woodbutcher

I sincerely appreciate all of your input and good advice. I have decided to go ahead and purge the tank, replace the separator/fuel filter and clean out all the lines. I will also take the injectors in to have them looked at too. That was an expensive tractor. I dont want any major damage to it. I plan on having it for quite some time. I will always fill the tank from now on and will keep additives in the fuel. This whole ordeal just sucks!

Cannuck-elhead

That makes sense WB, the fuel system doesn't have a pressure relief valve like a hydraulic system does, anything that blocks the only exist, the injectors, such as water will cause a massive over pressure situation.

Depending on the style of pump it either causes the pump main shaft to snap, or the key in the keyway to shear and the two pieces spin free.

I think the impeller you found though is the internal boost pump, the actual fuel injection pressure is generated by a piston, a vane could never make the 10,000 to 30,000 psi required for the injectors.

Chief is right though, give the shop the pump and injectors, some shops may actually want the whole tractor so they can set it up as a single unit.

woodbutcher

I hear ya. When I spun a main bearing in my GTO I took the engine apart and could SEE that there was damage. This deal is like being in the woods with a stick and a flashlight. I get to testing it and I think "yea...the pump is bad." Then later on I start to think "no, the pump is fine." Very frustrating. I can get it to fire sometimes then sometimes it wont. I just hate the thoughts of having it rebuilt IF that's not what will solve the problem. That's a lot of money to toss at an IF. Oh...and the pump does spin freely and I hear clicking in it when it spins, which I was told by an injection shop that it SHOULD click. ALso, when I turn the shaft it spins the pump mechanism at the other end...so I think everything is OK inside.

Cannuck-elhead

WB, don't worry about sending the pump in, any reputable injection shop will only charge you a few bucks to bench test it and set it up for you.

Nobody who knows what they are doing will even open it up until they put it on the test bench and try it under load first unless they know it's FUBAR.

The fire / no fire thing sounds like a spun shaft, sometimes it grabs and give fuel, sometimes it slips and you get nothing.

woodbutcher

I am 99% sure you're correct in your assessment of it being a spun shaft. On the side of the pump there is an inspection plate. Behind the plate is a copper colored disc and a wider aluminum colored disc. When you turn the pump shaft only the copper colored disc will rotate. If you put a little pressure on the aluminum disc and push it a little toward the copper colored disc it will catch an start to turn. If you keep turning the shaft eventually the aluminum disc will stop turning. There must be a key or something in there that sheared or something. I found a couple of small curly pieces of aluminum when we first took the tail piece off the pump. I bet we have found the problem. Now I need to send the pump in the have it rebuilt...and I have some flushing to do on the fuel system. I have the old fuel filter so I plan on cutting it open and taking a peek at what's inside of it. I suspect I'll find more curly pieces of aluminum. I think the mystery might be solved.

Live Oak

If you need some filters for your tractor, don't forget to consider the Fleetguard Filter Store filters. I am very confident Tristan can sell you some excellent Fleetguard filters at a great price and certainly much cheaper than the Deere dealer can.

http://www.tractorforum.com/forumdis...s=&forumid=247

woodbutcher

will do. Whew are those JD filters expensive.

woodbutcher

Just wanna tell everyone thanks for your replies. The pump is in a box waiting to be sent off to the rebuild shop. The guy at the injection shop said AIR caused the bolt to break that is secured to the cam. He also said the scoring inside isnt a big deal because there is no fuel pressure in that location. Air...so that means...my advice to you all is to never let your tank get low and never let any of your fittings suck air...that goes for all of your rubber hoses too. If they're cracked...replace them. He said any amount of air will make the pump hammer air right in that spot and cause the bolt to break. I guess it was the fact that the tractor was sitting on a hill with a low level of fuel in it and air got into the lines. Anyway...I'll probably post after I get the pump back and I take the deere to the shop to have the injectors cleaned. Im sure there's metal shavings in the tank and the injectors now. Never again will I let that thing go below 1/2 tank.