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TO20 fuel disappears

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P.J.

04-16-2003 13:46:25

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Every time I get ready to use my to20, the fuel tank is bone dry. When shutting off each time, I turn off the fuel at the sediment bowl, so I know it is not running through the carb. Any Ideal what is happening to my fuel? I suspect theft unless someone can give me some mechanical reasn. Surely it is not evaporation. My solution is a possible locking gas cap. Anyone got any ideas?

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Drizler

04-24-2003 06:50:32

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Re: TO20 fuel disappears in reply to P.J. , 04-16-2003 13:46:25

You know the more I think about it you are probably looking at the cursed fuel sediment bowl. I have 2 tractors with these and while they work and lots of people love them they sure are a pain often. Mine just loves to leak no matter if its shut off or not. Getting a gasket to fit is another problem and once you mess with the thing it can drip like a faucet no matter what you do. Put something like a coffee cup under it and see if it gets a stain or gas inside. If bowl is old and funky looking it might be a good idea to change the gasket and possibly even the whole bowl. That ( WHOLE ASSEMBLY) solved my Farmall headaches permanently and new gaskets were useless. My TO-20 still haunts me but I live with it though I dread emptying the bowl because it will invariably leak, too tight, too loose; pain in the arse. If you do pull it do clean out the tank well before reinstalling.

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Drizler

04-19-2003 16:37:03

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Re: TO20 fuel disappears in reply to P.J. , 04-16-2003 13:46:25

I recall the same phenomenon happening during the early 70's. It happens in a direct proportion to the price of gas. I will bet it goes away when the price is back to $1.20 per gallon. Either that or when you catch the guy. Good hunting.

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Jeff (CA)

04-19-2003 13:18:33

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Re: TO20 fuel disappears in reply to P.J. , 04-16-2003 13:46:25

I have a 1959 TO-35 and have the exact same problem. I bought the tractor about 4 months ago after it had been restored to showroom condition. It has a new gas cap on it and all gas lines (as well as any other lines or hoses) are new. I'm pretty sure nobody has been snatching gas from it as I have two or three full 5 gallon gas cans located near it that seem to stay full. If anyone can figure out where the gas is going I would certainly appreciate it. This is my first Ferguson tractor and I have never been more satisfied with any other piece of equipment I have ever got my hands on. Thanks in advance for any theories or suggestions.

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Tex Ferguson

04-17-2003 19:03:15

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Re: TO20 fuel disappears in reply to P.J. , 04-16-2003 13:46:25

P.J., it sounds like a mystery. Here are my thoughts: perhaps both your sediment bowl valve and your float valve are leaking slowly; the excess gas drips out a crack in the hose connecting the air cleaner to the carb. Voice of experience--it happened to me! Does this connection(or any other location along the fuel line) smell of gas after the tractor has been standing for a day or two? Good luck! Tex

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Phil (VA)

04-17-2003 12:13:26

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Re: TO20 fuel disappears in reply to P.J. , 04-16-2003 13:46:25

You don't say where the tractor is parked, access by others, etc., or how long you go between looking at it, and how much fuel you have in it when you leave it, so it's impossible to answer your question in meaningful fashion. However, slow fuel tank leaks are common. Repairs can work for awhile, but often don't work forever. If I suspected theft, I would set a "track trap" such as leaving the cap ajar and see if it is turned to the same spot next time I went to the tractor, etc. Those of us with grown children know this routine. Any little thing out of place and you know someone has been there. (When I'm missing fuel, it has always been a family member who needed cruising gas.)

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P.J.

04-17-2003 14:37:08

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Re: Re: TO20 fuel disappears in reply to Phil (VA), 04-17-2003 12:13:26

Thanks for the responses. My tractor is parked in a tool shed that is located on my farm. There is not musch local traffic, other than some ATV riders. I have not ever noticed any leaks, but maybe I am not looking at the right spots. I check the fuel about every other weekend. Will glues work on sealing a tan from the outside?

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Phil (VA)

04-18-2003 06:19:12

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Re: Re: Re: TO20 fuel disappears in reply to P.J., 04-17-2003 14:37:08

No, I doubt a glue, especially from the outside, will work. There are ways to coat the inside that often work. Check the archives. I assume you don't live on the farm. Put a couple gallons in it on a Friday night when you get there and check it early Saturday, etc., measuring with a wooden ruler before and after. New tanks run about $250. You might find a used one at a salvage yard, but that would potentially be replacing one problem with another. Leaking gas, as you know, can cause a lot more problems than just the price of a tank or the price of the gas. Be safe.

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Phil (VA)

04-17-2003 12:16:13

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Re: Re: TO20 fuel disappears in reply to Phil (VA), 04-17-2003 12:13:26

Remember in "Bird on a Wire" when Mel Gibson put the coke bottle on the door knob (I think I got the right movie)?

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Larry in Missouri

04-18-2003 07:14:00

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Re: Re: Re: TO20 fuel disappears in reply to Phil (VA), 04-17-2003 12:16:13

Phil,

That was "Conspiracy Theory"

Larry in Missouri

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Phil (VA)

04-18-2003 08:36:11

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Re: Re: Re: Re: TO20 fuel disappears in reply to Larry in Missouri, 04-18-2003 07:14:00

OK. I'm not movie expert like one of my sons. Anyway, it's easy to see if someone has been there, if you take some care.... Thanks.

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Duner Wi

04-16-2003 16:59:54

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Re: TO20 fuel disappears in reply to P.J. , 04-16-2003 13:46:25

The baffles inside the tank are spot welded to the tank. My baffle has stressed the tank the the point of cracking and then mine will leak. I solder the crack every 10 or so years. You might need the locking gas cap to fix yours.

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