A very common repair task with Bobcat skid machines is problems with fuel pick up tube inside fuel tank. This has been talked about at various posts on the forum, so I decided to start a thread to discuss working on the pick up tube on various Bobcat models. I'm hoping as time passes that other members will add more info about the different configurations and locations of pick up tubes on the different Bobcat models as they're not all the same. On early machines they used a flexible tubing with a strainer screen and check ball at the end of the pick up tube. On the later models Bobcat has started using a more rigid plastic tubing with no strainer or check ball. On the models that use flexible tubing, it may look like clear vinyl tubing, but it's not, vinyl tubing is not an acceptable replacement, you should get a length of tubing from Bobcat as it's not terribly expensive and works far better than clear vinyl tubing. Also, whenever your working on fuel pick up tube, always use a new seal grommet. The first thing I want to discuss is the easy way to assemble the flexible style pick up tube to get it ready for installation (as if the word "easy" can even be used when discussing Bobcat). First, use a pair of snap ring pliers to gently spread compression clamp and work it onto pick up tubing. Once you get the compression clamp on tubing, use a small screwdriver to work it onto tubing leaving appx 1/16" of tubing outside of the clamp. Lightly coat the inside of tubing with petroleum jelly using screw driver tip. Lightly coat hose barb on strainer screen with petroleum jelly, gently press hose barb into tubing until fully seated on hose barb.
Now prepare opposite end of pick up tube. Lightly coat inside of seal grommet with petrol jelly. Lightly coat about 2 to 3 inches of tubing with petrol jelly, then slip seal grommet onto tubing about that distance. Fit a compression clamp on tubing in same manner of opposite end of tube, lube inside of tube and barb of elbow with petrol jelly, then gently push hose barb into tubing. Now you have the pick up tube assembled and ready to install, except (now it's time for me to bust out laughing at myself)...when I started posting these pics that's when I noticed I fitted the wrong barb of the elbow on tubing! Oh well, consider this a demonstration on how "NOT" to do it. :tong
Now we can discuss the various models and the location of fuel pick up tube. Probably the easiest to service was the 743 since the fuel tank was located behind the seat when cab is raised. Once Bobcat started putting the tank in the belly of the machine under engine and hyd pumps life got real interesting for the wrench bender. In most all Bobcat skids, you have to start by raising the cab. Some, you access the pick up tube via a side panel. This particular model is a late model S205. This one uses the rigid tubing, but the machine is having some sort of fuel problem and I want to make certain the pick up tube is not the problem before proceding to other possibilities. Trust me...there's a fuel pick up buried in this mess. It's located just to the rear and to the left of the back of the chain case, slightly forward of drive pumps. The fuel hose to engine runs underneath the engine/pump frame rubber isolater mount on that side. Don't even waste your time trying to remove that compression clamp on the hose. Instead, cut the hose where it connects to elbow with razor knife. Turn the elbow fitting so that you can grip the elbow with a long nose pair of vise grips. Gently work the elbow/grommet out of tank. Be gentle, the elbow is plastic on this model. Here's the rigid pick tube assembly. If tube and elbow are in good shape, remove old grommet and remaining piece of hose and compression clamp. If tube or elbow is not good, replace with new assembly from Bobcat.
For installation, lube inside of new grommet with petroleum jelly, press grommet into hole in top of fuel tank. Lubricate pick up tube and elbow barb with petrol jelly, fit tube into grommet in tank. Gently push tube into grommet until it barb on elbow meets grommet. Gently push elbow into grommet with end of pry bar. Again, don't waste your time attempting to fit compression clamp, simply fit a worm gear clamp on hose, push fuel hose onto elbow, and tighten clamp. You're all set.
thanks thanks for reminding me what a pain in the a.. that repair is. i still remember the last one you talked me through a few years ago. can you also make me a "how do" on my final drive seals? and no, your 225 won't start leaking till 6000 hours. have a great day willie! regards, cd
CD...tell me you "did not" just put a voo doo hex on our Case CX225SR so i have to tear into the planetary drive to fix a leaking duo cone seal.
Thanx willie59 for reminding me what a PIA it was to change the fuel gauge sending unit on my A300 ....... you have to be a contortionist to be able to get there AND you are doing this TOTALLY BLIND ..... the old gauge fell apart There is no way in hell that you can even see in there ..... your 205 job must be a totally diff setup..... but having read what you posted about a problem with the fuel pick up also reminds me of an up coming job someday Mine runs out of fuel ! ..... but when you open the tailgate you'll see that the primer bulb is totally flat ...... if you pull the tank side of the bulb off, and try to blow with your mouth (clean off the hose first ) it has resistance like a total blockage then poof its free you can go for hrs on end and nothing then it happens again #@%^#**&$%# :Banghead....... blow the hose and go again...... i've got this down to 3mins and we're going again NOW ! ......I have drained the tank with the machine elevated pretty good in the front end (did it on my big tilt deck trailer) filtered the fuel that came out : perfectly clean, no water, no dirt residue of any kind .....nothing..... I even flushed extra fresh fuel to try and flush something out (I managed to get the missing brass piece that came off when trying to pull the old sending unit out, compared the old with the new and everything was now out ....Apparently)..... nothing else came out ...... Bcats answer to this is pull the engine out to get at the tank and remove it ....... THAT'LL be the day ointhead..... just another one of those chapters in the book of never heard of that before ....Hmmmmmm ........Have a Good one .....Cheers
LoL, such is life working on Bobcat machines CRAFT. I've been saying for years that working on a Bobcat is like working on top of a porcupine down in a hole. :tong Sounds to me like you have a "floater" inside the tank, some kind of debris floating around that on occasion blocks the pick up tube. When you shut down machine (or does it on it's own), suction vacuum goes away and floater drifts aside. These problems are a PITA to deal with.
one thing i would add, is you are working on a machine with the plastic elbow, replace it with the steel elbow. you'll thank yourself the next time you have to pull it out ops another way i've found to remove the elbow and grommet, especially on the 700 series, (with the fuel pickup up front) is to use a (large) forked door trim tool. :drinkup
Got to use this info today! Thanks Willie :drinkup
You're quite welcome alrman. But, you're a Case mechanic...don't corrupt thyself working on Bobcat machines. :tong
Willie great info and thanks for the pictures. I own two 843 Bobcats. I generally replace all fuel lines with marine grade fuel hose every 5 years on these machines because I have had the original fuel lines get soft and collapse. As part of mainenance I can use a coathanger and pull the end of the pickup line out of the tank. I have seen the strainer clogged several times. I also moved the fuel filter block to the hinge side of the rear door. Make it much easier to replace filter and removing a fuel line to blow air back thru fuel line and into the tank. I purchased these new and both have over 10k hours on their perkins engines. I did pull the engine on one at 9k hours and had it totally rebuilt because the compression was low and had several big oil leaks.
Another excellent thread, Thank you ATCO. I have yet to start my 863 fuel p/u line because of the PITA that it is. I go thru the right side after removing the rear tire, correct? thanks Doug
I can't remember for sure Reel hip, Bobcat located the pick up in various places on all the models, I can't recall exactly where it is and how to access it on the 863. Once you raise the cab and locate for sure where the pick up is, you typically are able to figure out how to best get to it and do the repairs.
ok thanks. I thought that was what the panel was for on that side.
On the 863 pick up tube is in between pumps and engine. Very nice, usually almost clean, far away out of reach place ointhead where might get by rising the cab, then laying on chaincase and trying to reach it. one more possibility, remove generator, and maybe, just maybe its possible to reach arround engine and get to pick up tube.
Have one of these to do soon, think the pickup tube is broke in the tank, any advise? Not looking forward to it!:beatsme
I forget where I saw it, but there's a way of bypassing the hard part of this job. I decided that if I ever have to replace the fuel pickup, I'm going to do it this way. The guy got a piece of stainless the OD of which matched the ID of the fuel filler hose. He flattened a section of the stainless and drilled a hole for a through-fitting. He installed the fuel pickup, lengthened appropriately, in through the fuel filler tube down into the tank, and clamped it onto the through-fitting. He then put the section of stainless in the fuel filler and clamped. The fuel supply line was clamped to the outside of the through-fitting and routed to the engine. The existing fuel line on the tank was clamped off. In essence, he ran the fuel line into the tank through the fuel filler hose, which is easily accessible. All he had to do is come up with a way to allow the smaller fuel line to enter the filler hose and from there go down to the tank. There's a nice write-up with pix somewhere. If you're interested I'll try to find it.
LWG If you could locate it that would be great. At least I could weigh my options. The machine is only a back up but it would be nice to get it back up and running!
I just joined and would like to thank everyone on this forum, especially willie59 for their input. With the help here, I was able to repair my 773G today. The fuel pickup on this machine is located just behind the fuel fill vent hose connection under the cab. Somewhat hard to reach but doable. If I had to do it again I would make sure I had a packing quit or similar padding to throw over the control linkage & plumbing. I was able to remove the hose clamps & shove the hose off of the barbed 90 that goes into the tank. With a pair of vice grips I pulled the barbed 90 & grommet out of the tank. The pickup tube was nowhere to be seen. I was fortunate to have some 1/4 polyethylene tube laying around and was able to straighten the coiled effect by using a heat gun. The tube ID is .170. With the use of a taper punch and the heat gun the ID can be flared to accept the 1/4 barbed tube. As it PE cools it seats & grips the barbed 90 perfectly. A hose clamp is located 8 to 10" down line towards the engine and needs to be unbolted to allow enough free hose to re-clamp the 90. This can be reached with a 9/16 socket on a 9 to 12 extension but its tough to reach. Hence the quilt. I was able to get about 6" of free hose so I cut off the damaged end and refitted the hose to the 90. The polyethylene tube allowed the tube to be inserted through the grommet and was pliable enough I could slide the tube into the tank grommet and pull it back out a few inches to make the hose connection. After bleeding the air out of the fuel filter & distributor, the engine fired rite up. Hope this may help someone else as the problem can seem quite daunting.
Welcome to HEF ibrory :drinkup and welcome to the world of working on a Bobcat.
Hope this may help someone else as the problem can seem quite daunting. it's only the 1st 1000 or so that are the hardest, they get much easier after that. i average a couple broken fuel pickup hoses a week.... for the last 14 years :dizzy :drinkup
You have my heart felt sympathy.
ty ty ty last week wasnt too bad, only 2 fuel pickups both on 763 G's but i made up for it spools seals on a t190, spool seals on an 864 spool seals on an 853f with bucket positioning and high flow. :Banghead 4 pm's 2 machines with ACS problems s185 with 2 bent tilt rods all in the field, only covered about 750 miles :drinkup forgot about s185 K battery and alt, that the customer tried to "fix" himself.
Yep, I had to change the drive belt on a T300 in the field last week. Job wasn't too bad, went ahead and yanked battery to get good access, plus that's a good time to service battery terminals anyway. Only problem, damn air cleaner in the way of the tensioner bolt and stop bolt, amazing how much difference moving something (air cleaner) just a half an inch makes once you get the mount bolts out to move it. :cussing
Thanks Willie59, we have to replace the fuel pickup tube in my 864. The thread you illustrated will be very helpful.
I hope you get it sorted out JBGASH.
Well hello all, I am new to this site and like everybody, never come here till there is a problem. I have t300 and went in last week for work on bobtach and got it back and wouldnt stay running. This is a 2007 T300 and start and stall and did notice the primer ball flat, we have been getting a good snow storm lately and thought maybe water in system. So I changed out primer ball (OLD) water seperator, little check valve, prime system up and got it going, let it run for like 2 hrs and noticed ball going flat and the stalled again. So would there be a screen and check valve at the end of my pick up tube in this machine and like mentioned before and pia to get to. I heard not to blow air in line back to tank like one of other guys on here has done many times. I thought I had problem fixed but then notice primer ball flat again. Any help would be grate, THX
Welcome to HEF mach123. :drinkup I can't say for certain, but I'd wager a 2007 T300 would have the rigid plastic pickup tube inside tank, not the flexible tube with screen and check valve. If you have the rigid tube, you can blow back through the fuel line. But, if you do have the rigid tube, which has no screen/check valve, and your primer bulb is collapsed flat, you definitely have something inside the tank. Even if you blow back through fuel line to dislodge it, it's likely to do it again at some point. I think you can access the fuel pickup on the T300 by removing the cover behind the boom lift cylinder on the left side, although it's still a bit of a "reaching in" process to access and work on pickup in tank. When primer bulb goes flat (from blockage), I'd be half tempted to disconnect fuel line at outlet side of primer bulb, point primer bulb into a fuel can, and have a helper keep pumping the bulb to keep vacuum on the fuel supply line, reach in and pull out the pickup tube with hopes of bringing the source of blockage with it because of the vacuum on the line. Good luck.
When I squeeze the primer bulb, I can here a something like a flapper clicking and that is why I am wounder if this one does have that check valve in end of line.....So left side when sitting in machine like always, and can I lift cab with out the boom being up. THX
What you're likely hearing is the back check ball in the primer bulb seating. Yes, you can raise the cab with loader arms down. Myself, I prefer to have loader arms up and out of my way with safety prop installed.
I will look at it tomorrow, thx
Well I open cab on T300 and side plates, wow is all I can say, it is behind big grey pump and can't reach from under cab, so then I lay on left track and stick arm in and can just touch pick up line and return line with finger tips and no way I can pop it out. I can not reach it from any other area, is there a sevice cap on tank that can be open and sucked clean. I would start machine and would run for 1 to 2 hrs and then I can start seeing the primer bulb going flat then stall out. So tonight I was able to blow back into supply line and heard lots of bubbling going on, I have full tank of fuel and if it is something getting to pick up line must not be a floater right, what else have people found or had to do to clean out tank, don't want to pull engine out, hmmmmmmmmmm THX
Welcome to the world of working on Bobcat fuel pickup tube mach123. You got it, that thing is a Bi-itch to get to, can only "touch it" by reaching though the access hole on left side, even then, can't see what you're working on, can only feel it. There's no "service cap" on the tank, there may be a small drain hole in the bottom of tank, but it's only about 3/4" to 1" in diameter, no way I can say the debris that's fouling your pickup tube would come out that drain hole if it is there. I really would give a shot at pulling the pickup tube (while bulb is flat), keep pumping that bulb so it keeps vacuum on the line, pull that pickup tube and see if it brings debris with it. I know it's a pain to do this job, but the alternative is pull the engine. :Banghead
That is krazy, and we have 3 ft of snow here and working on machine on trailer in driveway, and it's 16 below zero here or more, lol If I was able to drop the 2 pumps that are overhead of that big grey one I may be able to get to it from there. I think one is to the fan and other is hydaulic, is there a shop manual for this machine somewhere and what would a shop charge to do this job, just woundering because they can take it out and still not find anything either. THX
while the primer bulb is collasped, take the fuel cap off, and see what happens, if it stays collasped...... is the elbow on the fuel suction hose, where it comes out of the tank, steel or plastic? if it's plastic, i'd bet theres something stuck in the elbow itself. the plastic elbows have a ridgid plastic tube on them, without a check valve, no worries about blowing the check valve off the end of the hose. :drinkup
I did take cap off and primer bulb stays flat , it has a steel elbow i did blow the line and shou.ldb work but if something in tank it will happen again right........
if it didnt have the check valve on the end of the pickup, it'll be "ok for a while" probably should pull the plug out of the bottom of the tank, that will flush some of the debris out thats clogging the suction line. other thing i normally do is replace the the primer bulb, you'd be surprised how much crap makes it that far, even with a filter chage, theres probably still debris in the primer :drinkup
Ya I did change the primer bulb and had **** come out of there, and will pull plug out at bottom once I get alittle more emty first and shoot fuel through the fill tube at same time and see what comes out. THX
Well I got pick up tube out and installed the check valve and sreen and trying to get it back in, I have bloody nuckles and still not in. Is there a trick I should do first, I think it must be twisted and pushed at the same time to pop in, but can not do both any tricks let me know. I did not put on the line that goes back onto the 90 yet as It seems to get more play...THX
Lube the clear tubing and steel elbow with petroleum jelly. One thing I do when I install one like yours, just at end of hands reach, is clamp a pair of vise grips to the square part of elbow, gives you something to grip to push the elbow into the grommet.
Well guys, I finally managed to get new grumet and screen part changed out yesturday. I busted nuckles over and over and still could not get the rubber grumet to pop in, so I decided to put the wife`s hair blower in there and heat it up real good and WOW just poped into place so remember that for anybody trying to change one out. So now it runs great and then shut off with code 34-04 had dealer look and it only did it once, so where do you guys think I should look first and if it has been a problem with this previously. Thanks
Hey Willie! What about a T190? I got something funky going on, it has to be fuel/air related. Machine dies, hand prime and your back in business.
Yes, I've been following your thread NCPIPELINE, got an odd one there. But your getting professional advice from crewchief, he is a Bobcat wrench. I'm just curious to see how it shakes out.
naw, i just beat on bobcats with the biggest sledge:bash hammer i can find yea, so true, been at my current dealer 15 years... another 18 months at another bobcat dealer where i got started wrenching 9 months a new holland dealer hat went out of business, 10 years at a JD construction/utlity dealer.. man , i'm getting old...... :drinkup
Sledge? Pffttttt, I'm a runt, sledge hammers aren't friendly to me, I straighten dents in Bobcat rear doors with a 10,000 lb Atlas Copco hammer, one thump and ur done.
Sounds like some kind of masochist to work on them things that long. I have worked on a few over the years and when I finally bought a skid steer it was not a Bobcat. Not that they are not capable machines but working on them is for young fellas.
Sounds like practical experience to me.
well yea you could do it that way.... :drinkup
all depends on the machine, some models are much easier to work on than others. i shoulda listened to mom my and been a brain surgeon..... or maybe she meant i needed brain surgury :beatsme i was a machinist in a tool & die shop for almost 8 years, today i couldnt see myself still doing that kinda work. and i'd venture a guess i probably make more money pulling wrenches, welding, and beating on stuff than i ever would have as a machinist. i agree, it's a "young mans game" but theres very few younguns that are willing to work on anything, especially if it involves the business end of a 16 lb sledgehammer. :drinkup
I am 27 years old. Have never had any "training" I just get up everyday at 4 and work til the job is done. No one around here to learn from. I am the only wrench turner. Every day is a learning experience. Without this forum and the internet I don't think I that I would have been able to repair a third of what I have. A mentor sure would be nice though.
Great thread! Did this job on my on my 440b last year. On the 440 - S70 machines, it is pretty easy. The elbow is basically right behind the operator's head, just flip the ROPS up for access. I was even able to fish out the original strainer one broken off piece of tubing, as it has filler necks on both sides (the one on the right is actually for the mechanical fuel gauge).
Willie - Can you point me the right direction to completing this repair on a 2007 T190
2007 T190 Fuel Pick Up Tube Location
I am assuming that this machine had a rigid pick up tube, when I removed the grommet there was just a piece of it left covering the elbow. It is still inside the tank to the best of my knowledge, don't see any way to get it out. I installed the flex tube with strainer and reinstalled. Everything seems to be running much better.
Sorry about the no reply NC, been in Indiana for the last two days. But given the pics you posted, I can't wait to work on one of those. I haven't worked on a Bobcat that the fuel pickup to is that easy to get to, I've only worked on the ones that are a PITA. :drinkup
I was pretty surprised when I looked at the diagrams online, then went and popped the hood. BAM! Right on top, hardest part of the entire operation was those damn compression clamps.
Thanks to the advice on this thread, I found it helpful to repair my neighbors machine so I thought I'd register and post my findings. The machine is a Bobcat 863 and it would start and run for 10 minutes or so then start to hiccup and lose all power. After some research he purchased a new pickup tube/filter assembly and after some searching and coming up empty-handed, he asked for my help to fix it. It IS possible to replace a broken fuel pickup tube without removing the engine. Simply lift the cab. Yes, you can remove the cover behind the right-rear wheel BUT you can only get a finger or two on it, and that's if you're stick-boned like myself, and you NEED both hands on it. Through the cover you can see what you're looking for with a flashlight. He had the cab up so I laid down and began feeling around underneath and behind the hydraulic pumps while he wiggled the pickup hose at the primer-bulb. If you reach behind the pumps with your left hand, you can feel a sensor plugged into the top of the tank. The fuel pickup tube is a few inches toward the front of the machine and to the right (again looking towards the rear of the machine). There are two hoses that go into the tank a few inches apart, and the pickup is the one closest to the sensor. After prying the grommet out of its hole, we found the pickup tube had broken completely off of the elbow, just below the compression hose clamp. The remaining hose was red in color (stained from fuel dye) and was very brittle. Whether it was completely broke prior to removal or it was just cracked and it broke due to me removing it I don't know, but atleast it was the culprit. After cleaning up the brass elbow and grommet, we installed the new pickup tube with the grommet already slid over it into the tank. The grommet did not want to slide in easily and it took the help of a small screwdriver to convince it to pop in there. Once the grommet is in, you can hook the brass elbow into the pickup tube and slide the pickup tube firmly into place in the grommet until it's seated all the way down. Hook the fuel hose back up to the elbow, tighten the clamp down and you're all set. Hopefully this will help anyone looking for answers in the future!
Welcome to HEF ! As for when I replaced the Fuel gauge in mine, almost the same location as your fuel pick-up line, …..YOU FAILED to read the Really REALLY Fine print on the instruction sheet that came with your new parts ………. It READS !!! as a PRE-QUALIFICATION ….. "ONE MUST BE A CONTORTIONIST" ….. To Be Able To Complete this Task !!! …. Have FUN Out here !!! ….. LOL …… Cheers !
Welcome to HEF OH_Varmntr. :drinkup You forgot one thing CRAFT: "It's mandatory to use your favorite swear words when repairing pickup tube"
I'm just happy I found some information that led to it being fixed. He lets me use it whenever I need to clear my driveway and to use around my yard and all he asks is that it's returned full of fuel. I definitely reached into my cache of swear words with this one! Sometimes I wish I wasn't skinny haha!
Good to hear the info helped OH. BTW, if he ever asks you to change the engine oil, make sure the oil is hot. Otherwise you'll be waiting forever for the oil to drain out that hose that Bobcat put on the crankcase drain.
Shhhh !!! ….. I didn't want to give away all of the Secrets Willie !!! …….. LOL …. And what I do is raise the front end up, like drive onto a 4x4 block …. That really helps to get that residual oil out of the bottom of the Pan ….. Cheers Guys !
Bobcat 773G fuel pickup: DrJim is back on HEF! Willie, you knew it was bound to happen. My computer guru was whining about a concrete slab he couldn't move with his JD 1025 subcompact tractor/loader. He did the smart thing--he asked his dentist--on Sunday. Dug the Contrail out of the barn, loaded up the skid-steer and went to show off. It turned out the slab had a 5 ft long piece of 8" casing attached, stuck straight down, apparently as a base for some kind of tower or pole. The B'cat lifted it up and over. Piece of cake. Dug up some stumps, too. But traversing the back lot, off camber maybe 30 degrees to the operator's left. . . the Kubota motor sputtered twice and died. Hmmm. Drained the fuel filter--no water. Set out to bleed the filter/fuel line, and it sounded like the primer bulb was sucking air. No sign of any fuel. Of course, the fuel gauge showed 7/8 full. What the . . .? I was baffled. . . until I remembered HEF and my friend Willie. My memory was jogged--I remembered seeing something about darn Bobcat fuel pickups. My friend had a 5 gal can of diesel for the JD 1025, so we dumped it in. Didn't take but maybe 2 1/2 gallons to fill up into the filler neck. Voila! The primer bulb was now pumping liquid. Bled the air. . . and it fired right up. So, what happens on the 773? Does the entire pickup just fall off of the elbow fitting? Now that we've packed it with fuel, will the fuel come burping out of the grommet fitting when I pull the fitting out? (If I can get to it.) Other than that. . . still waiting for the motor mount bolt to fix itself, and tomorrow weather will be perfect to go way up on Windrock and change a track on a Morooka. Have a good week, Willie!
Yep, the pick up tube typically snaps off where it meets the elbow. You shouldn't have any problem with fuel puking out of the hole when you pull the elbow and grommet. And heck no, I ain't interested in going to Windrock tomorrow, supposed to be raining and cold which = yuk! Now maybe Thursday or Friday.
I logged in just to thank you for your post. Had to do this on my 763 and I think it took me about a half hour and was a breeze thanks to your tips.
hey guys, new here, hoping to tap into your vast knowledge. i have read this entire form and are having much similar symptoms but i havent been able to completely resolve things. here's my situation..... i have a 2005 T250. number of weeks ago was running it and about after a couple hours of use it started losing power, it would not lift a load or carry one without rpms dropping. it was a humid day but gauges did not indicate any over heating. i shut it down and let her rest for a couple days. next time i tried it, same thing, after an hour or so, no power. so at that point i did some regular maintenance on it as it was coming due. replaced the fuel filter and dumped a can of seaform in the tank and some other things none fuel system related. this initially seemed to correct the problem but after a couple days it got worse, power loss to the point it would stall. when this happened i noticed that the fuel primer ball was flat, unscrewed the fuel filler cap, no change. the ball would fill after sitting for a bit but very slow. i read about the pick up line and figured that was my probelm. managed to get to it and get it out to find my machine has the rigid pick up tube. it looked to be in good condition, blew it out with my compressor and all seemed good. i pulled out the fuel line from the pick up to the ball and there was some noticible wear, enough where i suspected it was the problem. replaced the fuel line and she fired up, running good at idle and half throttle with no hesitation, altho i have not put it under any load. BUT the ball is still sucking itself flat while running. when machines off it fills quickly. with the ball disconnected from the fuel pump it pumps good fuel when squeezed. im going to try and hook up to a fuel can today and see what that does. where to go from here? thanks for the help in advance. great forum guys.
sounds like you have some crap in the tank. :drinkup
Well she ran fine off a jerry can, so my suspicions of the primer bulb was ruled out. i blew air into the tank and plumbed it back together and ran like it should. spent a couple hours on it and all good. so as crewchiel888 says, must be **** in the tank. does anyone know of an additive that can be dumped into the tank to help with this? pulling the engine doesnt look like that much fun.
theres a drain plug in the bottom of the tank. located under the inspection cover on the bottom of the belly pan. consists of a rubber grommet and a steel plug :drinkup
good to know! thanks for the info.
Welcome to HEF dtsinc. :drinkup I agree with crewchief, if you have the hard poly tube pickup tube in the tank, and the primer bulb is sucking flat, there's something floating around in the tank that's blocking the pickup tube. Hopefully it will come out of the drain hole in the tank when you pull the plug. However, I don't recommend pulling that plug with a full tank of fuel.
Just thought I'd say thanks willie59. One of the guys came into work, said his 873 just died out in the back yard, no fuel at the primer bulb, full tank of fuel. I remembered reading this a while back, and printed off the first couple pages with pictures. He showed up this morning with a big grin on his face, 873 is fixed and running. Thanks again for taking the time to post.
Good to hear the info helped someone. :drinkup
Another satisfied HEF reader! Thanks Willie59, your thread and pics helped me immensely. 773G died while grappling logs, primer bulb sucking air. Pulled the elbow and grommet to find pickup tube had removed itself completely. Off to TriState to get new parts, as I type this. Thanks again to all!
Awesome!
So wanted to add this here - I have a 2004 T300 and was having all kinds of problems getting it to run more than 15 to 20 minutes at a time before losing fuel and shutting down. Replaces filters hoses pumps - nothing worked then gave in and googled and this thread popped up. I saw the tractorbynet thread referencing the 'alternate' solution : http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/bobcat-construction-equipment/174783-863-fuel-pickup.html So I ended up doing a version of the same thing - cut the hose and installed the fix - seems to work fine. Didn't build it myself had a local shop do it - $70.
I have the same flat bulb problem. runs for a while and then sucks the bulb flat. I have blown out the line and it seems clear. So just to be clear...this sounds like a floater in the tank problem not a "fuel pick up line " problem ???correct???
Well, yes, I would say a tank floater is a likely cause, but what puzzles me is you have blown back through the line and the primer bulb still goes flat. Most Bobcat fuel tanks have a check valve on the end of the pickup tube, when you blow back through them it will blow the pickup line off inside the tank. There were some models that didn't have that pickup tube check valve, that may be the case with your machine and the floater occasionally blocks the tube
mine' s a 2007 model . It has gotten worse since I blew back through it. It happened once and then it didn't happen for about 15 hours later. Now it happens over and over. If I blew the pick up line off then I assume I'd get no fuel at all??? It still sucks the bulb flat.
I have a 2004 A300 and I have to blow the line out about twice a day. So I'm guessing I have no check valve. Could the blockage be algae? I don't know how I could have that much trash in the tank. I Drained it last summer and the fuel was clean.
quick tip for flat primer bulbs... check your fuel cap, bobcat uses a vented fuel cap, if the vents are plugged or you have an unvented aftermarket cap, the primer bulb will suck flat eventually, all depends on how much fuel is in the tank... the more fuel in the tank the less time it takes to suck the primer bulb flat.
If you have a floater in the tank that can be a real PITA to deal with. There is a drain plug on the bottom of the tank, but there's no guarantee you'll bring the floater out with it and the only way to pull the tank is to pull the engine and pump frame.
If you suspect a floater you could make a modified pickup tube. Take a good length of rubber fuel hose that fits over the pickup tube and put a bunch of holes in the sides and cut the end in a vee. Rig it up so the hose can lay mostly flat on the bottom. That way the floater has to plug all the holes at once to starve it out. Not sure about access in these tanks but you can also cover the end of the pickup with a bag of metal fly screen zip tied around the tube like a tea bag.
On a t190 my drive belt shredded and broke a rubber return line for the fuel, problem is I don't know where it goes other than I assume it went to the tank...
Hello everyone, I have never had any experience with fuel pick up tubes on these machines and hope to delay it as long as possible. I have had experience with trying to work on something, or trying to manipulate something without being able to see it. I purchased an endoscope on amazon for under $30.00 for these situations. The brand I purchased was Depstech, but there are several brands available. It is a camera on the end off about 20 foot of cable. This camera generates its own wifi. I had to download free app to my phone, then you connect to camera wifi and the image from the camera displays on your phone. The camera has a ring of led lights surrounding it which can be brightened and dimmed. The one I got came with three attachments, magnet, hook and a mirror that allows you to view 90 degrees to the side of camera. The unit is water proof ( I have used it in a clogged drain). The cable is very flexible, but will hold a bend to keep it in position if needed. I would guess the camera is about 3/16 to 1/4 of an inch in diameter and the cable slightly less than that. At the price point I did not expect much, but have been pleasantly surprised. I am here to tell you if you use it one time it will pay for itself. I am not trying to hijack the thread. I just think from the discussions so far this device could be helpful. Good luck to all.
Thank you for the very helpful post. Just did my late 80's 873 and it was a snap. My side cover on the right side is higher so the tire doesn't get in the way at all. Good access to the top of the tank. I was quite disappointed as I pulled my tube out to find someone had already done this job and there was no problem with the tube. Then I was very happy when I found a big wad of junk sucked up the tube and stuck in the elbow. Less than 20 minutes start to finish. Alan
I was fighting with the pickup tube in a 330 this afternoon - couldn't get the elbow out of the grommet. Finally rigged a can and drove it to a heated shop - hoping the warmth will help ease it. I am enjoying all the commiseration and ideas in this thread. I had suggested to the boss that we drill a hole in the fuel cap and run a pickup tube through it and up and around the machine - he wasn't too keen on that. I may make a filler hose adapter like the one shown by kochevnik, if I get fed up with blindly building the ship-in-bottle. If you suspect water and sludge in the bottom of your tank, work a hose down the filler neck to the bottom of the tank and using a suction pump - suck it out until fuel looks clear again. I have done this many times on boats at the beginning of the season - sure saves on filters and headaches. It is not unusual to get a couple of gallons of cloudy crap filled fuel out of a 20 gallon tank. Lots of times the cap O-rings or gaskets are shot - better check them!
Mt Takeuchi has 90 degree pickup on bottom of tank and no filter . It clogs every now and then and I have to blow compressed air into it. I’m about to install this exact bobcat thru top setup with screen on end of hide . I bought gates submersibke fuel hose . $18.99 foot . Ouch screen and brass filter with check ball bought offline . Polaris uses then . $8.
Seems the 5/16 90 degree thru tank fitting is only 5/16 on the out side of fitting and it’s 1/4 on the inside . Do you think 1/4 I’d tubing inside tank is big enough to supply? Now I have $61 of hose that’s wrong size . Love sellers selling stuff they have no idea about . So what size is the rigid tubing bobcat uses ? And some use the flexible fuel line ? What size is this tubing ?
Hello, everyone and even Willie. Yup, another episode. In 2014 the plastic fuel pickup tube on my 2001 Bobcat 773G broke off—fell off into the tank leaving no fuel pickup tube. I have some parts records—I changed out the old plastic elbows for both the pickup and return tubes, installing the new part# metal ones with new grommets, tubes, fuel hoses. . . and the pickup tube got the new #6650239 pickup screen. Sunday I went to the farm, parked at the barn, and took my chainsaw back to the farm driveway and cut trees and bushes for an elderly neighbor (more elderly than I). The ground was soft from last week’s 5” of rain, so I dragged and dragged all that stuff until there were 8 or 10 piles completely lining ( and blocking) the driveway—my driveway, the only way out. No problem. I’ll just get the skid steer with grapple bucket, pick the stuff up and carry it to my burn pile. Uh, one problem. The 773 G fired right up, sputtered for a few seconds then shut off. Big problem. I had missed breakfast, and now I couldn’t drive out to get lunch. The Kubota engine didn’t suck the primer bulb flat ( that is an interesting phenomenon—the fuel can’t easily flow out of the bulb towards the engine without venting a little on the opposite side). But yes, I opened the bleed screw on the filter housing, squeezed the bulb good, and it stayed flat. I went back to dragging brush. The bulb was still flat this morning, after 20+ hours. Just to be sure there was nothing weird going on in the primer bulb itself, I pulled it off, put a short piece of 1/4” fuel hose on it and pumped some fuel from a jar. That worked. Then I put the bulb back on the line to the engine’s fuel pump and dropped an inlet hose in a jug of clean diesel. The machine fired right up, runs great like that, so the problem is confirmed to be somewhere between the pickup screen in the tank and where the hose connects to the primer bulb. No problem, huh? Lol. The concept of a “floater” blocking the tube in the tank seems less likely with that filter screen installed. I figured I would just pull the fitting and tube out and see what I find. Lol. I did it all on this same machine in 2014 but I don’t remember anything difficult about it. Dang memory! I think the fuel pickup is the one that is hiding behind the larger hose in the photo ( the one in plain sight is the fuel return line, and has been turned some as I worked with them). I don’t remember doing it, but it looks like removing the connected larger hose ( I think it is the fuel filler neck vent) will allow a little more access to the hardest-to-reach fitting. I’m particular about rubber stuff—I am always inclined to replace the fuel lines and return fuel line when I have any of this apart. Just tugging on them today doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence. Again, I don’t recall it being any problem, but today those hoses don’t move all that freely. Then I read ibrory’s post in this same thread (Sept 30, 2012) referring to a “hose clamp 8-10 in. down line towards the engine.” I don’t recall that. Is there really a hard-to-access hose guide/clamp that has to be loosened in order to pull fresh hose through? Any suggestions specific to the 773G will be appreciated. Thanks.
2001 Bobcat 773G fuel return & pickup location
Different folks have mentioned testing the machine--running the engine with the fuel line in a temporary fuel container. That is a good confidence builder, to demonstrate the motor runs fine. But there is a crucial practical element as well: Running the machine will allow you to raise the boom arms (and always place the safety support) to allow easier access to the fuel pickup & return tubes. You can also allow just enough room so you can back the machine up to disconnect any bucket or attachment before you lift and support the boom arms.
can anyone tell me where the fuel pickup's located on a T550? I found the return, but cannot find the pickup..and believe I've got a clog. I can't for the life of me even SEE it much less actually remove it. (cabs lifted) Any suggestions?
ok so update.. I'm leaning less toward a clogged pickup now. After letting the machine sit over night, I ran it again this morning, not moving the machine I idled it up/down several times, the primer bulb never deflated...and squeezing it i can feel fuel moving through it. so that tells me i'm NOT sucking air in anywhere, as that would be a consistent issue, it also confirms my pickup isnt plugged, or that would be consistently causing the deflated bulb as well. However I then hopped in and moved it 50 feet, and sure enough the bulb was deflated. so, IMO that tells me i got a floater in the tank and the suction draws it to the pickup and it gets stuck, agree? I shut the machine off, watch the bulb re-inflate to normal (can confirm I can squeeze it and feel it pulling fuel).. start it up and it sits there fine. this time i barley moved it at all, maybe 15 feet, slow and flat... checked it, it was fine.. then moved it again a little more aggressively (to stir up the tank more) and it deflated again. so i think i need to quit chasing down the pickup, and try to chase down how to clean out this tank. anyone agree/disagree or have a better plan of attack?
Yep, sounds like you have a floater. I haven't worked on a T550, but if they're anything like the older Bobcat machines they only have a small plug in the bottom of the tank, it's a steel plug stuck in a rubber grommet which is typically behind a small cover under the belly of the machine. If you can locate that plug, burn off as much fuel as you can then pull that plug and see what you get. Of course you need to have a new rubber grommet on hand to stick the plug back in.
Hi Everyone Wonder if a bobcat 2014 t770 and 2005 t190 has the fuel drain plug? Having same issue with the t770
T 770 Have both panels off behind rear of tracks can't find pickup fitting