Dead Tractor

My pretty red tractor is dead.

I managed to screw it up by leaving the diesel fuel in a container (44 gal/220 litre drum) outside in the weather, and naturally water got into the drum, and then I filled up the tractor. Tractors don’t run on water. They don’t even run on watery diesel. They especially don’t run on an algae-contaminated water/diesel mix (we took a sample from the fuel drum and it was about 25% water by volume…and green).

So the tractor is going back to the dealer to be fixed, at my expense since it’s my fault. It’s going to be one hell of an expensive lesson, but boy have I learned it!

The tractor’s engine has to be stripped back, the fuel system completely removed, flushed and cleaned. The fuel injectors need to be removed, stripped and cleaned…and perhaps replaced. The fuel filter certainly needs to be replaced. The engine oil probably needs to be dropped and replaced along with the oil filter, and perhaps even flushed. The fuel tank obviously needs to be removed, flushed and cleaned. And then it needs to be put back together again. All at diesel mechanic hourly rates. Oh boy, is this ever gonna cost me!

I tell you, my arse is still sore from the kicking I gave it. (Figuratively speaking, of course.)