L3400 engine problems

[lewischuck2000]

I have an L3400 with about 320 hours on it. In the woods yesterday the engine started sounding weird and had no power. Fuel filter (original one) was dirty, so I went to the house and got a new one I had. It took about 1 hour to get back and get the new filter in, as i was changing the filter the fuel freely flowed from the tank. The tractor started and ran fine for about 20 minutes then started acting up again. the fuel bowl and filter looked ok. I let it sit for about another hour and it started and ran fine again for about another 20 minutes.

I've searched and not found this exact problem/solution.

If the new filter got plugged again would it start and run after letting it sit for a while? The temp guage is reading normal.
Any advice/help would be appreciated.

Thanks, Chuck

 

[Drew584]

If you have your manual handy it tells you to open the air vent knob (located just above the fuel filter) for thirty seconds with machine running, after the thirty seconds close the air vent knob and turn off the tractor it shoulb fix it. These instructions maynot be exact because i dont have my manual in front of me. But try it and see, sounds like you have air in the fuel system.

 

[hodge]

If you have your manual handy it tells you to open the air vent knob (located just above the fuel filter) for thirty seconds with machine running, after the thirty seconds close the air vent knob and turn off the tractor it shoulb fix it. These instructions maynot be exact because i dont have my manual in front of me. But try it and see, sounds like you have air in the fuel system.

It's worth a try, but my money is on it being something else. 20 minutes is a long time to run with air in the system. I think it would have fired up and shut back off in less than a minute or two, if that were the case.
Check the fuel tank cap to see if it is allowing the tank to vent, and check the fuel pickup in the tank- there can be debris that could be moving around and clogging up the pickup, starving the pump. It could also be a collapsing fuel line. Start at the tank, and work your way to the injection pump.
Welcome to OTT, Chuck. Sorry that a problem brought you here, but hopefully a solution keeps you coming back.

 

[lewischuck2000]

Thanks for the suggestions. I brought the tractor home tonight and will dig into it tomorrow. The first time it quit I pulled the filter pretty quickly and fuel was running out at a steady stream. The second time I loosened the fuel cap and it made no change. This evening when I was loading it on the trailer I noticed more of a diesel smell than normal but didn't see any obvious leaks.
Saturday on the way out to the woods I did fill the tank up but I can't see how bad fuel would cause this problem, or could it?
Out in the woods we were clearing around a new deer stand and running over many logs, limbs and small trees. Maybe I knocked something loose?
Hopefully something will be obvious when I pull the covers off tomorrow.

At first glance I didn't see an air bleed knob but will look closer.

On the collapsing fuel lines. Would that be obvious by looking at them, would they appear collapsed or could they be separating and just the inner part collapsing?
Thanks, Chuck

 

[hodge]

Thanks for the suggestions. I brought the tractor home tonight and will dig into it tomorrow. The first time it quit I pulled the filter pretty quickly and fuel was running out at a steady stream. The second time I loosened the fuel cap and it made no change. This evening when I was loading it on the trailer I noticed more of a diesel smell than normal but didn't see any obvious leaks.
Saturday on the way out to the woods I did fill the tank up but I can't see how bad fuel would cause this problem, or could it?
Out in the woods we were clearing around a new deer stand and running over many logs, limbs and small trees. Maybe I knocked something loose?
Hopefully something will be obvious when I pull the covers off tomorrow.

At first glance I didn't see an air bleed knob but will look closer.

On the collapsing fuel lines. Would that be obvious by looking at them, would they appear collapsed or could they be separating and just the inner part collapsing?
Thanks, Chuck

A collapsing fuel line won't always be obvious- it can be the interior seperating and collapsing.
No more that what fuel line costs, it's probably worth running new to at least rule out something that is hard to see.
Because of the steady stream/no change when removing the cap, your problem looks to be elsewhere. With a fuel smell (I assume that this is new), I'd be looking for a leak somewhere that is letting air enter the system.

 

[lewischuck2000]

Well, this is embarrassing.
I evidently filled the tank with gasoline.
I drained the tank and filled it with diesel, it's amazing how much better it runs. I don't think I hurt anything, it seems to run as good as ever. I was worried, I'd heard that gas would ruin a diesel engine. Either that was wrong or this is a testament to the Kubota engine.
Tanks, Chuck (stupid is as stupid does)

 

[kuboman]

Well, this is embarrassing.
I evidently filled the tank with gasoline.
I drained the tank and filled it with diesel, it's amazing how much better it runs. I don't think I hurt anything, it seems to run as good as ever. I was worried, I'd heard that gas would ruin a diesel engine. Either that was wrong or this is a testament to the Kubota engine.
Tanks, Chuck (stupid is as stupid does)

Glad you found the problem. I don't want to overly concern you but gas in a diesel is a bad deal. It can blow tips of injectors and the dryness of gasoline will cause premature wear of injection pumps and injectors. But, considering most tractors like these put very few hours on you likely will never see the fruits of your mistake.

 

[olthumpa]

Don't feel too bad, your not the first to do it. I did it once but lucky caught it as I was trying to restart the tractor. I had run dry. At the time I was using red gas cans for everything with just DIESEL painted on the side in black. Now if it does not come out of the tank or out of a yellow diesel can, it DOES NOT go into anything diesel powered. The cost of 4 new yellow cans was a cheep lesson to learn.

May luck and good fortune keep smiling on you.

 

[hodge]

Well, this is embarrassing.
I evidently filled the tank with gasoline.
I drained the tank and filled it with diesel, it's amazing how much better it runs. I don't think I hurt anything, it seems to run as good as ever. I was worried, I'd heard that gas would ruin a diesel engine. Either that was wrong or this is a testament to the Kubota engine.
Tanks, Chuck (stupid is as stupid does)

Someone else on here had that happen recently. I should have remembered that. Glad it was an easy fix, and relatively cheap!