700 Series Lawn Tractor
178
Fuel system
What you should know about fuel.
Most of the fuel presently available in North America is oxygenated to some extent. This is commonly done
through the addition of ethanol. Most engines offered for sale on outdoor power equipment in the North American
markets are designed to tolerate no more than 10% ethanol by volume
Ethanol is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs water. If left exposed to air, it will draw water out of the air.
Ethanol is an oxygenator, which means that it will oxidize (corrode) metal that it comes into contact with. Expo-
sure to air causes fuel to go bad quickly, leaving gum and varnish deposits.
Fuel used in Cub Cadet outdoor power equipment should be no more than 30 days old. Because it may already
have been stored at the refinery or gas station for a week or more, fuel should be purchased in small quantities and
stored in safety approved gas cans with the caps closed.
For storage, all fuel should be run out of the tank and engine. Anti-oxidation additives such as Sta-bil will help
keep the fuel fresher.
Servicing the fuel system
Inspect the fuel system every time the tractor is operated. If dirty fuel, or fuel that does not smell “right” is found in
the fuel tank, drain the fuel tank and replace the fuel filter
Drain the fuel tank by removing the fuel line from the fuel filter and drain the fuel into an empty safety approved
gas can. dispose of the bad fuel in a safe manor that follows local laws.
Fuel filter
A dirty fuel filter can result in a lean run condition. The fuel filter should be replaced every 100 hours. Fuel filters
have a specific “micron” rating based on the engine manufacturers specifications for a particular engine. The
“micron” refers to the size of contaminant particles the can pass through the filter. A smaller number blocks particles
that are larger than that number.
NOTE: It is important to use OEM fuel filters that match the micron rating of the filter specified by the engine
manufacturer. Using the wrong fuel filter may limit fuel flow and starve the engine of fuel. A filter with
loo large a micron rating can allow damaging particles to enter the fuel system and potentially block it.
To replace the fuel filter.
1. Clamp off the fuel lines to prevent fuel from leaking
when the lines are disconnected.
See Figure 9.7.
IMPORTANT: Take care that the fuel lines are not
damage when clamping them off.
Never insert a screw or anything else
into the fuel line to prevent fuel from
coming out. This will damage the
inside of the fuel line.
NOTE: There are commercially available fuel line
clamping tools that will not damage the fuel
lines.
2. Squeeze the tabs on the fuel line clamps and slide
them away from the filter.
3. Carefully slide the fuel lines off of the filter. If there
are pieces of rubber on the barbs of the fuel filter,
replace the affected fuel line.
IMPORTANT: The 700 series tractor uses low permeation fuel line to meet EPA guidelines. When replacing
the fuel lines, they must be replaced with the same type of low permeation fuel line.
4. Install the new filter by following the above steps in reverse order.
5. Test run the engine and check for leaks before returning to service.
Figure 9.7
Fuel line clamps
Fuel line clamping tool
Fuel line moved away from filter
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