B3030 white smoke and stalls

[Princeton Hayseed]

I have a 2005 B3030 HST with cab. I have used the hell out of this machine and it has always run well. A week ago I was using the plow and it began to lose power. I would let it idle, then it would run for a while and do it again. Eventually it stalled and wouldn’t restart immediately. I came back to it an hour later and it started up, ran normal for 20 seconds, then died and would not restart. I towed it to a shed and for days it is doing the same thing. If left for a time it will start, dies in 20 seconds then won’t restart unless you leave it sit.

I have removed and replaced the fuel filter. There was a little water in the trap that was slushy. No change. My guess is the injectors, but I have little testing equipment. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

I'd drain the fuel tank PDQ as that 'slushy water' HAD to come from the tank. Buy fresh fuel and try again
You 'might' get lucky and after a few starts/quits it'll purge itself and run fine.....

 

[JimmyJazz]

Perhaps the fuel line is obstructed .Disconnect it near the filter and see if the fuel runs freely into a receptacle of your choosing for say a minute or so. You will figure it out.

 

[Princeton Hayseed]

Thanks for the advice guys. I’ll flush it thi weekend and refill. Weird that it starts fine after it sits though.

 

[Roadworthy]

The white smoke frequently indicates water in the fuel or compression chamber. The fuel is the cheap fix. The reason to let fuel flow from the tank for a minute or two is to see if it CAN flow freely. It is possible to have a partial blockage which allows fuel to seep through but not enough to sustain combustion. This could be crud in the tank or the growth of algae - which is entirely possible as you've got water there.

 

[Princeton Hayseed]

Thanks for all the help boys. I started it again and looked at the fuel filter. You could actually watch the fuel drop in the bowl until it stalled. I detached the hose from the tank and it barely dripped. I back flushed with 5 psi air pressure (just to increase flow so the emptying process didn’t take 5 years) and the flow improved greatly. Once the tank was empty I used a small hose drilled into the side of an old plastic container and used a shop vac to apply suction to the mouth of the container. Cleaned up all the gunk. One big chunk wouldn’t pass through the tube. Once done, flushed the tank, hooked it all back up and presto… works perfect.

This was the first time posting to this site.
Thanks again

 

[Nicksacco]

Nice Work!
A true testament to checking the simple things first!

 

[lynnmor]

Be sure to flush any and all fuel containers as well. A MR. Funnel would be a good idea.

 

[Russell King]

Use algaecide in fuel to help clean it up

 

[JerryMT]

I have a 2005 B3030 HST with cab. I have used the hell out of this machine and it has always run well. A week ago I was using the plow and it began to lose power. I would let it idle, then it would run for a while and do it again. Eventually it stalled and wouldn’t restart immediately. I came back to it an hour later and it started up, ran normal for 20 seconds, then died and would not restart. I towed it to a shed and for days it is doing the same thing. If left for a time it will start, dies in 20 seconds then won’t restart unless you leave it sit.

I have removed and replaced the fuel filter. There was a little water in the trap that was slushy. No change. My guess is the injectors, but I have little testing equipment. Any advice would be appreciated.

You may have restricted fuel delivery as a result of condensed water in your fuel. Disconnect the line that supplies your injector pump, holding a suitable container to catch the fuel. Fuel should gush out. (If your engine has aa lift pump, repeat as you crank the engine over.) If it dribbles or is intermittent the fuel flow is restricted and you'll have to remove the blockage between the end of the line and the tank. Pinched lines, crud in the filter head, at the tank outlet, etc are the usual culprits. Check for bacterial contamination in the fuel tank.

Once you establish a steady fuel supply you should regain power output and engine operability.

Since you found water in the fuel, drain the tank and clean it. In the future try to keep a full tank to minimize condensation which leads to bacterial contamination of the fuel. You might consider treating the fuel with a biocide if you find bacterial sludge in the tank.