CK30 Fuel water trap

[Alien]

My polycarbonate water trap developed fine fractures all over it after about 3 years and started leaking through. The replacement was obviously an upgraded material as it was slightly opaque compared to the original and is not so easy to see through. If this is a recogonized problem, why wouldn't the dealer replace it for nothing? I had to pay for it.
Anyone else had this problem?

 

[dennis52]

Can't be of much help on this one but I would be interested: if other models have water traps , where are they located and how they work.

I have a DS4510HS

 

[Alien]

Hi dennis52 Here are a couple of happy snaps showing the filter/trap.
Cheers
Doug

 

[TedLaRue]

Alien, I understand your frustration. I guess it all comes down to the fine line between a defect and an improvement. We can't expect companies to give us free upgrades every time they improve their product, but if they sell us a product with a defect, we expect them to fix it for free (like a "recall").

So, was your water separator defective because it lasted only three years, or did they just improve their design? I'll leave this open to discussion.

One caution: a water trap device will eventually contain the water that it is blocking. If that water is not drained, in cold climates there is a chance that it will freeze and expand and crack the enclosure and/or crush the filter screen. Don't ask me how I know that.

dennis52, a water trap (water separator) is basically a screen that allows fuel to flow through, but not water. A simple real-life example: a piece of felt will allow gasoline through, but not water. I can't speak for all tractors, but I would expect it to be in the line from the tank to the engine. The pictures posted by Alien show it as a translucent plastic bowl under a brass-colored metal top. The one on my John Deere looks similar to that.

 

[Alien]

Interesting point Ted and I will tell you why I believe it was defective.
Air compressors that are used for spray painting have a similar bowl on their water trap. I know. Mine developed the same fractures as the tractor one but in this case just leaked air through. It was the same clear polycarbonate material.

Ted, where I live there has been no frost for 23 years that I know of. It does get down to about 2-3 degrees Celcius for a few days early in the morning during winter so I can rule out freezing. Actually, where it is mounted it would have been quite safe to fit a glass bowl.
Cheers
Doug

 

[TedLaRue]

Alien, to be sure, you are having leaks in the transparent/translucent bowl itself? Not the filter, but the enclosure?

In that case, I'd agree that there is a defect. That is not a "maintenance item" to be replaced in three years.

I hope your replacement part lasts a lifetime.

 

[Alien]

Yes Ted, the actual bowl develops tiny fractures (hairlines) but not near the edges.

Doug

 

[dennis52]

Isn't that the standard fuel filter.

Alien, I understand your frustration. I guess it all comes down to the fine line between a defect and an improvement. We can't expect companies to give us free upgrades every time they improve their product, but if they sell us a product with a defect, we expect them to fix it for free (like a "recall").

So, was your water separator defective because it lasted only three years, or did they just improve their design? I'll leave this open to discussion.

One caution: a water trap device will eventually contain the water that it is blocking. If that water is not drained, in cold climates there is a chance that it will freeze and expand and crack the enclosure and/or crush the filter screen. Don't ask me how I know that.

dennis52, a water trap (water separator) is basically a screen that allows fuel to flow through, but not water. A simple real-life example: a piece of felt will allow gasoline through, but not water. I can't speak for all tractors, but I would expect it to be in the line from the tank to the engine. The pictures posted by Alien show it as a translucent plastic bowl under a brass-colored metal top. The one on my John Deere looks similar to that.

 

[Coyote machine]

To my knowledge this is NOT a new issue for water/fuel separator bowls on Kioti tractors. I don't recall which models were affected but it wasn't too long ago that people were having to replace cracked bowls with a newer type which was supposed to be better suited to the task. Do a search for cracked fuel/water bowls and see what comes up.

 

[Highbeam]

Ted has it right, a produect improvement is different than a defect. Your clear bowl only lasted three years and mine has lasted me 6 years and over 1000 hours. The new one should last longer but the old one is inferior for sure.

You may not be aware but your CK probably has the new loader. The old one was inferior and many would consider it defective. Kioti didn't do a mass replacement for that either.

Your machine may or may not have metal lines connecting the transmission cooler to the tractor. Kioti improved these lines to include a rubber section to prevent vibration from passing through the metal lines and breaking the cooler.

Recalls are usually done for safety defects only. We want to encourage product imrpovements and innovation and not punish them by demanding that all improvements result in a free upgrade to all current owners.