John Deere 2510 quits running

Hammerhandle

New User
I have a John Deere 2510 gas tractor that I just purchased about a month ago. It has been running well until about a week ago. I had been plowing for about 40 minutes when the engine started to sputter like it was running out of gas. The fuel tank was not empty :D so I Ieft it alone and it started easily the next day, I started plowing again and it ran well for 30 minutes and then sputtered and died. I checked spark and all 4 plugs had good spark. I checked the fuel filter and it was full and looked good. I disconnected the fuel line at the carb and turned over the engine and got fuel. I emptied the carb bowl and filled the carb with starter fluid. After several repeat attempts it started and ran well for a couple of hours. Today I started plowing and after 15 minutes it sputtered and died again I took the fuel line off and cleaned it out with starting fluid. I replaced the fuel line and drained the carb bowl again and filled the carb with starting fluid. It will pop when turned over (only if starting fluid is in the carb) but it won't start. Is this likely a carb problem? The guy who I bought it from said that the carb was just rebuilt.
 
Really got to stop using starter fluid, especially when it is this warm, you will break things.

If good spark.

Take the drain plug out of carb when it dies, see if it runs good stream for couple minutes.
 
After it dies when I pull the drain plug out of the cab bowl only about 1-2 tablespoons of fuel drains out. Is this less than would be expected?
 
Something is floating in the tank and plugging the tank outlet. The next time it quits unhook the fuel line and blow backwards into the tank to dislodge the junk. If this helps the problem you need to clean the tank.
 
(quoted from post at 04:38:05 05/17/17) Something is floating in the tank and plugging the tank outlet. The next time it quits unhook the fuel line and blow backwards into the tank to dislodge the junk. If this helps the problem you need to clean the tank.
When I took the fuel line off of the fuel pump that comes from the tank fuel flowed readily but I can check it again. Thanks.
 
Sorry, this is my first tractor - I would gather that the lift pump.is what I have been calling the fuel pump. It seems like that could be the problem. I know that the lift pump is pumping fuel to the carb but it doesn't seem to be pumping enough.fuel. How can I tell if it is pumping enough?
 
I try and call them lift pumps because when you talk fuel pumps diesel models have 2 . The lift pump and then the injection pump. I work in parts and mainly deal with caller on the phones so I try to make things as clear as I can.
As far as testing it I was in a similar spot you are in now on our 4020 gas. Lift pump seemed to work ? My tractor had just ran out of gas or almost did ? and after refilling it I could not get it going again. I first thought I got bad gas ? The lift pump was something I had not replaced on this tractor yet after several years so I went and bought one as they were not too expensive. Turned out mine was not working right even though it seemed to pump. I think the built in check valves were letting it bleed back or jamming up. In the older pumps you could take apart and rebuilt with a kit I have seen those have the check valves bad and the housing where they sit be bad.
Maybe you could bypass it and try gravity feed to see if that helps it ?
 
I'd also see if your model has a drain on the bottom of the gas tank. Ours does and I got some junk out of it before.
 
Same thing on my 3020 gas.. it would spit and
sputter.. old timer told me to put 1 quart of diesel
fuel to 10 gallons of gas. It purrs nice now. Gas now
days isn't what they like.
 
Check your fuel level when the engine starts to sputter. The top of the fuel tank is well above the top of the carburetor, so with a full tank, gravity will push fuel through a bad fuel pump. The fuel pump is only needed when the fuel level drops below the carburetor.
 
Condenser. Get one from NAPA, not JD.

I did a lot of work on a 3010 for a friend. Since that twice it has quit. Twice it was the condenser. The last time it acted just like you described. It would run a while. The time got shorter until it would not start at all.

I was told by one of the carburetor houses to stay away from the JD points and condenser. NAPA is good.

Next time I may go to electronic ignition.

Paul
 

I removed the fuel line from the fuel filter and blew back into the tank. I could tell that something dislodged and then the fuel flowed out much faster.I bled the air from the system, and she started right up and seemed to run normally. l looked in the fuel tank and there is a lot of dirt and rust in there. I looked for a drain plug for the fuel tank but couldn't find one. What would be the best way to clean out the tank?
 

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