Ran it Out of Fuel

[rScotty]

Much as it embarrasses me to admit this, I just ran my cherished M59 out of fuel. It happened like this: Just back from vacation, turned the fuel tap the wrong way, and let it idle while sizing up a downed tree for dissection. Then I heard it cough....knew immediately what was going on....sprinted and got there just in time to turn the tap the other way as the motor died. The moment I turned the tap to the on position the fuel filter filled right up, but of course it won't start now.

Darn! Thirty years of owning my own diesels and this is the first time I've let one run dry. Growing up, I remember it being a fairly common chore on some neighbor's field tractors....particularly the ones who always tried to get the last foot plowed before refueling. At that time some tractors had a manual lever on the fuel pump and bleeder valves on the fuel lines. I haven't looked yet to see which - if either - of these are on the Kubota...but I'm hoping.

It's not a job I look forward to, so any hints are welcome and I'll share what we learn. Even if it's just not to do that again.
Thank,
rScotty

 

[Texas Fella]

No problem mon! Look on the side of your injection pump where the fuel line goes into the top. There is a fitting with a wheel on it. Open that wheel, get on the tractor, and crank till it starts (no more than 30 second on the starter at a time, it will get too hot). It will fire right up, then, get off the tractor and turn the wheel to close the valve. Simple as that!

 

[TripleR]

Yep, pretty simple on the L, not so much on the M.

 

[crazyal]

I was backfilling a septic ditch with my dozer when on of the tracks slipped into the trench. I could almost get out so I played a bit and when the track started digging down near the septic line I figured it was time to just pull it out with the backhoe. Didn't think much of it but the fuel pick up was sucking air for the entire time and it died.

I tied everything I could think of, from cracking the vent/ drain on the filters to cracking the lines where they bolt to the injectors. Even though I had fuel coming out of the lines to the injector it still wouldn't start and I didn't like all the time I was putting on the starter motor. I ended up taking a squirt bottle with diesel in it and sprayed it into the air intake after removing the air filter. It would start then want to die so I would spray more in it. It took a good 5 minutes before the pressure built up in the injectors and it would run again.

 

[Texas Fella]

The engine in the M59 is basically a large L series engine, much easier to bleed than some of the other M-series. Should be no problem.

 

[rScotty]

No problem mon! Look on the side of your injection pump where the fuel line goes into the top. There is a fitting with a wheel on it. Open that wheel, get on the tractor, and crank till it starts (no more than 30 second on the starter at a time, it will get too hot). It will fire right up, then, get off the tractor and turn the wheel to close the valve. Simple as that!

Got up this morning and the tractor was buried under half a foot of snow....so I didn't get to re-prime the fuel system today. I'm glad to hear that it is so easy to do on this motor. Hopefully tomorrow I'll get in there and do it and then post the details.
thanks, rScotty

 

[rScotty]

No problem mon! Look on the side of your injection pump where the fuel line goes into the top. There is a fitting with a wheel on it. Open that wheel, get on the tractor, and crank till it starts (no more than 30 second on the starter at a time, it will get too hot). It will fire right up, then, get off the tractor and turn the wheel to close the valve. Simple as that!

Thank you Texas Fella, in fact it was pretty much as you said. I went out there with all sorts of wrenches and anticipated an afternoon of bleeding lines and hassles....but that's not what happened.

What actually happened is that I looked into my owner's manual and they said the same thing you did.. No tools required, just use fingers to open up the air vent valve on top of the fuel injection pump. BTW, that valve is located a couple of inches above the oil fill cap.
Cranked it for maybe ten seconds and it coughed once and started right up. Then went around and closed the valve. A complete non-event.
Thank you, and thanks to Kubota.
rScotty

 

[kevinj]

What actually happened is that I looked into my owner's manual and they said the same thing you did.. No tools required, just use fingers to open up the air vent valve on top of the fuel injection pump. BTW, that valve is located a couple of inches above the oil fill cap.
Cranked it for maybe ten seconds and it coughed once and started right up. Then went around and closed the valve. A complete non-event.
Thank you, and thanks to Kubota.
rScotty

Reading the manual is generally the first step!!! And often a big help.:thumbsup:

 

[ultrarunner]

Don't feel bad...

I had a professional grading company doing work for me and the owner asked to use my D3 Caterpillar Dozer...

I left the key for them... Came home one night and wondered why my Dozer was parked at the far property corner... come to find out, the contractor said his operator said it just quit and they tried to start it till the battery ran done... they had been using it for 3 days prior.

Ran it bone dry out of fuel... you could say I was not a happy camper!

 

[Jeff Lary]

I have an L2950 I have never run out of fuel but if i do will this also be the same procedure for me?:confused2:

 

[rScotty]

I have an L2950 I have never run out of fuel but if i do will this also be the same procedure for me?:confused2:

I don't know, what does your owner's manual say to do after changing the fuel filter? That's almost the same problem....or at least half of it. When I finally got smart that's where I looked to find out how to deal with it and it worked.
rScotty

 

[ssmith general]

Much as it embarrasses me to admit this, I just ran my cherished M59 out of fuel. It happened like this: Just back from vacation, turned the fuel tap the wrong way, and let it idle while sizing up a downed tree for dissection. Then I heard it cough....knew immediately what was going on....sprinted and got there just in time to turn the tap the other way as the motor died. The moment I turned the tap to the on position the fuel filter filled right up, but of course it won't start now.

Darn! Thirty years of owning my own diesels and this is the first time I've let one run dry. Growing up, I remember it being a fairly common chore on some neighbor's field tractors....particularly the ones who always tried to get the last foot plowed before refueling. At that time some tractors had a manual lever on the fuel pump and bleeder valves on the fuel lines. I haven't looked yet to see which - if either - of these are on the Kubota...but I'm hoping.

It's not a job I look forward to, so any hints are welcome and I'll share what we learn. Even if it's just not to do that again.
Thank,
rScotty

How long did it take you to come up with that story?

Just kidding. I think one of biggest deterrents to running out of fuel would be the embarrassment.

 

[lwm]

Much as it embarrasses me to admit this, I just ran my cherished M59 out of fuel. It happened like this: Just back from vacation, turned the fuel tap the wrong way, and let it idle while sizing up a downed tree for dissection. Then I heard it cough....knew immediately what was going on....sprinted and got there just in time to turn the tap the other way as the motor died. The moment I turned the tap to the on position the fuel filter filled right up, but of course it won't start now.

Darn! Thirty years of owning my own diesels and this is the first time I've let one run dry. Growing up, I remember it being a fairly common chore on some neighbor's field tractors....particularly the ones who always tried to get the last foot plowed before refueling. At that time some tractors had a manual lever on the fuel pump and bleeder valves on the fuel lines. I haven't looked yet to see which - if either - of these are on the Kubota...but I'm hoping.

It's not a job I look forward to, so any hints are welcome and I'll share what we learn. Even if it's just not to do that again.
Thank,
rScotty

Well it's been a long time since I've been here, been doing a lot of this:

Larry and Barry and friends adventures in fishing boats

Today was doing the 800 hour service on my M59 and just like rScotty, well sort of like him, I shut the fuel off to change the filter and forgot to turn it on. Did all the other fluids and filters (with a mistake, see below), started it, ran it, it ran dry. Saw the knob and wondered if it was a pump, nope, came in googled "M59 ran dry" and that lead me to right here. Did what was suggested and we're back in business.

The mistake was I had jugs of 80-90w next to jugs of UDT, put 2.5 gallons of UDT in, asked my helper to hand me another jug, he does, I put it in and ask for the next and he's handing me a jug of 80-90w. I say "No, I need UDT" and he says "this is what you just put in the transmission". Ouch. So we drained it all out and put in the 12.2 gallons per the book and it seems fine.

How different is 80-90w vs UDT? I can imagine that there was a little left in there, but less than a cup or so, diluted into 12 gallons of UDT, that should be OK? Or do I need to rinse with diesel?

And howdy, team tractor, it's been a while. Hope everyone is surviving COVID ok.

 

[Fallon]

Well it's been a long time since I've been here, been doing a lot of this:

Larry and Barry and friends adventures in fishing boats

Today was doing the 800 hour service on my M59 and just like rScotty, well sort of like him, I shut the fuel off to change the filter and forgot to turn it on. Did all the other fluids and filters (with a mistake, see below), started it, ran it, it ran dry. Saw the knob and wondered if it was a pump, nope, came in googled "M59 ran dry" and that lead me to right here. Did what was suggested and we're back in business.

The mistake was I had jugs of 80-90w next to jugs of UDT, put 2.5 gallons of UDT in, asked my helper to hand me another jug, he does, I put it in and ask for the next and he's handing me a jug of 80-90w. I say "No, I need UDT" and he says "this is what you just put in the transmission". Ouch. So we drained it all out and put in the 12.2 gallons per the book and it seems fine.

How different is 80-90w vs UDT? I can imagine that there was a little left in there, but less than a cup or so, diluted into 12 gallons of UDT, that should be OK? Or do I need to rinse with diesel?

And howdy, team tractor, it's been a while. Hope everyone is surviving COVID ok.

I'd worry about contaminated oil, but not about a dash if the wrong oil. No need to flush. I would drain out the wrong oil like you did though.

Some construction equipment specs motor oil as hydraulic fluid.

Gear oil is going to be a fair bit thicker than UDT, but a cup in several gallons won't make any appreciative difference. I'd trust a bit of 80w a lot more than a bit of diesel in my transmission & hydraulics.

 

[rScotty]

I'd worry about contaminated oil, but not about a dash if the wrong oil. No need to flush. I would drain out the wrong oil like you did though.

Some construction equipment specs motor oil as hydraulic fluid.

Gear oil is going to be a fair bit thicker than UDT, but a cup in several gallons won't make any appreciative difference. I'd trust a bit of 80w a lot more than a bit of diesel in my transmission & hydraulics.

I feel the same way.