In my youth:-) tractor injector pumps had centrifugal weights governing fuel control. Unlike a car, the tractor engine tries to maintain constant revs. related to the throttle setting, by adjusting the fuel supply according to the load.
Fuel starvation by blocked filters normally leads to difficulty in re-starting as it is often necessary to *bleed* fuel through the system to the injector pump.
Pumps can be serviced so you could establish a budget price before making a decision.
fuel tank is actually above engine so would it have a "lift pump" or just an injector pump?
if just injector pump would there be a diaphragm in it to check? (ISTR they are precision engineered bits not worthy of tinkering?)
cheers JimK
...blimey... the diaphragm refered to would be in the lift pump. If no lift pump don't both checking the lift pump diaphragm ....BLIMEY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If the injectors were clogged the thing wouldn't start. If the filters are clogged the fuel flow will be minimal.
But you are getting black smoke which indicates you are burning fuel like you are racing for Team America. Your exhaust ports are clogged and you need a decoke. Get some new valve springs while you are at it. I'd chuck in three new valves too as it is stripped. Overall cost:
A pot of grinding paste/three valves, some springs and a head set gasket.
You will make a saving on fuel consumption almost instantly. (Or three years; whichever comes first on a three cylinder tractor.)
But usually clogged ports mean bad starting as well.
I agree that a decoke and valve regrind is a useful step..we did that years ago to a smoky bad starting diesel forklift, and it was a lot better at starting and smoked a lot less afterwards.
older engines are a lot easier to work on generally. And tend to be owned by people who have little or no clue about maintenance.
I had a labourer with a tractor when building the house: the tractor kept cutting out if it wasn't level. Especially on low fuel. I told him it probably had water in the diesel tank. I helped him drain it, fit a new filter, bleed the injectors, and get it going with fresh diesel. It worked.
There really wasn't much TO that diesel engine.
Lifting the head and regrinding valves is not hard..weekends work max if you have a reasonable toolkit and the right gaskets.
The worst part is bleeding the diesel system. On that tractor we simply unscrewed the injectors, and spun it until diesel was spurting out of the pipework, and then screwed em back up tight. It coughed and burped and needed its usual diesel soaked rag alight in the inlet manifold (glo plugs long knackered) but eventually it burped its way into full song.
There are only three really expensive bits to fix. Piston cylinder fit, crankshaft/conrods and bearings, and possibly a new injector pump.
Everything else is small change for parts, and fixable without special tolls or a machine shop.
of the injection pump? in principle yes if it's achievable - do you have any pointers?
Obviously knowing some ballpark figs for the cost of someone else repairing the pump would put things in perspective re the whole machine - remember I ain't bought it yet....
Phone george browns, I gave you the url back a bit. Ask to speak to someone in the tractor shop. Explain the symptoms and ask about exchange/re-con pumps. The Leighton Buzzard head office is 01525 372062.
as well as compression .. worth checking injectors .. I had a diesel concrete mixer, which was very rough running. Set up injectors to correct pressures and it run a treat.
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