450C idling issue

[Smokey450C]

Hello guys, I am a newcomer to your site and I gotta tell ya, I think it's great! A whole lot of useful info, a bunch helpful ideas, and some outrageous opinions! Pretty cool. I stumbled on this site when trying to locate some used parts. I've had my loader for a few years now and it's been a great machine, I've probably tried to do more with it than I should have but it never really gives me much trouble, very dependable. I've only done routine maintenance and a few minor repairs.

My question: I have a 450C loader and it sat outside most of the winter (not good, I know) and only ran it a few times to pile snow that the one ton couldn't push anymore. Anyhow after checking the oil level and water level I started to take some topsoil into a field and tracking about 100 yards back and forth. After about an hour the engine started slowing down, not cutting out, just slowing down. The gauges read normal and when I throttled it down it quit running. After I let it set for another hour I recheck the fluids, cranked it up and it ran fine for another hour and started doing the same thing. Well I hadn't checked the fuel in a while so I opened the drain-cock on the fuel tank and got a little water but it was more like gunk, about a cup or so, a mixture of water, fine black silt, and what appeared to be really small bits of rust (tiny reddish brown specs) in the fuel. After seeing that I knew I had to change the fuel filter and there was more of the same gunk in it. I cleaned everything out as well as I could, bled the air off the new filter, and cranked her back up. After about 15 seconds or so it was running nice and smooth but it was idling about 900 rpm instead of the 550 it was before. Could the filter have been so blocked up that it would cause it to idle slower (I wouldn't think so)? Any ideas on why that would be? Since I'm on the subject, I couldn't see where to adjust the idle speed, there is no idle stop where the throttle connects to the injector pump and I wouldn't think you'd adjust the throttle linkage, or would you? Oh yeah, if it matters it's a 219ci turbo model. Thanks in advance for your help. ...and again, great web site ya got here.

[Lavoy]

You might want to flush and clean the fuel tank and the fuel lines. If there was rust and crud in there, better get it out. Check for restrictions in the line somewhere too. I just had trouble with my 350 quitting this Winter, and there was crud and what looked like a piece of Silly Putty in there. Cleaned the tank and lines, no more problem.
Lavoy

[KenP]

deleted

[Smokey450C]

Lavoy and Ken,

Thanks for the quick and spot on replies. So far all I've done is replace the fuel filter, I've been keeping a close eye on it for sediment in the bottom, so far it's clear as a bell. I also noticed that someone has patched the supply line from the tank to the fuel pump with the old "piece of hose and a clamp" trick so I'm going to replace that line and I'll clean up the tank at the same time. Coincidentally the idling issue has resolved itself, it's idling at about 650 now and I never touched it!