185 help diagnose

Please help me diagnose a power issue with my 1979 185D. Pulling 8ft AC brush hog. Never a power issue before but this afternoon started to lose power so shut PTO off, by the time I made it back to shed wouldn't even throttle past idle.

Let it sit for 5 min or so, thought maybe I hadn't pulled injection pump plunger out all the way when I started it. So started it back up, ran fine, with pto on for a couple of minutes then lost all power til it died.

Injection pump issue?
Need to bleed fuel from sediment bowl?

Seems like a (lack of) fuel issue but I'm open to any suggestions.

Thank you,
Roger

Sounds like maybe flex ring is coming apart. Which means pump will need rebuilding. Take the return line off top of pump. See if there’s gunk caught up in there. There’s a little glass ball as a check valve that the flex ring particles collect against.

3:18 to fill 1 gal ice cream tub. Assuming screen is same as Series IV D17 screen? Getting ready to put new screen on to see of that improves. Situation. Hoping it will but doubtful. Twice when it powered down I let it sit for 10 min then it would drive again back to shed.

I did throw the old one away. Also engine did not surge at all. Just jept losing rpms

Will do this next step tomorrow and keep you posted. Thank you for your assistance. Roger

As everyone is saying, it is probably the flex ring in the injection pump, but (as cowkicker said) I have seen the inlet of the sediment bowl plug up with crap and severely restrict fuel flow. Always check the simple things first!

If you get good flow to the injection pump, before you get to excited and pull that pump. Remember there is that last resort screen in the inlet side of the pump. Pull all that assembly out and clean it.
I had this problem on a 7030.
Somehow after that many years that screen was plugged. How it gets through the filters is beyond me.

Well I didn't get a chance to loosen the screws on the timing window yet. Cleaned sediment bowl, changed fuel filter, started it, drove it around shed to better position it for work and it lost power and died. By the way, my pump doesn't have a timing window on it, rather a simple rectangle plate. Is that a sign it's been rebuilt before? I'm the 2nd owner, now for just two years. It's been a great upgrade from a Series IV '17.

Questions I have now...

Would you exchange or rebuild the pump?

Either way, would you go through a dealer (nearest one is an hour away) or is there a better rebuild solution other than a dealer?

Would you replace the injectors at this same time?

Thank you again for all the responses. Roger

The little rectangular plate is what you want to loosen to see if the engine picks back up. The timing marks for the pump are behind the plate.

When your pump acts up, like described above, save a lot of time and problems by loosening the two screws on timing window until fuel runs out. If it runs OK then, flex ring is plugging return. Don't change filter, pull settlement bowl, or unhook lines. All you are doing is getting air in lines and pump creating more problems. Do the easiest first.                           MACK

Had time yesterday evening to loosen the timing window plate. Ran better as predicted, power issue returned not long after tightening the plate screws back.

Have PMd InjpumpEd. If anyone would like to offer step process for removal so I can send it off, that'd be great. Have a 500 loader on tractor, hoping the brace arm is not in the way Thank you for your insights. Much appreciated. Roger

If it’s possible to lift the loader high and chain it so it doesn’t drift down that will make it easier to get to the pump. Just make sure it is very secure.
I don’t have a manual on that tractor but the engine will need to be timed before removal of the pump. Not sure if it’s 18 degrees BTDC? You will line up the timing marks in the window. Ed or someone else will chime in to guide you.

I replied to his pm. To lock a loader in the up position, a couple of angle irons on the lift cylinder rams works great, hose clamp holds them on lightly while you lower it down to those stops. 

Take photos of the fuel lines, before you remove anything.  

Edited by Clay - 09 Aug 2023 at 9:31am

Another note, in each once of the fittings, there is a little rubber gasket. Chances are they are all bad and will leak. Cheap and easy to replace them all now while the lines are apart. Ed might have them, not sure. I got mine form the locat CaseIH dealer