Ford 1600 -- Oil Pressure Light On

[mundamanu]

Hi folks,

I've been reading TBN for a couple of months now and I have a problem that I hope somebody out there can help me with.

I recently inherited a poorly treated Ford 1600 tractor (1978, 2015 hours) with FEL when my wife (and I) took over management of a horse stable. The tractor is owned by the organization that owns the property and has gone from manager to manager. It sits uncovered outside 24/7 and has done so for about a decade. There is very little interest in maintaining the tractor, so I'll have to do whatever work needs to be done on it (see next sentence for the laughability of that!).

Until September 1, I had never set foot on or even near a tractor; nor have I ever once taken a wrench to a motor vehicle. Since September, I've logged 15 hours on the tractor and have been having a ball. Dragging the ring has become my favorite thing to do. Not to mention moving stuff around with the FEL.

Now to the question -- and please let me know if I'm not in the right forum. About 5 hours ago, the low oil pressure light came on. I didn't know what the oil light meant at the time, so I checked the oil. There was plenty of it. Since nobody cares about the tractor (except me) and I had work to do, I kept driving it. After an hour of running around 2000 rpms, nothing happened. So, I continued to drive it while waiting for the tractor manual and oil filter to come so that I could change the oil (yes, I know so little about tractors [and cars] that I needed a manual to teach me how to do an oil change). It is pretty clear that the tractor hasn't had any degree of regular maintanence in years. I figured that changing the oil would fix the problem.

The manual and filter arrived Thursday. I changed the oil on Saturday. The old filter had been on so long that it was practically fused to the whatever it is that it screws in to. After much effort and a lot of WD-40, I was able to get it unscrewed. The new filter weighs about 12 oz. The old filter weighed, and I'm not exaggerating, about 4 pounds, so god only knows when it was changed last.

Anyway, to make a long post short, after the oil change, the oil pressure light is still on.

The only other thing of note, which I just remembered, is that there are two covered nuts on top of the crankcase (I think that's what it's called) that screw down onto some sort of inch long threaded posts (for lack of a better word). Well, one of the nuts is missing and one was loose. It's clear that oil has been spurting out of the top of the thing as the whole crankcase is covered with it.

So, given that changing the oil didn't make the pressure light go off (and it doesn't appear to be leaking oil at all), does anybody have any suggestion as to where I should look next? Could the missing nut have something to do with it? I have also considered the possibility that it's a faulty light. Five hours seems like a long time to run without any problems on low oil pressure (but then again, I haven't the foggiest idea what I'm talking about).

Thank you very much in advance for whatever comments/suggestions you may have.

Bob

 

[hazmat]

If in fact the light is a low pressure alert, then the missing nut & associated leak could have something to do with it. If the sensor is in the neighborhood of the leak, the pressure may be low enough to have the light go off.

The only way to check for sure is to have a manual pressure gauge & verify the oil pressure. Usually you would remove the sensor & tap into the system there. Plan B is to get a new sensor & swap it in for the old one. If that fixes it great, if not, you don't know if you wired it wrong or if you got another faulty sensor.

If the light is a low oil level alert & the oil level is full, there is a fault in the sensor.

Did you get the repair manual or just the owner's manual?

Might be worth having the local new holland dealership give her a once over. A couple hundred bucks is cheaper than having to replace the machine... Ask if they have have a service truck & if they do service at your stable. You can learn a lot by watching an experienced technician.

 

[mundamanu]

Hazmat,

Thank you for the response. I purchased the operator's manual, but it is less detailed than I expected, so I ordered the service manual today. It should arrive in a week to ten days.

The indicator light is a low pressure indicator light. There is no oil level indicator light.

I am going to call the local New Holland dealer as you suggested. I'm only 18 miles away, but I'm in a park within the city limits, so I'm not sure if they'll come down. We'll see. If the tractor goes, it's highly unlikely that the ownership will replace it in a hurry (if at all, though one honestly can't have a riding ring, especially an outdoor one, without some means to drag it), so I want to make sure that it stays in working order.

The poor thing has been beaten up pretty badly. I'm amazed how willingly it starts up everytime I sit in the seat.

 

[hazmat]

You're welcome. & welcome to TBN /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Good luck with the tractor. I think the repair manual will help shed some light. However, they do assume you are at least a shade tree mechanic - the instructions aren't for a total rookie. I suggest you visit your local library & check out some kind of automotive repair textbook. It will help you with the underlying theory, technology, & vocabulary.

 

[spencer200]

If your oil filter was that heavy when you took it off I would expect that the oil pressure switch is pluged thats why you are getting a light on all the time. I have seen it happen before from lack of care.

 

[Soundguy]

If you can locate the oil sending unit, go to the store, buy a cheapy sun-pro oil gauge for 9.99, and the 5.99 metric conversion pack near it.. remove the oil sender unit, and screw in the gauge... this will let you know if / what the pressure is for less than 20 bucks.

If it has pressure, try soaking the sender for a while in diesel and agitating every now and then.. hook back up.. see if you register oil pressure If not.. that tells you the sender or wiring is bad ( some senders are normally open.. some are normall closed.. I know you don't really need/want to know that.. but just mentioned it ). If you can see the manual gauge from the seat.. you are good to go.. if not check the price for the sender.. might be cheap.. if it isnt, pay another 5.99 and get the remote tubing kit for the cheapo sunpro.. it is about 3' of vinyl tubing.. just mount the gauge somewhere... If ya don't like vinyl tube.. instead pay 9.99 and get the copper tube.. etc. Either way.. you are in for less than 25 bucks and know what the oil pressure is. Heck some people add a 'T' and use the sender AND a gauge.... whatever floats your boat.. just so long as you DO HAVE oil pressure.. etc.

Don't be scared of those cheap oil pressure gauges. MY 1954 ford NAA has one and hte copper tube kit.. was less than 20 bucks all together.. and I can look and see my 35-55# of oil pressure.. not just look for an 'oil out' light.

good luck

Soundguy

 

[rambler]

You are getting some good advise. It sure helps to see what the pressure is on a gauge, rather than a 'yes or no' oil light. At idle, it's often not so bad (relatively) for an idiot light to go on, but at 2000 rpm it should not be on. You will need to find out if that sensor is plugged or faulty, or if you really do have low oil pressure. Since this happened suddenly & at high RPMs, and you didn't blow the engine in 5 hours, there's a pretty good chance this is the main problem. However, with such poor maintenence and oil oil, that engine is probably very well tired & loose & has low pressure anyhow...... There are additives that thicken the oil for such cases - these can help in your situation, but of course are bandades to cover up the real problems that will get you in the end anyhow. Don't mess with these _until_ you figure out what is going on to begin with.

I think everyone is avoiding saying what to do if you really do have too low pressure - those jobs are probably beyond you & the tools you have available. It would be worn connecting rods or a worn out oil pump. From running so long with poor maintenence, would not surprise me.

The loose cover you mention - is that on top of the engine, right? That is the valve cover. Yes, it should have the 2 nuts on top, they need to be snugged down, _not_ made as tight as possible! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif A new valve cover gasket would really help you stop the oil leaks as old ones never reseal well, but it's your money. Worse than the oil leaking out, is the moisture leaking in from rains & such..... This engine has really been mistreated.

The crankcase cover is the one on the bottom of the engine, where you drain the oil out of.

Good luck, and I hope you keep reporting your progress/ questions here. I find these types of things very intersting & educational. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

On a different topic, when was the fuel filter changed last? That is a real sore spot for small diesels, some day it will not start or run rough, sound like it is starving for fuel or is totally dying. Be sure to follow the instructions in your manual, might need to bleed out the injector lines to restart it after changing the filter. Just a heads-up.

--->Paul

 

[mundamanu]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( ( some senders are normally open.. some are normall closed.. I know you don't really need/want to know that.. but just mentioned it ). )</font>

On the contrary. I really do need/want to know everything that I am able to take in. My wife and I are into the horse stable thing for good (we're going to get our own place in the not too distant future), so I am going to have to travel up the learning curve as quickly as possible, especially considering that we're likely only going to be able to afford an older used tractor at first.

I hadn't the foggiest idea what an "oil sending unit" was or looked like. Did a search on google images for "oil pressure sender" and now know what I'm looking for. Ah, the power of the internet.

Thank you very much, Soundguy. First I'll try to find the sender, and if I'm able to, then I'll figure out if I'm not to iggnerant to follow your instructions (a distinct possibility!)

Bob

 

[mundamanu]

Rambler,

Thanks for the comments.

Regarding the fuel filter, I would imagine that it hasn't been changed in ages. The outside of it is filthy....crusty, nasty, caked on gunk. The previous barn manager was at the barn for three years and when he went over the tractor with me, he didn't know where one should add new oil. He told me at first to put it in the dipstick hole, but then when he opened the hood he said, oh, the oil goes here, pointing to the oil cap. Judging from that, I'd guess that not a single maintenance item was done on the tractor in those three years.

The whole area beneath the hood is covered with an inch thick sludgy goo (oil?) mixed with bits of hay and other debris. The other day, I started to try and wipe it down, but it quickly became obvious that I'll need a whole lot of degreaser to do the job right.

Over the next couple of/few weeks (I work full time and only work at the barn on the weekends, so jobs will stretch out over weeks) I am going to check and/or change all of the fluids and filters and perform whatever simple maintenance I can figure out how to do.

I noticed the other day when I was exploring under the hood that there is a hose that is only partially attached to this big round black thing that seemed to go directly into the engine via the hose on one end and out the top of the hood like a little stove pipe on the other. Well, once the manual arrived, I realized that this thing is the air cleaner. The gap between the hose and the air cleaner fitting is about an inch. I'm sure that makes for REALLY clean air going into the engine (that's where it goes, right? /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif ). So, I'll reattach the hose and give the air cleaner a good cleaning, which the manual explains how to do.

Anyway, I hope I'm not boring you all with this laundry list.

I appreciate the warm welcome and all of the comments.

Thanks.

Bob

 

[rambler]

bob> The gap between the hose and the air
cleaner fitting is about an inch. I'm sure that makes for REALLY clean air going into the engine (that's where it goes, right?


Ok, well, that about doubles the overhaul cost, valves/valve guides get chewed up real bad. Won't get by with just the bottom end, will need to do the top as well. Also, with the top engine parts this loose, your oil pump might not be able to make much pressure - the parts of the engine are so loose from all the wear that the pressure just leaks away through all the looseness of the worn engine.

Just a tip When you get your own place, don't buy this tractor! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

--->Paul