# Ford 555 Backhoe



## sgtbic (Mar 19, 2009)

I recently purchased a 1981 Ford 555 backhoe. This tractor has been completely overhauled and looks like new. I have one problem. The cover to the battery box is missing and I am having a hard time finding one. Does anyone have any suggestions where I can find and buy one?


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## bws1941 (Dec 5, 2013)

My ford 555 backhoe just cut off changed fuel and filled filter with fresh fuel ran for 10 min then stopped again .don't know if this means anything but it was sitting on side of hill . Does it have grafity flow fuel system because when i changed the filter there was no fuel running out . Helppppppppppppppp bill in virginia


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## sixbales (May 18, 2011)

Howdy Bill, 

Welcome to the Ford New Holland Forum. 

Your tractor is a gravity flow system. Later models had a fuel pump between the tank and filter. Check to make sure that your fuel line runs directly from the tank shut-off valve to the filter, with no fuel pump in between. 

See item #12 on the attached fuel system diagram. This fuel screen/filter is attached to the shut-off valve and sticks up inside the fuel tank. If you have no fuel flow from the tank, this filter is probably plugged. There should be a rush flow of fuel from the tank. A trickle flow is not good enough. 

Check to make certain that you fuel cap vent is not plugged. 

I've also encountered a blockage in the fuel line (looked like wadded-up cobweb). So check the line for blockage before draining the tank to clean the screen. 

To do the job properly, you should drain the fuel tank, pull it off the tractor and clean it out thoroughly. But that's quite a bit of work. Alternatively, you can pull the shut-off valve, clean the screen., and flush out the tank with diesel. 

When you get it all back together, you are going to have to purge air from the entire system all the way to the injectors. I have a purging procedure that I will post if you've never done this before. Let me know.


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