Water in fuel causes $10,000 damage to my Kubota Grand L6060

[Complete Turf Care]

Like the title says, water in fuel caused me a $10,000 repair bill to my 2017 Grand L6060 with about 1200 hours on it. The water caused rust in the fuel rail which caused damage to the injectors. I have had fuel problems with this tractor since its new.

I have a 100 gal. nurse tank that I use to fuel my tractors. I assume that condensation is happening in this tank. I do add a fuel 'cleaner' to each 100 gallons I put in the nurse tank. I guess this is mostly my fault, because I don't monitor the water separator on the tractor closely enough. I will check it more often now after this.

 

[tacticalturnip]

Ouch, just ouch.

 

[Willman]

Ouch, just ouch.

That really sucks….you need to install a water catching filter on your tank to help in the future

 

[Will S]

Wow. Sorry this happened; that's an expensive lesson.
When storing fuel in your own 100gal (or whatever size) tank, I would install a fuel/water filter/separator right at the tank. Everything being pumped out of that tank would be filtered, and with the sight glass on the tank filter, you will see at a glance, the condition of the fuel you are pumping.

Racor would be my first choice, but there others that would be fine. Also, a routine of regular inspection and replacement of tractor fuel filters always best.

 

[Snobdds]

People roll the dice using slip tanks for their common rail diesels. High pressure fuel pumps hate water.

I agree in putting in a racor water separator on the tractor and a filter with a water separator on the tank.

Bad fuel has taken out a lot of trucks and tractors.

 

[ptsg]

Well that really sucks.

I would've imagined that such an expensive tractor with such a sensitive fuel system would at least have a Water in fuel sensor that would send a warning on the dash.

 

[RalphVa]

Like the title says, water in fuel caused me a $10,000 repair bill to my 2017 Grand L6060 with about 1200 hours on it. The water caused rust in the fuel rail which caused damage to the injectors. I have had fuel problems with this tractor since its new.

I have a 100 gal. nurse tank that I use to fuel my tractors. I assume that condensation is happening in this tank. I do add a fuel 'cleaner' to each 100 gallons I put in the nurse tank. I guess this is mostly my fault, because I don't monitor the water separator on the tractor closely enough. I will check it more often now after this.

In 37 years of driving diesel cars and 18 years diesel tractors, I've never ever had water in diesel, in gasoline yes.

 

[sea2summit]

There’s a reason there’s usually dual filters on those tanks. Then a separator and filter, or two, on the tractor.

How long was the tractor sitting like that to rust? I can’t imagine it ran with enough water to rust the rail.

 

[5030]

In 37 years of driving diesel cars and 18 years diesel tractors, I've never ever had water in diesel, in gasoline yes.

You must be blessed. I have and more than once.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Your problem is 24,000 psi injector system. I worked at Kubota when that was coming out. We had a cab tractor in with just 16 hours on it. They were saying bad fuel. I was saying not enough filter to clean the fuel. Just Kubota and me talking. I didn't know the owner.

 

[5030]

People roll the dice using slip tanks for their common rail diesels. High pressure fuel pumps hate water.

I agree in putting in a racor water separator on the tractor and a filter with a water separator on the tank.

Bad fuel has taken out a lot of trucks and tractors.

Glad mine are all pre 4. All the new stuff is extremely sensitive to foreign stuff in the fuel but 10 grand is excessive in my view. I keep a close eye on both my water separator on the tractors and the filters on my 500 gallon bulk tank and I regularly drain off the bottom of the bulk tank and use it for fire starter.

 

[5030]

Your problem is 24,000 psi injector system. I worked at Kubota when that was coming out. We had a cab tractor in with just 16 hours on it. They were saying bad fuel. I was saying not enough filter to clean the fuel. Just Kubota and me talking. I didn't know the owner.

Lots of fuel issues at the dealership I work at part time too. All the post 4 Kubota's. Quite a few not to happy owners. Kubota needs to improve their 'fuel polishing' filtration on the newer common rail engines. The old spin on and sediment bowl catch all don't work.

 

[dirttoys]

Lots of fuel issues at the dealership I work at part time too. All the post 4 Kubota's. Quite a few not to happy owners. Kubota needs to improve their 'fuel polishing' filtration on the newer common rail engines. The old spin on and sediment bowl catch all don't work.

I am not all that careful with my fuel, if sediment bowl and filter are not enough, what would you add/do different?

best,

ed

 

[5030]

Racor or an equivalent unit and be very careful what you are filling the fuel tank with.

 

[oosik]

I store my diesel in five gallon WWll Jerry cans. I always add PS White jug. 42 years and I've never had any problems with water. I now knock on wood.

 

[LouNY]

One thing I heard a long time ago besides using good filters on the bulk tank was to be carefull of
the additives that I added to diesel. If it said it eliminates water it actually means it's an alcohol that is going to absorb the water
and carry it through the system.
Much better to catch it in the filters and if the filters have bottom drains open them up once a week or so.
If you catch the few ounces that drains out you will be able to see the water droplets.

 

[5030]

People roll the dice using slip tanks for their common rail diesels. High pressure fuel pumps hate water.

I agree in putting in a racor water separator on the tractor and a filter with a water separator on the tank.

Bad fuel has taken out a lot of trucks and tractors.

A few years back I had a bad experience with B20 biodiesel in my pickup truck as in algae, not water and it cost me about a grand in new parts and I did the grunt work myself. Needless to say I don't use B20 anymore even if the exhaust smells like french fries. Had to drop the tanks, dispose of the fuel, clean them out, replaced both sending units and fuel pickups, replace the lift pump, replace the fuel bowl. Least it didn't make it into the HPOP or the injectors. Like others I use Powerservice whit or silver and Powerservice Bio-Kleen in my bulk tank now. Nasty stinky stuff. Amazing how fungus can grow in diesel fuel, but it certainly can.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

All I've ever read about algae is, it requires moisture to grow, no moisture, no algae!

I have never even one time had diesel go bad in any way, even diesel that was stored for years, and I do NOT put any additives in any of my diesel. I do switch to on road fresh diesel from a known source in the cold months.

It already has all the additives it needs, and I've never had one problem with it, no matter how cold it gets outside.

SR

 

[drizler]

I run mine through a Mr Funnel. It takes everything out very nicely in my experience. it slows things down a bit but gets the crud rust and water out. I just dump what remains in mines sump into a glass jar and store it in a sealed box. When the quart jar is full I cycle the good stuff back through Mr Funnel when I refuel and toss the ugly left in the bottom of the jar in the burn barrel. My only gripe with MR Funnel is it blocks your view so you can’t see how close the tank is to full. It’s a pain with a flat shallow tank but the oil comes out super clean with nothing in the pre filter to speak of.

 

[number two]

Bummer on the issue!
Didn't we have a member from Alaska with the same issue on the same,or similar tractor last year?
He had more like 2500 hours though.