Hard starting when not used for a week or so. Could fuel be draining back into tank? Is there a way to hand pump fuel?
There is a pump on the right hand side of the engine. You have to take off the panel to access it. It is the transfer lift pump and can be manually pumped as long as the cam is in the right position. If the backhoe is equipped with the cold weather heater , it has a line that runs from the pump the intake manifold , these sometimes will get a hole in it and let it leak back. Could be transfer pump as well. May even be a loose connection.
A new $60 lift pump solved my "bleed-off" problem on a 416c.
I found the pump and heard fuel running into tank when I pumped it. It started right up and kept running without a miss. Thank you!
Sounds like your going to need a new pump before long