BAD Diesel HELP

[kens68charger]

OK so a buddy put old diesel in my 450 JD Dozer... It started running bad immediately. loss of power white smoke ext so I drained the fuel tank I put it in clear plastic jugs and about 2-3 inches in the bottom looks to be sludge...so I put all new fresh fuel in it and changed the fuel filter. NO HELP its still has loss of power and white smoke...this dozer has been on a job all summer with no issues...any suggestions.

[Jim B]

You say you changed the filter. The straight 450's diesels originally had a pair of filters, I believe. What filter does yours have? Is it a different series 450 than straight? Some of the later series had screens inside the tank on the line to the transfer pump. There should be a screen inside the inlet of the injection pump as well. The filter(s) should have stopped anything before it got there but you never know. If you unhook the line coming into the transfer pump does the fuel flow freely from the tank? It should as long as the fuel level is above the pump.

[kens68charger]

This wont let me include a photo of the filter I replaced but it has
JOHN DEERE
AR50041
FUEL FILTER ELEMENT
18786
STANDYNE AUTOMOTIVE CORP.WINDSOR, CT U.S.A.
PAT. NO.3,591,004
MADE IN U.S.A.

stamped on it.
where would a second filter be located?

[Jim B]

That is the later rectangular glass filter. There would only be one of those. Likely someone upgraded as that was not the original equipment fuel filter set up on a 450 as far as I know. That style filter doesn't show up in the parts catalogs until the 450C series.

[kens68charger]

Any suggestions on what else to do to get this dozer back to work???

[Lavoy]

Continue changing fuel filters til it runs right. Sounds dumb, been there done that with a combine and sunflower chaff from leaving fuel cap off.
Lavoy

[B Town]

It sure sounds like a fuel starved situation.

I agree with Jim, going to need to clean the screens coming out of the fuel tank and at the inj pump. Now is the time to open the fuel tank sump, clean it out/clean tank out and get the fuel tank sump working properly. Probably should flush the entire fuel system up to the inj pump and to the injectors. Confirm the fuel tank vent is clear of it obstructions. Mud dobbers love to plug them at the bottom of the tank.

I have run my tank dry a time or two. Big mistake. It takes quite a bit of time to get it back up and running. A lot longer than one would think.

Best regards, Bruce

[Al Swearengen]

Happened to me once. After siphoning all I could, I used an electrical fuel pump hooked to a hose with a copper tube extension to get all I could out. Was on a slight incline, so all was shifted to one side which made it easy. Unhooked lines, cleaned filter, pressurized the tank and began reconnecting from the tank when fresh fuel would come. Put more fresh fuel in, loosened all injectors, let them pump a bit, tightened them back up, all was good.

[LeonardL]

Sorry you're having old fuel issues. Makes you want to clobber your buddy!! I'm curious about your "sludge?" If it was old fuel I would suspect the dreaded bacteria that will grow in old diesel fuel. It looks like a sludgy goo and yes it will stop up a fuel system. I would do as suggested by others, clean the entire system and look in the bottom of the fuel tank especially. If it turns out to be bacteria then you will need to add some treatment to your system as well or it will just keep growing and contaminating the system. I would pour off the fuel you collected down to the sludge and then have a look at what's at the bottom of the container.

I know we don't always do it but we really should pour our fuel through a strainer every time we put fuel in our machines. I have a 100 gallon tank with an electric pump and I got bacteria in the tank and didn't know it. Pumped that shit right into my tractor and my neighbors tractor. Then I had two machines to work on plus cleaning my supply tank out. So I added a filter to the pump to keep the junk out of my machines.

[kens68charger]

Ive been leaving it run hours at a time I had a "diesel man" look at it...$100 ah hour he said its a good machine just smoking blue smoke now to keep running new fuel through it .... he also put injector cleaner in it...said keep running it...my question will that help should I keep just adding new fuel???

[Jim B]

Flushing, cleaning, add a biocide additive and a tank cleaner as well as the injector cleaner is about all you can do. Use as directed. I'm not saying which product is best; I have used the Power Service Bio-Kleen as a first dose to kill the microbes and their Clear Diesel to "polish" tanks after. Good additives for lubrication and cetane boost regularly don't hurt. Some people ad some two stroke oil to fuel for extra lubrication instead of other lubrication additives. The current low sulfur fuel has less lube (the sulfur) than the old fuel.

[boaterri]

Once you get the machine running as it should, consider using "Howe's Diesel Treat" as an additive. It will help keep water, algae at bay and add lubricity to the ultra low Sulphur diesel they are now selling. Used it for years in my boat with 6-71ti Detroits and never had a problem.

[puzlrock]

I use a product called PRI-D.

https://theepicenter.com/pri-d-diesel-f ... -pint.html

If you take the time to read the article and the attached information you might want to use it. It really works.
I use it in all my diesels and my tanks and barrels, keeps the fuel fresh for a long time, lubes your pump and injectors, cleans system, keeps fuel fresh, refreshes old diesel and kills bacteria. An all around great product I have used for years.
puzlrock