Kubota T1760 Lawn Tractor

[Lawnranger]

A fuel pump can go out either way you describe as it depends on what caused the failure. I have had a fuel pump diaphragm stick to the body of the pump and cease to work all at once and then I've seen the impulse line start to soften and gradually cause problems. I'm sure there are other causes of fuel pump failure and a hole in the diaphragm is another possibility. You just have to start checking the basics and branch out from there. Like I said, an engine needs the proper air/fuel ratio, sufficient spark at the right time and good compression to operate and we'll have to find out which one is missing and in what proportion. Look at it as a game of hide and seek.

These machines, and I'm referring to all outdoor power equipment, can be challenging to diagnose as some of the symptoms can be caused by the same failure. For instance, I had a push mower in today and it had no spark so I pulled the small kill wire off the coil and I had spark so I checked where the other end of the wire connects to the cable controlled kill switch and the switch was not opening far enough to break contact so I adjusted the cable and put everything back together. Guess what? No spark. So I checked everything again and found the kill wire insulation was rubbed through shorting to ground. Go figure. If I checked the wire first I would have found the insulation rub through and thought to myself I had it fixed but then I would still have no spark until I adjusted the cable. It's things like this that keep my mind open to more possibilities.

You have to think like a detective and look for all possible causes and sometimes the impossible causes because the mind will not always let a person think outside the box. I may be on the right track in helping you and I may be way, way off course but I don't want to rule out anything until it's verified. Whether it's me or someone else who helps you, eventually your problem will get solved.

 

[JDMATT]

I pulled the cover off and looked at the fuel pump closely....I only see two hoses one from the gas tank and the other to the carb...two nuts attaching it to the engine. Is that normal? I also looked at the safety switch...it has two little locks underneath ...I think. I also discovered the gas filter wasnt clamped on one side...the side going to the pump.....could that have anything to do with the prob....it didnt seem to be leaking gas there though.

 

[Lawnranger]

Well I went to partstree to see a diagram of your engine and it appears you have a mechanical fuel pump and this type of pump usually has only two hoses. Back in the day we used to test automotive fuel pumps of the same design with a low pressure fuel pump gauge and you may have to do the same or have it tested. Another fuel pump test is a volume test - again you may want to have someone test this for you. I think it would be wise to test the capability of your fuel pump just to make sure it is not causing any problems.

The missing clamp obviously was not a problem but you certainly want to clamp in now that you know it was missing. Probably not the cause of your problem though.

 

[JDMATT]

Ok heres the latest update......I went out early this morning...cranked it up and mowed about 10-15 min and it surged and died.....I noticed the temerature light was on....I let it cool down and added about a picther of water......I also took the carb bowl off the bottom...it was full of gas but very CLEAN (tells me the pump is working ok)....I pushed the float up and let it drop about 4 or 5 times.....put the bowl back on. I then cranked it up and mowed the whole yard (1/4 acre) It never surged or died again. I parked it rushed in the house to write Lawnranger and the forum. Maybe a stuck needle in the carb??? This evening I will clean the top and bottom of the deck....Grass was pretty wet!! Any ideas or does my Kubota have a mind of its own....like my computer? My horses mind better than my mower!!!! Thanks loads for your help. Lawnranger ....in the future if I have probs... is there any way to talk to you direct thru the forum?....You are a very smart fellow with Lawn Tractors!!!

 

[Lawnranger]

A stuck needle in the carburetor can definitely cause the problem you are describing. However, you have a brand new $300.00 carburetor on your tractor and why would the new carburetor have the exact same symptom as the old one? Hopefully you found the problem but I'm cautiously optimistic and the reason is why would the float stick in the first place? I'd feel much better about replacing a part when i can be certain that it failed but in your case we can't find the failed part.....yet.

Thank you for the kind words. I have been working on small engines/automobiles/equipment for almost four decades and have seen a lot but certainly not everything. I just can't recommend spending someone's money until I can pinpoint the problem and in your case we still don't know for sure what the problem is/was. There is an old proverb that goes like this: "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another". I sure don't know it all and I come here to get "sharpened" as well as helping "sharpen" others. I believe there is a feature of this forum called "private messages" and maybe through the "notification" button at the top right of the screen you will be able to send me a private message.

 

[Brettnickels]

Gents, I'm having the exactly same issue in Auz, was JDMATT's issue resolved?

 

[chance123]

Ok heres the latest update......I went out early this morning...cranked it up and mowed about 10-15 min and it surged and died.....I noticed the temerature light was on....I let it cool down and added about a picther of water

Normally when an engine surges and dies, that happens as you run out of fuel, or fuel is restricted. Have you checked your fuel cap to make sure it is venting? If you can catch it just before it dies, then if you loosen the fuel cap soon enough, and if "that" was your problem, it should start running normally again. Another subject of concern is "why" you needed to add a pitcher of water after cooling down. Was it overheating?