Fuel Filter Shame and Embarrassment

[TractorGuy]

Bought this JD 4310 last December and have been working on fixing it up and improving it. I generally pride myself in maintaining my equipment but for some reason I neglected to replace the fuel filter. It started to lose power while mowing the other day. I found the dreaded algae in the tank and a clogged filter. It was most likely in the tank when I bought it. I treat my fuel with Biocide and pump it through a transparent hose.

I siphoned out the bottom of the tank as best I could and replaced all the lines and filter.

 

[Wagtail]

Yuck! :grumpy:

You're going to have to wipe out (J-Cloths? + long-grabby-tool) the dead residue in the bottom of that tank or it'll continue to cause blocking debris & many more gummed-up fuel filters 'til it's all gone.

Unless the biocide that you can get specifically 'breaks down' the biological to a microscopic level.

 

[Richard]

That looks like something my wife tried to fix me for dinner....

 

[groundcover]

Dealer had this on the service counter , kind of scary.

 

[TractorGuy]

Yuck! :grumpy:

You're going to have to wipe out (J-Cloths? + long-grabby-tool) the dead residue in the bottom of that tank or it'll continue to cause blocking debris & many more gummed-up fuel filters 'til it's all gone.

Unless the biocide that you can get specifically 'breaks down' the biological to a microscopic level.

I used some semi ridged tube to siphon and fish around in the bottom prior to draining the tank. I got a butt load of black stuff out. It settles in the bottom and sits there until you run the fuel low then stir it up when you fill. The tank has an odd shape and goes down behind the engine. It drained completely without clogging so I will just keep an eye on the filter. I'm probably going to cut the line coming out of the tank and stick a small engine filter in it like I did on my backhoe and generator. I don't know why the factory design doesn't put the filter in front of the pump.

 

[LouNY]

I much perfer a larger clear filter or filter housing to be able to visually check on it.
A small filter will plug quickly with that type of residue.

 

[ruffdog]

Yuck! :grumpy:

You're going to have to wipe out (J-Cloths? + long-grabby-tool) the dead residue in the bottom of that tank or it'll continue to cause blocking debris & many more gummed-up fuel filters 'til it's all gone.

Unless the biocide that you can get specifically 'breaks down' the biological to a microscopic level.

I think it is time for the pressure washer wand to be stuck in the tank to wash that junk out.

 

[1010]

perhaps you did change it and this is just build up residue on the filter.

 

[ovrszd]

Nasty stuff. Several years ago my Brother got it in his transfer tank. Then contaminated all of his engines. Bad deal.

I don't know the root cause. Maybe someone can chime in about that??

 

[hosspuller]

Nasty stuff. Several years ago my Brother got it in his transfer tank. Then contaminated all of his engines. Bad deal.

I don't know the root cause. Maybe someone can chime in about that??

Root cause is water. Condensation & contamination from any point in the chain between the refinery and your tank. Eliminate the water and you eliminate the algae growth. Notice... not the existing algae. You'll need filters for that.

 

[ovrszd]

Root cause is water. Condensation & contamination from any point in the chain between the refinery and your tank. Eliminate the water and you eliminate the algae growth. Notice... not the existing algae. You'll need filters for that.

That makes sense. My Brother's transfer tank was rarely full and mostly sat outside in the sun empty.