Rough Running BX

[My Hoe]

It is on opposite side of filler neck so no luck inspecting. One thing I can share is after finding the problem I did cut open the closest fuel filter (under tractor) and it had some of the smaller pieces of rust. So if you are having similiar issues I would suggest removing filter and opening it up for inspection. If you see rust particles chances are your sender is going bad.

Excellent suggestion.

 

[North West Farmer]

Jcgaylord,

I quickly checked over the thread entries and was glad to see you have confirmed the problem comes back to the sender unit and that is the sole and only source of the rust that has been contaminating you fuel.

MY concern after looking over the thread was that the apparent solution is to monitor your fuel condition via opening the primary fuel filter in an ongoing manner, probably eventually figuring out how often this problem occures and then replace sending units is the fix.

I believe you confirmed that you utilize one source for your fuel. The corrision of the sender appears to be directlyrelated to the fuel the unit is exposed to. The ultimate solution(s) would seem to be either finding a fuel that does not decompose the sending unit or the manufacturer needs to change the compostion of the sending units to prevent damage due to fuel exposure.

You will make the final decision as to which route you well take or possibly the solution is to change out the sending unit at regular intervals before decomposition results in flacking off rust into the tank. My feelings tend toward making sure the manufacturer is aware of the problem and encouraging them to improve the composition of the sending unit to prevent the problem. If it turns out you are the only owner experiencing this problem, then the fuel supplier would jump right into the front row of places to go to solve the problem.

At any rate, good luck in your efferts to find the ultimate solution in this quite strange fuel system malfunction situation.

Nick, North West Farmer

 

[don white]

I bet this problem has something to do with the fuel additive. Even so I would not replace the sending unit. I would just make a cover out of stainless and be done with it. Ya can live with out a fuel gauge.

 

[Skyco]

Yeah I never figured out why the fuel gauge is so huge! I'd much rather have an analog tach there...and really don't even need a fuel gauge, just unscrew the cap and look in...these things use so little fuel it takes a lot of running to be out...

 

[4Rook]

There has to be a better explanation than the fuel type or fuel level. The corrosion is so severe! Something appears to be driving that aggressive corrosion. I have exposed steel parts on my truck that have corroded less. I'm thinking its galvanic corrosion. Perhaps a bad mix of metals or improper corrosion resistant material when the unit was made?

 

[North West Farmer]

jcgaylord,

Have you checked with the manufacturer to determine if any other units have had problems that were anything at all similar to your experience?

I would be very interested to find out if this is a common problem or if your situation is unique.

The concept of just simply removing the sending unit and looking in the tank now and then to check the fuel level is hard to beat. You guys came up with a good practical solution for a possibly complex problem with that solution.

Nick, North West Farmer

 

[David_Kb7uns]

What gets me is how people complain how inaccurate the gauge gets at the bottom part of the tank. The small Bx tractors and the Garden tractors just has a warning light so what do you do there??
It is not a problem here since every day the tractor is used the tank is topped off at the end of the day unless it is pouring rain. This is done to keep the air space down so condensation does not happen.

David Kb7uns

 

[Garybake]

JCGAYLORD,
I read your post as my BX24 has been running rough and fuel gauge quit working last Fall. I have had to blowback to the tank four weeks ago for no flow condition after tank ran low on fuel. Today I was changing oil and filters and upgrading to SUDT fluid when I noticed dark spots on fuel filter while changing it. Cut it open and got a magnet. Metalic corrosion dust!

Always garaged and never had a water problem. Buy my fuel only from a major independent supplier that we used to buy our test fuel at GM from (Spencer Fuels). Looks like the same problem you had. I am ready to remove and seal the tank sending unit openning off like Don White suggested.

Just rolled 400 hrs and that filter was replaced for rough running less than 20 hours ago. Plan to call Dealer on Monday and see what they think and have to say.

 

[ericher69]

I just had this discussion with my wife yesterday!

We where both wondering when (meaning what year) did they (corporations/businesses/industry) start selling us the consumers s#*t!

I came to the conclusion that quality of equipment, parts, food, goods went down the drain with the economy after 2008...

Am I wrong?

 

[Garybake]

I just had this discussion with my wife yesterday!

We where both wondering when (meaning what year) did they (corporations/businesses/industry) start selling us the consumers s#*t!

I came to the conclusion that quality of equipment, parts, food, goods went down the drain with the economy after 2008...

Am I wrong?

It all came with cost cutting, head counts and a bigger bottom line. Seems like everyone had to start accounting for their time to different charge accounts rather than be a part of a team with "X-$'s" overhead. Every new manager needed to cut that to look good etc. In 2009 GM had a big head count reduction and plant closings before having to ask for a hand out only to be profitable in a couple years. Makes me wonder what 2012-13's car problems will be from R&D hit in 2009/10. 12/2009 was my 30 years in forced retirement.
Cant say if other countries were following the same challange.

 

[tractchores]

I just had this discussion with my wife yesterday!

We where both wondering when (meaning what year) did they (corporations/businesses/industry) start selling us the consumers s#*t!

I came to the conclusion that quality of equipment, parts, food, goods went down the drain with the economy after 2008...

Am I wrong?

I've noticed it too and its nt just limited to orange tractors... In fact its not just tractors, other equiment has also had similar issues. Some may be related to cheaper metals or new fuels.

 

[Garybake]

I was thinking the same thing about fuels tractchores. They are constantly changing and manufacturers Research & Development designed around what was in use at the time. I good example of this was in the 80's when 10% ethanol was added to gasoline. I think everyone was effected one way or another and did not know it was the fuel. All rubber fuel lines, carburator parts, tank seals... swelled or deteriorated and people paid the price not knowing why for years. Same thing happened in the 70's with unleaded fuel and catalitic convertors, exhaust valves were burning up on the older cars or people burned up convertors with lead until gas fill necks were narrowed and pump nozzles were modified smaller. Just some examples off top of my head.:confused2:

 

[ericher69]

Don't mean to hijack but...

Toilet paper rolls are getting more loosely rolled,
The centers are getting bigger, produce in stores which once where sold on discount shelves are now rotting away just waiting to be bought by gullible consumers, automobiles that have major mechanical failures right after the warranty is up, tractors that where once built to last don't even have a coat of paint (primer showing through) on the underside/not looked at parts, goes on and on!!!!

And oh ya the prices keep on going up!

Thanks to the OP for bringing this problem and solution to light

Sorry for the rant

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Not saying I agree or disagree about product quality declining but I'm leaning toward the internet as being the "issue". There have always been quality issues, always. Some Auto companys have almost gone out of business because of the quality or lack of it.
Anyway back to the Internet. Today we can and do hear about problems with products all over the world by sitting down at our computer at forums like this and in the past unless it was the Pinto or Corvair that the news proclaimed as being problems most of us never knew. Today, in fact in the past few minutes I've heard from Canada, California, Maine, Michigan and Australia sitting in my home in Somerset, Ky and yes also West virginia and Missouri.
Another consideration. You never hear or rarely hear from the satisfied customer only the unsatisfied customer and they shout loud and long and have an army of fellow dissatisfied customers backing them up.
No answers, just more questions.

 

[Deano]

Not saying I agree or disagree about product quality declining but I'm leaning toward the internet as being the "issue". There have always been quality issues, always. Some Auto companys have almost gone out of business because of the quality or lack of it.
Anyway back to the Internet. Today we can and do hear about problems with products all over the world by sitting down at our computer at forums like this and in the past unless it was the Pinto or Corvair that the news proclaimed as being problems most of us never knew. Today, in fact in the past few minutes I've heard from Canada, California, Maine, Michigan and Australia sitting in my home in Somerset, Ky and yes also West virginia and Missouri.
Another consideration. You never hear or rarely hear from the satisfied customer only the unsatisfied customer and they shout loud and long and have an army of fellow dissatisfied customers backing them up.
No answers, just more questions.

So true JohnThomas!

 

[kuboman]

Not saying I agree or disagree about product quality declining but I'm leaning toward the internet as being the "issue". There have always been quality issues, always. Some Auto companys have almost gone out of business because of the quality or lack of it.
Anyway back to the Internet. Today we can and do hear about problems with products all over the world by sitting down at our computer at forums like this and in the past unless it was the Pinto or Corvair that the news proclaimed as being problems most of us never knew. Today, in fact in the past few minutes I've heard from Canada, California, Maine, Michigan and Australia sitting in my home in Somerset, Ky and yes also West virginia and Missouri.
Another consideration. You never hear or rarely hear from the satisfied customer only the unsatisfied customer and they shout loud and long and have an army of fellow dissatisfied customers backing them up.
No answers, just more questions.

Yep, and it is not just the last few years. It has been a symptom of mass production from the beginning of time. How to make it cheaper and charge more.

 

[tractchores]

Don't mean to hijack but...

Toilet paper rolls are getting more loosely rolled,
The centers are getting bigger, produce in stores which once where sold on discount shelves are now rotting away just waiting to be bought by gullible consumers, automobiles that have major mechanical failures right after the warranty is up, tractors that where once built to last don't even have a coat of paint (primer showing through) on the underside/not looked at parts, goes on and on!!!!

And oh ya the prices keep on going up!

Thanks to the OP for bringing this problem and solution to light

Sorry for the rant

Jt has a good point. I think the other half is that most goods have increased drastically in price, but there has been no inflation. That squeezes the consumer who makes the same money though everything he buys had gotten more expensive. Manufacturers can't just jack up prices, so have to cut costs in some way. Tbat leads to cheaper components, labor etc. Won't get on a soap box, but the issue is macro economic policy, largely between china and the us. We keep printing $, but they keep buying them to keep their currency in line so they can still be cheap manufacturers of our goods. At some point it will become unsustainable and we'll have rapid inflation and the balance will be restored.

 

[North West Farmer]

We have 10 tractors, more old than new, most are IH a couple of JD's and an Oliver. The fleet is both diesel and gas powered and luck has been with us in that we have experienced very few fuel related problems and have not had any issues with fuel tank corrosion.

On the other hand, we have dealt with many fuel related problems on our small engines and two stroke power like chainsaws.

Our primary fuel supplier has been a local farmers cooperative that delivers fuel to our location. It was part of the old Unico cooperative organization and they had their own refineries and as far as I know, the Present co-op acquired the assets of Unico and may still do their own refining. I have no idea if this last factor has anything to do with our general lack of fuel related problems in our larger tractors. We have not been able to avoid these problems in small engines so the alcohol and additives do seem to be present.

Someone on the forum may know more detail about the history of co-op's, buy outs and take overs that could share some light on weather or not the in-house refining and quality control standards might have been a positive impact on the fuel being delivered to farms like ours.

At any rate, just wanted to let the thread know that fuel related problems have not necessarily been universal, or it might all come down to just plain luck.

Nick, North West Farmer

 

[Moldymike]

I am interested in your posts because I seem to be having similar problems with my BX25.

The pictures look pretty black suggesting that the rust may be iron sulfide. We would expected a more brown-ish orange color rust from water (condensation) problems.

It is possible that your diesel got contaminated with sulfur-reducing bacteria (SRB). SRB can convert sulfur in the fuel to more corrosive sulfur compounds including hydrogen sulfide.

It would be difficult to tell for sure. Chemically speaking, if you mix the black rust with a little hydrochloric acid and get a rotten-egg like odor, then it's definitely iron sulfide and SRBs are suspect. I don't recommend that you try this outside of a lab without special safeguards.

 

[03bx2200]

My 03 bx2200 has just started to cut out for a brief second every know and then , it just turned 700 hrs , after reading this I replaced the fuel filters again, still does it , so I pulled the tank figuring the sending unit was rusted , it looks brand new !? (I have always run off road fuel with the white bottle of power service additive), nothing in the tank at all , anyone have any thoughts on the gas cap or safety switchs , the tractors kept in a garage and only wet when washed maybe once a year , and very well maintained , Craig.