4440 Surging and dying

mmfarms

Member
I have a 4440 that has been having problems for a while. Here's a timeline:

In the beginning it would stall out every once in a while. After a couple weeks of this I was using it and it started stalling every couple of minutes, I got it home and it sat for a while. Then when I started it up and it ran really rough, surging from 400 rpm to 1600 rpm with the throttle on full, eventually dying. Sometimes it wouldn't start at all, even with ether.

I replaced the hand primer (it leaked when you used it) and the fuel and air filters (including the screen in the sediment bowl). Didn't solve anything. I drained the fuel, blew air through the lines (thinking there may be sediment at the bottom of the tank), flushed it with diesel kleen, and reprimed it to the injection pump at every line. I added some diesel kleen and atf on the refill. It ran perfect for a several hour job, but on the way home it stalled a mile from the barn. It wouldnt restart, and the sediment bowl was not full of fuel. Pumped the hand primer a few times and it made it home. But now its surging again.

It's like its losing prime, but it isn't leaking fuel. Thought I'd also mention, I think this all started after I put diesel kleen in it at a fill up.
 
Could still have something in fuel tank. Had a 7720 combine once that acted just like your tractor. There was a kit
that added short riser in fuel tank. These tanks have to vent; try a new fuel cap.
 
I tried some things today. I took the fuel cap off, and it still acts up. I took the fuel line between the tank and the primer pump loose at the pump, and no fuel poured through the line. I blew air into the line and could see mist coming out the fuel fill opening, but still no flow. I tried using a "vacuum effect" by blowing air past the opening of the fuel line to suck fuel out and that didn't work. Finally I just used my mouth, and unfortunately for me, that did work. So I have fuel at the end of the line, but it won't pour out.

I reconnected the line and tried to prime it, but it isn't working. The sediment bowl won't fill beyond about half full, the level just goes up and down as you pump it.

I'm guessing there's something blocking the line in the tank, but I would still think by blowing air into the line it would allow some fuel to come through, at least a small burst.
 
Blow air into the tank fill neck
with the line disconnected from the pump.
You will need to use rags around the air
hose to keep air from escaping.
 
The spout/shut off valve in the bottom of the tank is likely clogged beyond what air can completely dislodge. I think what I would do is remove the valve, flush the tank and put a new valve back in. Blowing air back and forth is only going to help temporarily until a new hunk of crud plugs it again. If there's a bunch, then it won't be long. So clearing as much of that out as possible is going to be the best solution.
 
Not a tractor but on combines that have had the fuel cap left off after refueling (grrrr) i have had to poke the debris out of the filter housing passageways with a wire because it was packed in there so tight air wouldnt blow it out.
 

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