2007 Kubota BX24 Little Surprise and Fuel Filter Replacement

A neighbor needed my help with my tractor a couple of weeks ago so I started it up and began the drive. I got 20 feet and the tractor basically died. Hmm, that's never happened before. It was about 30 degrees outside so I wondered if water was in the fuel lines. I first climbed under the tractor to see if the electric fuel pump was working ok. It seemed a little sluggish, so I popped a fuel line off the outlet of the pump and fuel pumped out fine. Next step was to check the fuel filter on the engine. That was an ordeal. In order to get pliers onto the spring clamps on the hoses, the front cowling had to come off. In order to remove the cowling, the hood had to come off. Why, Kubota? Just why? Anyway, after excavating the fuel filter, I pulled the inlet line off and turned the key on to start the pump. Here's what came out:

That thing poking out the end of the rubber hose is a pink cylinder of ice (the color is from the off-road diesel dye). I guess there's been water in the fuel system. So, the engine started fine after putting things back together and bleeding the system. I was able to get to the friend's house and do the job.

My next order of business on the tractor was to replace the two fuel filters, as I hadn't done that bit of maintenance since I got the tractor in 2017. I guess I'm a bit delinquent. So off to peruse Amazon to pick up some fuel filters. They had a pack of two for $13.99, or a pack of four for....... $13.99. Yep. Same cost for two or four filters. I opted for the four-pack.

I had left the hood and cowling off the tractor when I did the neighbor's job so I didn't have to pull it all off again when the filters arrived. Replacing them was a fairly straightforward job, although the filter under the tractor and back by the rear differential was a little difficult to reach. Why Kubota? Just why?

There's a bit of crud in the filter that was closest to the fuel tank, so I thought I'd cut it open and see what goodies were inside.

Mmm-mm, that looks yummy in this next photo. I really should have replaced these things before now. Actually the filter on the engine looks to have been replaced at some point. This one with the crud in it was buried under the tractor and might be original to the tractor.