate.

Kubota BX Fuel Tank Clean Out

 

[jaxs]

There's often a strainer/sieve to catch large debris. I would expect it to glogg again shortly unless debris is removed from tank.

 

[Old Machinist]

I cleaned my JD tank out with a shop vac. It smelled like diesel for months. You can probably prevent that by rigging up a remote vacuum reservoir with a 5 gallon bucket. Or just buy a cheap wet vac and don't worry about the after smell. It eventually wears off.

Or just remove the vac filter and wash it out with detergent afterwards.

 

[D2Cat]

Install a tank cleanout access plate.

Kubota BX Fuel Tank Clean Out

I watched that video and it seems to be easy and a Real solution if it ever happens again.

 

[Springer]

I am up and running again. What I had was a gel formed by diesel fuel and whatever - probably moisture and biologics. It formed about a pint of what looked like jellyfish. I managed to dissolve diesel fuel treatment. In the process, I replaced the fuel pump and filters. I suspect that that was over-repair in that that is the third pump on the tractor. I doubt any of them are bad. They are not cheap so I put them on the shelf for future repairs.

I don't see cutting a clean out in the tank now that I know the cause. In fact, removing the first filter and flushing the tank is pretty trivial now that I know what I am doing.

Thank you guys for your help.

While crawling under the tractor, I was thinking how much I loved working on my old wrangler and harley and hate working on a kubota. The first two were planned and made to be worked on. The later was not!

 

[Springer]

There's often a strainer/sieve to catch large debris. I would expect it to glogg again shortly unless debris is removed from tank.

The BX has a straight shot 4 inch hole. I do strain thru a filtered funnel though.