All of a Sudden, she doesn't start

[TexasTractor]

I am a new tractor user/owner. Like, so new that simple things like, it won't start might as well involve rebuilding a nuclear reactor because I don't even begin to know how to start trouble shooting.

Here's the background...1993 L2350DT with 340 hours. I have run it about three hours over the last couple of weeks. As long as I waited patiently, about 20 seconds, for the glow plugs to warm up, it would start right up.

So today was the last day of fluids maintaneence and I started up the tractor very briefly, like 30 seconds, to raise the front end up to allow us to remove the front wheels to drain and refill the front axel lube and yes, we did block the front end for any safety hawks out there...anyway, quickly shut it down to drain and refill the front axle. So then, it was time to start it up to move it back to its parking place and I'll be go to hades, I could not get it to start. It would let out a puff of blue/black smoke, chug a couple of times and then die.

So is this simply a "flooded" engine, or does something in this narrative point to maybe glow plug going bad or some other issue?

Thanks for your help!

Mike

 

[MagKarl]

Have you messed with the fuel system lately as well? Make sure you are primed and petcock/valve is open if you have one.

 

[bandaidmd]

Does this model have a manual cut off that you forgot to push back in? not sure what year they went to the electric shutoff.

 

[TexasTractor]

So we in fact, installed a new fuel filter last weekend. We did fill the filter with diesel as we installed it to not put a gigantic air bubble in the system.

I'm not remembering turning off any petcocks, but something might have gotten shut off. I was working with my dad and you know how it is when there are two cooks in the kitchen.

I'll look into the idea that the fuel supply is shut off. It does seem like that might be the case.

It will be week before I am back over to my place and can look into this. If any of you have other suggestions, please post them as I want to get this licked quick. Got way too much to do to be messing around with a tractor not wanting to start!

 

[bandaidmd]

when you stop the motor do you just turn the key off?

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

You might need to still bleed air out of the fuel system.
There are normally 2 places to do it, right before the injection pump and right at each injector.

 

[Bluegill]

You might need to still bleed air out of the fuel system.
There are normally 2 places to do it, right before the injection pump and right at each injector.

That is what I'd do after first checking the fuel shut off valve. But not all these have a shut off valve.

 

[TexasTractor]

when you stop the motor do you just turn the key off?

No, have to kill the engine with a kill lever down on the right hand side of the tranny to shut it down.

 

[TexasTractor]

You might need to still bleed air out of the fuel system.
There are normally 2 places to do it, right before the injection pump and right at each injector.

This is an interesting suggestion. I'll keep it in the playbook when we head back out there Friday.

 

[kuboman]

You don't say at what point you changed or if you changed the fuel filter. From your post you have run it several hours. If that is the case it would not likely be fuel related. If its is puffing smoke then it is getting fuel. I would lean more towards glow plugs. Either your controller went bad or one or 2 plugs died.

 

[TexasTractor]

You know I didn't make it clear about when the three hours of running occurred. I operated the tractor about three hours after purchasing the property. I have only had the motor running about 30-40 seconds since fluid and filter changes that included changing the fuel filter. That is what is making me think it is a fuel supply issue.

 

[kuboman]

You know I didn't make it clear about when the three hours of running occurred. I operated the tractor about three hours after purchasing the property. I have only had the motor running about 30-40 seconds since fluid and filter changes that included changing the fuel filter. That is what is making me think it is a fuel supply issue.

That helps. Bleed the air from the fuel system and away you'll go.

 

[Bulldog]

Probably bleed the air out at your injector pump and you'll be ready to go.

 

[Tx Jim]

I agree that you probably need to bleed the air out of the fuel system.