foton 404

[thenorth]

hi, i have a foton 404, 3cly. it started blowing oil out the exhuast, and lots of blue smoke.. i am thinking head gasket... the engine has 600 hrs on it.
can anyone tell me the head bolt torque setting, and the inlet/exhaust valve clearance?

i thank you all in advance

john

 

[Bob Rooks]

A blown head gasket won't produce those symptoms. Do you have water in the oil or oil in the coolant? If it happened all of a sudden, I'm thinking broken rings, faulty injector(s), or cracked piston, especially if there is a lot of smoke. Worn valve guides will produce the same symptoms, but gradually.

 

[thenorth]

yes, it did happen quick,.
no water in oil, no evidence of oil in rad..
note; oil, all filters were changed as per the normal basis..
...
john

 

[Bob Rooks]

note; oil, all filters were changed as per the normal basis..

Sorry John, it doesn't matter. It happens to the best of them too. Hope I'm wrong.

 

[greg_g]

x2 on the rings. Probably a good idea to get the compression tested.
Also, try a 6 cylinder can of Restore in the crankcase. If there's any effect at all, it will likely be temporary. But if it reduces the symptoms, that also pretty much points to rings.

//greg//

 

[thenorth]

well, new info.
this morning, checked all levels, all ok,
started first time, smoked for about 5 mins...
done some work around the area....maybe 1 hr...
went down the drive (steep drive) worked, maybe 1/2 hr.
drove back up to the house..................SMOKE OIL ... out the exhaust.................
i shut it down and checked fluids... all looked ok...
mmmmmmm
whats the thoughts guys.

john

 

[Bob Rooks]

well, new info.
Yes, it certainly is. Omitted from first post.

this morning, checked all levels, all ok, started first time, smoked for about 5 mins...
Suggests worn rings at this point. Checked your air cleaner lately?

done some work around the area....maybe 1 hr... went down the drive (steep drive) worked, maybe 1/2 hr. drove back up to the house..................SMOKE OIL ... out the exhaust.................
All good tractor operators go down steep slopes forward and go back up them backward. Which were you doing the first time it happened? This scenario suggests that the valve guides were flooded because oil was not draining down from the top end fast enough. Just how steep was that grade?

12345

 

[Rich Waugh]

My JM304 will smoke after going forwards down, or backwards up, a steep grade. The vent in the rocker cover is at the front and doesn't seem to be quite well enough baffled to prevent the valve train oil from getting into it. The smoke usually clears in about half a minute to a minute on level ground, and there is no smoking when I go forward up steep grades, or back down them. I've half a mind to move the vent to the rear of the rocker cover, since I generally follow custom and go down head first and up in reverse.

I recall having read somewhere of others having had issues with the oil port not allowing the oil to flow sufficiently from the top end down to the sump, so I may pull the rocker cover one of these days and see just how small that oil port is. When I did the valve lash and head retorque at a hundred hours there was no indication of insufficient oiling so the oil is definitely getting up there in sufficient quantity, maybe just not getting back down quickly enough.

Rich

 

[thenorth]

Bob;
it is about a 40% incline on the drive.
i went down in reverse the first day, because i had a heavy snowblower on the forks. i then loaded the blower to a trailer, and drove back up, that was when i first had it smoking..
yesterday i drove down, all was well i drove back up, it smoked again....
later today, if i have time i will reverse down and reverse up, to do a test...

john