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Case 580 K fuel troubles

bill onthehill ยท 2012-11-01 19:06

I have owned this 1988 machine for 8 years. This spring i had it over loading some farm equipment at my Amish neighbor. I was getting low on fuel and got 5 gallons from him. When I went to bring it home the next day I had a hard time getting it to run without ether at first. Brought it home and changed both fuel filters in case it got some water in it. When I can get it started it seems to run decent but will not stay primed if it sits more than a day. I started at the tank and removed a piece of rubber line where it looks like it may have had an inline filter. Fuel runs out of the tank easily. I took the line off the lift pump and blew back to the tank and you could hear the air bubbling in the tank. As near as I see it is a Case 4-390 motor with a Lucas injector pump. I can sometimes hand pump fuel to the Lucas and other times it does nothing. I bump the starter and it seems to pump fuel. It seems like a cam lobe is holding it collapsed at times. I wonder could the shutdown solenoid not be opening? I have also added a pic of the round disc with 2 wire leads coming off it. What is this? My thought was a low oil shutdown. Any ideas where to go next?

Replies11
  1. #1Goose2012-11-01 20:24

    Your disc in the picture is the air filter restriction sending unit. It detects the amount of vacumn between the intake and the air filters and turns on a light to to warm you when the air filters are plugged up. The lift pump does run on a lobe on the cam. If the engine stops in the right position the hand pump does not work as the pump is at its full stroke already. You just need to bump the engine a couple times until you can feel the hand pump stroking to get it to pump fuel. My guess is you dumped in some bad or dirty fuel and maybe got some trash in the check valves of the lift pump since it sounds like the inline filter which is there to catch large trash and keep it from getting to the lift pump. You could unhook both lines at the lift pump and try blowing out the check valve if that doesnt work you will need to replace the lift pump and definetly reinstall an inline filter to protect the lift pump in the future. Also make to install the correct inline filter. It is only a screen not a pleated paper filter inside like a gas filter.

  2. #2willie592012-11-01 23:36

    OEM Case inline filter, Hastings FF946, or Wix 33270. I agree with Goose, put this strainer back in line, it protects the lift pump from getting fouled with heavy junk.

  3. #3bowen2012-11-02 05:38

    I have a Super E that does dot have this inline filter. I am planning to remove the tank to do some other work; new lines etc. Should I add one of these filters on mine?

  4. #4mitch5042012-11-02 09:55

    It sure couldn't hurt, Bowen

  5. #5bill onthehill2012-11-03 07:36

    Thanks for the tips guys. Got sidetracked working on the woodpile and it keeps blowing snow. Will pick up a filter this week and try blowing out the pump.

  6. #6bill onthehill2012-11-03 11:29

    Called around for a strainer and pump. They wanted to know which engine it is. Is this a Case from the pics or a Perkins or Cummins? I assumed it was a Case from the ID plate on it.

  7. #7fpgm042012-11-03 14:28

    You have a Case branded engine that was made by Cummins.

  8. #8bill onthehill2012-11-05 17:16

    Picked up a lift pump and screen filter at Napa on my way home from the cancer center. $67 was not bad. Too cold and I am too tired to work on it. Warmer days coming for the weekend.

  9. #9bill onthehill2012-11-12 14:43

    Well I took advantage of nice weather and got her going. I ended up cutting a piece of the line off to fit the filter in place. Pump was pretty easy but the one 10mm bolt is hard to get on behind the oil fill. Went out this morning and it fired right up. Feel a lot better to have it going with winter on the way. Thanks to all for the good info.

  10. #10willie592012-11-12 19:04

    Good to hear ya got it going Bill.

  11. #11bill onthehill2012-11-12 20:32

    Well thanks for the good advice and part numbers. I hate when somebody asks for help and never replies what it took to fix a problem. This has been a darn good machine over the years.