Things found in the gas tank of recue tractors

wore out · Nov 14, 2021

<img src = https://i.imgur.com/RH9XBI7.jpg

<img src = https://i.imgur.com/pbiYjzz.jpg>

I found a knot in the gas tank of may recently purchased rescue IH 544!

I fished it out with a length of 3/16 steel rod ground to a point.

And (of course) some rust.

What else have you guys found?

37 chief · Nov 14, 2021

I found a gold ball in the tank of my MF 231. Stan

IaLeo · Nov 14, 2021

I had a friend that got a good deal on a 36 JD A that "they" couldn't keep running...he found a feather floating around in the tank, occasionally plugging the outlet! Leo

used red MN · Nov 14, 2021

Stan how many karats was it?? Lol, I suppose you meant ..golf ball..

Dieseltech · Nov 14, 2021

Had a MF 150 gas that would sometimes die for no reason, then restart and run fine for awhile. Some wise guy had dropped a red plastic cap plug in the gas tank..

casecollectorsc · Nov 14, 2021

Bought a 1930 model L Case and found a half dozen wrenches in the fuel tank. Kids must have emptied the tool box.

Janicholson · Nov 14, 2021

A brand new Thunderbird was assigned to me to determine why it quit while driving. Once stopped, it would start within a few seconds and run for a week or 20 minutes. The fuel pump was good (replaced by a different mechanic. I ran it low on fuel to the point that I was sure it would not get me back to the dealership where I worked. I took off the fuel tank and with the pump out, dumped the remaining fuel into a funnel into a Plastic tank. the screen in the funnel captured a 4 inch pice of vinyl tape. it would wrap around the intake strainer like wrapping a wire loom but only when it felt like it. Nasty diagnosis. But under warranty and the Regional Ford Tech rep. Doan and Decker Ford Terre Haute In 1974. Jim

DeltaRed · Nov 14, 2021

Not a gastank,but a radiator.Bird nest not visible from the filler cap.Old tractor(an M)ran nice and cool for several hours.Then overheated suddenly and would not cool.Seems the nest migrated to and plugged up the thermostat.

Keith True · Nov 14, 2021

I had a Brockway that would quit for no apparent reason.The truck had sat,so the first couple of times I just assumed fuel filter.Change the filter,start it up drive off.Then I found that once the engine stopped turning it would start right up again and would be fine for one hour or one month.The tank had 20 or 30 caps from Siloo fuel treatment bottles in it.Those bottles had the caps that would hang on by a sliver when unscrewed.The tank had one of those anti-siphon spring guards in it,and we figured the caps had gotten ripped off when they hung up in that thing.The fuel nozzle would hang up on it,and sometimes I would shake the truck trying to yank it out.The paper/foil seals had separated from the caps,and were ganging up at the fuel outlet.

Lumbersawyer · Nov 14, 2021

Not a tractor but I found a pair of pliers in my 47 Chevy 3/4 ton truck I'm restoring.

MARK ROBKE · Nov 14, 2021

I was truck tech for 40 years and can remember 3 off the top of my head that caused the truck to quit. First one was sugar, put in by a driver who got fired, in the tank. It stopped up the filter, but no other damage, as I recall. The next was a red rag in the tank of an almost new truck, and, at first, we thought there was an electronic fault, as this was one of the first electronic controlled engines we had seen at that point. No idea how the rag got in there. The next was a good one: truck kept losing power, then would run ok. After a few days of this and that tried, I 'got' to work on it. Found itty-bitty pieces of a laminated map torn up and in the fuel tank. Had to drain tank and flush it out. Found out- driver got fired and had tore up the map and threw it in the tank. Mark.

Geo-TH,In · Nov 14, 2021

I was teaching in Clinton, In in 1974 and living in country West or West Terre Haute.
Recently sold that place. Very happy camper to find someone to buy it.
Turns out the buyer was born and raised in WTH.

Hayfarmer · Nov 14, 2021

found a screwdriver once, plastic handle pretty deteriorated. I also found a wrench in a tractor transmission during a transmission overhaul

Phil-mar Farms · Nov 14, 2021

We had the transmission cover off a new to us John Deere. We noticed a shiny thing in the grease. We thought it looked like a punch. So we got a magnet and fished around for it but couldnt pick it up. So we got out the grabber and got it out. It turned out to be a ballpoint pen. It didnt work!!

504 · Nov 14, 2021

A mechanic that worked for my dad had a tractor that someone had put small pieces of newspaper in the gas tank,a piece would float to the bottom and plug the sediment bowl,as soon as it died the paper floated away. Tom said it took awhile to find the problem(his tractor) I had a 2025 Agco garden tractor that would run to the far side of the yard and quit.It would not pump gas so I bought a new fuel pump,after that I took the tank off and the gas pick up line had a 90 deg bend in it. I found a small cocoon in the line when I blew it out looking for the problem. It never missed a lick after that(I still have a new 25 hp fuel pump on the shelf.)

ASEguy · Nov 15, 2021

My farmer friend called me frantically saying in the middle of cutting hay his tractor, JD 5420, died. Thought it lost it's prime and refilled the filter and cleaned out the fuel valve in the filter housing. It ran for 10 seconds or so and died again. Same problem. I started removing tubing until I found a red wasp in the elbow right by the filter. I told him to use a funnel with a screen after that when adding fuel.

macec3 · Nov 15, 2021

Several years ago I was on a job and the backhoe tractor kept dying. I found a small nail in the tank with the pointed end sticking in the discharge fitting. The head was causing a fuel restriction. Owner said that was not the problem. He wanted to get the injector pump rebuilt and he did. When we got the rebuilt pump on without the nail in the tank, it was all good. I guess we will never know if it was the nail or the injector pump. I am thinking it was the nail. Another time one of my friends was going to haul me some logs. He said he would haul them when he gets his tractor fixed. Well about 3 weeks later he showed up and told me that someone had put a handful of toilet paper in his tractor fuel tank. That toilet paper had dissolved and it was in the tank, fuel lines, injector pump and all the way to the injectors. Biggest mess he had ever seen.

Den N Ms · Nov 15, 2021

Worked for a large well known freight line and found many things inside fuel tanks.Some causing fuel problems,some not.Everything from all sorts of tools to condoms,rubber gloves,bottle caps,news papers,candy wrappers,pop bottles.Even a good top quality 8" air grinder with the disk and screw on handle removed.(Still have it)

James Howell · Nov 15, 2021

Pulled out several pieces of wood from the gas tank on our 43B.

Mike Henry · Nov 16, 2021

my uncle could be very shifty at times. once he needed a truck, but couldnt afford a road ready one.New a guy down on his luck that had a nice truck. took couple eggs from grams hen house, cracked them into guys gas tank. guy was so flustered. Finally sold truck cheap to uncle. took tank off and gave it good flushing. according to uncle it was eggs that had been fertilized that made difference. eggs when fertized, he said have the white spot near yolk. that is like a pebble. stopped flow then released. Not as easy to find as most trash.

Things found in the gas tank of recue tractors

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