Hello everyone. I’m new to orangetractortalks. I have a 1981 B7100 hst. We’ve had a cold snap here in the northeast so along with using anti gel additive I’ve been starting my tractor once a day to maintain the battery ect. This morning I went to start it (it was about ten below) and I found the fuel filter had gelled up. I changed it and bled it but it’s only wanted to run for about 45 seconds at a time. Earlier I had bled it at the injector pump to make sure I had fuel there and I did but it would still only run for about 45 seconds. Just checked a little while ago and tried to bleed it again and there was no fuel from the bleed screw at the injector pump. Is there a chance that the fuel pump has gelled up also? If so is there anything I should know about taking it off? It looks pretty straight forward. I’ve already out diesel 911 in it and it won’t even start for the 45 seconds now. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Gelled fuel filter
- Thread starter Rbowles29
- Start date
Thanks for the reply. I just bled it for a good 30 seconds and it seems that there was some air in it. Runs great now. Has anyone ever heard of running a diesel/kerosene blend? Thoughts on what I should run for the winter months?
Sure you can run a diesel/kerosene blend. In fact in really cold weather straight kerosene would be appropriate.
I am running #1 with PS White and a splash of Seafoam, overkill but it has been cold. May not use anymore Seafoam because I think that is what is making it smoke a bit.
Actually, it is not the fuel-filter which 'gells up'..... on a microscopic level, some components of the fuel begin to gell. One of the PURPOSES of the fuel-filter is to stop those gell globlets from passing into the HPFP (High Pressure Fuel Pump) A non-running engine is FARRR better than damaged HPFP.
Hence, it should be expected that the fuel-filter can plug up when it reaches its capacity to contain gel-goblets.
BTW: It is NOT very good for your Diesel to be started on a daily basis simply to keep the battery charged. Consider instead a trickle-charger. (perhaps solar powered if necessarry)
I have NEVER had diesel fuel gell if it has been treated with PowerService in the white bottle BEFORE the weather gets cold.
As a bonus, using PowerService will bump up the CETANE of your fuel. (more running-time per tank)
Hence, it should be expected that the fuel-filter can plug up when it reaches its capacity to contain gel-goblets.
BTW: It is NOT very good for your Diesel to be started on a daily basis simply to keep the battery charged. Consider instead a trickle-charger. (perhaps solar powered if necessarry)
I have NEVER had diesel fuel gell if it has been treated with PowerService in the white bottle BEFORE the weather gets cold.
As a bonus, using PowerService will bump up the CETANE of your fuel. (more running-time per tank)
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Drain the fuel completely and save it for the summer. Go to a large truck stop and buy your diesel there. Diesel blends change with the seasons and having summer diesel in your tractor in the winter will end up with the problems you now have and once the problem starts the mechanic in a can may not get to where you need it if the engine is not running.
Your B7100 has a dynamo to charge the battery. It is just marginal to do that so starting your tractor thinking you are helping the battery is a mistake.
With a good battery, it should be able to sit two months or more and still start the tractor in cold weather.
The entire system gel's. There is a screen type filter inside the fuel tank which also gel's.
Getting it into somewhere warm and then, after it has sat overnight, draining everything is the only sure fire problem solver. Then add your new truck stop diesel and run the engine until you are certain no old fuel remains.
Some owners have built tarp enclosures over their tractors in order to get everything warm.
Dave
Rbowles29, you mention you have the tractor running now and you had anti-gel solution in the fuel.
If you top off your fuel with something you just purchased it would be winter fuel. Then use something to keep your battery charged without running the engine. You should be fine.
If you top off your fuel with something you just purchased it would be winter fuel. Then use something to keep your battery charged without running the engine. You should be fine.
A diesel/kerosene mix is the best for cold weather operation IMHO. I'm lucky in that I buy diesel at a station that pumps diesel off one side of the pump and kero from the other. So, if I have any doubt about the mix (recent warm weather might affect the mix delivered to the station) I fill about 2/3 diesel, 1/3 kero. No problems with gelling with that mix I can tell you.
Thanks for all the quick and helpful responses! I drained everything that I had in it and replaced it with highway diesel that I got at a truck stop (no one had any kerosene) and I also put some power service in there and ran it until I was sure that it was all the way through the fuel system. As far as the battery goes I just replaced it about a week ago with the battery that’s recommended for it (I believe it’s 500 CCA) but it still doesn’t like to start. Have any of you tried battery tenders? I’m thinking about picking one up. Thanks again!
B7100's like all Kubota's of that vintage, are a little cranky to start! Make sure all theglow plugs are functioning correctly and don't be impatient waiting for them to heat up. you won't burn them out easily.
85Hokie
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Amen to that! I have to glow mine for 15 seconds.....IN THE summer
- no glow, no start......I would think a 30-45 second glow would be needed to fire the tractor up when cold like it is now, especially up north, where you guys call 15 F a warm spell.
Yes, definitely get a battery tender, good investment. I have 2 solar, and 2 AC tenders. Keep my trolling motor battery and lawn tractor battery on the solar chargers and have pig tails on my ATVs and tractor batteries, alternate between the 2 ATVs but keep the tractor on it's own tender when not in use. Caution: If using solar pay attention to your polarity, I got smart and used a set of alligator clips from a tender with a solar charger and ruined a lawn tractor battery. Who knew the polarity was not universal??
armylifer
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I accidentally charged an RV battery by reversing the polarity once. When I discovered it, I found that the battery was fully charged in reverse. That is to say that I had a full 13 volt charge in reverse. The negative pole became the positive and the positive pole became the negative. I used that battery that way for several years and never had a problem with it. I just had to label the battery terminals with the new polarity and make sure that I did not reverse the charge again.
With a known good battery if your tractor is still slow to start the grounds may be corroded or the starter may be getting old. My 04 diesel jetta with 205k would not start in the bitter cold with a 1 year old battery it turned over so slow. Replaced the starter and I cannot believe how well it starts now. I always thought when a starter dies, it goes at once and you had to hit it with a hammer to get it to pop.
I'll second this post! I had the same deal with my B7200E. I couldn't start it with a new battery, couldn't jump it - nothing! So I took the starter to the parts house for them to test. It spun over easily enough - no load - but the bendix was a bit slow to kick out. As I'd already replaced the battery and cleaned the cables, I went ahead and replaced the starter for $68 on eBay. Lo and behold, it started right up with little effort! Turns out the old starter was weak and not able to get it going fast enough. I probably have bad rings too, which would exacerbate the problem, but there you go.
You make a good point with the starter. I’ve had that happen on a 9n that I was working on. Looks like I’ll check it out. I’m going to check the glow plugs too once we get out of the bitter cold.