TC29D stalling when hot

[dletourneau3]

I have a 2002 TC29D. tractor will start and run at peak rpm and at idle. Once the tractor has warmed up. about 15 minutes or so.. I will start to lose RPMs and power until it finally stalls. I have changed the fuel filter and primed the pump. I am at a loss. I thought it was a clogged fuel filter but sadly that does not seem to be the case... Any help at all would be greatly appreciate.

 

[RickB]

I have a 2002 TC29D. tractor will start and run at peak rpm and at idle. Once the tractor has warmed up. about 15 minutes or so.. I will start to lose RPMs and power until it finally stalls. I have changed the fuel filter and primed the pump. I am at a loss. I thought it was a clogged fuel filter but sadly that does not seem to be the case... Any help at all would be greatly appreciate.

Sounds exactly like it has a dose of gasoline in the fuel tank.

 

[dletourneau3]

I am fairly certain the tractor had diesel in it. Actually down to 1/4 of a tank when issue started. It was refilled with diesel also.

 

[SteveInMD]

Maybe it has nothing to do with getting hot, but rather you are only able to pump fuel for a 15 min. I would check all the fuel system connections to make sure your are not sucking air in somewhere. Also make sure you are getting good flow out of the fuel tank. Another possibility is a weak lift pump. I would look into all this before looking at the high pressure fuel pump.

 

[dletourneau3]

I am going to go check the vent and ensure I have good flow to all the injectors. I am also going to re prime the system. How do I check the pressure on the lift pump?

 

[jinman]

When you tractor stops due to stalling, can you shut it off and restart it in a couple of minutes or do you have to wait until it fully cools off to restart? If you have to wait for cooloff, then suspect a heat related problem. If the tractor will restart after a couple of minutes, suspect a fuel delivery problem. What does your temperature gage say? Does the TC29D have a gage or light? I think it is possible your engine is overheating, but if you have plenty of coolant (check radiator when cold only) it may not be overheating. Also find your fuel cutoff solenoid on the back of the injector pump and see if it is getting very hot and maybe failing after the tractor runs awhile. Also, what is happening to your exhaust? Is it normal, smokey, or maybe have white water vapor in it? Is it possible you have a leaking head gasket that is stalling the engine with water? You'd see a lot of white vapor if this were the case.

My suggestions are really remote chances as I would also have suspected a clogged fuel filter from your symptoms you described. Since that's not it I'm kinda "grasping at staws" to come up with another problem.

 

[dletourneau3]

Vent is clear and I have good flow to the injectors when the system is cold. This time the tractor ran for about 5 minutes then started losing power. Temp gauge got to about 40 percent, little less than half way. Frustrating...

 

[brin]

Vent is clear and I have good flow to the injectors when the system is cold. This time the tractor ran for about 5 minutes then started losing power. Temp gauge got to about 40 percent, little less than half way. Frustrating...

I have a TC -29D and the exact same thing happened to me last fall but in my case it was a clogged fuel filter..I changed it and bled the system and had no further problem..Is it possible you put on a new fuel filter that was bad or has an obstruction in it...?

 

[barbqranch]

Does it shut off instantly, or does it lose power and fail over a second or two? If instantly, I would suspect the fuel shut off solenoid, or the switches that power it.

 

[dletourneau3]

Problem solved

Fuel filter was clear - reinstalled
Fuel bowl was clear - reinstalled
Injector lines clear - reinstalled
Pressure tested injector pump - no leaks
Primed system - no apparent issues

Started tractor. Tractor died after 15 minutes.

SOLUTION -
Drained fuel from tank. No water was seen in fuel in tank. Filled tank with 2 gallons of Methanol attached a rag to a stainless piece of 2.5 foot by 1/8 piece TIG wire and scrubbed the tank. There was a considerable amount of varnish and debris in the tank. This explains why the system would prime but when a suction was put on the tank it would suck the larger pieces of varnish into the 90 deg elbow on the bottom of the tank and clog it up.

Tractor is now running non stop.:thumbsup:

Thanks to eveyone for their support and suggestion.