I run a high-flow Fecon forestry mulcher on a Cat 299D XHP track loader with a rooftop cooler. The engine falters intermittently when mulching, but now occurs even when just driving the loader. When it happens, the machine shakes and the engine seems to want to quit for a few moments, then it goes back to running smoothly. Mulching is a heavy load on the engine. It had numerous overheat alarms while mulching, but I found that blowing the dirt out of the radiator fan made a big difference. I hope the overheating didn't damage the engine. I would appreciate any suggestions.
The symtoms you describe sound very much like fuel starvation. Have you done the basics such as drain water/sediment from the fuel tank, make sure the fuel line from the takn is clear, inline suction screen (if equipped) clear, drain water from fuel/water separator bowl, and check that the fuel line fittings/passages in the filter head are all clear.? If you want detailed info on locations, Parts Numbers, etc, you will need to post a Serial Number.
Thank you. Just had 1000-hour service by the dealer, but no idea if they checked those items. I will look into them. S/N is CAT0299DCJST00496.
Replace your fuel cap also. I have seen so many issues with the fuel cap breather getting plugged. Especially mulching applications. Good way to test this is when you notice it losing power, shut the machine down, hop out and pull the fuel cap. If it sounds like air rushing into the tank replace the cap.
After much ado, it appears that blowing out the fuel line made a difference. The machine now runs without choking and even while mulching I haven't seen the temp rise above 205, whereas before it hit 228 often and I had to stop for cooldown. Hopefully this solves the problem. Thanks again for the help. Also just saw Josh's post about the fuel cap and will keep this in mind moving forward. Maybe the cap breather gets plugged by dust because mulching is such a dirty operation.
Did you clean out the tank yet.? Where do you think all the material that was blocking the fuel line came from originally.?
Nige, your comment is well-taken. Yes, I drained the tank twice. The first time a fair amount of debris came out, hardly any the second time. I thought about blasting it out by pressurizing it from the fill inlet before opening up the drain plug, since the outflow is not very strong just by itself. Not sure if that would be overkill at this point.
Good on ya. All I can suggest is that you consider performing the tank drain process on a frequent basis to get rid of anything that might have accumulated before it gets chance to be sucked into the filters. It is actually part of the PM tasks.
Will do - definitely on a learning curve here. Thanks again for all the help.
Do you have an Operation & Maintenance Manual for it.? If you are doing all your own maintenance it would really pay you to have one.
Yes, I do have a manual. At your prompting I will start studying it more closely. It's my brother's machine, but I'm using it more and more, and I find I have to start keeping up on everything, and not just leaving the maintenance to him. Thanks.
I would say that to avoid a repeat of this scenario you should pay close attention to cleanliness when refuelling (because that's how all the sediment got in the tank in the first place), then move on to inspection of the inline screen and the water separator bowl on a regular basis. Then once in a while when the fuel level is low drain the water & sediment from it. Once you have a handle on how contamination is accumulating you will be able to plan better. It's an unfortunate fact of life that most users of this type of machine do not pay nearly enough attention to controlling contamination during refuelling. That's why it's common to find contamination in the tank and everywhere else right through the fuel system. Eventually it could reach the really expensive fuel injection system components which leaves an owner facing a major expense for repair.
You say that the machine spends a lot of time mulching. You need to be almost anal in attention to keeping the radiator & hydraulic oil cooler pack clean. Also the engine compartment where the airborne debris can settle and become a major fire hazard.
Yes, it gets pretty dirty inside. I spent a lot of time cleaning out the engine compartment a few weeks ago, with my arms deep inside underneath, etc. It was very dirty. Appreciate the comments about cleanliness. I will definitely take that to heart. Blowing out the radiator takes me a lot of time, but as you say, it has to be done. I really like that reversible fan pack they have in the newer machines. Regards.
Yes, it gets pretty dirty inside. I spent a lot of time cleaning out the engine compartment a couple of months ago, with my arms deep inside underneath, etc. It was very dirty. Appreciate the comments about cleanliness. I will definitely take that to heart. Blowing out the radiator takes me a lot of time, but as you say, it has to be done. I really like that reversible fan pack they have in the newer machines. Regards.
TBH in your circumstances in addition to keeping things clean I would also consider keeping fire extinguishers close handy.
Another thought - I've been spraying on and around the fuel cap with brake parts cleaner every time before I open it, to keep surrounding dirt from falling in. That area gets really dirty. Also, I think I'll find a funnel with a screen for filling the tank.
Extinguisher - yes, agree. I've kept one on hand, but mainly for any brush fires I might start. I will add the loader as well to my situational awareness for possible fires.