1998 445 project

The T-Valve when closed isolates the lift cylinder allowing full flow to the hydraulic couplings for the front mounted implements. If you have Gas in the Oil, I would suspect a leaking Fuel Injector, this will affect the left cylinder because the Fuel Injector is mounted in the throttle body slightly off center allowing the fuel to enter the left cylinder. Before starting, I would pull the spark plugs and see if there is fuel in the cylinders. You can pass a propane torch flame across the plug hole and see if it pops. Look also at the Throttle Body just below the Injector for signs of staining.

The motor had a bad coil on the left side when I got it home. I pulled the plug on that side and did see gas on top the piston. I had noticed right away the oil level was over the FULL mark, but at that time I didn’t realize why. I dropped the oil shortly after figuring out it was gas. I don't think gas is entering the oil sump anymore. I've been watching it as I run the motor.

Speaking of which, I should have the other coil delivered today and get that put on. I can't keep the old cap on as it just vibrates off. Keeps firing, but it's gone! That being said, the motor is still surging and believe it is hunting for fuel. I've read that the pumps are a known issue, so think after what I've done so far, the pump is next on the list. I will try to check voltages to make sure it is getting what it should, but don't have the gauge to test output pressure, at least right now. Gauge is probably cheaper than the pump, so should have one. Fired it up this morning and it was not happy. Several tries and it would run, but badly. I ended up spraying a little carb cleaner near the intake and it made it happy. It seems to me this points to a fuel delivery issue.

Another thing I am puzzled by is the temp it runs. It will get pretty hot as it sets in place running. Not into the red, but high green. With the covers off, will this restrict the amount of air passing over the radiator? I've thought maybe the water pump should be replaced, not knowing if it ever has been, but also wondering about the airflow through the radiator. I did blow it out and it was a little dirty, but is clear now.

Thanks for the help!

James

The water pump has a plastic gear and I replaced mine last spring at a little over 1000 hours as a preventive measure, at that time I also replaced the head gaskets and the plastic Governor and Oil Pump Gears also as a prevenative measure, my tractor over 25 years old at that time and I wanted to protect it for the future. I would recommend a pressure gauge first before replacing the Fuel Pump. It will help for testing the pump pressure, seeing if the system will hold pressure etc. You will have to adapt what ever you buy as I could not find anything to hook up with the adapters supplied in any kit. Probably cheaper to just get a cheap 30-50 psi gauge some fittings and fuel hose for a simple tester. JD specs i believe 25-27 psi if working correctly. Do you have the service manual? I can attach the sections for the fuel system testing, the manual is to large and has to be uploaded/downloaded to a Google Drive/One Drive/Drop Box type of account if you want the whole thing. As for the temperature, I would check the radiator neck with the cap removed and see if you have good flow and NO bubbled in the Anti-Freeze. Running with the covers off will have no effect on temperature, I have ran many months over the years with only the hood with no issues.

Sundancer268 said:

The water pump has a plastic gear and I replaced mine last spring at a little over 1000 hours as a preventive measure, at that time I also replaced the head gaskets and the plastic Governor and Oil Pump Gears also as a prevenative measure, my tractor over 25 years old at that time and I wanted to protect it for the future. I would recommend a pressure gauge first before replacing the Fuel Pump. It will help for testing the pump pressure, seeing if the system will hold pressure etc. You will have to adapt what ever you buy as I could not find anything to hook up with the adapters supplied in any kit. Probably cheaper to just get a cheap 30-50 psi gauge some fittings and fuel hose for a simple tester. JD specs i believe 25-27 psi if working correctly. Do you have the service manual? I can attach the sections for the fuel system testing, the manual is to large and has to be uploaded/downloaded to a Google Drive/One Drive/Drop Box type of account if you want the whole thing. As for the temperature, I would check the radiator neck with the cap removed and see if you have good flow and NO bubbled in the Anti-Freeze. Running with the covers off will have no effect on temperature, I have ran many months over the years with only the hood with no issues.

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Hey thank you, Sundance! I just bought Harbor Freight’s fuel pump tester. Hopefully it will be worth while! I’ll also check the radiator! Need to look up the recommended pressure too. I do have the parts of this manual too. I see I need 25-27psi. 1 thing I looked for the other day, and didn’t see it, was the relief screw. Do all FI fd620d engines have this? It may be there, I just couldn’t find it.

The relief screw is on the bottom of the Throttle body on the front of the tractor. I could not find it until I had removed the throttle body to change my injector. Now that I know what I am looking for it is no issue. It is a hex head flush mounted screw, unfortunately I don't remember the size. Just remove the air cleaner assembly and feel around on the bottom of the TB below the injector.

The motor had a bad coil on the left side when I got it home. I pulled the plug on that side and did see gas on top the piston. I had noticed the oil lever was over the FULL mark, but at that time I didn’t realize why. I dropped the oil shortly after figuring out it was gas. It doesn’t s

Sundancer268 said:

The relief screw is on the bottom of the Throttle body on the front of the tractor. I could not find it until I had removed the throttle body to change my injector. Now that I know what I am looking for it is no issue. It is a hex head flush mounted screw, unfortunately I don't remember the size. Just remove the air cleaner assembly and feel around on the bottom of the TB below the injector.

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Pressure test was a success, in that it failed. 12psi is less that half of of what it needs to be. Pulled the pump and found a mess. Rubber hose is dilapidated and probably the source of the strange sound I could hear. Ended up breaking the plastic TEE in the return line, so all fuel hose and fitting get replaced.

You could have a defective thermostat causing the high temps. If you have an infrared temp gun, check the actual temp of the radiator in different sections and also check the temp on the hoses and on various parts of the engine block. You also could have a clogged radiator, collapsing hose internally, bad water pump, lots of reasons why the temp would be high. Using the infrared temp gun, you can more quickly find the source of heat.

The lower portion of the radiator in the 4x5 series also serves as the hydro oil cooler. I would check the operation of the hydro system and make sure the fluid level is correct and the filter's not plugged, etc. When the hydro system builds oil temps, which it can do with a defective PTO clutch assembly, the oil being over heated makes the engine temps much higher than it should be. You need to determine the source of the excessive heat. When the engine is sitting there running without the side panels and hood, the engine temp should be barely registering into the temp gauge.

Just keep in mind that the hydro oil as a source of heat needs to be considered. When the hydro system is functioning properly, the radiator handles the cooling of the engine and the hydro transmission. When the hydro is building excessive heat, the radiator can't dissipate it and the engine coolant will be elevated, even dramatically as a result.

With new hoses and cleaning up the pump will it put out the pressure you need or will you have to replace the pump? It must have had poor fuel used over it's life to have those issues,, maybe high ethanol content or setting for a long time with a low fuel level. Seems to be to much corrosion in there, I have seen the fuel discharge lines rusted off on the top of the pump with no damage inside the tank like you have. Salt use in the winter causes the outside piping up here in northern Michigan.

SulleyBear said:

You could have a defective thermostat causing the high temps. If you have an infrared temp gun, check the actual temp of the radiator in different sections and also check the temp on the hoses and on various parts of the engine block. You also could have a clogged radiator, collapsing hose internally, bad water pump, lots of reasons why the temp would be high. Using the infrared temp gun, you can more quickly find the source of heat.

The lower portion of the radiator in the 4x5 series also serves as the hydro oil cooler. I would check the operation of the hydro system and make sure the fluid level is correct and the filter's not plugged, etc. When the hydro system builds oil temps, which it can do with a defective PTO clutch assembly, the oil being over heated makes the engine temps much higher than it should be. You need to determine the source of the excessive heat. When the engine is sitting there running without the side panels and hood, the engine temp should be barely registering into the temp gauge.

Just keep in mind that the hydro oil as a source of heat needs to be considered. When the hydro system is functioning properly, the radiator handles the cooling of the engine and the hydro transmission. When the hydro is building excessive heat, the radiator can't dissipate it and the engine coolant will be elevated, even dramatically as a result.

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I’ll do some checking. Will the hydro system build excessive heat while just setting there? I do have an infrared thermometer. That’s a great idea! The tractor was last used as a snow blower. It had a heater plumbed into the lines. I removed the heater and capped the TEE’s. I haven’t gotten this far, but wondered if it even has a thermostat, or maybe it’s a different temp stat. There’s a lot of things to check! Glad to have it and I’m learning a lot! Just happy it’s not our only mower/garden tractor.

Sundancer268 said:

With new hoses and cleaning up the pump will it put out the pressure you need or will you have to replace the pump? It must have had poor fuel used over it's life to have those issues,, maybe high ethanol content or setting for a long time with a low fuel level. Seems to be to much corrosion in there, I have seen the fuel discharge lines rusted off on the top of the pump with no damage inside the tank like you have. Salt use in the winter causes the outside piping up here in northern Michigan.

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Will hopefully have that answer tomorrow. I think it will. Do you know the ID of that piece of hose?

Sundancer268 said:

The relief screw is on the bottom of the Throttle body on the front of the tractor. I could not find it until I had removed the throttle body to change my injector. Now that I know what I am looking for it is no issue. It is a hex head flush mounted screw, unfortunately I don't remember the size. Just remove the air cleaner assembly and feel around on the bottom of the TB below the injector.

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The "Screw" had me confused. I was looking at the picture in the manual, thinking there was a screw tapped into the side of the injector housing. It's actually a 12mm bolt on the bottom of the throttle body housing. Learning every step!

No, unfortunatly I don't know the part number. I don't even know if JD would sell that hose, you might have to fabricate something to repair/replace it. I would get some additional Fuel Hose and just cut off a chunk. Make sure you get fuel hose that is Fuel Injection rated. Automotive FI systems run over 50 PSI and the old stule hose for Carburated engins ran in the 4-8 PSI range so that type of hose will not last under FI pump pressures. At least with the supply and return hoses exposed at the tank, you can pressure test the pump without having to reassemble everything.

Sundancer268 said:

No, unfortunatly I don't know the part number. I don't even know if JD would sell that hose, you might have to fabricate something to repair/replace it. I would get some additional Fuel Hose and just cut off a chunk. Make sure you get fuel hose that is Fuel Injection rated. Automotive FI systems run over 50 PSI and the old stule hose for Carburated engins ran in the 4-8 PSI range so that type of hose will not last under FI pump pressures. At least with the supply and return hoses exposed at the tank, you can pressure test the pump without having to reassemble everything.

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I'll hit the automotive store if I can't get it from the local JD Dealer. Good idea on checking the pump pressure at the pump! I need to find the Tee as well, hopefully that doesn't lead me on a goose chase!

CountryGuy said:

This project 445 is a blast so far. I have a 425 that is our mower now and that allows me to be under no pressure with getting it on its feet. So far I’ve replaced 1 coil, both plugs, fuel filter, checked compression, and valve rod clearances. Compression was 220 both sides and valve clearance was spot on. Dropped the oil shortly after I got it and its level was high with gas mixed in. No gas has entered, that I can tell and believe it was due to bad coil not firing. Engine is surging and tonight I’ll pull the pump to see if the little black hose is disconnected or cracked. I don’t have a pressure gage to check the pump pressure, yet.
One thing I have not figured out is how to make my levers operate the rear 3pt. I’m also not sure what each component is called and reading all I can fit in. There is a T lever on my hydraulic distribution box where the quick hitch lines are plugged into. Is this possibly where I divert pressure to operate the 3pt?

Hr meter is at 1220

thanks everyone!
James

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Update on progress. Replaced the hose on the pump and checked pressure. 60psi! Reassembled the fuel system and fired that baby up! Bingo! Purrs like a kitten! No dead spots and very responsive to the throttle movement. Had to order the proper Tee that I broke, but had bought one from NAPA before I had the hose and it doesn’t fit well enough for long term use.

As for the high temp issue, I still need to address it. While washing the tank and underbody, it got pretty warm. The top hose was warm/hot, but the bottom hose was cool. No temp readings yet, but will follow up with a report.
Thanks for everyone’s input! It’s nice to bounce issues off a group of enthusiasts!

James

I am glad the fuel issues are resolved. The cooling issue sounds like a clogged radiator and maybe a good chemical cleaner might cure that issue. Make sure it is aluminum safe. One the system issue is fixed, I would flush the system 3-4 times with the last flush being distilled water and then switch the anti-freeze/coolant to the John Deere Coolguard II. It has a change interval of six years and is much better than the green stuff the 4x5 series came with. Needing less than a gallon, I found the price well worth it instead of buying a universal coolant guaranteed to work with everything from Honda to case. There is no such thing as a universal coolant unless you are going to fill and sell right away.

Sundancer268 said:

I am glad the fuel issues are resolved. The cooling issue sounds like a clogged radiator and maybe a good chemical cleaner might cure that issue. Make sure it is aluminum safe. One the system issue is fixed, I would flush the system 3-4 times with the last flush being distilled water and then switch the anti-freeze/coolant to the John Deere Coolguard II. It has a change interval of six years and is much better than the green stuff the 4x5 series came with. Needing less than a gallon, I found the price well worth it instead of buying a universal coolant guaranteed to work with everything from Honda to case. There is no such thing as a universal coolant unless you are going to fill and sell right away.

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Good advice! I’m going to put a t-stat and water pump in it too. Just feel more comfortable with these being new and not wondering or hoping they’re working. Can’t stop just going by it and cranking it up! 😊

I replaced my T-Stat when I did all the work on my tractor last year and I am disappointed. The T-Stat is lazy and the temperature would rise and fall as the T-Stat opened and closed to slowly. It is settling down the more i use it, but it is not as steady as the original 1994 version. If it hasn't settled down to a steady temp when I next change the Anti-freeze, I will re-install the original T-Stat. Nothing that will hurt the engine as the temp never gets above 3/4 gauge, just not steady and it is a little frustrating when the old T-Stat was so nice and steady at 1/3 gauge.

Sundancer268 said:

I replaced my T-Stat when I did all the work on my tractor last year and I am disappointed. The T-Stat is lazy and the temperature would rise and fall as the T-Stat opened and closed to slowly. It is settling down the more i use it, but it is not as steady as the original 1994 version. If it hasn't settled down to a steady temp when I next change the Anti-freeze, I will re-install the original T-Stat. Nothing that will hurt the engine as the temp never gets above 3/4 gauge, just not steady and it is a little frustrating when the old T-Stat was so nice and steady at 1/3 gauge.

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Dang! Was that a JD part?