Replaced Fuel Filter - Won't Start

[RustyGrey]

I know I should have left well enough alone but I just had to bond with my new L1500. So, I changed the oil and oil filter. That went well except for forgetting to replace the drain plug. Oh well, a little flush never hurt. Afterward, I started it and ran it till warm. Next I decided to replace the fuel filter. I ran into town and found one at Tractor Supply. When I got back about two hours later, I realized I had left the ignition key on. I turned it off then proceeded to replace the fuel filter. After re-opening the fuel shutoff valve, I tried to start it up. I figured it would take a few cranks to get the fuel line recharged but after several minutes of trying, I had run the battery down. I let it rest a while and pulled my truck alongside and tried to jump it off. No luck. I'm not getting any smoke out the stack of any color. I cant tell you anything about indicator lights because they are pretty much gone. I think the oil light comes on when I first turn the key but there are no other lights that work. So, it is either fuel or heat. I have not pulled a glow plug to see what is happening nor have I made any electrical checks because right now I am thinking fuel. Any suggestions as to how to further troubleshoot/correct this?
Thanks in advance for even reading this tale of woe.

 

[sherman]

did you bleed the air after fuel filter change. i could be wrong but im thinking the air in the new fuel filter have to be bleed out. that might explain no smoke as there isnt any fuel getting to the injectors. there should be a bleed valve somewhere between the filter probable at injectors that going to have to bleed

 

[RustyGrey]

Uh, no. How do you do that?

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

On the side of the injector pump where the fuel line goes in from the lift pump there is a bolt/fitting lossen it and then crank till you get pulses of fuel, then tighten.
Next loosen each injector line on the top of each injector, crank till you get pulses of fuel, tighten.
Then it will start.

 

[sherman]

thanks wolfman

 

[Billdog350]

Old L series tractors require the filter to be primed (filled with fuel) and air to be bled from lines BEFORE cranking or you will introduce air to the system and it will be a complete PITA to get working again. Assuming you put an empty filter (spin on) or an element filter with some air in the bowl, here are the steps to get it running again.

1. Charge battery completely. It would be good to have jumper cables and/or a booster charger and/or another charged battery on hand. You may completely cycle your battery dead trying to bleed the air out if you got it real airbound.

2. Move your throttle to "full rack" (wide open).

3. loosen bleeder knob or screw on top of your fuel filter and bleed with gravity until air stops bubbling.

4. Loosen the nut on the top of one injector. You can try this at the pump on the side of the motor if the pump is airbound. If its the lines, you will need to bleed @ the injector instead.

5. Crank motor, you will see bubbles at the nut that you loosened. Eventually you should see no bubbles and only a steam or dribble of fuel

6. If motor fires and starts, let it run and tighten that nut while the engine is running until it stops dripping.

7. If motor stumbles and stalls, wait a little for starter to cool and try again. Repeat steps until motor starts.

8. Once motor starts and begins to increase in rpm, reduce throttle to lower setting while it warms up.

Good luck! I've been stranded in a field at night at about 10 degrees with a newer M series machine where the filters are hidden right up against the cab and you can't even reach your arm around to them and fill them up and get them back in without spilling. I almost killed the battery and couldn't get the machine going....but fortunately just before the battery was completely dead it fired off.

 

[Dan_R_42]

did you bleed the air after fuel filter change. i could be wrong but im thinking the air in the new fuel filter have to be bleed out. that might explain no smoke as there isnt any fuel getting to the injectors. there should be a bleed valve somewhere between the filter probable at injectors that going to have to bleed

Exactly. What sherman said. You need to bleed all the air out of the fuel system or it will never start. If you do not have a WSM (Workshop Manual) for your tractor you should get one. Long term it will be one of the best investments you will make for your new baby. While you are at it you should also get a Parts Manual too. Especially if you are planning to do some of the maintenance work yourself.

 

[RustyGrey]

Thanks to all! Can't wait to get back to it. I have learned a valuable lesson. In the future, I will fill the new filter with diesel prior to removing the old one and make the switch-a-roo as fast as possible. Thanks again.

 

[Dan_R_42]

Thanks to all! Can't wait to get back to it. I have learned a valuable lesson. In the future, I will fill the new filter with diesel prior to removing the old one and make the switch-a-roo as fast as possible. Thanks again.

Rusty, I will bet that even if you fill the filter with fuel and switch it super fast, you will not be good to go. You will still need to bleed the lines, as you have introduced air into the fuel system.

 

[ipz2222]

Experience is expensive.

 

[ttj49]

Here's a good video on how to bleed fuel lines, created by Orange Tractor Talks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJn2kDnWQPU

 

[Stubbyie]

I'm not intimate with this particular model machine, but I'm curious for my own learning...

Does this thing have a thumbscrew air bleed that can be used instead of cracking injector lines?

Always good practice to load the new fuel filter before installing---especially canister type. Same with engine oil and hydraulic filters: stand upright, fill with fluid to wet gasket, let sit 15-min, install. Hold upside down, no oil comes back out, proves element fully loaded.

 

[Billdog350]

The thumbscrews help bleed air from the fuel filter housing or high pressure pump housing, depending on your model, but will not take the place of loosening your injector line.

One additional hint I have for everyone, which I have learned from servicing well over 300 Kubota's over the past several years in contracting.

Start machine, warm it up, shut off, change your oil. Replace oil and filters. Start machine up and make sure oil light goes out and oil has circulated and things are all warmed up again.

NOW shut it off and change your fuel filter quickly, making sure to refill the fuel bowl or filter so that there is very little air in it.

Open your rack full throttle, now crank and your machine will almost definitely start and take off to full rpm. Since you have already circulated the new oil after the oil change, you're not doing any damage to your engine, cylinders are still coated and everything is warmed up. KEEP MACHINE AT FULL THROTTLE FOR A FEW MINUTES. It will likely stumble and almost stall, it might even stall, but you have at least helped bleed a LOT of the air out of the system while it was at full throttle.

Using this method I was able to service easily 200 tractors and never had to bleed them. M series all the way down to BX and everything inbetween including Excavators and RTV's.

 

[Lil Foot]

When I change the fuel filter on my B7100, I shut the fuel off at the filter bowl, remove the old filter, clean the bowl, install the new filter, o-ring, bowl, & start the screw-on bowl ring but do not tighten it; then I open the fuel shut off and allow the fuel to fill the bowl until fuel leaks out at the top, then tighten the bowl retaining ring. It starts right up, no stumbling or any other problems; never had to bleed any thing beyond that. Works every time.

 

[Dan_R_42]

When I change the fuel filter on my B7100, I shut the fuel off at the filter bowl, remove the old filter, clean the bowl, install the new filter, o-ring, bowl, & start the screw-on bowl ring but do not tighten it; then I open the fuel shut off and allow the fuel to fill the bowl until fuel leaks out at the top, then tighten the bowl retaining ring. It starts right up, no stumbling or any other problems; never had to bleed any thing beyond that. Works every time.

Thanks for the reminder !!! I forgot all about doing it that way on my 7100.

 

[DonDC]

Li L Foot x2. Thats how I do my B7001DT and it also starts right up with no bleeding required.

 

[rridgeback]

How long does it take to fill the sediment bowl after replacing the filter? How much fuel flows from the output of the sediment bowl (is it a stream of fuel or drops of fuel)?

 

[D2Cat]

"Always good practice to load the new fuel filter before installing---especially canister type."

A lot of folks do this, but you are risking the possibility of something not getting filtered from what you put in. That fuel is now past the filter and going to the IP (unfiltered).

As Bulldog350 mentioned, you save a lot of grief if your engine is warmed up good before changing fuel filters. You know the engine was running correctly before you stated, and a warmed up engine starts easier.

 

[dfh1977]

Have you bled the air out. Wildfire had a video of changing filters and bled fuel lines.

 

[dfh1977]

Found video Watch "The Kubota BX25 Full Service Video" on YouTube
The Kubota BX25 Full Service Video: http://youtu.be/pi9PVdEmNRs