What a mess. I was plowing snow, about 30 to 40 minutes and the 580C started sputtering. I got it close to house but died in the street. Small private development. I thought it ran out of fuel at first. A long cold walk down to the house, grab 5 gallons of fuel and a walk back. Put gas in it and it wouldn't start. I open the bleeder on the bottom of the filter and a little water comes out. It is 25 deg here today so I figure the water is partly ice. Fought to get water out of the system for an hour using a small propane torch heating the fuel lines and the bottom of the tank. Where I am when I stopped. The 580C will start and run for about 30 seconds and then die like it is running out of fuel. Will run on "date in can" (ether). My question: What do I need to do to get rid of all of the water. I just put new filters 33380 &33381 and I had good fuel coming out of the filter drain. I figure it made it past the filter and the injector pump. Could it get to the injectors and then back into the tank mixing water in the fuel again. It's going to be below freezing for the next 2 weeks. to get it warmed up, I am thinking a tarp and a propane torch and then working quick.
Get you a tarp and a torpedo heater wrap machine with tarp and let heater do its thing. Drain fuel tank using water trap and bleed fuel/water out of IP by opening side cover. Or you could build a fire under it and forget it lol JK
Let it sit overnight, In the morning water will be on the bottom, fuel will be on top - drain water before you start engine.
That trick may work north of 32F or in heated shop, don't think he's got that option.
Case used to sell a fuel additive that would get rid the of water in fuel. Highly concentrated wouldn’t take much. Had an old tuck years ago froze up one winter on way to work made it to gas station put a cap full in with fresh gas never had another with water. That being said you could try a fuel additive to help you situation.
I will assume your 580c is like my 480c. When looking at the fuel filters, look back to the right under the fuel tank, you will see some petcocks. One of them will be in a little sump on the bottom of the fuel tank. You can open this up and get all kinds of nasty stuff out of the tank, if it will even drain at all. The other petcock is to shut the tank supply off. You can shut the supply from the tank off, and then take the hose off and put it in a bucket and drain a bunch out of the tank. If you have a white bucket, you can usually see the water rolling around in the bottom of the bucket. I went through this last summer after I poured a bunch of used lousy fuel in my tractor. One thing I learned, you have to loosen the bleeder or take the line off that is on top of the last filter and goes to the injection pump. This is the highest point in the fuel system. If you do not get fuel here, make sure you have enough fuel in the tank to be higher than this point. The fuel system is gravity fed, and the only way you can get all the air out of the system is to have the fuel level in the tank higher than this point. And the tank holds a lot. Once you have enough height in the tank, it will push the fuel and air on through to the injection pump. Once the air is out completely, you can run the fuel lower in the tank, it will siphon through the high point. But if there is any air in the filters or the lines, it will fizzle out and not feed the injection pump when the tank level is low.
using the type of dry gas that removes water from gas should not be used with diesel, but there are products such as "Diesel 911" that supposedly are ok for this. I don't have first hand experience with it.
I knew about the sump from when I 1st got this backhoe. Previous owner parked it with bio diesel in the tank. It had turned into something like tar. I ended up taking it to a radiator shop to have it cleaned. This could be an issue. I did not treat the inside of the tank. I figured the diesel fuel would stop any rust. I am starting to 2nd guess this. I did get to work on it today and opened the filter drains. Water till red diesel came out. I opened the sump, petcock missing so I pulled the pug. I had to stick a wire up it to get it moving but it rand good after that. With that, the only place I may still have water is up in in the injectors. I don't know were all that crap came from, but water is out of the tank and filters. But when I start it, it will rum for 30 to 40 seconds and die. I am starting to think that I may have something else in the lines. Some thoughts as I learn about working on diesels. Can the return line from the injectors being clogged and stop it from running? When it dies, it is not one cylinder causing it to die, it is like someone is pulling the kill knob. (looked at it) When it dies, I can't get it to restart right away, but the longer I let it sit the longer it will run when I do restart it. Again thanks for the help.
Remove the fittings off the top of the inj pump and let the return fuel flow out of the pump & see how long it runs.. The return line from the inj pump “T”’s into the return for the injectors.. so yes, that can be the problem.. Back blow the line with air.. Remove the tank cap first..
When I had my episode, after doing the same as you and getting all the crap out of the tank, I had the same problem. Check your fuel flow to the injection pump by just taking the fitting loose that feeds it. Get your bucket out again, you should have good flow. Turned out my #2 filter was plugged. Found out the 1st filter has a more coarse micron filter, the 2nd filter has a very fine micron filter media in it and it was clogged not letting enough fuel through. I wonder if these filters are like the fine brass screens in the bottom of some of the metal funnels you can buy. I found out these fine brass screens are handy to keep water out of your fuel. Water will bead up and not go through the fine brass screen in the bottom of the funnel. If you have a lot of water, the water will cover the entire screen and the fuel will stop flowing. Weird but handy.
Both filters have been replaced. The bottom one was trashed! I will check the lines past the filters. After looking inside the filter, I think that it was not working anymore. The rust that was on / in the filter when I removed it... it could be the problem.
"Filters just replaced" Were the filters replaced before or after your recent issues? Aside from the return being clogged, if you sucked more **** into the "new" filters they may be waxed up or clogged with iced up crap. Did you get the machine warmed up somehow?
Filters after I had the problem. I can open the line going to the injector pump and get a good flow. Update: I checked lines: from the tank to the filters, Good From the filters to the pump, good from the last injector to the tank (return, good from the 1st injector back to the pump, good. Still would not stay running. Put heat from a cheap ass heat for hour. It got the injector pump warm. Started and ran for about ten minutes. Durning that run the motor stuttered for 5-10 seconds and then ran fine. After about 15minutes of running it did it again. But I did get it moved out of the way. I am sure there is still water in the injector pump. My plan is to let it sit till it gets warm again. Give it a start and see if it is good to go. If not, then I will drain the tank and borescope the tank. I want to make sure there is not something in the tank. Thanks for all the help
If it ever warms up enough, or you can get your heater going again, possibly a bottle of 911 would mix in and carry that water rolling around in the injection pump on out through the engine. It has some sort of emulsifier that makes the water mix with the fuel and that carries it on out of the fuel system and let's it get burned. You could turn the fuel tank valve off, take the bottom filter off and pour it out. Then fill it completely with the 911 and screw it back on, and pour the rest of the 911 in the fuel tank. You could also try a bottle of heet. I used that years ago on a skidsteer that had water in the fuel, and it cleared it right up. No more stumbling and smoking.
Personally speaking I like to use Power Service Products Clear Diesel Fuel and Tank Cleaner . It seems to work the best for my needs. It helped me completely get rid of my algae problem and I’ve never had an issue with water even with the machine sitting outside.
Just ordered a bottle of 911. I work 10 hours days Mon- Thus so next weekend I'll give it a try.
I just had episode 2 yesterday. Like you, I must have had a little bit of water left over from episode 1. It's been very cold, and that little bit of water plugged the bottom of the tank off. I poured 1/2 can of 911 in the fuel tank, but I guess this stuff doesn't perform miracles like you are led to believe. I got it running yesterday and was able to drain some water out of it because it got up to 38 degrees outside. Hopefully the 911 I poured in there will help prevent future problems.
It won't, if it gets cold again you're gonna have the same problem. PUBLIC SERVICE MESSAGE: Fuel system health is a year round job, not just when it doesn't work, including supply tanks and fuel cans. Just my 2 cents.
Yes, that is correct. I treat every bit of fuel that goes into my machines but sometimes there are outside forces that try and destabilize our lives and hands. The old clammer skid steer I just bought, considering cutting a bulkhead into the side of the tank so I can clean it out.
They sell basically anyhydrous isopropyl alcohol OTC at gas stations as a fuel drier. It comes in small red bottles. One bottle per 10 gallons of fuel. The alcohol intermixes with trace water in the fuel system and allows it to flow through the system and ultimately out the exhaust without freezing or "clumping" up.