The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

Hi all

Today and has happened earlier, the fuel system became blocked noted by the absence of diesel in the inline fuel filter whilst emptying hay from the upper levels of the barn . its a 52 Fordson Major with a 67 I think replacement industrial Diesel engine, it has the double tank (petrol/vaporising oil) and 2 fuel taps, the smaller petrol tank is disconnected and the pipe that connects to its fuel tap is the diesel return pipe from the block.
the inline filter is fitted to the pipe running to the fuel lift pump fitted onto the side of the Simms injector pump, this is how the Fordson was setup was when I bought it.

am guessing I will have to empty disconnect and remove the fuel lines and double tap assembly, then clean out the tank. new fuel filters, filter the 20 or so litres of diesel in the tank and refit/fill
I have a compressor to help with getting it clean, any input welcome

also, if there are any ideas to improve the fuel line setup whilst trying to keep the non original setup more original, that would be great. can get a few more pics but will have to be by lamp as its pretty dark in the barn where its parked. photo bucket not playing so signed up to dropbox
https://www.dropbox.com/s/v11oh2vci0975 ... 6.jpg?dl=0

Hi Johnee,
Had similar problem in the past. The most likely cause is a blocked gauze at the outlet from the tank. Disconnect the pipe below the tank and check that the fuel flows freely.
If not remove the outlet and let the fuel run out of the tank. Catch it if you want to save it. Then carefully clean the gauze and reassemble. Not a perfect long term fix but lasted me for 2 years before it blocked again.
Good Luck.

Hi fenhayman,

many thanks for the reply,
yes I have disconnected the metal reservoir on the tap assembly before and its affected running from the tank
I did this job once before, obviously not thoroughly enough. I don't remember seeing a gauze fitted that say can be seen on the agriline single tap numbers. I guess I should get one of those gauze filters before I begin emptying the tank.
I plan to filter the diesel and reuse to save trying to dispose of it.

2 years before repeating will work for me

Mine has a tank filter fitted inside the tank on top of the tap, sort of a plastic cartridge with plastic mesh, frequently gets blocked by the slime which grows on modern diesel.

I have a cheap plastic funnel which I softened with a hot air gun so it will fit under the tap once the pipe is removed, you can then unscrew the tap and empty the tank into a drum, note, a full tank overfills a 5 gallon drum, don't ask how I know this sometimes we have more important things to do instead of thinking !

Oh, don't get 'clever' and try draining through a filter funnel, they soon overflow when clogged

hi thanks Oehrick,

I just ordered the complete single tap assembly at New Holland this morning so I could get my hands on the tank filter, will hopefully move it over to the original assembly-
I had about 15 litres in it which successfully filtered through a succession of 4 coffee filters funnelled into a jerrycan with the bottom of the tap metal bulb assembly removed.
took a fair few hours.

I replaced the beaten up old delivery fuel line, unfortunately though the correct shape it turned out to be about 30cm short in length. so a section of flexible hose added with yet again, an inline filter

like the idea of melting a plastic funnel to fit, a great tip thanks
am guessing this is job most veteran diesel tractor owners have experienced

will clean the tank to within and inch of its life tomorrow, then wait patiently for that internal gauze to arrive. should be rolling again late next week

2 days ago

Nice looking old gal, similar to mine (April 1958, one of the last Mk 2's) other than mine is in its original clothing.

Filtering while emptying through a clogged filter is not quite so perilous, we used ours a lot on the sawbench so this was a frequent occurrence, had a bit of rubber hose so when starvation indicated itself broke the joint at the filter and blew until eyes were out on organ stops have brought her home on the road doing this with a stop every mile or so.

Rattle a dog or similar smallish chain around when you swill the tank out to dislodge any solid debris and rust, I had to resolder some old repairs so I did this carefully using hot caustic soda to degrease. Once dry I swilled several coats of diluted Hammerite paint around in it and poured out the excess, no sign of leakage since and a reduction in the rust caught by the filter, there are special jollops for tank sealing but they are expensive, and I had Hammerite on hand, plus I've some 30 + year old stationary engine tanks treated this way which have never re offended.

Oh and a good way of getting the pipe length right is to bend a bit of coathanger or fence strainer wire to fit, straighten it then cut the tube to fit (I always allow about an inch per foot extra as you can always crop a bit on, you have discovered the reverse...........

Made to fit funnels are very handy, until the purpose (generally magic marker pen here) rubs off that is.

Lovely thing about these forums, you may get several differing suggestions which end up at the same end

hi Oehrick,

some great suggestions on the tank cleaning and repairs. the pipe length too.

will need a new return feed from the rear of the block back to the fuel tap assembly, the connecting nut at the fuel tap is goosed.... the coat hanger measurement method sounds perfect

great forum

Nice looking tractor

thanks Henk,

will try to look after the major and keep it as original as possible, allowing for the condition it was at time of purchase

My return line goes through the bulkhead, over the battery and into the tank above the seam through a soldered in screwed fitting......

thanks oehrick,

this was still going round in my head

I suspected that would be the case with original diesel powered majors. The split tank here has a second connection that has been blocked off with the return from the bulkhead into the 2nd tap on the fuel bulb assembly.

both taps need to have the 2 turns to run the engine,
if this seems bodged (not by me ) and not the done thing, then I guess I should sort the return into the tank and fit a single tap. Or long term source a diesel tank

Ah I'd missed that, yours was originally a petrol / paraffin (kerosine) engine if it is an original tank, so if the return is sent via the tap it makes sense both need to be 'ON'
As there is no appreciable pressure if the line is open ended, soldering a small brass fitting or perhaps even using a rubber grommet high on the tank and not filling fuel above this point would make the return line much easier to replace or find a spare diesel tank.

Either way you seem to be finding your way round this 'modification' and getting familiar with the tractor.

hi oehrick

there is a previous cut connection, it appears to be high up on the petrol side of the split tank, so maybe direct a newly ordered return pipe in there

trivial when I read through some of true blue challenges, fully expect my next thread will have a proper crisis in it

With an unfamiliar tractor it is nice to be able to establish what is normal as opposed to what get you home mods have been done during its life

I've known and been hands on with mine since I was 8 (its engine block was cast 3 days after I was born) and have still learned an enormous amount from the collective wisdom and knowledge on here !

I had another look this morning and will use the single tap assembly I ordered

direct the return pipe to the existing old petrol supply connection high up on the tank, open the petrol cap and drill 1 small hole on the internal petrol tank to allow the diesel to return to the main tank.

will keep ahold of the double tap just in case I ever do an engine swap, returning it to petrol/kerosine

yes, unfamiliar indeed as its my first tractor, and would find it hard to be without one

thanks to the forum

leak off pipe question....the outlet has 2 connectons.... a banjo connection/pipe to the fuel filter casing, also a very worn adapter running through it to the normal fuel leak off pipe, now routed into the tank

is it fine to remove the short fuel filter pipe, letting it run into the tank only.
that adapter I have not found online only the return pipe and single 5/16 banjo bolt, so hope to order and fit a soon.

please ignore the clothes line fuel shut off.....its on the list

I'm just dismantling a 1964 Super Major for re-commissioning which is original and the fuel leak off pipe goes straight from the head through the firewall over the battery into the union on the back of the tank if that's any help. Your leak off pipe seems to have been adapted to one of the filter bleed screws.

Ditto the Mk2 engine with Simms pump, banjo on head piped directly back to the tank.

What effect leaking off against the lift pump pressure has I've no idea, not familiar with the Minimec unit.

yes,
I spent a while on the net looking at engine images, and ended up removing the short adapted extra leak off to the fuel filter bleed screw,
used the banjo from the fuel filter on the new bulkhead leak off,
fitted a plain bolt on the now missing filter banjo,
bought from agriline a new leak off pipe.
drilled a hole in the bulkhead,
drilled a hole in the bottom of the small petrol part of the split tank, drilled from the fuel cap fitment on top, and ran the new pipe into the old petrol feed connection.
the agriline pipe seems to have a much smaller threaded connection which was epoxied in.
think its a Simms unit, but no idea also what effect it had

not sure if any diesel makes it back to the tank, but no running issues since