Engine sputtering...What's going on?

Lockport · Sep 24, 2007

About two weeks ago I was stationary and backhoing when the engine started to die under load. Not any consistency but a randomness. It did seem like you could almost control it at times by applying and removing load. First I changed the fuel filters at 200 hours they had never been done. This had no results. Then I thought there must be water in the fuel. I drained it with a siphon, added some water remover and fresh fuel to no avail. I don't think I got it all out, however, so yesterday I drove the right rear wheel over a log and siphoned out all the fuel until I was sure it was dry. I added more water remover and fresh fuel and at first it seemed to run fine (it does this however) and then just driving along at 2200 RPM's it began to intermittently die on me. What's going on here? I do have a Fleetguard air restriction minder installed and the fear or contamination getting in there crossed my mind, but it has a fine mesh screen of its own on the brass right angle connector and I am convinced there is a second intended blockage in the filter housing where the tap is located that I have to remove to even get the indicator to register anything, anyway.

I know some of you have experienced this before but any of the threads I searched seemed to fail to have any conclusive postings, instead making there way into history. Is it that bad?

One other note, I am sure it isn't the seat switch as I have the Woods BH6000 and there mechanism to allow the seat to swivel dismisses the functionality of the switch altogether.

Help, please!

Blk88GT · Sep 24, 2007

I'm going out on a limb here but my 7510 did this a few weeks ago. It would stall in high gear and just lacked power in general.

I had left the parking brake on.

LOL

It's unlikely to be your problem but you never know.

Harry c · Sep 24, 2007

Sounds like my BX24 although it didn't go on very long... T'was the PTO safety switch! The lever wasn't returning all the way. Lubed the lever and no more problem.

tommu56 · Sep 24, 2007

BX2230_Lockport

I suggest keeping 2 fuel filters in stock I had a mysterious sputter and panicked called the dealer on a sat am Mechanic said to change the fuel filters. I was trying to figure how to get it over to them. I ran over and got 4 changed both and problem went away.

tom

john_bud · Sep 24, 2007

I sounds like a switch. The Woods switch deal may be faulty, or may have a short from rubbing. Trace the safety switches (seat, PTO, HST peddle) and see if any are flakey.

By the way, I agree with all the stuff you did on fuel. That's the first thing I would have done too!. Only other thing is to see if there is an air leak on the filter housing or a hose/fitting.

jb

Volfandt · Sep 24, 2007

I'd say water in the fuel was your original problem and now I'll guess that you're engine is sucking in air from reusing the old clamps on the fuel filters.
I seem to recall someone else having a very similar problem awhile back and he wrestled with it just like you. Ended up he replaced the factory fuel filter clamps with new screw/band type and he finally got his BX23 to run right. (this is after swapping rh filters out again too).
I wouldn't go too deep without 1st making sure that you've got the fuel lines sealed up good and tight and all the water out of the system.
It could be a switch but the fact that you can vary the speed/load and control the failure tends to make me think fuel.
Good luck

escavader · Sep 24, 2007

Volfandt said:
I'd say water in the fuel was your original problem and now I'll guess that you're engine is sucking in air from reusing the old clamps on the fuel filters.
I seem to recall someone else having a very similar problem awhile back and he wrestled with it just like you. Ended up he replaced the factory fuel filter clamps with new screw/band type and he finally got his BX23 to run right. (this is after swapping rh filters out again too).
I wouldn't go too deep without 1st making sure that you've got the fuel lines sealed up good and tight and all the water out of the system.
It could be a switch but the fact that you can vary the speed/load and control the failure tends to make me think fuel.
Good luck

That was me.Change the clamps-dealer reccomends it,and does it .Then I dumped a half bottle of power service in [diesal mechanic said it will not hurt engine] PROLEM SOLVED also got rid of my metal fuel cans and got plastic,keep them off the ground in winter.I buy diesal at a known truck stop that sells alot.Alot of offroad pumps in our area dont sell alot of volumn,and i think it sits in the ground a long time.BOY it sure sounds like water.
ALAN

Lockport · Sep 24, 2007

Thanks everyone.

That gives me something to go on. Makes sense, too, Volfandt, as I was scepticle of the source of the fuel that prompted me to change the filters in the first place and I had never heard, or thought, of the clamps not sealing properly. (I'd like to retrofit a small water seperator.) I will get clamps, tomorrow, and size up the fuel lines. I hope that's it. Talk about yer heart suddenly being in yer mouth.

Soundguy · Sep 25, 2007

Have you checked fuel flow from the tank. Last time my blue tractor had these symptoms it was a clogged fuel petcock..

Soundguy

Lockport · Sep 25, 2007

Soundguy said:
Have you checked fuel flow from the tank. Last time my blue tractor had these symptoms it was a clogged fuel petcock..

Soundguy

I did when symptons first appeared and I changed the filters. When I removed the one by the fuel pump the fuel just gravity flows from there and I was soaked. I think that perhaps Volfandt hit it with two symptons, first water and now it is sucking air. I will try to get some clamps today and see what that yields.

Lockport · Sep 26, 2007

Nope. That ain't it. After a good fuel bath I got some new clamps on and tightened them up. Still does it. Idles fine. Weird though. say it's at 2500 RPM,as soon as you engage the hydro it drops a hunded or two rpm and may even run steady until it sputters again. What's up with that?

kevinj · Sep 26, 2007

BX2230_Lockport said:
Nope. That ain't it. After a good fuel bath I got some new clamps on and tightened them up. Still does it. Idles fine. Weird though. say it's at 2500 RPM,as soon as you engage the hydro it drops a hunded or two rpm and may even run steady until it sputters again. What's up with that?

Are you sure the electric fuel pump is working ?

Lockport · Sep 26, 2007

kevinj said:
Are you sure the electric fuel pump is working ?

It starts and idles fine. That would would seem to me to verify the pump is working. You disagree?

kevinj · Sep 26, 2007

BX2230_Lockport said:
It starts and idles fine. That would would seem to me to verify the pump is working. You disagree?

It could be that you are short of fuel at high RPM if the pump is not working.

Lockport · Sep 26, 2007

Is it possible that it is a compression issue? Why would it slow down though under a small load from 2500 RPM to 2400 by engaging the hydro? That would moreso point to a fuel delivery problem.

kevinj · Sep 26, 2007

BX2230_Lockport said:
Is it possible that it is a compression issue? Why would it slow down though under a small load from 2500 RPM to 2400 by engaging the hydro? That would moreso point to a fuel delivery problem.

I would not worry about compression if it starts good. They put the electric pump in for a reason. It may be for easy priming but if it does not work it would also be a restriction. I have not had any issues with mine other than I got some water once. Drained the tank, used fresh fuel to purge the filters and lines, replaced the filters, purged again went back to work.

escavader · Sep 26, 2007

ID drain the tank into a clean container,this can be done by unhooking a fuel line under neath easily.put in some different fuel.If it aint it you can still dump back in the old stuff at some point.when you turn on the key you should be able to hear the priming fuel pump whirrring.If not check to see if you knocked the wire off when you changed the filter- its easy to do. add some power service too.If all this fails,time to get the dealer to check some injector pressures,and do a compression check mabey.Even though i chan ged my clamps as the dealer told me,i honestly feel my problem was water.
ALAN

Soundguy · Sep 26, 2007

I'm still betting fuel supply. When my petcock plugged up.. my tractor would start fine and idle.. but would die down under throttle, and would take no load.. etc..

soundguy

Lockport · Sep 26, 2007

escavader said:
ID drain the tank into a clean container,this can be done by unhooking a fuel line under neath easily.put in some different fuel.If it aint it you can still dump back in the old stuff at some point.when you turn on the key you should be able to hear the priming fuel pump whirrring.If not check to see if you knocked the wire off when you changed the filter- its easy to do. add some power service too.If all this fails,time to get the dealer to check some injector pressures,and do a compression check mabey.Even though i chan ged my clamps as the dealer told me,i honestly feel my problem was water.
ALAN

Drained it twice, or thrice! I can hear the fuel pump and I have added something similar to Power Service. No improvement.

Lockport · Sep 26, 2007

Soundguy said:
I'm still betting fuel supply. When my petcock plugged up.. my tractor would start fine and idle.. but would die down under throttle, and would take no load.. etc..

soundguy

My heart says the same. It just seems too inconsistent to be anything else.