Timberwolf chipper engine cuts out - advice on how to troubleshoot?

[Will C]

If it’s a fairly new machine I guess you have the operators manual? If so it should have a section on basic maintenance and servicing, have look at that, you might find another filter hiding somewhere.
 

it won’t taste nice but if you take a pipe off the feed side of the filter and blow down it you should get bubbles in the tank. If you can’t blow through it something is blocked.

[Cordata]

16 minutes ago, Dan Maynard said:

That's basically the same engine as my chipper, also have an inline filter like that which always has a bubble in it. Fuel is sucked in by a pump under the air filter that's driven by a vacuum impulse line.

 

It is true that if the pipe gets completely empty it can struggle to suck in to get started, but once it's running I've never had a problem with it getting enough fuel.

 

Make sure the fuel tank is nice and full, that means less suction needed. My first check would be air filter though, you haven't mentioned checking that. Check the oil level, if it's low will kill the ignition. Also change the plugs, couple of quid to eliminate that possible problem.

 

 

Thanks for the practical tips - 

 

I've never cleared out the air filter on this yet which could very well be stalling the engine, I'll blow it out tomorrow. Also will check oil.

 

See how you say if the pipe gets empty it can struggle to get started.. it there a way to prime the line with fuel?

 

Quick google said (albeit for a car engine) a way to prime the fuel line was to turn the engine over without the spark plug connected a few times and it would fill with fuel.. Possible solution?

 

I don't know if I popped the cover holding all the belts and tried turning the shaft if it would be hard to turn?

[Cordata]

18 minutes ago, spuddog0507 said:

Is there not a fuel cut off tap/leaver on the tank ? if not just rem=new the inline filter, 

all fuel contains a percentage of water and on hot days it seperates and builds up in the fuel tank, i just had a dumper pack up and the fuel filter was full of water, emptied it out and off we go again,,

 

I've attached a photo showing the connector coming out the tank, and the inline filter

 

That's interesting about the filter filling up with water, like the filter I have here is designed to let petrol through, but not let water through?

 

I am probably being stupid, but I guess I'd have to disconnect the top fitting on the filter first, turn it upside down so water there doesn't slide back into the tank when I disconnect the bottom fitting, then I can dump it out?

 

Do I then need to prime the fuel lines before turning the engine back on?

 

 

[woody paul]

Had a problem like that with my 18/100 when it had a Kohler engine on charge the fuel filter still made no difference, turned out there was another filter under fuel tank removed that and never had a problem. 

 

[Cordata]

23 minutes ago, Will C said:

If it’s a fairly new machine I guess you have the operators manual? If so it should have a section on basic maintenance and servicing, have look at that, you might find another filter hiding somewhere.
 

it won’t taste nice but if you take a pipe off the feed side of the filter and blow down it you should get bubbles in the tank. If you can’t blow through it something is blocked.

 

I need to sit down and properly look at the manual, I could very well be missing something obvious

 

That idea makes sense for testing for blockages..

 

Probably sound stupid, but I have never disconnected one of those fittings in the fuel line system holding the hoses on.

 

Just as simple as loosening it off to disconnect, and then when I put it back on do I really need to crank down on the screw to tighten it? Or it just needs to be firmly torqued?

[Dan Maynard]

Mine is a little different in that the fuel tank is a jerry can sat in the front of the machine. It has a couple of joints in the line, the bottom hose which dips into the tank had hardened and so not making a great seal. It would let air in when the fuel level was low so hard to start, one day split completely.

 

The short term (on site) answer was lift the jerry can up with a log. To prime I held the open end of tube up and poured petrol in using the cap off a water bottle, doing that you could see petrol collecting in the fuel filter. New tube now , been absolutely fine since. The joints don't need to be super tight, mine have cable ties or spring clips. Just twist the tube and see if it's gripped on the spigot, it's not like these tubes are resisting a load of pressure trying to push them apart.

 

My feeling with all this though is that struggling to prime stops the engine from starting up. Once it's running there is plenty of impulse so the pump gets going and priming is not the issue. Why connect on a new filter and short bit of hose, dip it in a small can of petrol and you'll isolate anything that could be an issue tank side?

 

Air filter is really quick to check though, should do that regularly.

[Cordata]

21 minutes ago, Dan Maynard said:

Mine is a little different in that the fuel tank is a jerry can sat in the front of the machine. It has a couple of joints in the line, the bottom hose which dips into the tank had hardened and so not making a great seal. It would let air in when the fuel level was low so hard to start, one day split completely.

 

The short term (on site) answer was lift the jerry can up with a log. To prime I held the open end of tube up and poured petrol in using the cap off a water bottle, doing that you could see petrol collecting in the fuel filter. New tube now , been absolutely fine since. The joints don't need to be super tight, mine have cable ties or spring clips. Just twist the tube and see if it's gripped on the spigot, it's not like these tubes are resisting a load of pressure trying to push them apart.

 

My feeling with all this though is that struggling to prime stops the engine from starting up. Once it's running there is plenty of impulse so the pump gets going and priming is not the issue. Why connect on a new filter and short bit of hose, dip it in a small can of petrol and you'll isolate anything that could be an issue tank side?

 

Air filter is really quick to check though, should do that regularly.

 

 

That makes sense and I agree that once the engine is going, it should prime ok as fuel is being sucked in, but there is a possible blockage or something between the tank and the engine I should troubleshoot, which would explain why the bulb remains low.

 

Another commenter mentioned water in the filter.. is this something you think will be causing the issue? And it will just dump out when I disconnect the filter?

 

A new filter with a small hose in a can of petrol makes sense for testing this out, I'll look into trying this and report back