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Happiness Is Success!

2K views 23 replies 7 participants last post by  GT 18 - David 
#1 ·
Today, 5-22-2017, was a banner day for me as I finally got my GT 18 a [917.255916] with Briggs & Stratton engine running again after it sat idle for about 7 years due to various things that came about.

1st. The first thing that happened was that the starting gear on the bendix need to be replaced which I got around to doing earlier this year only to have it go out again in fairly short order due to too much play in the front armature shaft bearing causing it to wobble too much.

2nd. I discovered I had a very poor cable connection from the starter solinoid at the battery so I needed to get another end to crimp on the cleaned battery cable.

3rd. Then I thought I had carburator problems but upon checking it all seemed fine.

4th. So I thought I had the numbers matched up correctly according to the info on the web an my tractor manual. Well, while it looked the same with only a slight difference in the front casting, the new starter would not fit, I tried about 5 times, yet it matched up number wise. Finally I talked with a the owner of a large power equipment repair shop in Frenso, Calif., who said he didn't want the numbers in the tractor manual but rather directly off the cowling of the engine. He needed 3 different numbers; 1st. the model 917.255916, the model # of the B&S engine, 422437, and a Code # of 88122112. I gave him those and he ordered the starter for me but it was three times the cost of the other one but it fit in place just as it was supposed to. So that's resolved.

5th. So I was able to get the engine to run if I put a bit of gas down the carburetor so it didn't seem to be a problem there. But when I was checking the carburetor and had the top off it I was working along side the tractor parked in low weeds and sure enough the pin holding the float slipped out and fell in the low weeds. I found that, thank God only to drop the needle valve. OMG what was I going to do now? Well I found it too.

6th. Then I tried again to get the engine started, which I did by squirting some gas down the carburetor but it wouldn't start on it's own?

7th. So I figured it was the little Walbro Vacuum fuel pump which I took off and brought it into the garage and sat at my hobby desk and took it apart thinking that one of the two diaphragms might have a hole in it. But fortunately they both looked fine yet the inside of the little pump was dry yet there was a considerable amount of fine fiberous looking dirt in several parts of it. I used a small stiff bristled hobby brush to clean all the junk out from inside the pump. Disaster strikes again. Part of the fuel pump is a small plastic disk that fits in the middle of a spring that pushes against the Diaphragm and in brushing the dirt that had collected on it I somehow lost my grip on it and into the waste basket, that was full of other junk, it went or so I thought. I looked through that junk twice as well as the surround area amongst the cans etc., I had on the floor only to turn up empty handed. Then as I was walking away disgruntled I looked about three feet behind my chair and there it was was laying on a piece of old rug runner and blended in so perfectly I almost didn't bend over to pick it up.


8th. So, anyway, today was very rewarding as after a couple of tries after pressurizing the fuel tank to try and force some gas into the fuel pump the engine started just as it should. And after I started and ran it for a while I adjusted the mixture screw on the carburetor so now everything seems to be just fantastic! As, Thorton Wilder said, 'Happiness is success, and success is a matter of circumstances'!
 
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#6 · (Edited)
Well success was short lived, so to speak. I went out back where I had the GT18 parked over night, as it was dry out, and climbed up on it and sat down, put the key in the ignition, pulled the choke out and turned the key, it fired right up, fantastic!
I moved into the shade and hut it down to removed three tire valve stems, the two rear tires and the Right front, as they were low on pressure and had been leaking. I put 10 pumps of Green Slime in each rear tire and 8 in the front tire. Then got my pancake air compressor and filled them up to where they felt fairly firm.

I started the tractor and drove it up and down my 350' drive way a couple of time to let the slime distribute itself inside the tires and said I might as well so some mowing, as dusty as it is now, along the edges of the driveway while I'm riding around which I did and had the engine Rpm up about half throttle. Everything seemed to function as it should. Then I decided it was time to attack to attack the taller thicker Oat grass and others across the driveway from the house so in I plunged and made one fairly large circumference and every thing was working great. Then I started on the second pass and got about half way and she crapped out on me. It made some funny hesitation movements and then just lost power. I tried to get it started, it turned over fine but would not fire up. When I opened the hood I discovered I had left the screw cap dipstick just sitting on the filler tube and fair amount of chaff and dust had collected on it. I wiped out the filler tube and screwed the cap & stick back down. Then I had a big ordeal to push the tractor and mower deck through the thick high grass even though it was about a 4% slope till I got to the driveway and then I had to again push it up a 4% grade for about six feet till I got to the level of the house pad. By then I was exhausted. After resting about an hour I tried to get it started again and did and just made it into the back yard area and it died again. The area was level so I pushed it over into the shade. I added about a quart of oil and I think the dip stick is showing slightly over filled so I may have to drain some off?

I started it up again and drove it around my fairly large back yard area several times and it seemed like it was ok but I was still leary about venturing too far out from the back yard and the drive slopes down about a 6% grade and I didn't want to get out front and have the GT quite on me. Well, good thing I didn't as in not too long a time it died again and me. So I just left it parked behind the back porch where it died.

It seems like the Walbro vacuum fuel pump isn't pumping enough gas for some reason. I wonder if anyone on here has taken their Wallbro pump apart as I'm wondering if I should have stretched the two little springs the hold the little flaps closed? Or have stretched the main vacuum spring a bit too. Also there is a copper disk on the outside from whee the main vacuum spring is and I noticed that seem to have collected a fair amount of junk when I cleaned the pump prior. The copper disk with multiple depressions to it seems to be some sort of of breather but no tiny holes are visible, even when I was wearing a jewelers head magnifier? I put a new, clear, inline filter before the pump too.


I appreciate all the replies!




Say PACub: Your so correct, if only it wouldn't end so abruptly. LoL :tango_face_sad:



Note to self: ALWAYS take stuff apart out there in the weeds, or in an area frequented by runners and throw rugs with various designs & colors. Camoflouging parts as rug design details or weed flowers or seeds makes finding them ever so much harder, so when I do, I appreciate how lucky I was. not.

I use a transmission kit box, when I think enough ahead, when disassembling things that have tiny pieces. The best ones are the spring-loaded parts that fly off before you get a good look at them, making the search doubly difficult. The ones that fly off when you apply a bit of shop air are also a lot of fun.
I have even gone to the point of taking some stuff apart with the item and both hands inside a large transparent plastic bag. (dry cleaner bag, $5 for two Frito-Lay bag from Costco etc, waterproof shipping bag from electronics) When things pop inside, they mostly seem to stay.
You lucked out. Great that it's up and running.
tom

Say Tom O: Yah, I have to admit I sometimes get a little to self-assured I won't drop anything! LoL :tango_face_surprise
And as far as working where there are low weeds growing, that just adds to the challenge of finding parts I've drop. That's just too simple to work over an area that nice and clean. But your right, it is a lot more advantageous, yet that's somewhat like the area I was working on fuel pump except I was holding it over the waste basket when it took flight.

:tango_face_surprise The shop air giving flight to parts sounds like it could be a real problem finding them. With as many nooks and crannies as amongst the weeds. I know as that what I went through when the diaphrgm cap flew.
That's not a bad idea to have your hands and part in a bag.

Now here's a trick I learned looking for small HO scale model RR parts in plastic or brass, when I drop them on the floor. If your able, lay down on the floor with your head turned to the side and with the lower eye scan across the floor to pick-up things that are higher, it usually easy to find things.

A cow magnet inserted in the end of an old piece of hose makes a great way to pick-up iron items. It sure saved my butt when I spilled a bunch of tiny rail spikes on the garage floor.


I remember crawling around on my hands and knees ALL over my garage ,hoping to find the Tecumseh needle valve seat that flew out like a bullet when I applied some compressed air to the fuel inlet hose barb fitting..

It took me almost an hour,but I finally found it--about 30 feet away from where I had dissasembled the carb,on a freshly swept cement floor slab..it evidently flew a good 20 feet,then rolled like a tire,and stopped about 2" from the overhead door..

This was not the first time I had this happen,you think I'd learn by now..:/

It was the first time I ever FOUND it too...every other time I had to go buy a carb kit or try to get one out of a parts carb "intact",which is next to impossible using a tool like a hooked wire or feeler gauge wire..

I wish they would make parts like those with some "day-glo" flourecent paint or dye,so it'd be easier to find one when they fly off into oblivion..
Once you hit 50 and your sight starts degrading,you lose a lot more of these "critical" small parts...

Say Tractor-Holic: Yah, we've all had our share of find the part! The fun and adventure [Not] when we drop or otherwise loose parts. That's when we have to use our senses to try and locate them.

The eyesight going is another problem, although I've been reading in some of the health
sites they claim there are ways to improve our eye sight naturally.


Harbor freight sells a magnetic disk on a stick for $10.00.Its saved me a few times,with tiny screws and springs.
A Cow magnet and a section of old hose or tape it to a stick, works great too!


I hope your day goes well today as it just past midnight.
 
#3 ·
Note to self: ALWAYS take stuff apart out there in the weeds, or in an area frequented by runners and throw rugs with various designs & colors. Camoflouging parts as rug design details or weed flowers or seeds makes finding them ever so much harder, so when I do, I appreciate how lucky I was. not.

I use a transmission kit box, when I think enough ahead, when disassembling things that have tiny pieces. The best ones are the spring-loaded parts that fly off before you get a good look at them, making the search doubly difficult. The ones that fly off when you apply a bit of shop air are also a lot of fun.
I have even gone to the point of taking some stuff apart with the item and both hands inside a large transparent plastic bag. (dry cleaner bag, $5 for two Frito-Lay bag from Costco etc, waterproof shipping bag from electronics) When things pop inside, they mostly seem to stay.
You lucked out. Great that it's up and running.
tom
 
#4 ·
I remember crawling around on my hands and knees ALL over my garage ,hoping to find the Tecumseh needle valve seat that flew out like a bullet when I applied some compressed air to the fuel inlet hose barb fitting..

It took me almost an hour,but I finally found it--about 30 feet away from where I had dissasembled the carb,on a freshly swept cement floor slab..it evidently flew a good 20 feet,then rolled like a tire,and stopped about 2" from the overhead door..

This was not the first time I had this happen,you think I'd learn by now..:/

It was the first time I ever FOUND it too...every other time I had to go buy a carb kit or try to get one out of a parts carb "intact",which is next to impossible using a tool like a hooked wire or feeler gauge wire..

I wish they would make parts like those with some "day-glo" flourecent paint or dye,so it'd be easier to find one when they fly off into oblivion..
Once you hit 50 and your sight starts degrading,you lose a lot more of these "critical" small parts...
 
#7 · (Edited)
I would consider the ambient temperature when figuring why it is stalling. Locally, the fuel here must still be 'winter' blend, or the evaporation numbers are way high(ethanol?) as I am still getting vapor locked. If I let the engine idle while I pick up sticks or pull a couple weeds, when I go to take off, and raise the rpm off idle, it will chug and sputter. It will continue to do that for a while until I get tired of it, and remove the hood. After that, the apparent cooling effect of 'outside' air chills the fuel line so it quits vaporizing, and I get liquid to the carburetor.
When your engine stalls, I would consider dribbling some fuel into the carb through the air cleaner area(inside the filter media). That would indicate if you have a fuel supply problem or other cause. If you want to get fancy, you can carry a small plastic container of fuel that has a 'whip' tube & cap. Drill a hole into the top of the air cleaner cover, and install a plug. When it gets funky, pull the plug and squirt in some fuel... Seems like a lot to do for an intermittent. Easier check for vapor lock is to remove the hood and set it aside.
When you get close to 70, it's easy to get a bit huffy after pushing a couple hundred pound(plus yourself) up a grade. I can still remember pushing snow-bound cars as a teen, but that was when dirt was new, and I still got out of breath doing it. Could go farther, though. I don't feel old, but the clock says different.
...

The lack of sealing at the filler cap/dipstick tube caused the puffer pump to not have any puffing going on. Instead of a pressure rise & drop & rise & drop & .... you had minimal pressure change. All the 'huffy' went out the dipstick tube leaving the pump breathless.... Hope there was enough oil to keep the bearings happy. And cool.
QUOTE:
I'm wondering if I should have stretched the two little springs the hold the little flaps closed? Or have stretched the main vacuum spring a bit too. Also there is a copper disk on the outside from whee the main vacuum spring is and I noticed that seem to have collected a fair amount of junk when I cleaned the pump prior.
...
I don't think stretching the check valve springs will help anything. The spring is just there to close the valve against the outflow pressure in one case, and allow fuel to come into the chamber in the other. If the flip-flop open and closed, there's no need for more tension.
The spring on the diaphragm is just there to push the diaphragm back in place after it gets deformed by the crankcase push-pull. If it is too strong, the diaphragm won't move under pressure, or won't compress under 'vacuum'( I think it is more pressure than vacuum...). If the diaphragm doesn't compress or rebound, you'll get no pumping.
You should be able to run the engine long enough to fill the float bowl, then disconnect the pump outlet(carb inlet) feed, and collect the fuel in a container. Start the engine, careful to NOT set things on fire, and run it for a short while. See if the pump will actually produce a good flow. You may have 'helped' yourself with a too-restrictive fuel filter that the pump does not like, limiting the in-flow from the tank, so the pump has nothing to produce. If on the outlet side, check that the fuel will flow through it with relatively little restriction. The pump likely should not squirt with hard pulsation, not a lot of pressure, but deliver fuel steadily. Would not hurt to take a look at the fuel tank outlet as a collection of 'stuff' could be blocking fuel flow from the tank, and it could re-distribute after shutdown, only to collect again after running for a while. There should be some way to disconnect the fuel line such that you can check for gravity feeding freely. The tank should drain completely(99%) via gravity into a gas can. If it stops when there's fuel left, may be time to clean it..

tom

add: forgot the copper dealey. Mechanical pumps, with a lever extending into the crankcase, can 'lock' up if the area behind the diaphragm fills with oil, such as if you tilt the engine 'just so'. It will eventually drain back, but can take time, and while there's oil, the diaphragm won't be diaprhagm-ming, and no pumpy.
The flutter type pumps also need room on one side of the diaphragm for it to move or displace. If that area is full of chum, birds, dirt, ants, termites, or dried up toads, the diaphragm again cannot flex, and no flow will be produced.
Does it appear that the copper disk is to 'spread the load' from the spring? It may be on the opposite side of the spring. I needapic.
tom
 
#9 ·
Good afternoon/er, early evening,
It's been overcast earlier and humid, but the sun came out after about 4:00 Pm. temp around 85*.

I've been reading all your replies and appreciate all your input as I'm trying to figure it out too of course and not quite sure what to make of my situation? I've been able to get the GT started easily once I let it set for awhile after it quits and some times it doesn't have to run too long like it's lacking fuel? Yet after sitting over night like this morning, I pull out the choke & turn the key and immediately it starts! I wondering if it might have something to do with the vacuum line from the engine to the fuel pump. I'm thinking that may be it as it's one thing I haven't ever checked to my recollection and it may be fairly well plugged up? So that's my next thing to check into.

Also, the large intake tube seal on the air cleaner housing, that goes down into what seems to be the flywheel area, is broken but I can't see how that would make much of any difference as the Air cleaner housing has two other large holes that are completely open.

I just took a short break from writing here and went out to check the vacuum connection to the engine. I never got that far as
when I opened the Air cleaner lid and removed the round metal disk that holds the air cleaner in place I noticed it had a drop of oil on it. Not good I tought and started looking at the foam precleaner and noticed it had a fair amount of chaff on it as I put oil on it to collect the dirt and chaff. Then I started looking at the new air filter and noticed it had a fair amount of oil on it as I evidently applied too much oil to the pre-filter and didn't squeeze it out enough. :tango_face_surprise
How does the old saying go, 'The road to EL is paved with good intentions'. :tango_face_sad:
Tomorrow I'll get some break cleaner and spray the filter good to wash the oil out and maybe just buy another filter and keep this one as a spare?





Tom: As far as the engine getting hot due to the load and the heat, it never used to so I'm not sure that is the problem as I usually add some STP 4 cylinder Oil treatment in with the Synthetic Oil I use to give it added viscosity.
I believe there was enough oil a the dip stick only showed about half a quart low which is enough. I may have it a bit over filled at present. I have to check tomorrow morning.

I now have the oil dipstick cap screwed down tightly as it should be, that was a definite goof on my part, as was putting too much oil on the pre-filter and not squeezing it out throughly enough. I probably should put it between a few sheets of news paper. and compress it. I didn't do that.

I started the tractor and moved out of the metal building I store it in and parked it in the shade of a tree in the center of the yard to work on it. When I got everything back together it took a little while to start, as I guess I disturbed the oil on the paper air filter, but I got it going and backed it into the shed.
I think the excess oil on the air filter was making it hard breathing. The break cleaner should resolve that as I hat to throw a new filter away.



It could be the gas cap vent is plugged,or maybe the rubber fuel hose is separating inside and choking off the flow of fuel--and floating debris in the gas tank will eventually end up blocking the fuel feed too,and can "come & go" and drive you batty..

If all those things check out good,I would just go buy one of those plastic pulse fuel pumps the newer Briggs engines use and ditch the Walbro pump,they are under $20...I've had several of those Walbro pumps on my Sears Suburbans that came on them original, act up intermittently and drive me nuts...sometimes soaking the diaphragm in motor oil helps them pump better..(was temporary in my experience)..

One of them I ended up using a electric fuel pump on it, until that also died over the winter from ethanol poisoning,so I tried running it off gravity feed,and to my surprise it runs well enough to mow even tall grass without starving for fuel and stalling--had more than one of these tractors that simply refused to run well enough under a good load without a fuel pump..

Tractor-Holic: Thanks for the thought about the gas cap as that could have been a issue too but I could blow throw it as well as suck air through it so it definitely seems open. Also when I left the tractor sit out in some of the heavy rains I had due to the tires loosing too much air pressure to push it back in the shed, I covered the gas cap with zip-lock bag to keep water from getting into the tank from the vent hole.

My tractor definitely requires a fuel pump as the gas tank is below the seat and the fuel pump is about 10"s higher.


I hope everyone has a good day tomorrow.
 
#8 ·
It could be the gas cap vent is plugged,or maybe the rubber fuel hose is separating inside and choking off the flow of fuel--and floating debris in the gas tank will eventually end up blocking the fuel feed too,and can "come & go" and drive you batty..

If all those things check out good,I would just go buy one of those plastic pulse fuel pumps the newer Briggs engines use and ditch the Walbro pump,they are under $20...I've had several of those Walbro pumps on my Sears Suburbans that came on them original, act up intermittently and drive me nuts...sometimes soaking the diaphragm in motor oil helps them pump better..(was temporary in my experience)..

One of them I ended up using a electric fuel pump on it, until that also died over the winter from ethanol poisoning,so I tried running it off gravity feed,and to my surprise it runs well enough to mow even tall grass without starving for fuel and stalling--had more than one of these tractors that simply refused to run well enough under a good load without a fuel pump..
 
#12 ·
Say Tractor-Holic: I'm not sure what one of the plastic pump your refering to looks like, or if would fit in place of the Walbro without too much extra adaptation. Napa has a round plastic squeeze bulb type but it would require a fair amount of adaptation.

I'll wait and see how my pump holds out. When I took it apart to clean it, all the diaphragms looked like new and still very thick and pliable so I'll wait and see. In my recent use of the tractor the pump seemed to work fine.

Thanks for the thought, I'll keep that in mind. If by chance you find a picture of the plastic pump it would be great if you'd post it.

Thanks,
David
 
#11 ·
HI Bill: Well, I do have mine in-line below the FP so is definitely pulling through the new filter but was the only place on the back side of the fire wall to place it. In looking at the new filter the gas could be sucked into the inside of the filter and then pass through the filter material and out into the line leading to the carburetor. That didn't make sense to me as I would have no visual as to how much dirt had been filtered out. Whereas if I put the filter in so the gas would be sucked into the main tube and pass through the filter and sucked up to the FP and then on to the carburetor.

This way I have a visual looking through the clear plastic tube to see what's been filtered out. The other way I wouldn't.

In either event though the gas is being sucked through not pushed through the filter. To push the gas would require putting the filter in line between the firewall and the carburetor but there is limited space to do this. I've always had my filter below the Walbro vacuum fuel pump on the same side of the firewall. It's always worked fine that way and I have over 1005.8 + hours on the Hobbs hour meter now.
 
#13 ·
Bill the K:Fuel Pumps are designed to push through the filter, not pull.

Well, I must have the exception. The filter is between the tank and the pump, hanging out on the rearward side of the engine. It sure looks factory. Of course, it only fills partially with fuel, but it will pull from the tank. I know, because last night after working in the deck with a ball peen and cold chisel, I started it up, it ran a few seconds, maybe a minute, and then died. I checked all the switches, and was concerned I had a magneto failure, but then thought of checking fuel. It was pretty low, not actually visible, so I added some. Vroom. With a bit of cranking.
tom
 
#15 ·
Evening/Er, Morning all, Very overcast earlier yesterday and cool till mid afternoon, then the clouds broke and the Sun peaked through but no rain. It was nice and comfortable.


Bill the K:Fuel Pumps are designed to push through the filter, not pull.
Well, I must have the exception. The filter is between the tank and the pump, hanging out on the rearward side of the engine. It sure looks factory. Of course, it only fills partially with fuel, but it will pull from the tank. I know, because last night after working in the deck with a ball peen and cold chisel, I started it up, it ran a few seconds, maybe a minute, and then died. I checked all the switches, and was concerned I had a magneto failure, but then thought of checking fuel. It was pretty low, not actually visible, so I added some. Vroom. With a bit of cranking.
tom
Say Tom: No, your not the exception, as I stated prior in my post, I added my inline filter in what seemed to be a logical place below the filter, I just removed the old one and replaced it with another one in the same position. Even [Tractor Holic] says the same thing that he mounts his before the fuel pump. I think that is probably the best place for the filter to keep junk from getting into the pump.


My old Yard-Man with a Kohler Magnum 20 has a in line transparent gas filter installed near the back of the dash factory ,the gas tank is under the seat and rear fenders..so that would have to have the fuel pump "sucking" the gas through it..
I prefer having the filter after the fuel pump,but it hasn't seemed to been an issue all these years ..perhaps they used a filter with a paper element with a free flowing media ?..but I've put whatever filters I had that look the same on it and had no issues..

The Briggs fuel pump looks like this ...

[Say T-H:] THANKS for the post about your Yard Man and it's pump location. I think many are like that.

Thanks also for posting the picture of the B&S pump. That's like the one the guys at the NAPA store have showed me several times. I just have a hard time trying to figure out how to mount it so I can route the hoses easily? Maybe I'd have to make another L bracket for it to screw too?


I hope everyone has a Saturday.
 
#14 ·
My old Yard-Man with a Kohler Magnum 20 has a in line transparent gas filter installed near the back of the dash factory ,the gas tank is under the seat and rear fenders..so that would have to have the fuel pump "sucking" the gas through it..
I prefer having the filter after the fuel pump,but it hasn't seemed to been an issue all these years ..perhaps they used a filter with a paper element with a free flowing media ?..but I've put whatever filters I had that look the same on it and had no issues..

The Briggs fuel pump looks like this ...
 

Attachments

#16 ·
Something else I read on here, I'm sure, about the gas we get and ethanol, causing vapor lock as a possible problem? I will admit that the gas I buy for the tractor is Regular from Chevron and what I'm using isn't real fresh but not extremely old. Anyway what comes to mind about that is the fact that my friend Joe came over one morning with his smaller Craftsman tractor and did a considerable amount of mowing even before I got up and then did at least another hours worth of mowing and his tractor never quit but was going strong!
 
#17 ·
Yesterday 6-01-2017, I was doing some more checking and determined that the fuel line was plugged with a bunch of fine redish/brown grit along with some fine bits of ABS[if that's what the gas tank is made from]. So I used my little pancake air compressor to blow back through the line till I heard it bubble in the tank. After the first time gas was coming through but not very fast as I drained it into a clear gallon jug. The next time the line was full of gas and it really blew the junk back into the tank. This time the gas really poured out the end of the fuel line. So I reconnected it to the inline shutoff and tightened the clamp. The engine started right away and ran great for awhile but then it started to lurch a bit, as I was driving it, then run again, start to die, then start up again and then it died on me.

I tried unsuccessfully to start it again and if it was a low battery it wouldn't turn the engine over fine like it did. It's almost like the gas tank cap isn't venting properly, yet I can blow through the vent hole and even put he shank of a small drill down in it till I hit a baffle of some sort so it seems to be open but maybe just not enough to vent properly?

The only other thing I'm wondering is that when I last corrected the low oil level I filled it back up to the full mark but added a small bit of 4 cylinder oil treatment which brought it over the full mark slightly. Do you think that could be causing a problem?

Oh, I did ad a bit if B12 Chemtool to the gas and moved the tractor a bit to mix it in, but haven't run it since. Later today.

Your help is appreciated, I'm rather confused as to what might be causing the problem?
 
#18 ·
Were it me, I would pull the fuel tank off and wash it out.

Then replace all the fuel lines, and the fuel filter (again).
 
#19 ·
Thanks JP, That's what I may have to do?

First I'm going to try raising the rear end of the tractor up on some blocks, to get a better pitch on the gas line and try draining the gas into a clear gallon glass bottle and dumping the clean gas back in the tank to see if I can't wash out more of the redish/brown grit. I think if I do this several times I should be able to get most all the junk out of the tank without having to remove it?

Btw: I liked the cab enclosure on your tractor but didn't realize they were that big. Did you build that yourself? Being that I'm not as limber as I used to be I have to stand up on mine to swing my Right leg over to the Left foot rest in order to climb down. I think I would need a cab that went quite far forward to allow me the space I would require! But no need for a cab in my area as it doesn't snow that often.
 
#20 ·
The cab for my GT was built by someone else, out of pretty thick sheet aluminum, for something other than a GT. I adapted it to fit my GT.
It is pretty big. Wide, and lots of room behind the drivers seat. Feels roomy inside rather than cramped like many cabs.
Really glad I have that thing. Awful nice to be inside it blowing snow at night when it is -10°, and 15 to 20 mph winds.

As to your tank. Not sure you will get all that crud out without removing the tank.
But it is worth a try.
 
#21 ·
Say JP: As far as redish/brown crud goes I didn't thing it could be rust till I was talking with a mechanic friend at the NAPA store today. I said to him the tank couldn't rust as it ABS Plastic and he said it must be in the gas. Then I remember that metal spring retainer clip to keep the gas cap from falling off brook off the plastic beaded teether and has been in the gas tank for the last 28 years. But it never showed any signs of rusting prior and the teether broke about 8 years ago?

I'm going to try and flush the crud out using gas I drain from the tank but let the junk settle to the bottom first and only dump off 90% of want is clean.
 
#22 ·
It's the California fuel mix coming back and eating up the retainer, turning it to rust particles. Maybe.
Essentially, the rust particles should not block the flow of fuel from the tank outlet. They (outlet passages) are generally 1/8" or so in diameter, and it would take a lot to block with particles. However, the remains of the retainer could be small enough to slide around and possibly be blocking intermittently. I don't know how hard it would be to remove the tank, and shake it to determine if there are still parts remaining inside, but if possible I'd do that to be certain there's no tank blockage, and maybe shake the retainer remains out the filler neck.
That said, fuel lines can be turning to rags & bits internally, and look perfectly fine externally. The currently available fuel can and will, or seems to, deteriorate older fuel lines causing problems. The bits & chunks can stop up fuel flow pretty well. Might be worth a good inspection.
tom
 
#23 ·
Tom: Thanks, I think tomorrow I put a cow magnet in the end of short piece of old garden hose and put that into the gas tank to see what I'm able to fish out.

From what I can see from the gas line hose section I've taken apart to drain the line it looks ok inside, fortunately, but I'll remember what you said as well.
 
#24 · (Edited)
I had this written this out earlier but something happened an I lost the entire post. Arr!
Today is 6-06-2017 at 9:30 PM, the weather here in Central Calif., was rather warm at about 88* but with a breeze.
Yesterday I started the GT-18 and drove it around the back yard, everything seem ok but after awhile it lost power and quit and I couldn't get it started again.

This morning I separated the fuel line between the shutoff and the fuel filter and drained about half a gallon of gas into the glass jug but nothing much came out and the gas flowed very freely. After reading a post last night about the starter solenoid and possibly problems I decided to check mine to ensure it was making good contact, but first I checked the ground connection and cleaned everything good to ensure good contact. A bit of a PIA but I got it done. Then I removed the starter solenoid and again cleaned all contacts to ensure good contact. So I did that and only had a quick short at one point.

Then after getting everything put back together I went to start it and nothing? I tried at least six times and nothing happened. [Arr]
So I guess tomorrow I need to pick another starter solenoid. This is getting to be a real hassle! One of the threaded studs seemed a bit loose so I tightened the first nut on top of the solenoid down a bit but don't think I did any harm.

I don't see any reason it didn't want to start and I even charged the battery up yesterday. The short I had was a brief one and shouldn't have hurt anything but I did look at the fuse and it didn't seemed to be burnt out. Maybe I should check it out with an ohm meter to ensure I have continuity. I'll do that now. I'll also check the fuse able link too. The fuse and the fuseable link were both ok, so I put them back in tonight.

Any other thoughts would be appreciated.

David
Ps: I guess this epitomizes the old saying, "If it aint broke don't fix it"!
 
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