Farm Equipment - 185 Fuel Issue

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185 Fuel Issue

Printed From: Unofficial Allis
Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Farm Equipment
Forum Description: everything about Allis-Chalmers farm equipment
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=210664
Printed Date: 09 Apr 2026 at 3:37am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.10 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: 185 Fuel Issue

Posted By: cguetter
Subject: 185 Fuel Issue
Date Posted: 07 Apr 2026 at 5:33pm

I have a question. The other day i was digging with my 185 and about an hour and a half in it decided to lose RPMs and power to the point it could barely pull itself. Push the clutch in it regains the RPMs but if you let of the clutch it goes back to barely even pulling itself again, limped it home and let it sit till the next day ran fine for an hour or so again and did the same thing, came home and let sit for a couple hours and put it on the grain drill and it did the same thing after an hour in again. One time i got off and played with the fuel plunger and it seemed like it helped temporarily but i replaced that a couple years ago so dont know if thats the issue and need to replace or not also fuel filter is only 20 hrs old. Any thoughts on cause or fix ideas. Anything is helpful. Thank you

Replies:

Posted By: injpumpEd
Date Posted: 07 Apr 2026 at 5:44pm

Check the return fitting on top of pump, bet it's plugging up with broken down flex ring material. You can put an open fitting in the hose barb's place or you can knock the ball and spring out of the return fitting. I clean and reuse them when I rebuild those as that return fitting is now over $60, adds to an already expensive rebuild job.

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210 "too hot to farm" puller, part of the "insane pumpkin posse". Owner of Guenther Heritage Diesel, specializing in fuel injection systems on heritage era tractors. stock rebuilds to all out pullers!

Posted By: TedN
Date Posted: 07 Apr 2026 at 6:18pm

Might have a plugged tank vent. See if you can get the fuel cap off when it does it. If it is pulling a vacuum take your air nozzle to the hole in the middle of the cap. Be aware that anything that is plugging it will come toward you.

Ted

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190XTD seriesIII, 190XTD seriesI, maroon belly 7000, 190XTD series??? project(or maybe parts)

Posted By: whatscooking
Date Posted: 07 Apr 2026 at 6:48pm

I drilled out my plastic fuel cans and installed a bolt for a vent I could take out and a small piece of the yellow drilling got down into the elbow of the strainer and made it act that way. I found it by pulling out the plunger it sucked it right back in, knew that wasn't right.

Posted By: SteveM C/IL
Date Posted: 07 Apr 2026 at 11:13pm

Loosen screws on timing window so it leaks fuel and see if the "fixes" it. Bet a dollar the flex ring is shot. Know what you're doing before just pulling pump. Others have learned the hard way when they pulled a pump without setting timing first.

Posted By: cowkicker
Date Posted: 08 Apr 2026 at 7:12am

Have you checked flow from fuel bowl?

Posted By: DanielW
Date Posted: 08 Apr 2026 at 11:30am

+1 to what cowkicker suggests. Flow from the tank outlet is an easy thing to check, and a common issue on any older tractor. I think every one of the last 4 or 5 tractors I've bought had crud partially (or fully) restricting the fuel outlet causing similar symptoms and requiring a tank cleaning. All the sludge/grime that's built up in these tanks over the past 50 years starts to strip off with the cleaning agents and alcohol additives in modern fuels. Wouldn't want to guarantee that's your problem. But definitely the first thing I'd check.

Next guess would be the flex ring disintegrating in the injector pump. As mentioned above you can check pretty easily. If that's the problem, you can knock out the check valve to get by for a while, but a pump rebuild is probably soon to be in order.

Here's another discussion that gets into more detail about the injection pump flex ring issue. But I'd be doing the easy check first and checking flow from the tank.

https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/help-185-injection-pump_topic153295.html" rel="nofollow - https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/help-185-injection-pump_topic153295.html

Posted By: DanWi
Date Posted: 08 Apr 2026 at 1:46pm

Can't you check flex ring plug by loosening the rectangular side cover.

Posted By: Lynn Marshall
Date Posted: 08 Apr 2026 at 3:58pm

Yes.