Need help with fuel delivery problem-Ford 1720

[seanhoffman]

OK.......I was running down the road and the tractor started acting like it was running out of fuel. It quickly stopped running. I restarted it and the same, it ran for a second and that was it....

I immediately went to the fuel filter, and it was apparent to me that that was the source of the problem....NASTY.......I cleaned out the resevoir and changed the filter.....I also pulled the fuel lines, to make sure the injector pump was delivering.....The filter was really bad....I felt that a more thorough inspection was necessary.....

So now I have checked the obvious places, and it still wont fire. Is it possible that I need to do something else? I know that my escavator, needs to be primed if it runs out of fuel. Does the tractor need the same. If so how do I do it?

I need help, and refuse to take it to the mechanic. Stubborn I guess.

A little help guys.

Thanks.........Sean

 

[PHIL850]

You are mostlikely going to need to loosen the Fuel lines at the injectors and turn the engine over until you see fuel leaking out where your lines connect to the injectors. Or in other words, blead the system of air. Be careful not to crank on the starter to long and over heat it in the process. best of luck

 

[Bobby R]

I agree, you probably just need to bleed the system of air. If that doesn't do it, take the inlet line loose from your fuel pump and turn the engine over to see if fuel is reaching the fuel pump, if it is, re-connect the inlet line and take the outlet line loose and turn the engine over again and check to see that your fuel pump is pumping fuel out. If the fuel pump is working, loosen the lines where they connect to the injectors and turn the engine over until fuel leaks out each line. That should bleed the system. Again, don't grind on the starter too long at a time to prevent overheating it. Hope you get it going, and good luck.

 

[Jerry/MT]

OK.......I was running down the road and the tractor started acting like it was running out of fuel. It quickly stopped running. I restarted it and the same, it ran for a second and that was it....

I immediately went to the fuel filter, and it was apparent to me that that was the source of the problem....NASTY.......I cleaned out the resevoir and changed the filter.....I also pulled the fuel lines, to make sure the injector pump was delivering.....The filter was really bad....I felt that a more thorough inspection was necessary.....

So now I have checked the obvious places, and it still wont fire. Is it possible that I need to do something else? I know that my escavator, needs to be primed if it runs out of fuel. Does the tractor need the same. If so how do I do it?

I need help, and refuse to take it to the mechanic. Stubborn I guess.

A little help guys.

Thanks.........Sean

Anybody that has a diesel tractor has run them out of fuel, either by empting the tank or clogging the fuel filter, at leat once! the slow learners do it several times!
You have to bleed the system to restart the tractor. Start at the bleed screw ( open it) on the filter and open the fuel valve at the tank. Bubbles will cme out until the filter is full of fuel. then bleed the injector pump IF it has a bleed screw. Then open the fuel fitting at the injector enough so that it leaks, one at a time, and with a fully charged battery, crank the engine over till fuel comes out of the fitting. then close the fiitng and repeat with the other injectors. By the time you get to the last injector the engine will most likely start.

 

[seanhoffman]

Ok guys.....the general concencus has me bleeding the system at the point where the fuel line and injector come together......

I will give it a shot tomorrow and report back.......

I will add that there are two bolts directly under the point where the fuel lines leave the pump housing....one of the bolts has a (cap)nut on it.....any ideas what that is? Could it be some form of bleed valve??



Thanks....guys

 

[seanhoffman]

Ok....I tried to bleed the system by cracking the fuel lines at the injectors....NOTHING.....I have fuel to the injector pump....Not sure where to go from there....I have attached a pic of where the fuel lines leave the pump.....There is a block that they come out of.....i noticed a set screw in the top of it....looks like a bleed screw, but i cant imagine that that would be what you guys are talking about....If you look real close you can see it in the pic. It is located to the left of where the fuel hose(from thr filter) enters the top of the pump......

Any advice????? for my next move?

Thanks......Sean

 

[Soundguy]

have you cracked the hard lines at the injector, one at a time.. keeping yer fingers away from it?

have you tried to pull start it?

is it making any smoke?

pull starting is much easier on the starter..

 

[Diamondpilot]

Are you sure you are getting fuel to the pump? My tractor for example has a in the tank screen on the nipple that threads into the tank and affixes to the fuel bowl. Its the first thing that will get clogged. I also have a screen in the fitting that connect the flexible hose from the injector pump to the fuel bowl.

The spin on filter is after the injector pump. On my tractor the injector pump is actually two pumps. Fuel flows via gravity from the tank, though the fuel bowl, to the low pressure side of the injector pup, out to the spin on filter, back to the injector pump so the high pressure side can deliver fuel to the injectors.

I really think you need to do more investigation. You may need to remove the fuel tank and wash it out.

You can check for fuel flow though the tank, bowl, and hose to the injector pump by simply removing it and seeing if it will flow good into a bucket.

Chris

 

[Soundguy]

tank taps are pretty east to plug up.. not a large orifice there.. especially if black biologicals are present..

 

[rsewill]

You can use a bit of starting fluid but don't if you don't know what you are doing or you'll damage your engine.

 

[Soundguy]

i'd advise against that....

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

You can use a bit of starting fluid but don't if you don't know what you are doing or you'll damage your engine.

Do not use starting fuid on a engine with glow plugs. I use starting fluid on the Cat and Cummins engines at work but they don't have glowplugs.
Bill

 

[Jerry/MT]

Ok guys.....the general concencus has me bleeding the system at the point where the fuel line and injector come together......

I will give it a shot tomorrow and report back.......

I will add that there are two bolts directly under the point where the fuel lines leave the pump housing....one of the bolts has a (cap)nut on it.....any ideas what that is? Could it be some form of bleed valve??



Thanks....guys

You didn't say that you bled the filter first. Go back and read my previous post! If you don't get fuel to the filter, your fuel tank strainer is clogged.You have to start at the filter and bleed that, then bleed the pump IF it has a bleed screw. Then you go to the injectors. Cranking the pump when it doesn't have any fuel will get you nowhere.

 

[TraderMark]

I have 2 suggestions to offer.

First, I think you need to bleed the rubber inlet fuel line at the pump.
In your photo, the braided rubber line hooks to a banjo fitting. There's a hex nut above the fitting. It looks like there's an allen headed screw above the hex nut. (Mine has a second hex head there instead of an allen head.) Loosen the allen screw, let the fuel run until there are no bubbles coming from there. Re-tighten the allen screw.
Try starting then.

If that doesn't work, these tractors have an electric solenoid to cut the fuel off. Make sure that solenoid is working. You can touch the solenoid while you turn the key on and off (don't try and start the engine) and you should be able to feel the solenoid "clicking".

I had trouble with my 1720 once not making good contact from the wire to the solenoid post. Once I corrected that, it started and ran fine.


Hope this helps.

Mark

 

[seanhoffman]

If at first you dont succeed....READ the manual!!!

Yes there is a bleed screw....it sits on top of the inlet fitting to the injector pump....JUST like all of you said....5 seconds of cracking that loose and.... FIRE!

Thanks....everyone....

On another note......starting fluid causes rapid expansion of metals and can temporarily lock up your motor.....trust me i klnow! Tried it on my F250 ONCE.......SCARY!...An old diesel mechanic i know saturated a rag with gas and put it around the air filter for a few seconds.....using the vapors to accelerate the starting process....he said that if you use starting fluid(with a spray) you can do some damage.....his method worked...Not sure how safe that was but regardless...it worked with no apparent damage.

Thanks again!.......Sean