Gc1720 wont start again

[Snobdds]

Every one seems to be geling up on the east coast. You need to change the fuel filter and add some 911 power service additive. If you have a heater and a tarp, I would rig a little tent up around the tractor.

Don't worry, it happens. I've done it before as well.

 

[Ooklaa]

Ooklaa, I have one here that I could send to you... just don't know if you'd get it any faster than finding one locally... assuming it's the same filter used on 2300s.

Ditto on the tarp idea- I've found that, given 5-6 hours, my block heater will heat up the whole engine area nicely if I cover the hood/engine area with a blanket, blocking as much of the vent areas as I can.

I have been meaning to say thank you for the offer that is very nice of you but i found one just a lil bit ago. I guess i bought a bunch of extra stuff on my first service amd totally forgot about them.

 

[Ooklaa]

Im going to work on this thing on friday, can someone please reming where the **** is the fuel filter is again. maybe with a picture, i was under it in the dark just a lil bit ago and couldnt locate it i must be starring right at it. Is it on the side of the oil filter, underneath the tractor etc?

 

[TSO]

It's usually a clear bowl. Unscrew the bowl and the filter element will be exposed. You pull out the old filter element, put the new one on, and re-secure the bowl.

There should be a shut off valve on the fuel line before the bowl. Make sure that you turn it off first. And then make sure you turn it back on once you replace the filter and Bowl.

And I also agree with everyone else here, it's most likely a fuel issue. You might have to get a torpedo heater and pointed at your injector lines for a while, I had bad fuel once in the winter and my injector lines froze and I couldn't get any fuel into the cylinders.

I stopped using off road diesel after that, it seemed that the off road diesel from my local supplier was still the summer blend and it was icing over whereas the on-road stuff was replaced with the winter blend more regularly

 

[GC1710]

Havent been able to touch the tractor since my last post. I'm going to try to tow it up to my driveway and put it in my garage on my next day off. The thing the sucks tho is my dam back hoe has settled and so has my loader and i dont know how the help to get it up in order to move the tractor. I called dealer today amd yesterday and closed so I assume they be open tomorrow and ill give them a ring.
Ill go put a nice blanket on it to see it it will warm if up a lil also.

You can put the bucket in float then raise it with a jack or hi-lift. Then take the bucket out of float. Same with hoe.

 

[sd455dan]

Im going to work on this thing on friday, can someone please reming where the **** is the fuel filter is again. maybe with a picture, i was under it in the dark just a lil bit ago and couldnt locate it i must be starring right at it. Is it on the side of the oil filter, underneath the tractor etc?

Couple thoughts

Fuel in the tank looked clear and rippled when the tank was bumped in the vid - If gelled It should have been cloudy.

Since the fuel tank sits under the rear fender, it appears this tractor employs an electric lift pump to get the fuel to the injection pump?

This could be a pump or relay issue or gelling just at the pump . Some small tractors you can hear the pump clicking while the key switch is in the run position along with the crank position.

Listen carefully to the audio on the vid it sounds like the pump is stuck part of the time and not clicking. If you could find the electric pump a hair dryer might help

my :2cents:

 

[irvingj]

"... please remind where the **** is the fuel filter is ..."

On my 2310, it's just forward of where your left foot would be when sitting on/driving the tractor. It's not beneath the hood, but rather just above the frame and beneath the floor, almost behind the left FEL mount.

What's "Ooklaa"??

 

[Fiziksgeek]

"... please remind where the **** is the fuel filter is ..."

On my 2310, it's just forward of where your left foot would be when sitting on/driving the tractor. It's not beneath the hood, but rather just above the frame and beneath the floor, almost behind the left FEL mount.

What's "Ooklaa"??

Same place on the current GCs, basically under your left foot.

 

[irvingj]

My tractor is back! I'd been having a %$# of a time getting it started with the cold weather we've been having lately; began to suspect the battery... etc.. but then read above about off-road diesel MAYBE being a lot of leftover summer blend.

Added a half bottle of anti-gel and let it run long enough to circulate. This morning, at around +8F, it started right up with only an hour of block heater time.. Yay! I think I was also a victim of inadequate anti-gel stuff in the off-road fuel I buy... take note!

Ray-- STILL using the original battery!

 

[ray66v]

Mine started fine a few days ago, at 6F, no block heater. :thumbsup:

Second Battery. My first one only lasted 7 years :confused3:

All I use is off road fuel. But, it doesn't come from a gas station.

 

[Langanobob]

Ooklaa, If it turns out not to be a fuel filter problem, do you have a meter to troubleshoot the fuel shutoff solenoid to see if it’s shutting the fuel off for some reason?

Also, from watching your videos, when it’s cold I keep the glow plugs heating for longer than you do, counting slowly to at least 10 or longer. I don’t think that’s your main problem though.

 

[Ooklaa]

Ooklaa, If it turns out not to be a fuel filter problem, do you have a meter to troubleshoot the fuel shutoff solenoid to see if it痴 shutting the fuel off for some reason?

Also, from watching your videos, when it痴 cold I keep the glow plugs heating for longer than you do, counting slowly to at least 10 or longer. I don稚 think that痴 your main problem though.

Yes I have a dmm but before I start going into different rojtes I will try the filtrr and get the tractor warmed up. After that if it dont work I'm calling up the dealer as these problems all happened under warranty.

I'm trying to get it in my garage as of now, towed it halfway up my driveway and can't go no more loosing traction in my car. Neighbor is letting me barrow his snow blower so I can clean up my driveway. Hopefully after ite cleaned up I can get it in the gsrage and start taking apart the fuel filter.

 

[Langanobob]

How is it going? Hope you have it figured out.

 

[Ooklaa]

How is it going? Hope you have it figured out.

I put some diesel 911 in it and let the fuel pump cycle a lil on a warmer day it started it up. So ill tsle back my anger and blame the crap diesel fuel.

 

[Devi8]

Don't forget to add power service diesel in the white bottle, it's a anti gel, I throw some in with every tank

 

[JWR]

You can put the bucket in float then raise it with a jack or hi-lift. Then take the bucket out of float. Same with hoe.

Great point. Do that. Get it where you can tow it/move it. Too many haphazzard posts on here with more advice than anyone could follow. Just follow mine (Ha!)

Your problem is 99% certain to be gelling of the fuel. Get it inside your garage and warm the thing thoroughly. As many have said, pull the fuel filter and make sure it is not plugged with gel, which it might be even with the overall machine seemingly warm. If so clean the heck out of it OR replace it. Additive is fine but I'm not big on it. Winter blend is fine but it is like mushrooms and toadstools, you have no way of knowing whether it is really winterized or what they did to it. So forget all that. Just get approx a 50/50 mix of kerosene and diesel into you tank. In your case probably the fuel is low enough all you need to do is add kerosene. Exact mix is not critical. While warm and with a clean filter I assume (would bet) that you can run it forever in the warm. That being the case, let it run long enough to be SURE the kerosene and diesel mix is all the way into the filters, injection pump and engine. Run it a half hour if you have to. Once that is done your problem is solved (if it was gel in the first place which it almost certainly was.)

Post script: you mentioned that "once" you had this same kind of behavior in summer !!?? That's a whole different problem with many different possible causes (all involving fuel flow restriction.) Anything from leaves or bottle caps floating in your fuel tank to crud in your filters to contaminants in your fuel, etc.

First let's assume you have gel (which is NOT a factor unless it was below 15 degrees or so!) Follow my blue text above and if it was gel your problem is solved.

 

[ray66v]

Great point. Do that. Get it where you can tow it/move it. Too many haphazzard posts on here with more advice than anyone could follow. Just follow mine (Ha!)

Your problem is 99% certain to be gelling of the fuel. Get it inside your garage and warm the thing thoroughly. As many have said, pull the fuel filter and make sure it is not plugged with gel, which it might be even with the overall machine seemingly warm. If so clean the heck out of it OR replace it. Additive is fine but I'm not big on it. Winter blend is fine but it is like mushrooms and toadstools, you have no way of knowing whether it is really winterized or what they did to it. So forget all that. Just get approx a 50/50 mix of kerosene and diesel into you tank. In your case probably the fuel is low enough all you need to do is add kerosene. Exact mix is not critical. While warm and with a clean filter I assume (would bet) that you can run it forever in the warm. That being the case, let it run long enough to be SURE the kerosene and diesel mix is all the way into the filters, injection pump and engine. Run it a half hour if you have to. Once that is done your problem is solved (if it was gel in the first place which it almost certainly was.)

Post script: you mentioned that "once" you had this same kind of behavior in summer !!?? That's a whole different problem with many different possible causes (all involving fuel flow restriction.) Anything from leaves or bottle caps floating in your fuel tank to crud in your filters to contaminants in your fuel, etc.

First let's assume you have gel (which is NOT a factor unless it was below 15 degrees or so!) Follow my blue text above and if it was gel your problem is solved.

The OP said two posts ago, it was gelled fuel.

With ultra low sulfur fuel, studies have shown, you have to be very careful what you mix it with. Almost every fuel additive had to be reformulated for ULSD.

Many things that worked for decades don't work as well with ULSD.

Adding things like Kerosene, and gasoline, could be diluting the additives that are in the ULSD fuel, for lubricating things like the injector pump. Making it necessary to add something anyway.

So, he may just as well just put in the power service.

 

[JWR]

I do not see where the OP said it was gel, though I think all of us believe that is the problem.

There is slightly less lubricating quality in #1 (kerosene) than #2. You're not going to run it forever that way. We also have no real idea what so-called winterized fuel has in it. Varies all over the place by brand (if they really do anything.) If it was mine I'd mix in kerosene following the industry recommendations noted in blue below. That particular site does not say so but 50/50 is good.

The OP also said he had similar problems back in the summer which opens the possibility (unlikely as it is) that he has some issue aside from gelling. Running it in the warm garage will resolve such questions as well as get the mixed fuel into all the relevant places like lines, filters, injection pump, etc. He has also not said how cold it was. Unless it was below around 15 degrees or so it was not gel. Additive won't hurt but I would not depend on it myself.

The Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance information center says:

Only ultra low sulfur kerosene (No. 1 diesel with no more than 15 ppm sulfur) may be blended with ULSD
fuel to improve cold weather performance. With so many kerosene formulations on the market, care must
be taken to select kerosene with a maximum of 15 ppm sulfur. Blend rates will remain the same as with
Low Sulfur Diesel fuel.

The website for the Alliance is at http://www.ct.gov/deep/lib/deep/air/ultra_low_sulfur_diesel/ulsdfs.pdf

 

[Phillip w]

Jwr: this is one time I have to agree that mixing in kerosene to help keep you from gelling is an option. I've heard stories of guys running straight kerosene and mixing in 2 cycle oil as a lube. Don't know, I've never tried it.

 

[ray66v]

I do not see where the OP said it was gel, though I think all of us believe that is the problem.

There is slightly less lubricating quality in #1 (kerosene) than #2. You're not going to run it forever that way. We also have no real idea what so-called winterized fuel has in it. Varies all over the place by brand (if they really do anything.) If it was mine I'd mix in kerosene following the industry recommendations noted in blue below. That particular site does not say so but 50/50 is good.

The OP also said he had similar problems back in the summer which opens the possibility (unlikely as it is) that he has some issue aside from gelling. Running it in the warm garage will resolve such questions as well as get the mixed fuel into all the relevant places like lines, filters, injection pump, etc. He has also not said how cold it was. Unless it was below around 15 degrees or so it was not gel. Additive won't hurt but I would not depend on it myself.

The Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance information center says:

Only ultra low sulfur kerosene (No. 1 diesel with no more than 15 ppm sulfur) may be blended with ULSD
fuel to improve cold weather performance. With so many kerosene formulations on the market, care must
be taken to select kerosene with a maximum of 15 ppm sulfur. Blend rates will remain the same as with
Low Sulfur Diesel fuel.

The website for the Alliance is at http://www.ct.gov/deep/lib/deep/air/ultra_low_sulfur_diesel/ulsdfs.pdf

I was aware of the link you posted.

The clean diesel fuel alliance is government propaganda. They are only interested in pollution. Not, performance.

That's why they have the word "clean" in the name, and are specifying to "only use low sulfur kerosene".

There is information out there on problems with adding things to ULSD, and lubricity.

Even adding oil to ULSD, lowered the lubricity level of the fuel. Which strongly suggests it's a delicate balance.