Kubota L245 Injection Pump/Fuel problems

[calheader]

Hi all, need some expert advice here.

I have a Kubota L245DT that had popped several freeze plugs. This tractor had been sitting about 6 months because I couldn't get it to start. Would turnover nice and fast, spin up and then stall right away. Turns out it was a stuck fuel rack on the injection pump. Got the rack unstuck and tractor would spin up and run fine, that's when it overheated because there wasn't any fluid in the radiator, it was all in the block!

I pulled the head and had it checked, all good. Pulled the front axle to get the timing cover off to get to another freeze plug, PITA btw.

Finally got everything back together, but the engine runs rough. Bled everything back to the top of the injectors, but it seems to be starving for fuel. Gravity fed fuel btw. Pulled the fuel filter, good flow. Bled to injection pump, so fuel. Pulled hose leading to injection pump, good fuel flow. Pulled elbow and bleed screw, no gunk and its clear. Just for shits and giggles, rigged funnel with fuel up directly to injection pump, engine runs good and runs up the revs quickly. Which confuses the hell out of me.

I know there is a single plunger in the pump, could the plunger be moving, but sporadically? Is there a way to unstick the plunger with out pulling it?

Can I pull the injection pump with out having to worry much about resetting the timing?

The biggest question, do I have to tow this thing in to the shop for a $1000 injection pump rebuild?

This pump is mechanical, so I would think that maybe putting some injector cleaner in it would free the plunger, if that's whats causing the fuel issue.

I'm at a loss, and broke haha. Irritated right now as well.

Hope someone has some thoughts on whats next.

 

[ShaunRH]

If it runs fine from gravity feed from fuel in a funnel, your issue is prior to the fuel injector pump. You've eliminated the fuel injection pump as an issue.

Replace all the old fuel lines, they collapse and plug up with gunk or their own linings.

Clean everything in the fuel system prior to the injector pump (and it's not a bad idea to let some seafoam soak in the pump and other parts of the fuel system for a few days. Then take it all apart, clean it all up, replace worn or old gaskets and valves. Clean the crap out of the fuel tank.

Put it all back together, check flow at the injector pump and fire it up. That should solve your starvation issue and essentially 'rebuild' your fuel system.

 

[D2Cat]

Yep, what ShaunRH said. Don't mess with your IP, it's working.

The IP plunger is may not be perfect, but it's still running, and it will improve with use. A good injector cleaner additive will help the whole system.

When going through the fuel lines, the first place I would inspect is inside the fuel tank. Make sure no grass or other debris is causing a restriction.

I'd say be patient. I think you have a simple problem. Just need to isolate it.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Like others are saying, If we are reading this right and it runs fine when you feed it from a funnel right to the injection pump then the issue is not the injection pump but fuel supply.
Maybe even as simple as a plugged vent on the cap.