Ok; I recently got my 1st skidsteer (used). I bought a cheap 5 gallon gas gas can from Home Depot to store the diesel. Well today I put in some diesel and the cheap plastic part (tube) broke off and fell into the gas tank. Besides going to the Bobcat dealer to have them rip stuff apart, is there anyway possible for me to get it out? I thought of completely filling up the tank and hoping the plastic part would float to the top? I need help and ideas please!!
Don't sweat it, you're not the first. I know of several machines that spent their lives with one of those in the tank. No issues at all. Ken
Ditto. Something large like that is unlikely to cause an issue, except perhaps interfere with the fuel gauge float from time to time. If you really want it out, straighten a coathanger and go fishing. It might take a while but you should be able to snag it. Someone dropped a balled up chewing gum foil in the tank of my ZTR mower, that would clog the line and make the machine quit from time to time, I had to pull the tank to remove it.
Ahhh geesh, I thought you were going to tell us something bad, like you filled up the can with gasoline and put it in the skidsteer ;-) I agree, it shouldn't be an issue. With the noise the machine makes, you won't even hear it bumping around in there! Ken
I agree completely and also thought you wee gonna say you put gas in it. If it bothers you that much, and I am one of those types that it would annoy the h*ll out of me, check to see if it is set up like a car or truck and has a rubber fill tube going to the tank (my mustang was like that) and it wil give you access to it. Yo will have to drain and drop the tank, - alot of work fo something that won;t hinder performance, but it can be done.
If it won't be an issue to anything, then I will leave it in there and let it bounce around. Still, I almost had a heart attack when that thing broke off and fell right down into the tank. Very cheap thin plastic nozzle.
If you want to 'fish' it out, try peering directly into the tank using an inspection mirror (on a telescoping wand) and flashlight to take a look if you can see the piece or not. Of course, you'll probably have to drain the tank. If you can't, because of an extension filer tube or hose, then the next best thing would be to stick an inspection scope into the tank and spot the plastic nozzle. An inspection scope has a long flexible tube with a camera and light at the tip. Harbor Freight and other places sell them for for as low as about $100 on sale. Either way, once you spot the pesky plastic tube and know it's orientation, you can forulate a plan to carefully fish it out with a piece of wire or something similar. If your tank is easy to access, this could be a 10 minute piece of cake, OR, if it is more complex and you have to work around a fuel gauge mechanism, this could take an afternoon or more. If the tank is removable and comes right out, then it would probably be an easy job once you get the tank drained and out of the SS.
you dont mention what model bobcat you have, most of the 50 series and newer machies have a screen in the tank inlet. (tank is under the engine) you can removed the filler hose from the filler neck and tank inlet, it might be in the filler screen, or maybe even still in the hose. 30 and 40 series machines have the tank at the back of the cab, held against the mainframe with a metal strap. :drinkup
Sorry, I have a 2001 Bobcat 863.
HUGE job pulling the fuel tank from a Bobcat. I wouldn't worry about it unless it gives you trouble.
(tank is under the engine) you can removed the filler hose from the filler neck and tank inlet, it might be in the filler screen, or maybe even still in the hose yea you dont really want to pull the tank unless it's absolutely nessesary, unless you are a glutton for punishment. :drinkup
I did this exact same thing the 1st time I filled up my Mustang with the diesel can. It hasn't caused me any problems and I actually forgot about it until I read this post. I was kicking myself hard when I did it too.
dont sweat it, happends to all types of equipment! I have had it happend twice on rental sissor lifts! guys at work even once put 7 gallons of diesel in a gas lift , boy did that smoke like crazy . We just left it running at full speed all day burned off about 6 gallons and topped it off with gas the next day ( tank holds roughly 20 gal.). We had a hard time getting it to fire up the next morning but a quick sniff of starting fluid and it came to life. The rental company would have charged us 6 hour and 20 gal . of hazard waste disposal and a fuel filter so just run it was what I said. Gas with diesel no big deal , diesel with gas NOT GOOD!
Hmm. . . I'll have to jump in on this one. Sure, try the mirror and inspection scope. Lol! Reckon you can drop those in or have a piece fall off? Keep this thread going, and someone is sure to owning up to dropping the coat-hanger in the tank while "fishing". I bet that has happened close by here somewhere, maybe close to I-75 at K'town.