For three years, gravity feed through the filter to the injection pump worked well on the Dexta I had bought. A few weeks ago, while working it harder than usual running a 60inch brush mower through my tall grass, it started to act like it was running out of fuel. There was 2 inches of fuel in the tank and when I let it run without a load on it for a minute; it cleared up and ran well. When I started mowing again, after a few minutes it repeated the weak power that seemed to be like it was running out of fuel. I let it idle and it cleared up again, so into the shed until I could work on it.
Now, I've got a new OEM mechanical lift pump mounted and piped through the filter. I replaced the filter too, as it was dirty.
I finally got a chance to go out in the field and do a test run. It started well, ran well and mowed great for about 15 minutes. Then the power dropped off, just as before, it would barely idle, but kept running. This time it did not clear up and run well, instead, it slowly ran worse and worse until it stopped.
My neighbor brought his tractor over and towed it into the yard for for me.
I just got done working on it, and what I found was it was air locked, so bleeding it got it running well again. Thank goodness for the little primer lever on the lift pump.
There is still 2 inches of fuel in the tank; the primer lever on the lift pump tells me the lift pump is holding pressure after I have run the motor and shut it down.
Where did the air come from? My line from the tank to the lift pump does not leak. Could the pump itself be leaking air into the fuel it pumps to the filter? But of course the pump wasn't in the system when it did it the first time.
Any other ideas would be appreciated.
David
Now, I've got a new OEM mechanical lift pump mounted and piped through the filter. I replaced the filter too, as it was dirty.
I finally got a chance to go out in the field and do a test run. It started well, ran well and mowed great for about 15 minutes. Then the power dropped off, just as before, it would barely idle, but kept running. This time it did not clear up and run well, instead, it slowly ran worse and worse until it stopped.
My neighbor brought his tractor over and towed it into the yard for for me.
I just got done working on it, and what I found was it was air locked, so bleeding it got it running well again. Thank goodness for the little primer lever on the lift pump.
There is still 2 inches of fuel in the tank; the primer lever on the lift pump tells me the lift pump is holding pressure after I have run the motor and shut it down.
Where did the air come from? My line from the tank to the lift pump does not leak. Could the pump itself be leaking air into the fuel it pumps to the filter? But of course the pump wasn't in the system when it did it the first time.
Any other ideas would be appreciated.
David