# defective fuel lines on 6000 series JD tractors



## hayfarmer (Nov 9, 2008)

I have a 2005 JD 6415 with 1075 hours. A few months ago I had to replace all the rubber fuel lines because they were weeping fuel. My JD dealer said that they had some simular reports. My tractor was out of warranty, so JD told me I was on my own. Since it only cost 25-$30 to replace the lines I forgot about it.
Recently my tractor became harder and harder to start. Long story short, I have had to rebuilt the fuel injector pump and replace all the injectors. The JD dealer said I had trash in my fuel. I started thinking how could enough trash to cause that much damage that fast get through the two fuel filters on the tractor not to mention the filters on my bulk fuel tanks. The company that rebuilt the injector pump said the trash could have been small pieces of rubber.
Has anyone had a simular problem and does anyone know of a current lawsuit over this issue. Needless to say these repair is going to cost me several thousands dollars for a tractor that is still new. I don't use biofuels or low sulfur fuel. I have had no problems with my 4430 or 2240 which has over 8000 hours each.


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## deerrunhaycp (Oct 17, 2008)

We have a 6405 and a 6400, both with the same fuel line problems. The mechanic from my dealer says john deere nows all about this and it is a common problem, they don't seem to want to fix it. My 6405 is a '99, is sucks to hear that the same thing still exists in an '05. We haven't had to go as far as rebuilding the pump though, as soon as we replaced the lines our starting problems went away. I haven't heard anything about a lawsuite, i'm sure if there was one JD would just deflect it to the mfg. of the fuel lines., and give us the runaround.


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## BCFENCE (Jul 26, 2008)

Hayfarmer i also have replaced the lines, What if any can be done to replace the rubber lines? Has anyone thought about making metal fuel line out of brake line and installing yourself, I did once on my 2840
Keep us updated thanks thomas


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## Production Acres (Jul 29, 2008)

interesting post - have a '93 JD 6400 with over 10000 hrs on it - never had a fuel line replaced. have about 4 '99-04 JD 6410's nearly all of them have had fuel line problems - so far no injector problems. have a 06 JD 6415 - no problems yet! Have a '00 Krone Big M with a JD engine. Has about 1600 hrs now. About a month ago, brought it in for the night, shut it down, wouldn't start the next morning. The fuel lines had been replaced before we bought it and diesel shop said injector pump was full of trash and had to be rebuilt $2300 and we did all the work except for the rebuild.


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## Rodney R (Jun 11, 2008)

I haven't looked, but don't these things all have metal lines after the filters? How could the rubber get through the filters?

Rodney


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## BCFENCE (Jul 26, 2008)

I cant remember but i think their is a rubber line running to the metal line that goes to the injectors( dont know for sure but i think)
THOMAS


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## hayfarmer (Nov 9, 2008)

It depends of which series engine your tractor has. The older seriers II engines have rubber lines runing from the fuel tank to the first filter, to a primer pump, to the second filter, to the fuel cooler located at the front of the tractor, back to the fuel injector pump. There is a rubber line that Ts off the return line and goes back to the second filter. There is also a rubber line that goes from the return line to the fuel tank. So there is approximately 6 feet of rubber lines between the last filter and the injector pump. When I had to replace all the rubber fuel lines it took between 12-15 feet of rubber lines.

The series III engine has what they call a rail injection system. It is steel lines from the filters to the pump.

My JD dealer has filed a case with JD (what ever that means) and said they will help with some of the cost. They admitted that this has been a problem with these engines. JD wants to blame it on the type of fuel, but what good is a tractor that can't run on todays fuel.


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## Rodney R (Jun 11, 2008)

I forgot about the fuel cooler. I bet that some of the rubber hose they used was deteriorating when exposed to fuel...... probably a bad batch of hose, or it wasn't spec'd right..... Either way, expensive hose.......

Rodney


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## hayfarmer (Nov 9, 2008)

Thanks for all the comments. I am hoping that I can convince JD this is big problem and they better work with us to fix it or face a huge backlash. Will keep you posted.


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## BCFENCE (Jul 26, 2008)

I start the tractor this morning and it runs for 5 seconds , pop the hood and juess what? you juessed it those trusty jd fuel lines . I think they put those on their to give us something to do. THOMAS


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## hayfarmer (Nov 9, 2008)

Thought I give everyone an update. I am very grateful to have a JD dealer that actually takes care of me. Thanks to the Service Manager's efforts, JD appears to being paying for the repairs to my tractor (at least most of it anyway. The tractor was a little over a year out of warranty and only had 1078 hours on it). It appears that the rubber from the fuel lines damaged the fuel pump and injectors, which caused a compressor failure in 3 out of 4 of the cylinders of my 6415. My research has shown that it appears that the damage to my tractor was more than what anyone else has reported. The important thing is to change thoses rubber fuel lines if they are leaking. The hose begin to seep like a soaker hose. I suggest that you save the damaged hoses and exam the inside to determine the extent of deteriation. JD would not pay for the replacement of the hoses. Thank God they man-up when the engine stop running. If the fuel pump and/or injectors have to be repaired make sure you save any debris found in them. The repair shop that repaired the fuel pump and injectors saved the debris and reported that he found tiny pieces of rubber in them. That was the critical evidence that I needed to convince JD.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Just ran into this old thread as I replaced the last of my fuel lines on my 2013 JD 6115M. Tractor had been sitting since Dec when I hooked up the round baler to clean it up for sale. No snow which is the only winter job for the 6115. One of my buddies said that he had a 6430 in the shop for bad fuel (not related to the lines) and the mechanic told him that he should have all the line replaced if it had not been done in the last 5 years. They blame it on additives and alcohol in the fuel. Now it is funny that the same fuel in my 2013 JD 5075M which I run over double the hours per year is still on the original lines. Now on the other hand, I only get 100 hrs at best on a fuel filter on the 5075M but can go double or tripple that on the 6115. The 5075 only has one filter.


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## Wrenchhead1968 (Feb 7, 2020)

I've run into this similar situation quite a few times. I wouldn't give anybody $.10 for any of that rubber fuel line. It's my opinion that is designed more so for gasoline. If you use a high-quality transmission line from Napa that is designed for transmission fluid it comes in a bulk roll I keep it on hand. It's molecular and polymer composition is designed more for high detergent petroleum products like transmission fluid, power steering fluid, hydraulic fluid, etc.that line holds up very well to diesel fuel that's all I ever use. I also recommend taking your OE fuel filter in to Napa identifying how many microns of filtration it is capable of and if you can find a different filter with a finer micron do it. I know once I did a finer micron filter on my waist oil burner I don't have any troubles with that no more. Put in additional fuel filters on the return side, sometimes before the pump, wherever it would seem practical if you have the room. It's not on warranty anymore so you're not gonna void anything. Bulk Superflex at least that's what I Call it , Brake line that Bcfence rcmnded if possible as well. But I have used transmission rubber hose for years. People were ruining their automatic transmissions on automobiles because they were splicing there transmission lines with fuel line rubber fuel line .Bulk rubber tranny line is not cheap but it'll never let you down and it'll handle diesel fuel fine.Diesel fuel has petroleum brick base products in it whether it be soybean oil or regular petrolium base diesel.biodiesel will dagger get them hoes is really fast I know this because I have run 100% biodiesel we make it in our hometown


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## Texasmark (Dec 20, 2011)

With your posting I thought I'd check mine. Fords are pipe plumbed from the filter to the pump. Bransons have a hydraulic quality, reinforced hose with crimped connections and all. Guess I'm OK. Thanks for the potential heads up.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Wrench- is this what you are talking about? https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/NBGH1956


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