Case/IH 235 Leak Now and will not Start

[Froghunter]

Just need some advice on the next step to fitting the power problem with my Case/IH 235 Tractor.
The tractor has a 3 cylinder 18 hp Mitsubishi Diesel engine.

What I have done:
1) Replaced the fuel filter, air filter and oil filter.
2) Drained diesel from fuel tank and added new fuel
3) Changed oil.

The tractor would barely run with the mower deck engaged. It blew black smoke out of the exhuast. The air and fuel fluid looked like they had never been changed. The tractor sounded like it was missing or not firing on one cylinder.

Okay where I'm at now is the tractor has more power but it still sounds like it is missing on one cylinder and seems it does not have all of its power. I mowed with it last weekend. It mowed ,but should have more power. No more black smoke.

The next step I think is to pull the injectors to see if I have got compression in all three cylinders. After that I will need advice for checking the fuel system. Diesels are new to me and I just don't need to screw up something that will cost more then nessacary. I sure we can make her sing.

Please give me some guidance!

Thanks!

Bill

[jwl]

well if it was semi tractor like i ussally work on id say that after you done the service stuff, its time to look at the injector/fuel delivery system. I use a heat gun to tell me quickly what cylinders arent doing there thing at the exhaust manifold. On trucks most have a port that i can talk to the engine with a computer, but i dont think your that lucky. Try the heat gun and see if ones not firing right, the black smoke tells you it probally a fuel problem.

jeff

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

By heat gun I assume Jeff means an IR thermometer.

[Froghunter]

Missed Posted

[Froghunter]

Jeff,

Thanks, Id'ing the cold port is a better place to start than pulling injectors. I will check for a cold exhuast port tomorrow evening. We have an old school heat probe at the school I work at. Hopefully it will be able to do the trick. Will post in the next couple of days!

Bill

[jwl]

Yes John thats what i meant, sometimes i guess i just assume people are thinking like me. My heat gun works for all sorts of stuff other than finding exhaust temps. I used it in the house to find cold spots in walls and floors. Also works great on my corn furance system. You just point, pull the tigger, the laser light comes on and it locks onto the last temp you pointed it at. I got it from the Matco dealer for less an $100.

[Froghunter]

Okay,

Jeff and John......I think I have found the cold cylinder. Not sure if I used the right way to find it but i used my hand to feel which one were getting hot. Two of them got hotter than I could hold on to them. The other one I could hold it without it getting hot. So what do I need to do now to find out why she is not hot on that one cylinder.

Thanks!

Bill

[jwl]

yep that sometimes works too, now you have to decide if its a delivery problem or a injector one. Take the line off at the pump that feeds that injector and see if you have a good amount of fuel. Caution here as if its working right it will be a lot of fuel, dont get spray down. If you have fuel in good amount then its probally the injector and youll have to get it replaced. There really nothing you can fix on them as you wont have the test machine to set it with.

jeff

[Gary Dotson]

Having determined the cold cylinder, the first thing I would do is to crack the injector line loose at the injector, with the engine running.(don't remove it, just loosen) You should observe fuel leakage and possibly some air. If it's been run out of fuel or could possibly be pulling a little air into the system, bleeding that one injector may cure the performance issue.

[Froghunter]

Thanks Guys, I got her running well today. I cracked the line at the injector and got air and a little bet of fuel at first. When the fuel started good.....I locked it down and the engine cuaght and you could hear the different. I mowed with her and a big different in power!

Thanks again!

Bill

PS: I think I got a good little tractor!

[jwl]

Excellant, i like it when a plan comes together.

[Gary Dotson]

I'm glad that worked for you! If the problem returns, you may have a small leak on the suction side of the fuel system allowing it to pull a little air into the system. Just run it and see what it does.

[Froghunter]

I have a little bet of fuel seeping from where part number 2 screws into part number 1 in the picture below. The tractor run wonderfully yesterday, but would not start today. I didn't have much time to mess/play with it, but tried four times and she would only run 5-6 second and die. I tighten it tight, but not to spec. with a torq. wrench. Yesterday if I tighten it to much it seemed to stop the fuel flow to the injector. I'm thinking to replace the o-ring part number 13.



Need more help and thanks in advance!

Bill

PS: Still think a got a good little tractor......Just needs some TLC!

[Gary Dotson]

These little diesel engines are real finicky about even the smallest leak. They don't push a lot of fuel to the injectors so even the smallest leak will cause them to miss. I'm guessing that that along with still having some air in the system is causing your starting difficulty. Do the simple things first! If you have leaks, fix them, then bleed the entire system, just as you did with the cold cyl. I'm betting the problem is nothing more than those simple things.

[Froghunter]

I put a new o-ring in it........tighten it down and bleed it. The tractor started right up. Then I cracked the same line at the injector and let it plump some fuel and locked it down and the engine caught and I run it for awhile and shut it down. We will see if it will hold until tomorrow afternoon.

Thanks again!

Bill