JD 3020 gasser fuel starvation?

This message is a reply to an archived post by JD2ACWD on July 25, 2010 at 13:03:48.
The original subject was "JD 3020 gasser".

Quite awhile ago JD2ACWD 07-25-2010 13:03:48 69.4.113.88 said:

[i:654c4848f0]I was cutting hay for a couple hours tractor ran fine, just getting ready to pull out of the field and it quit,it will start for a second then quits,its getting gas,I opened the drain on the carb and gas pours out,... [/i:654c4848f0]

LincolnIA and others seemed to think it was a fuel problem. I'm having the same issue. If I put a timing light on it, the spark seems OK until it stalls out/slows down. There doesn't appear to be unburnt fuel coming out of the exhaust. I replaced my fuel filter (just before the fuel pump) with a new clear plastic one and the problem is the same. The filter doesn't fill up (is this normal?). I disconnect the filter at the downstream side fuel pours out, but the filter doesn't fill up. If I take out the plug on the bottom of the carb just after it stalls a tiny amount of fuel comes out, so I suspect it's not getting gas. The tank is just about full.

Gerald and others have mentioned some screens inside the tank. If I look down the filler neck all I get is the reflection back in my eyes and can't see the bottom (what I see looks clean, but I suspect it's just the inside of the top of the tank.

Questions:

When the fuel pump fails, does it only cause problems on the bottom third of the tank? If I crack the fuel line at the carb, fuel seems to pour out, even when the engine is not running.

Should the clear plastic fuel filter be full? It's oriented so it's about 30 degrees off of horizontal w/ the inlet "up". It appears empty but I can see gas surging into it as the tractor idles and gas pours out of the outlet when I disconnect it.

What should I test next?

Thanks,

Bob

It is normal for that type of filter to not fill. I would try disconnecting at the fuel filter, and see if there is steady flow for about two minutes. If the fuel keeps coming out you have an obstruction in the carb and perhaps a stuck float valve. If it slows way down after a bit you have a blockage in the line or in the tank. I would then try siphoning some gas off the tank bottom to see if there is contamination. I have siphoned with one that you get at the hardware that they sell for transferring kerosene. I was able to slip some additional vinyl tubing over it to reach the bottom of a larger tank.

the float was stuck on mine, I put a carb kit in

Thanks, I'll try that. I meant to post this to the JD board, sorry about that. I also thought I might scrounge up a plastic lawnmower gas tank and run off of that for 5 minutes to see if the problem goes away.


The see through filter is totally empty, a few drops of gas in the bottom corner. It races out the outlet when I crack it open though. I'll try to let it drain for a few minutes and see what I see.

Thanks,

Bob

Those tractors have another screen filter where the fuel fitting enters the carb. It does not take much crud to clog that little screen.