It was time today to relearn a old rule

Bruce from Can. · Dec 16, 2019

Don?t run a diesel out of fuel!! Was cleaning out
stable this morning with skid steer, and suddenly
while going down the ramp outside it quit. Oh no!
Not out here in the cold !! I didn?t even try to restart
the engine, just went and filled the fuel can, and
filled the tank. Started right up... and died, and
wouldn?t restart, or even fire. Grrr, time to get some
wrenches , open a line, and bleed the system. Half
a hour later after enjoying the fresh morning air, I
got it running again. The whole time I kept telling
myself how much easier it would be to just fill the
tank once a week, rather than run out. And an old
adage came to my mind. You can always tell a boy,
but ya just can?t tell?em much!

jon f mn · Dec 16, 2019

Last week while grinding feed my 400 died, obviously out of fuel. Lucky for me I had just forgotten to open the valve after fixing a fuel line earlier. Still had to bleed the filters but that is no big deal on a case luckily.

Tony in SD · Dec 16, 2019

I was working hard at it when I noticed the fuel gauge was dangerously low. I made it within 30 feet of the fuel tank when it quit.

MSS3020 · Dec 16, 2019

Ive done this twice.. once out cleaning lot, second time baling hay.. First one was skidloader and I had to do what you did to get it going but it was in summer so....second was on a massey tractor and I heard it spudder going uphile and shut it down..lucky for me filled and started right up.. so whew on that one

Its because they get good fuel mileage/running time that that happens I figure..

My gas tractor I always fill before I use just because it drinks alot..

Traditional Farmer · Dec 16, 2019

That is one good thing about owning a John Deere you don't forget about fuel,hard to forget something you have to do 2 or 3 times a day(LOL)

JF in MI · Dec 16, 2019

Phew! I thought this was going to be about the old rule; 'never take a sleeping pill and a laxative at the same time'.

flembo · Dec 16, 2019

I have done it back in the woods a ways, had to walk back to get the can and tools to bleed it, I have never had good luck just bleeding at the bleeder screws I always have to loosen the lines at the injectors as well. I don't understand why I have to do it when changing the filter I shut the fuel valve off change the filter then turn on the fuel again. Where does the air come from, this is a Ford 1710 BTW.

Hayfarmer · Dec 16, 2019

It goes along with the feeling that before it happened you "kinda knew" you should put fuel in but thought, Maybe I'll get by one more time

John Deere D · Dec 16, 2019

Some of us done some spring field work for a neighbor as they had a terrible family challenge.......daughter badly burnt...

I suppled my Case 830 Diesel 8 speed standard Transmission with a 12' disc pulling five sections of diamond harrows behind..........all neighbors were in the field at or before 7:00 am.....1st gear high range ....throttle set at standard PTO RPM and I let the old girl smoke and buck.

As we had four days of field work ahead of us I decided to drive my case 830 the 4 miles back to my place ,fuel up and hit it the next day...

As I entered my drive way a RED LIGHT came on ...something about FUEL...then the beast started to miss fire .......

Made it to the fuel tank as the engine died!

Bob...

old · Dec 16, 2019

I learned years ago that on a diesel if it does not have a working fuel gauge to ALWAYS check the fuel before firing it up only take a moment to do so and can save an hour or 2s work

onefarmer · Dec 16, 2019

My grand father said to always fill the oil and check the gas.

You can run it out of fuel all you want, just don't run it out of oil.

Bob Bancroft · Dec 16, 2019

Out here in the new barn this morning moving equipment around, and the big tractor quits. Fuel gauge showed two bars, but it has been problematic in the past. Sure enough, it's dry. The lower/upper two fuel tanks and senders is a pain on the Magnum. Trying to regain prime with just a little fuel in the bottom tank is about impossible. So I got my neighbor, to whom I gave my portable 100 gal tank, to come over and move 100 gal from storage to the tractor. Then priming was easy!

Eric in IL · Dec 16, 2019

You fellas may find this hard to believe.

I had a 1981 VW rabbit diesel. If you ran out of fuel you simply put some in and cranked it until it started.

I only ran out once and it did work. You had to crank for about a minute though before it started.

It was the only diesel engine I've known that did not require priming.

37chief · Dec 16, 2019

I ran my JD industrial out of fuel one time. I had fuel everywhere is should be.I thought I was going to wear out the starter. It finally started. Never again will that happen. Stan

Goose · Dec 16, 2019

A simple trick I learned while changing fuel filters.

A diesel engine will run on WD-40, so if you spray puffs of WD-40 into the intake of a diesel you can keep it running until it takes off by itself. That trick has saved me a lot of cussing.

grizz02 · Dec 16, 2019

its easer to refill the filter first

jeffcat · Dec 16, 2019

A hint that works for gas and diesel. Carry a gallon jug of synthetic kerosene in your vehicles. Depot and Lowes have it. Also one of those long skinny funnels. If your gas vehicle runs out of fuel just stick the funnel in and pour the bottle in. Vehicle will start right up and drive to the gas station. This should also work for a diesel but haven't had a diesel to try it in. If you spill this synthetic stuff it just evaporates and leaves no residue. I have used it several times in my Explorer, the Expedition, and even a couple of lawn mower tractors. Just remember it is a lower octain so don't go crazy till you fuel back up. This stuff also works fantastic in your kerosene lamps and kero heater. NO smell at all! This is one of my angle lamps running.

Hendrik · Dec 16, 2019

Concur. Amazing car. BTDT

495man · Dec 16, 2019

(quoted from post at 12:42:37 12/16/19) You fellas may find this hard to believe.

I had a 1981 VW rabbit diesel. If you ran out of fuel you simply put some in and cranked it until it started.

I only ran out once and it did work. You had to crank for about a minute though before it started.

It was the only diesel engine I've known that did not require priming.

7.3 power stroke just needs fuel in the tank, cycle the key and it will pick up as you crank. Found this out on the roadside after it ran dry 20 mins from fuel stop. Fuel gauge was stuck at 1/8 tank, never happened before or since.

Philip d · Dec 16, 2019

It happened here before,I was getting ready to milk and my cousin was scraping down and it ran dry on him. He had the loader up just enough that the door wouldn?t open and the loader wouldn?t drop unless it was running. Needless to say he wasn?t able to help.

paul · Dec 16, 2019

Really tough in cold weather, a person wants to get them filled and bled and running before they cool off, or it becomes a double hard starting challenge.

My old Ford 7700 is a good starter, never have to fiddle much when changing filters, or if I run out of fuel. In warm weather it will get itself running again 90% of the time.

Paul

rlp in Co. · Dec 17, 2019

I wish I had known that trick last summer when I had to take the fuel filter off to change the starter on my Ford backhoe. That thing is a bear to get started.

MARK ROBKE · Dec 17, 2019

All this re-enforces my belief in keeping tanks full. At my house the rule is: never come home less than half full with the vehicles. And of course I 'try' to always fill up tractors before starting work-but that being said, I have run before too! Mark.

oldtanker · Dec 17, 2019

I learned as a young man that if you keep the top half of the tank full........the bottom half never runs dry.

Rick

Northvale PA · Dec 17, 2019

I top off at the end of each day

roaddevil49 · Dec 18, 2019

Must of had a 2 stroke joke G M.

It was time today to relearn a old rule

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