5035 running out of fuel

[NewGuyInNewEngland]

This is a late second update. Not sure what happened but my first update is not here. I did not delete it. Somehow it never posted.

Rather than drain and inspect the tank I decided to move forward with the fuel line replacements due to known problems with bad crimps and porous lines as they are well-documented to cause this kind of problem.

It was a son of a gun to get my hands in there even after removing the left rear wheel, but I was able to replace all 4 fuel lines (including the leaky return line I did in December).

Ran her hard for about 4 hours clearing some boulders and debris back in late April. The engine is now running strong without a hint of dying. I feel confident that the issue has been resolved and I won't have to worry about the engine quitting in the middle of plowing after a snowstorm this winter. She has been rock solid and dependable since purchased in 2011.

A belated thank you to all of you who offered helpful suggestions.
A special thank you to Dave of Dave's tractor in Red Bluff, CA for his detailed descriptions of how to get to the fuel lines for removal and replacement. Thanks, Dave!

Ng

 

[Citydude]

Thanks for posting the outcome. Someone in the future will benefit from this thread.

Cute dog.

 

[NewGuyInNewEngland]

Thanks for posting the outcome. Someone in the future will benefit from this thread.

Cute dog.

Thanks, CityDude. That was my intention.

I got a lot of well-intentioned advice but my experience told me this is too new of a tractor to have a blockage in the tank as I religiously added fuel with the screen at the fill spout in place.
I did add an algaecide as it was something I hadn't done as I was using the tractor more frequently in earlier years, but work had me traveling and the 5035 was getting it's main workout during winter snow removal. It was a great idea I hadn't thought of and will probably help to avoid future issues, but for this scenario, with fairly fresh fuel and a low-hours tractor, albeit 11 years old, the air in the fuel line from bad crimps and/or
It was quite an ordeal..so little out there on Mahindras. And I had a crappy dealer who, if he cared about me as a customer, would have advised me that there was a recall on that model tractor due to the faulty lines. It would have been taken care of in 2013 when the recalls came out. Of course, that would have committed him to do the repairs under warranty..... He really never gave me a good answer when asked why he didn't reach out to me. Saved him some money I guess for transport as the parts were very cheap.

Anyway, The folks on TBN, especially Dave at Dave's tractor, were a godsend. I am a decent DIY'er with a good deal of experience in auto repair DIY, but not so much with my first Compact 50hp diesel tractor. I was running out of ideas and might have had to pay for transport to the dealer and back by an independent tow company as he stopped doing that service for his customers if the TBN community didn't help me out.

Btw: if you look at the tractor pic and zoom in at the front of the wheel well, see that little space between the tank and the wheel well sheet metal? That's where the hoses are that needed to be replaced. Lots of cussin' before the job was done as well as some scratched up hands and bruised knuckles, but it was worth it.
One TBN member did the job without removing the wheel. I gotta give him credit... I can only guess he has small hands, which allowed him to do the job with the wheel on.

The doggie is our 2-year-old Jack Russell, Kali. She's a fierce little guard dog and a great companion, especially since I retired on April 1. At a few grams over 10lbs, she's the perfect size and easy to care for. She is also very curious about anything she hasn't seen before (big red sitting in the attached garage and the big wheel against the wall), which is why she wandered into the picture.

Thanks again for your input.
Ng