Greetings,
I'm asking for help with my diagnosis or alternative explanations for inconsistent fuel flow between the tank and the fuel-shutoff-valve/sediment-bowl assembly.
I SUSPECT I need to either remove the tank, clean it, and possibly coat the inside with a treatment of some sort, or simply replace it.
I have two videos to share. First shows the gas flow at the bottom of the fuel line. Second shows air bubble pattern in the sediment bowl. Sound is included, and relevant to the videos. The second video will be added in a comment to this entry.
SYMPTOMS & ACTIONS TAKEN:
My 88-year-old father's 1949 8N Ford tractor was working fine until two weeks ago. A week after running perfectly, the engine fired up, and shut down after approximately 1 minute as if the carburetor bowl had run out of fuel.
1) Disconnected the fuel line at the L-shaped fitting to the carburetor.
Fuel flow shown in the first video (14-seconds) loaded. Please note air "breathing" sound that suggests an air/vacuum bubble in the line. Sediment bowl bubbles in 2nd video (17-seconds) has the same air gasping sound.
2) Found minimal crud in the glass bowl. Cleaned that out, and got the same result. No further sediment appeared in the bowl after the initial cleaning.
3) Air sounds hinted at clogged vent in the gas cap or vacuum in tank. Removing the cap, leaving tank open to air changed nothing. The same symptom continued.
4) Drained tank, removed shut-off valve, (air compressor) blew out: [a] main fuel inlet, the reserve inlet (by plugging the main inlet with my finger and blowing from the bowl side), and [c] fuel-line port (after removing the cork gasket and brass screen).
No debris, paste, or foreign materials were found. Sprayed valve/bowl assembly with carburetor cleaner.
Stuck little finger into the bottom of the tank, found some fine-grained sand, a couple tiny red paint flecks, and other small debris. Flushed tank by quickly dumping 2-pints of clean gas into the tank at top, and catching the escaping fuel at the bottom 13 times, until no more debris could be decanted out. We quit after 15 flushes.
We refilled the tank, and the engine ran for about 90 seconds. The symptom returned.
5) We re-flushed the tank 20 times, this time, filtering debris through cloth. Same symptoms.
6) On a whim, we bought a new replacement valve assembly to test and verify that it was not something else wrong with our valve. The symptom continued.
7) Because replacement leaked fuel at rubber gasket & poorly fitting plug for Massey-Ferguson interchangeability, exchanged unit at TSC. Same leakage required sealing leaks. Symptoms continued.
The problem seems to be happening between the tank and the bowl; possibly at the tank, or at the valve. Except that the problem persists with an original valve, and two replacement valves.
This is why I suspect problem is in the tank.
Does anybody have any suggestions?
Thank you.
John.
[video play=false:654c4848f0]http://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/videos/mvvideo21040.mp4[/video:654c4848f0]
[video play=false:654c4848f0]http://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/videos/mvvideo21041.mp4[/video:654c4848f0]
I'm asking for help with my diagnosis or alternative explanations for inconsistent fuel flow between the tank and the fuel-shutoff-valve/sediment-bowl assembly.
I SUSPECT I need to either remove the tank, clean it, and possibly coat the inside with a treatment of some sort, or simply replace it.
I have two videos to share. First shows the gas flow at the bottom of the fuel line. Second shows air bubble pattern in the sediment bowl. Sound is included, and relevant to the videos. The second video will be added in a comment to this entry.
SYMPTOMS & ACTIONS TAKEN:
My 88-year-old father's 1949 8N Ford tractor was working fine until two weeks ago. A week after running perfectly, the engine fired up, and shut down after approximately 1 minute as if the carburetor bowl had run out of fuel.
1) Disconnected the fuel line at the L-shaped fitting to the carburetor.
Fuel flow shown in the first video (14-seconds) loaded. Please note air "breathing" sound that suggests an air/vacuum bubble in the line. Sediment bowl bubbles in 2nd video (17-seconds) has the same air gasping sound.
2) Found minimal crud in the glass bowl. Cleaned that out, and got the same result. No further sediment appeared in the bowl after the initial cleaning.
3) Air sounds hinted at clogged vent in the gas cap or vacuum in tank. Removing the cap, leaving tank open to air changed nothing. The same symptom continued.
4) Drained tank, removed shut-off valve, (air compressor) blew out: [a] main fuel inlet, the reserve inlet (by plugging the main inlet with my finger and blowing from the bowl side), and [c] fuel-line port (after removing the cork gasket and brass screen).
No debris, paste, or foreign materials were found. Sprayed valve/bowl assembly with carburetor cleaner.
Stuck little finger into the bottom of the tank, found some fine-grained sand, a couple tiny red paint flecks, and other small debris. Flushed tank by quickly dumping 2-pints of clean gas into the tank at top, and catching the escaping fuel at the bottom 13 times, until no more debris could be decanted out. We quit after 15 flushes.
We refilled the tank, and the engine ran for about 90 seconds. The symptom returned.
5) We re-flushed the tank 20 times, this time, filtering debris through cloth. Same symptoms.
6) On a whim, we bought a new replacement valve assembly to test and verify that it was not something else wrong with our valve. The symptom continued.
7) Because replacement leaked fuel at rubber gasket & poorly fitting plug for Massey-Ferguson interchangeability, exchanged unit at TSC. Same leakage required sealing leaks. Symptoms continued.
The problem seems to be happening between the tank and the bowl; possibly at the tank, or at the valve. Except that the problem persists with an original valve, and two replacement valves.
This is why I suspect problem is in the tank.
Does anybody have any suggestions?
Thank you.
John.
[video play=false:654c4848f0]http://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/videos/mvvideo21040.mp4[/video:654c4848f0]
[video play=false:654c4848f0]http://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/videos/mvvideo21041.mp4[/video:654c4848f0]