Boy am I an idiot . . .

[jdemaris]

Ever hear about people who don't "practice what they preach?"

I guess that's me. I was just telling my son about how important it is to check the water in his water trap once in awhile (diesel vehicle).

Then, not long later, I took my Deere 300B backhoe loader down the lower field. It began to lose power an it slowly died. Yeah this isn't a crawler, but it has the same 152 c.i. diesel engine as a Deere 350 crawler. And, one thing led to antoher.

I pulled the filter and bowl off and it was 3/4 full of pure water. I later checked my records, and hadn't touched it in years. So much for checking water traps once in awhile. I walked back home and got some tools and a new filter. Came back, installed the new filter, primed it via the hand-lever on the fuel pump, and it started right up. Ran great - so it seemed. I walked back home and put my tools away. Came back, hopped into the tractor, fired it up - and it ran for 60 seconds, then slowly lost power and died again. Now, I'm getting real disgusted. My "10 minute" job of moving some firewood was turing into a long project. I walked back home and this time loaded my truck with tools and drove back. I'm on a mountainside and this walking was starting to get to me.
OK. Got back, and suspected that even though the filter was 3/4 full of water, it wasn't the immediate problem. I suspected the injection pump. So, I tried to remove the suspect check-valve/fitting from on top of the injection pump. A clogged fitting will give these exact symptoms. And . . . the flare nut was siezed on the steel line. I jerked around with it and I finally broke the line. After that, I removed that little fitting and sure enough it was plugged solid. This means the plastic governor ring inside the pump is coming apart. So, at this point I just want to get the tractor running, drive it home and get it under cover. So, I broke the guts out of the fitting (removed check ball and spring). Then hooked some rubber hose to what was left of the broken line as a splice. Started it up and it once again sounded good. I hopped in and decided to drive it up the steep mountainside. Ran great, plenty of power - but - smoke started coming out of the engine something awful. Shut it down and looked in. Well, the fuel return line T-fitting where it attaches to the first injector was broken off - probably from when I was twisting on that stuck steel line. At this point, I was so disgusted, I drove back home in my truck and got a fire extinguisher. Drove back, put it on my lap, and drove the backhoe home - expecting a fire along the way. I made it, but by the time I got the tractor/hoe parked, the engine was hammering pretty bad. I'm not sure why, but I suspect the timing is all screwed up now, because that's what happens when you run without the spring-and-ball regulator fitting I removed. The crankcase also might be full of fuel - another thing that happens when that fitting plugs.

So, here I am a experienced Deere and injection pump mechanic being a perfect idiot.
Now, I have to pull the pump, repair it and update it (to eliminate that ring), etc. Then, to make things just a little worse? I got onto Deere Co. parts website for my 300B and it's NO GOOD!. The one section for my serial number is all screwed up and they left out all the part #s for the pieces I need. I had to go up in my attic and fire up my old microfiche machine and look it up myself. Then went back and checked availability and prices. To my surprise, Deere still sells that special Stanadyne fiting for $14. Deere # R36535, same as used on 350s, 450s, etc. I can't buy that part from my pump parts supplier, so I'm glad Deere still sells it.

Maybe I should spend less time telling other's how to care for their stuff, and take better care of my own.

[Tractor 850]

John,

Been there, done that.
For my day job I have been in the heating business for 37 years.
I have traveled all over North America lecturing people on how to sell, install and service all types of residential, commercial and industrial equipment.
Want to guess when the boiler in my basement was last serviced?
I'd have to guess because I can't remember.

[cinok]

Kinda like people always thought buying one of my cars was great since i was a mechanic, somehow people are under the misconception that mechanics cars are well taken care of, maybe if they think baling wire and bubble gum are the best replacement parts.

[KenP]

deleted

[mini kahuna]

I tried to finish a job once with a sick reverser in a 350,I should of just got another machine,but didn't want to waste a day hauling another in.
the money and time I saved finishing with the 350 was more than absorbed by the reverser I completely ruined.

[digitup2]

Last week we were draining a peat bog in the neighbor hood as we do three hundred times a year .With a new man on the old excavator I announced to him to take it gentle working across the bog with the 120 or it will drop like a rock .As the peat forms a crust that is the only thing holding you up .I jumped in and proceeded to throw dirt like I was on good going well just about the middle of the peat bog the Deere dropped like a rock and I just made it out without too much mud mucking .I managed to keep my pride & professional operator status intact !!.I quickly jumped out of the 120 and announced to the green horn .Run it like I did at first not as I did in the end .He was impressed but the rest of the crew just shook there heads as he started off across the rest of the field .I just told the by standers I just feel that you can't impress every one all the time so I am doing it one at a time.And you have to do it the wrong way every so often to see if the other way is still the best way .You just never know things change [sometimes] .Digitup.