No Fuel then No Crank

[jp2code]

I spent the day out on my Kubota L4400DT mowing pasture, about 10 hours all together.

I get back in, add 5 more gallons of diesel to the tank as it was down to about 1/2, greased all of the joints, and my dad thinks there is water in the fuel filter.

So, I turned the petcock off at the filter, turned it off, and realized it was just how the filter sat at the bottom of the float.

We cleaned it out anyway because there was a little gunk in the bottom, then put it back on.

Cranked the tractor and I was driving it over to the barn when the engine started idling down lower and lower until it died.

No fuel. I guess I got air in the lines.

We tried cranking it over and over, but it would not start. We hooked it to my dad's truck and pulled it down the road with the transmission in 4H. The power steering and hydraulics were working fine, but the engine just would NOT crank.

We pulled the tractor back home, and dad tries his trick of putting a rag soaked with gasoline in the intake. When I tried cranking, it knocked a little, but still refused to crank.

I took the fuel filter off again, and double checked that we reassembled it correctly. Diesel seems to flow in and out of there just fine, so I guess it has to be air in the system. Right?

We were still trying to crank it when all of a sudden it would not crank either. It was like one of the safety switches (like having the transmission in Neutral or the switch that detects when you are in the seat) was preventing power from getting to the starter.

There are 3 fuses by the battery: Main, Key Switch, and Key Off. All 3 fuses looked fine.

We fiddled around with the Neutral switch. It seemed OK.

We toggled the switch under the seat. It seemed fine.

I flipped the PTO switch On and Off, but that didn't make any difference either.

I've got a workshop manual for it, but all it seems to cover are really big things like engine overhaul. As soon as I locate my owners manual, I'm going to see if there was something silly I missed with the fuel filter.

So, I have 2 questions:

First, how can I get this engine to turn over? How do I find what is preventing the starter from turning over? Safety switches like that are such a bother when they prevent you from getting something done.

Second, how can I get fuel to the injectors so the engine will crank?

Old pic, but this is the tractor:

 

[jp2code]

Looks like we neglected to open the Air Vent Cock...

 

[jp2code]

What are the chances that I blew this relay at #7?

We were doing a lot of cranking!

 

[jp2code]

How would I find the Starter Relay?

The tractor is cranking fine now. That fuel cock seemed to be the big issue. The starter relay issue appears to be intermittent. Really hard to find, and frustrating when it doesn't go.

The tractor has been working it's butt off lately. Horrible Thorn Trees (link) are wreaking havoc on the tires. I've had 3 flats so far.

Got stuck once.

Sort of my own fault, though. I had cut down the edges of the hill so that I could get over the creek, made it across, and spotted my front tire was low enough that it was about to come off the rim again. I hobbled it back to the truck, then took the tire up to get repaired. The next day, I thought I could get across that creek like I did the day before, but I didn't count on the fact that all of that dirt I had piled in there was now filled/soaked with water. It was a big, soft mud pit.

The bucket could lift the front tires, but not enough. The rear tires were in the "downhill slope" area, so even with the bucket lifting the front end, the rear tires could not get any traction. I had to call on the aid of another tractor.

Here is a picture of the mud hole from the other side.

 

[dirtydeed]

Just a comment/question...In your mud hole pics, it looks like your front tires are on the wrong side (meaning, you are running the R-1's backwards). Why?

 

[jp2code]

Just a comment/question...In your mud hole pics, it looks like your front tires are on the wrong side (meaning, you are running the R-1's backwards). Why?

Good eye! lol

I'd noticed the front wheelbase is a little wider with the tires turned the other direction. It was just an experiment. There was nothing noticeable, so I have since turned them back the correct direction.

 

[D2Cat]

JP, your description is confusing. "We tried cranking it over and over, but it would not start. We hooked it to my dad's truck and pulled it down the road with the transmission in 4H. The power steering and hydraulics were working fine, but the engine just would NOT crank." (you say you cranked it over and over but the engine just would not crank)

"We pulled the tractor back home, and dad tries his trick of putting a rag soaked with gasoline in the intake. When I tried cranking, it knocked a little, but still refused to crank." (tried cranking, it knocked... refused to crank)

Are you using the work CRANK to mean you are using the starter motor to get the engine running?

Maybe it's just too early in the morning, but to me, there is a difference between CRANKING and STARTING, and you seem to be using the two words interchanged.

Then you ask a question on how to get the engine to turn over.... and how to get the engine to CRANK.

Cranking is when an engine turns over, meaning the pistons are going up and down!

Starting is when their is combustion and the engine is running.

I'm glad your out of the mud, but I'm getting another cup of coffee!!!

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Sounds like your over heating the starter and or relays from over cranking.

You need to get the air out of the system all the way to the injectors.

Do the cranking in very short intervals.

 

[jp2code]

JP, your description is confusing. "We tried cranking it over and over, but it would not start. We hooked it to my dad's truck and pulled it down the road with the transmission in 4H. The power steering and hydraulics were working fine, but the engine just would NOT crank." (you say you cranked it over and over but the engine just would not crank)

"We pulled the tractor back home, and dad tries his trick of putting a rag soaked with gasoline in the intake. When I tried cranking, it knocked a little, but still refused to crank." (tried cranking, it knocked... refused to crank)

Are you using the work CRANK to mean you are using the starter motor to get the engine running?

Maybe it's just too early in the morning, but to me, there is a difference between CRANKING and STARTING, and you seem to be using the two words interchanged.

Then you ask a question on how to get the engine to turn over.... and how to get the engine to CRANK.

Cranking is when an engine turns over, meaning the pistons are going up and down!

Starting is when their is combustion and the engine is running.

I'm glad your out of the mud, but I'm getting another cup of coffee!!!

Did you ever get enough coffee for it to make sense? It makes sense to me.

In Texas, if you are at a restaurant and a waitress asks if you want a coke with your lunch and you say Yes, the next thing that she asks is if you want a Dr Pepper.

Once you figure that out, my original question is plain as day.

 

[D2Cat]

JP, I kinda get it. Getting enough coffee won't fix it though. You guys call a pond a tank to!!

Just be thankful you have a loader on that tractor. It makes getting out of those creek crossings and fixing flats easier.

 

[Russell King]

A pond is a small tank!

A lake is a big tank!

I don’t understand why that confuses people outside Texas


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[D2Cat]

Russell, around here a tank is a container that usually sets on or above ground, but could be buried. and is capable of holding a liquid.

Just a matter of what one is use to. It just doesn't seem right to be flying across the Pacific Ocean and say, "Man, that's tank goes as far as you can see!"