Experienced tractor folks know how to tell low hours. Look at the wear areas like steering, floor plates, the teeth of the throttle assembly, etc. Look at the paint on the engine and exposed parts. It is not impossible to get a decent handle on where the machine is now and has been before.
how come my oil is green?
- Thread starter msjanket
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Soundguy
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clutch pedal tells ya alot too.
soundguy
soundguy
284 International
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Argosy, this isn't meant as a smart aleck remark, but my little 14 PTO horsepower Yanmar tractor has a sleeved 3 cylinder diesel engine.
I have a Satoh tractor equipped with the same engine that had similar symptoms. It turned out to be a freeze plug in the head, under the valve cover.
My suggestion is to start easy and work toward hard. If you're passing a gallon of water in under a minute, then you have a sizable hole somewhere. Pull the valve cover off, and see if your freeze plug is popped out. Pour water into the radiator and see if you can find the leak. If you don't see anything, do as Soundguy suggested and pull the pan. Pour water into the radiator. I bet it's a freeze plug, though, to get the sudden transformation; it may be along with a head gasket leak or something similar though.
I have a Satoh tractor equipped with the same engine that had similar symptoms. It turned out to be a freeze plug in the head, under the valve cover.
My suggestion is to start easy and work toward hard. If you're passing a gallon of water in under a minute, then you have a sizable hole somewhere. Pull the valve cover off, and see if your freeze plug is popped out. Pour water into the radiator and see if you can find the leak. If you don't see anything, do as Soundguy suggested and pull the pan. Pour water into the radiator. I bet it's a freeze plug, though, to get the sudden transformation; it may be along with a head gasket leak or something similar though.
It's really surprising (but impressive) any company invested the time and money to put liners in a relatively cheap block. Do you know if they're wet or dry? If they're wet owners need to watch SCA levels or cavitation damage will be a problem.
284 International
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In my Yanmars, they are wet sleeves, but a few of the (relatively) bigger tractors have dry sleeves. I don't know about the other brands, but I know that some Kubota compact tractors have sleeved engines as well.
One of the nice thing about this vintage of compact tractor is they were actually built to be agricultural implements, merely of compact size. Consequently, they are just like their larger siblings in how they are designed for longevity of service, rebuilds are possible and worthwhile, and so forth. Even my gas tractor has sleeves.
One of the nice thing about this vintage of compact tractor is they were actually built to be agricultural implements, merely of compact size. Consequently, they are just like their larger siblings in how they are designed for longevity of service, rebuilds are possible and worthwhile, and so forth. Even my gas tractor has sleeves.
RobertBrown
Elite Member
Wow thats interesting. That could be the problem here, very encouraging. I wish somebody would get to wrenching so we could find out just what is going on
Once I get "squared away" with the former owner, no easy feat, I will be getting into the valve cover first, then the head, if necessary. Indeed, if the problem is a frost plug that dislodged, it will be good news for sure.
It's clearly a very, very well made tractor. Let's hope the problem was not a heart attack or aneurysm.
It's clearly a very, very well made tractor. Let's hope the problem was not a heart attack or aneurysm.
My first guess would be Head Gasket, second would be waterpump. Yes, most cases when the seal goes it goes through the weep hole, onto the ground, but.. if plugged, it will eventually get to the point it will leak into the crankcase quickly.