Water Separator

[Green Acres]

L3301 has 38 hours and running good. Need some tips on cleaning the water separator if anybody can help. The instructions look simple enough but just wanted to pick the brains of the experts on here.

 

[coachgeo]

L3301 has 38 hours and running good. Need some tips on cleaning the water separator if anybody can help. The instructions look simple enough but just wanted to pick the brains of the experts on here.

Hard to tell the consistency of color with inconsistency of lighting. Maybe shoot it again in garage with a white piece of paper behind it and flash?

 

[Green Acres]

Hard to tell the consistency of color with inconsistency of lighting. Maybe shoot it again in garage with a white piece of paper behind it and flash?

Thanks coachgeo, no garage. my shot of upload shows the separation and color clearly? red float is not quite 1/2 way up. Just looking for tips from those who have done this. Thanks again for the reply.

 

[Daren Todd]

I usually just shut the fuel off to it. Remove it and wipe it the cup out with a rag. If it has a screen in there as well, then remove the screen and inspect it. If it's starting to collect trash and crud, then blow it out with some compressed air

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

To add to Daren's list, reinstall the ring on the filter/ separator leaving it slightly loose turn valve back on when starts to leak tighten ring.

 

[Green Acres]

Another picture - It is NOT to bad yet, or up to the change line. Wondering now if my fuel supplier has TOO much water since this is JUST 38 hours??? just want any tips removing, Bleeding fuel line.....

 

[mdhughes]

I had to empty mine out at 32 hours, but I have over 65 on it now and it doesn't have any water in it. I was thinking it had something with the tractor sitting on the dealer lot during the winter. Mine had a little more water in it when I dumped it out.

 

[sheepfarmer]

Besides filling up the separator bowl first when you first open the fuel cock, the lever that is right on the separator, do your directions also mention opening the air vent plug on the fuel filter two turns, turning on the key switch, wait for 1 min, then tighten up airvent plug?

Set throttle at minimum and turn key to start. If engine doesn't start after 10 sec, stop, wait for 30 sec and repeat.

Our tractors are same vintage but not exactly same features. Let me know if it would be helpful for me to look in my wsm. The above is in owner's manual.

Also the other day I had a panic attack when I looked up and the tanker truck had pulled in and was filling the underground tanks at the station just as I was filling up my can for the tractor. Don't usually buy gas or diesel when they are filling tanks under the theory that it stirs up the crud at the bottom. But it was too late. Tracked down one of those filter funnels at O'Reilly's. They do filter out water.

 

[Diydave]

you didn't make the mistake of puttin bio-willy in it, didja? that stuff draws water and algae, like bummer draws flies...

Here's a link to what you need, to keep the water out:

http://www.agrisupply.com/fuel-filter-funnel/p/79976/

An interesting aside, in 16 years of driving my Isuzu NPR, I haven't gotten 1 drop of water in the sep filter...

 

[coachgeo]

Another picture - It is NOT to bad yet, or up to the change line. Wondering now if my fuel supplier has TOO much water since this is JUST 38 hours??? just want any tips removing, Bleeding fuel line.....

ahhhhhhh.... mucho better. Before couldn't tell if lower part was background light reflecting on part of the cup and not on top part... or if it was fuel/water separation. Tis very obvious now.

Do you store tractor under a roof, tarp?? Do you always get fuel from the same place? How long has it taken for water to build in separator?

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

From what I'm seeing, is your seeing the red on the filter and thinking that that's a water line, are you using off road diesel? If not then the fuel will have the color as it does in the bottom of that separator/ filter.

But by all means open it up and dump it into a container and see for yourself, sometimes pictures can be an illusion.

 

[sheepfarmer]

NIW, I think he does have water in there, judging from how different his bowl looks from mine. I have been looking at mine off and on wondering if I was going to be able to see the float move etc. I think the water interface is where the medium red line is. If I can ever get the picture posting back under control, will post picture. It is great to have OP's pic for reference.

Coach, only ultra low sulfur S15 is recommended for these tier IV's, don't know if any of the biodiesel's meet these requirements, but my dealer told me not to use it for whatever reason.

 

[mdhughes]

From what I'm seeing, is your seeing the red on the filter and thinking that that's a water line, are you using off road diesel? If not then the fuel will have the color as it does in the bottom of that separator/ filter.

But by all means open it up and dump it into a container and see for yourself, sometimes pictures can be an illusion.

Wolfman. The picture looks just like mine did before I dumped it. The red float is what you are seeing between the water and the diesel. I don't think you really need the float for died diesel, but for on road diesel it will make it a lot easier to see.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

A float would explain a lot.
I'm soooo off my game, Sorry for the bad info!
Thanks for sheepfarmer and mdhughes they have set you much better info!

 

[Green Acres]

Thanks Daren!

 

[Bulldog]

Another picture - It is NOT to bad yet, or up to the change line. Wondering now if my fuel supplier has TOO much water since this is JUST 38 hours??? just want any tips removing, Bleeding fuel line.....

Green Acres, that's the same style separator my M9000 has. You have more water in yours in that picture than I had had in mine collectively since it was new in 04. Lots of different ways to get water in your tank but the supplier is the first place to look. Maybe it came from the dealer but that's a lot of water for only 38 hrs. If it was me I would watch that close and if it continued to be a problem I would find the source and eliminate it.

 

[mdhughes]

Green Acres, that's the same style separator my M9000 has. You have more water in yours in that picture than I had had in mine collectively since it was new in 04. Lots of different ways to get water in your tank but the supplier is the first place to look. Maybe it came from the dealer but that's a lot of water for only 38 hrs. If it was me I would watch that close and if it continued to be a problem I would find the source and eliminate it.

Bulldog, I have ran about 25 gallons of diesel through mine (other than what was in it) and I haven't seen any more water in the separator. Like I told Wolfman, I had at least that much in mine at 32 hours. I'm thinking that when the tractors sit on the lots the dealers don't put very much diesel in the tanks so it (diesel) doesn't get stolen and water vapor condensates over time. Hopefully Green Acres will have the same luck I have had since dumping the water out.

Green Acres, keep us informed on this so we know if you have anymore water in the separator.

 

[Green Acres]

I usually just shut the fuel off to it. Remove it and wipe it the cup out with a rag. If it has a screen in there as well, then remove the screen and inspect it. If it's starting to collect trash and crud, then blow it out with some compressed air

Thanks Daren!

 

[Green Acres]

I usually just shut the fuel off to it. Remove it and wipe it the cup out with a rag. If it has a screen in there as well, then remove the screen and inspect it. If it's starting to collect trash and crud, then blow it out with some compressed air

Bulldog, I have ran about 25 gallons of diesel through mine (other than what was in it) and I haven't seen any more water in the separator. Like I told Wolfman, I had at least that much in mine at 32 hours. I'm thinking that when the tractors sit on the lots the dealers don't put very much diesel in the tanks so it (diesel) doesn't get stolen and water vapor condensates over time. Hopefully Green Acres will have the same luck I have had since dumping the water out.

Green Acres, keep us informed on this so we know if you have anymore water in the separator.

Thanks MD I think you are right, and I will update after I do it!

 

[Green Acres]

Green Acres, that's the same style separator my M9000 has. You have more water in yours in that picture than I had had in mine collectively since it was new in 04. Lots of different ways to get water in your tank but the supplier is the first place to look. Maybe it came from the dealer but that's a lot of water for only 38 hrs. If it was me I would watch that close and if it continued to be a problem I would find the source and eliminate it.

Thanks Bulldog, It is off-road and a bulk oil plant. I just bought 5 gallons and going to test it.