Kubota L3400 Loss of Power and died

[maineflyfisherman]

Hey Guys, This is my first time posting in any forum whatsoever. . .look through a bunch but never post. I have an L3400 with about 600 hours that is used lightly and recently i loaned it to my uncle and he had a problem it would have a power loss after warming up (about half an hour or so) and then die. After cooling down it would start right back up again with no problem.
I finally got a few minutes to try to figure things out so I ran it myself and it ran fine for about 45 minutes and then would lose power and eventually die. I had cleaned the fuel filter as I had a similar problem a while back and it was a filthy filter. Anyway I just tried starting again today and the tractor started and ran about 20 seconds all the while sputtering, coughing and spewing clouds of white smoke and now will not start at all. I am very mechanically inclined (though not a mechanic by any means) and can fix most anything I put my mind to but am a slight dummy when it comes to diesel. Any ideas or pointing in the right direction would be greatly appreciated. I am inclined to be thinking this could very well be the injectors??? Oil is clean, radiator is very clean. This definitely is acting like fuel to me. Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance - Mark

 

[D2Cat]

Mark, welcome. You are probably on the right track...fuel. Maybe you have algae on your tank?

Fuel filter clean, even though recently replaced? Air filter clean?

Do you have a fuel tank you can put some fresh diesel in and get a line down to your fuel filter input side? Or drain your existing fuel and put some new in to try to get it running.

You could also have air getting into your fuel lines. You can open the nut at the top of you injectors ( just loosen then a turn or so), then crank the engine over to see if you get fuel or spurts of air in fuel.

I just re-read your post. Don't "clean" the fuel filter, replace it.

I would be sure I had clean fuel in my tank before loosening the line at the injectors.

 

[clark_bailey]

diesel needs fuel and air, it will run. make sure air intake not blocked at any point, crack injector lines one at a time to ensure fuel flowing, ensure the bleed valve (thumb screw) on inj pump closed (turned all the way clockwise), new fuel in the tank, and ensure the fuel shut down solenoid not extended and that the manual shut down not pulled.

 

[D2Cat]

Clark, one more thing. "diesel needs fuel and air, it will run."

It also needs compression, but I don't think that's his problem.

 

[clark_bailey]

oh yea, I was thinking of the easy to check kind of items, assuming no mechanical issues, like head gasket, cracked head, timing of fuel pump cams, rings (compression) , and many other things come to mind, all the elbow deep, harder to diagnose things. Like my 3600 with a hole in the block

 

[clark_bailey]

I was gonna tell him to try the ole ____on a rag trick but I afraid I'd get hate mail from the real mechanics. I'm in the country and sometimes you gotta do what u gotta do to get these old rust buckets to go.

 

[D2Cat]

You're correct, you gotta do what works at the time.

It may work for a lot of folks, but it's better to not bring it up on the forum because there will be folks who come here to find something out (maybe even years from now) and do something they probably are too inexperienced to attempt.