4231 Engine

[Raw Dodge]

After having the fuel starvation problem return, I took my cell phone and snapped a picture of inside the tank to see if something was in there and I found the culprit...

 

[BKBrown]

Looks like plastic items you could use a pick up tool similar to this to get them out !
I rotated and cleaned up your picture some.

 

[Raw Dodge]

It was way more than just 2 items.. I have mechanical fingers.. I couldn't leave the disintegrated fuel cap gasket in there... It looks like the gasket fell apart and crumbled into the tank. I pulled the tank and flushed it 4x sloshing fuel around and it's clean as new. I don't even know how it ran at all.

 

[BKBrown]

OK -- realized after I posted that it wasn't a noob that was asking for advice.

It is amazing what gets into a tank - I might have used a wet dry vac after draining and flushing with air for a while.
I use both the vacuum and the blower on my vacuum for many things. The Craftsman Vac I have has a detachable blower.

 

[Raw Dodge]

OK -- realized after I posted that it wasn't a noob that was asking for advice.

It is amazing what gets into a tank - I might have used a wet dry vac after draining and flushing with air for a while.
I use both the vacuum and the blower on my vacuum for many things. The Craftsman Vac I have has a detachable blower.

No vacuum needed,it came clean 4 quick swirling rinses followed with letting it sit in the sun for a fee minutes to dry it out,and a blast of compressed air,it was clean as new...after seeing what was in my tank id urge all ventrac owners to take a good look at your fuel cap,and the condition of the rubber gasket that makes the seal against the filler neck,mine was disintegrated and I didn't notice it was coming apart so whenever I'd remove the lid,more crap would fall into the tank.i removed what was left of mine,and I'll have to get a new one.in the white bucket you can clearly see what's left of a gasket that was probably 8 inches long if you were to cut it.

 

[Raw Dodge]

 

[BKBrown]

I think it would be worth it to point this out to Dustin (Ventrac)

 

[Raw Dodge]

Not a bad idea, I'd hate to see one person have the fuel pickup plug in the middle of climbing a 30 degree hill or worse yet coming down one.. When it plugs your dead in the water..

 

[Raw Dodge]

It's been a month now and I finally have fixed the fuel system 100 percent! This machine impresses me every time I use it...I'm used to Steiners having run them over 23 years,and the refinement of the liquid cooled vanguard engine along with its endless torque really are a huge advantage over the noisy and weak below 3500 rpm kohler command 25s.

 

[BKBrown]

I've had 2 of the 4231 liquid cooled units. Loved the first one at near 900 trouble free hours and nearly 400 on the 2nd unit with no engine problems and only normal maintenance. Good to know that they are better liked than the Steiner Kohler engine.