Oil & Fuel Help! Fuel Starvation?

[kayaker]

Hey guys- I could sure use some help. I've been browsing this forum for a couple years getting answers to all my tractor needs. I'm baffled at this point, which doesn't take a whole lot to begin with but can't seem to find an answer searching the forums.

I have a Massey Ferguson 1529 with almost 150 hours. Here lately, after running it for an hour it becomes rough running. It seems to do it more on an incline when really pulling a loud and sucking the fuel. It has occasionally done it on a decline and level ground. I have noticed while running the fuel in the fuel bowl hovers around the bottom of the filter. I'm thinking, this CAN'T be right? With the tractor OFF the fuel only fills up to about half way in the bowl. I have included pics below. The picture with fuel is before I started the engine. The second is after running the RPM's to 2500 and back down to Idle which is right at 1000.

Currently I have changed the fuel filter, inspected and cleaned air filter. Cleaned out the fuel tank. There seems to be good flow from the tank to the fuel bow. When I remove the line from the fuel bowl the fuel comes a screaming.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[dex3361]

Check the fuel tank cap to see if the vent is open. Also if you have a leak in the suction side fuel line you could be sucking air into the fuel bowl. check the gasket for the fuel bowl that it is sealed.

 

[EE_Bota]

I am not used to that kind of bowl. The ones I am used to, new unfiltered fuel coming in drives other fuel upward through a screen. If it were me, I'd check the things Randall mentioned, but make sure the seal at the top of the bowl is good, and the bowl is tight. Air can go places that liquids can't, so it could be you have a leak for air, but not for liquids. I have seen that in hydraulic suction lines before.

 

[kayaker]

Thanks Guys. I did check the fuel cap earlier. No luck. I will check over the bowl seals closely and see what happens.

 

[JohninCT]

It sounds like you might have an air leak there. Make sure the bowl gasket seals good. A little smear of grease on the gasket and the threads might help you seal it up better when you tighten it. Careful though not to overdo it on tightening. Vent the bowl to fill it all the way up with fuel and make sure the vent screw is tight and gasket is good.

 

[Jerry/MT]

Hey guys- I could sure use some help. I've been browsing this forum for a couple years getting answers to all my tractor needs. I'm baffled at this point, which doesn't take a whole lot to begin with but can't seem to find an answer searching the forums.

I have a Massey Ferguson 1529 with almost 150 hours. Here lately, after running it for an hour it becomes rough running. It seems to do it more on an incline when really pulling a loud and sucking the fuel. It has occasionally done it on a decline and level ground. I have noticed while running the fuel in the fuel bowl hovers around the bottom of the filter. I'm thinking, this CAN'T be right? With the tractor OFF the fuel only fills up to about half way in the bowl. I have included pics below. The picture with fuel is before I started the engine. The second is after running the RPM's to 2500 and back down to Idle which is right at 1000.

Currently I have changed the fuel filter, inspected and cleaned air filter. Cleaned out the fuel tank. There seems to be good flow from the tank to the fuel bow. When I remove the line from the fuel bowl the fuel comes a screaming.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

View attachment 293637View attachment 293638

Make sure the strainer in the tank isn't partially blocked and check the fitting connections for tightness and the sealing on the fuel filter.

 

[smilinjak]

There is a possibility that the supply line has a deteriorated lining that partially blocks fuel flow under suction but is open for gravity feed. If the supply hose is not braid covered try feeling along it's length for any soft or swollen spots. Try pinching it off with your fingers with the engine running to be sure it doesn't collapse under high suction. Air leaks at the crimped on fittings are a possibility that are almost impossible to detect. If in doubt replace the line.
Smilinjak

 

[MFRED]

Check where the fuel line goes into the tank on the bottom side. Have seen them where the line isn't long enough & the line pinches and does what you're describing. It's tough to get to and usually shows up sooner than 150 hours though.

Also, when the bowl empties, kill the machine and right away pull off the inlet line to see if fuel is flowing good. I would run the tractor & kill it with a safety switch to keep the fuel pump running without a pause in operation. It may be something floating in the tank that is partially blocking the feed line then gets released when the machine is shutdown & the suction goes away.

 

[kayaker]

Thanks again for all the input. I have some running around to do this morning but hopefully can get to troubleshooting this afternoon. One last question on the fuel bowl. Should it be completely full when everything is working properly and remain full while the engine is running?

 

[MFRED]

Should be full & remain full under all conditions.

 

[dex3361]

Yes the fuel bowl should be full.

 

[kayaker]

Victory! It looks like the problem was junk clogged up in the intake of the fuel bowl assembly. It never made it to the fuel bowl, clogged up in the 90 degree elbow. Thanks for all y'alls help. I decided to track the flow of fuel. It was pouring out the line from the tank to the fuel bowl. When I attached it to the fuel bowl assembly and opened the flow, it barely dripped. Any fuel in the bowl was being sucked in from the fuel pump. I used and air compressor and blew into the fuel bowl assembly and held my finger on the fuel line entrance nozzle. BINGO! Below is a picture of the gunk/junk that came out. And of course a nice pic of a full filled fuel bowl!


Thanks Again!

 

[smilinjak]

That is some serious gunk from your fuel tank for 150 hours. The next time you are real low on fuel drain the tank to get rid of any remaining "crud". Might not be a bad plan to blow the fitting ou again at that time just to be on the safe side.
Now get some serious seat time doing whatever your most fun thing is. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year.
Smilinjak

 

[kayaker]

Oh I did. The fuel was pretty low in the tank so I drained it and cleaned it out good. I Attached a small flexible hose to a vacuum clean and sucked all the crud from the valleys in the tank. It was pretty bad but not as bad as I was expecting from the crud I blew out of the assembly. I'm guessing this crud came from the previous owner as I bought it with 82 hours and always fuel-up with a filtered funnel. I inspected by fuel cans for crud as well. Hopefully no more fuel flow problems for a while!

 

[smilinjak]

Oh I did. The fuel was pretty low in the tank so I drained it and cleaned it out good. I Attached a small flexible hose to a vacuum clean and sucked all the crud from the valleys in the tank. It was pretty bad but not as bad as I was expecting from the crud I blew out of the assembly. I'm guessing this crud came from the previous owner as I bought it with 82 hours and always fuel-up with a filtered funnel. I inspected by fuel cans for crud as well. Hopefully no more fuel flow problems for a while!

Good thinking, you should be ready to work with your tractor instead of on it. Enjoy your seat time..
Smilinjak

 

[pat32rf]

Not to hijack, but we are having the same problems with a 1540. Where the devil is the tank outlet to the filter bowl? If we blow back to the tank from the filter the fuel starts to run fine for a few minutes, then tapers off. Can't see/ find where the line leaves the tank to remove/ change it. Going to crank up the shop vac but its snowing like mad and we are outside!

 

[pat32rf]

We have drained and used the shop vac. Taken whole fuel filter assembly apart and cleaned it. We expect that part of the problem could be solved if we could remove the line from the tank BUT we cannot find where it leaves the tank.
I am working with the tractor owner ( my bil) in his driveway so don't want to start something that would be better done in a heated shop.
We reassembled and fuelled up. Things seem OK, but he tried some of these things last week and after two hours the hose plugged again. Hope the shop vac did the trick as the end of the supply hose is getting rather ragged from him using pliers on it. Love to stick in a newer, longer hose.

 

[smilinjak]

I am not familiar with your make and model tractor so can't advise on the location of the tank end of the hose. It is possible that it comes out the top of the tank through a pickup tube, known as "top draw", in which case some shrouding body panel(s) might have to be removed to access it. The owner needs to invest in a wrench or two to fit the fuel line fittings at least. Pliers can crack the brass causing air or fuel leaks. Niether of which does anything good for performance. Hope the threapy you have used so far takes care of the problem at least until the weather is more favorable.
Smilinjak

 

[pat32rf]

They are just low pressure rubber lines with spring clamps, probably 1/4".
They went to plow snow again today and half way through the tractor quit again. Pulled the filter bowl off and removed to more blades of grass that had moved down from the tank. Must still be some crud in there, just don't know how or why.....
At least now they won't bother looking for other causes such as water in the fuel.