Mf 5455 t3 fuel issues

[GmB]

Took a trailer of muck down the road today, got 1/2 mile and suddenly lost engine power, didn’t cut out completely, backing off the throttle and the engine came back to life and I limped home.
Had a look round the engine bay and found the end of the injector pump covered in oil/dust.
Blew it clean with aerosol brake cleaner and could see a slight weep of something black from a small hole, see picture, sorry for lack of clarity of photo. Blew out the tank breather pipe just in case.
Filters are genuine and only have 80 hours on them.
Went for another test drive, tractor only, and this time it lost power and cut out completely. Wouldn’t restart for a couple of minutes, when it did, I crept home.
The pipe in the second photo goes to the lift pump, the connection seems loose, what does this pipe do?
Any ideas anyone?
Thanks in advance.

 

[daveydiesel1]

Is there a gauze in tank as uncle had this problem tractor would suddenly loose power and wouldnt start. Sound similar. also if thats a suction pipe thats loose that would be a problem so mabe tighten it or get new jubilee clip on it

 

[daveydiesel1]

Is there a gauze in tank as uncle had this problem tractor would suddenly loose power and wouldnt start. Sound similar. also if thats a suction pipe thats loose that would be a problem so mabe tighten it or get new jubilee clip on it

 

[GmB]

Or is it just blocked filters, just be reading about others having problems with ‘new’ machines. I run much older kit, MF 500 series and a 390, and they are fine. Will phone my local engineer tomorrow and ask if they are hearing of any problems.

 

[J428TGS]

could she be sucking air in

 

[JLLM]

If it has an electric lift pump they do fail.

 

[GmB]

The lift pump is manual

 

[Cowabunga]

I wonder whether it has the optional agglomerator. The one with a big glass bowl and tap at the bottom? If so, there is a square pre-filter in the case at the top of that unit that is often forgotten about when home-servicing. Indeed I have only changed mine once in nearly 4000 hours. One day it will go on strike if I don't change it out again beforehand.

 

[GmB]

That gets changed along with the other 2 filters every 400hrs. I do notice that it is black when it’s changed. If it is as you say a pre filter, perhaps I will change that one first. It’s a bit of a sod to change, tractor has a loader and front fenders which makes access difficult

 

[davidroberts30]

You could open the drain then crack the breather and let it flush backwards for a few seconds but that's only a temporary fix

 

[ACEngineering]

Took a trailer of muck down the road today, got 1/2 mile and suddenly lost engine power, didn’t cut out completely, backing off the throttle and the engine came back to life and I limped home.
Had a look round the engine bay and found the end of the injector pump covered in oil/dust.
Blew it clean with aerosol brake cleaner and could see a slight weep of something black from a small hole, see picture, sorry for lack of clarity of photo. Blew out the tank breather pipe just in case.
Filters are genuine and only have 80 hours on them.
Went for another test drive, tractor only, and this time it lost power and cut out completely. Wouldn’t restart for a couple of minutes, when it did, I crept home.
The pipe in the second photo goes to the lift pump, the connection seems loose, what does this pipe do?
Any ideas anyone?
Thanks in advance.

That looks like the perkins common rail. That pipe will be sucking so if its wet at all it will be sucking in air.
I think that's a small mechanical primer pump on the back on main injector pump. Hand primer is a button on top of pre filter housing.

 

[AftonShepherd]

I wonder whether it has the optional agglomerator. The one with a big glass bowl and tap at the bottom? If so, there is a square pre-filter in the case at the top of that unit that is often forgotten about when home-servicing. Indeed I have only changed mine once in nearly 4000 hours. One day it will go on strike if I don't change it out again beforehand.

You're lucky! I've changed mine 3 times in the last 2 weeks due to diesel clogging in cold weather. Tried washing one yesterday and fitted it this morning without changing main filters. Going fine so far but it's a lot milder this morning.

 

[GmB]

Update.
Changed the fuel pipe from the injector pump to the primer as this pipe was showing signs of collapse where it bends coming from behind the engine. MF price was £125, went to my local pipe supplier, £7. Just as well as it made no difference! Next step was the little square filter. Looked ok when I removed the cover, but on closer inspection could see the filter was convex, see pics. Removed it and turned it over, oh dear. For an 80 hour filter, what a mess. Worse was to come, the glass jar was awash with crap. So full of rubbish that when I went to clean it out, the pieces were so large that they blocked the drain tap. Removed the tap, drained what fuel was in it, and then flushed with petrol. Took the best part of 1/2 hour to clean out. Thick scum around the bottom of the bowel had to be removed by pushing a piece of flexi wire up though the tap hole and scraping and more petrol to flush through. New filter and gasket and off I went. Didn‘t change the other 2 filters, one step at a time. Went for a flat out run for 3 miles, no sign of power loss, result. In the 1800hrs I’ve had her, have never cleaned this bowel, at least the filter was doing it’s job.
Filter the fuel out of my storage tank using Mr Funnel, so looks like a tank upgrade is due, especially with the EA poking around.
Thanks to everyone for their input.
ps, The slight oil leak from the injector pump is apparently the electric fuel pump, which is lubricated by engine oil, seal weeping

 

[davidroberts30]

the agrelometer (square filter)
surprising how much that will stop

 

[Richlambert]

Took a trailer of muck down the road today, got 1/2 mile and suddenly lost engine power, didn’t cut out completely, backing off the throttle and the engine came back to life and I limped home.
Had a look round the engine bay and found the end of the injector pump covered in oil/dust.
Blew it clean with aerosol brake cleaner and could see a slight weep of something black from a small hole, see picture, sorry for lack of clarity of photo. Blew out the tank breather pipe just in case.
Filters are genuine and only have 80 hours on them.
Went for another test drive, tractor only, and this time it lost power and cut out completely. Wouldn’t restart for a couple of minutes, when it did, I crept home.
The pipe in the second photo goes to the lift pump, the connection seems loose, what does this pipe do?
Any ideas anyone?
Thanks in advance.

Hi. Did you ever get to bottom of this problem as my 5455 is doing exactly the same this morning
Thanks

 

[GmB]

Apparently it was a fuel supplier issue, a local contractor had the same problem with fuel filters blocking after very few hours. Was suggested that the batch of fuel was ‘cleaning’ my storage tank. I had to keep checking the square filter every 50hrs and clean it with brake cleaner, £30 a time to replace ‘aint funny.
Any way, was a total pain but once that tank full had gone, all is well, filters getting to 400hrs now, but I still check the first filter at 200hrs as I’m paranoid about breaking down on the road!

 

[Richlambert]

Thanks, I have a feeling ours is electrical but I’m changing filters tomorrow

 

[Southmec32]

If you can see the pump.on the filter sucking in you have a blockage from tank to filter. Also check the seal in the plastic bowl and the bottom of it for hairline cracks. The earth post through through the front firewall is also a common one. Or if you have gone out in morning and it won't start maybe check injector return