Oil & Fuel Ran out of fuel (almost)

   / Ran out of fuel (almost) #1  
rockyridgefarm

rockyridgefarm

Elite Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2002
Messages
4,743
Location
NEOklahoma
Tractor
Yanmar YT347
I was doing some dirt work today, and must have lost track of the fuel gauge. I have never run the diesel dry before, but the engine just started to sputter, and I killed it. I checked the fuel and there was just a bit at the bottom.

Will I have to bleed the fuel system, or can I try just refueling and starting up? What are the symptoms of needing to bleed it?

Thanks!
 
   / Ran out of fuel (almost)
  • Thread Starter
#2  
Oh, I have the owner's manual, so I can figure out HOW to bleed it, just not IF I should
 
   / Ran out of fuel (almost) #3  
I've never ran mine out of fuel (yet anyway) but I don't see the harm on filling it up and giving it a shot. Obviously if it doesn't start you'll have to bleed it like it says in the manual.
 
   / Ran out of fuel (almost) #4  
"What are the symptoms of needing to bleed it?"

If it cranks but doesn't start after your refuel you've got air in the fuel lines and will need to purge it before it will start. Ran a MF backhoe dry once and will do my best to never do it again.
 
   / Ran out of fuel (almost) #5  
I just replaced the headgasket on my 2310. I had to remove the injectors, and had to bleed the entire systembecause of this. Bleeding the individual injector lines is not alot of fun. I would bleed the system to the injector pump before I began to attempt to start the tractor. It is easy to do and can prevent having to bleed the individual injector lines which is alot more work. Follow the instructions in the manual for bleeding the fuel filter and the injector pump inlet. I would go back to the old site on Yahoo and search for fuel system posts for more info.
 
   / Ran out of fuel (almost) #6  
Mike,
The 186 is a cinch to bleed. When I was doing work on my fuel system I did it many times. Look for a combination 10mm hex head/phillips bolt. There should be two on the fuel filter assembly and one on the banjo fitting at the injector pump. Start with the one closest to the tank, crack it open until you get a steady stream of fuel with no bubbles. Then move to the next one nearer to the injection pump. After doing all three, it should start up. If it doesn't, you will have to loosen the high pressure lines at the injectors (just enough to let the fuel seep by at high pressure) one at a time and turn the engine over with the decomp lever pulled until you get fuel seepage. After everything is tightened back down it will start for sure. It's a messy process, but easy enough. I have done it in the dark before with a flashlight in one hand and a wrench in the other.
Best of luck, Jeff
 
   / Ran out of fuel (almost)
  • Thread Starter
#7  
Good! Swing by, Im real good a holding a flashlight/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

TBN sure is great! Thanks for the help. I am sure I'll have that super sized machine purring like a kitten this afternoon.
 
   / Ran out of fuel (almost) #8  
When shopping for tractors recently a salesman pulled a B7500 out and before he could get it turned around for me to get on, it sputtered (out of gas) and died. He says "uh oh, need to get more diesel in this one" and restarts it. It goes 15-20 feet and dies again. Repeat that step about 5 times. Finally the thing just wont start, so we push it the last few feet to the service bay area and he refuels it. He cranks it for about 5 seconds and it starts up.

I know John Deere says they have a fuel system you dont have to bleed, but from what I saw, so does Kubota.

My question FINALLY is, should I be careful not to run it out of fuel, or are starting problems only a problem with certain types of tractors?

Jon
 
   / Ran out of fuel (almost) #9  
It's not like it is a terrible job. It is just kind of a pain. You will get fuel all over everything including a puddle on the ground. If you can avoid it do, but more than likely sooner or later you will slip up and run out of fuel. Get the manual, Bleed the fuel systen and you will be back in business.

Chris
 
   / Ran out of fuel (almost)
  • Thread Starter
#10  
As I said, it just started to sputter, and I killed it. So I thought that the refill would get it. NOT!

But the bleeding was easy. And messy. The manual said to start at the beginning and try it after each successive stage, and it worked fine after I bled it up to the injector pump.
I did not have to do the injectors

I ran so much like a new unit that the hourmeter rolled over and now I only have one hour on it.../w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif I hadn't realized it was at 999.9

Thanks for the help, ya'all(for my 'Burgh friends, that means yinz/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif)
 
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