Need BX 24 Diagnosis

[DickS]

Went out today to move some snow around and had a first time problem occurrence. Engine has 400 hours. Fuel tank full.

Outside temp about 20F, engine had run for 10 minutes. Suddenly, there was a loss of power with black smoke coming out the exhaust. The power loss was steady and persisted for about 30 seconds and then disappeared. It ran good for about a minute and there was one slight misfire thereafter. I ran the engine full throttle for about 5 minutes with no recurrence of misfire.

Any ideas?

 

[powerstroke444e]

Check the air filter, then add fuel aditive for to keep it from gelling, you may also want to change the fuel filters

 

[Matt_Jr]

Are you gellin'? Sounds like gellin'. Put some power service in it and lax up on the gellin'.

 

[dex3361]

I vote that there is a restriction in the air intake. The black smoke indicates unburned fuel.

 

[sqidget]

I have had a similar experience when plowing, usually when hitting a pile and then reversing. I plow in high range, and have actually lugged the engine trying to back out suddenly, It ran smoking and lugging untill I let off the pedal. It then responded perfectly. I cannot explain why, it may be the seat switch cutting it off just long enough to drop rpms while going under a load?
I do hit piles hard enough to lift me from the seat.
Or you could have sucked some powdery snow into the airfilter. The black smoke indicates plenty of fuel, too much infact for the conditions.

 

[DickS]

The part about the failure to operate properly that is strange is the sudden appearance and disappearance of the misfire. There was no transition at all. If it was an air obstruction, wouldn't there be a slow degradation in performance rather than sudden? Does the possibility of an injector being stuck open make sense?

 

[radioman]

I think you were encountering some waxing in the fuel. Did you add anti gel to your fuel so its treated ? The issues you described sounds like you had some waxing in the lines due to cold temps just before it goes to gelling. "IF" you did add anti gel chemicals, then you will need to add a splash more as you are not adding enough.

I see you are in upper MI, your fuel should be already a winter blend unless its leftover from summer ? Or are you buying bio diesel ? That would be the exact same symptoms.

 

[LBrown59]

I think you were encountering some waxing in the fuel. Did you add anti gel to your fuel so its treated ? The issues you described sounds like you had some waxing in the lines due to cold temps just before it goes to gelling. "IF" you did add anti gel chemicals, then you will need to add a splash more as you are not adding enough.

I see you are in upper MI, your fuel should be already a winter blend unless its leftover from summer ? Or are you buying bio diesel ? That would be the exact same symptoms.

My BX 23 manual says i can use summer blend at temperatures above 14 degrees.

 

[Goodluck w/ That]

sounds like fuel gelled, add anti-gel & change the filters.

 

[EE_Bota]

Check the air filter, then add fuel aditive for to keep it from gelling, you may also want to change the fuel filters

Do everything the man said, but do it with Matt_Jr attitude.

 

[radioman]

My BX 23 manual says i can use summer blend at temperatures above 14 degrees.

so ? and your point is? Did it say what to do when it exhibits DickS syptoms?
The issue here to to prevent this from happening again for DickS .

 

[Skyco]

I was wondering the same thing.
We all know that 14 deg can be below gel/problem temps with current fuel that isn't treated in some way.
The Kubota manuals seem to be a few years behind, ie their engine oil recommendations.

 

[DickS]

To answer a few of the questions, the fuel is not bio. It is off-road diesel purchased at a location that has a reasonable number of sales. There were no additives added to the fuel. My sense is the misfire was confined to one cylinder.

If the problem was an obstruction (waxing, etc.) in a fuel supply, wouldn't there simply be a loss of power without the black smoke? I've always thought black smoke is the result of over fueled ignition. But, as my wife would give testimony, I've been wrong before.

And thanks for the follow-ups.

 

[powerstroke444e]

When the fuel gels/waxing/or other problems it will do all kinds of goofy stuff, Change the fuel filters $20 at most and while @ the dealer pickup some fuel additive. If nothing else some PM that will eliminate some variables. Best of luck.

 

[radioman]

Well- there you go- no additive added. I'd rather be safe then sorry- add some antigelling and be done with it.

 

[montelatici]

To answer a few of the questions, the fuel is not bio. It is off-road diesel purchased at a location that has a reasonable number of sales. There were no additives added to the fuel. My sense is the misfire was confined to one cylinder.

If the problem was an obstruction (waxing, etc.) in a fuel supply, wouldn't there simply be a loss of power without the black smoke? I've always thought black smoke is the result of over fueled ignition. But, as my wife would give testimony, I've been wrong before.

And thanks for the follow-ups.

If one cylinder is not firing or not firing optimally, it would cause smoke and the other cylinders would be under more load and would also smoke more. But, what do I know.