Help! I'm sick about my L39.

[Dadof3]

Here's the background info: I've had a 2006 L39 for six months now. It is(was?) in great shape with only 550hrs. I expect it to work hard but keep it exceptionally well maintained and do my best to not abuse it. For me, maintaining this machine is a joy. Everything is done on time and with care. Like many members on TBN, my tractor is my baby.
Today's catastrophe: I was going to a friends house to pick up a plugger (about three miles down the road). Decided to air out the motor with some higher RPM's. On the way home I heard a "pop" and didn't know what it was. About 200yards down the road I found out... A steal coolant line was blown on the right side near the brake pedals and the electronic temp gauge was MAXED out. I got permission to leave it overnight at another neighbors house and will address it in the am.
The $64 question: How much damage did I do? I did shut the engine down as soon as I noticed the excessive heat but I'm sure it was over heating for some time before the line blew. I hope someone can legitimately ease my mind, otherwise it's gonna be a long night.

 

[sandman2234]

There isn't but one way to know for sure..., and that is to wait till daylight and go find out. Best of luck with it!
David from jax

 

[greasemonkeyok]

Keeping a machine well maintained definitely is in your favor. Good oil will tolerate overheating for a short period of time, as opposed to oil that is changed every 20 years, like some folks think is alright. I experienced thermal breakdown of oil a vehicle, but caught it after about 20 minutes of driving. Changed the oil twice with short driving in between to clean out all the sludge, and ran a compression test. Everything was within tolerances so no major internal damage, maybe just a little extra internal wear.

When you drain your oil you might want to run it through a coffee filter to look for metal shavings. Hope you don't find any.

 

[crazyal]

Did you run the engine until it shut down or did you turn it off once you saw the temp hot? Temp sensors only read liquid temperature. Once you lost enough liquid it could have been reading incorrectly. Usually when you overheat an engine you warp parts. Aluminum heads with overhead cam shafts are the worst. If they warp the camshaft binds. Steel takes the heat much better and for as short as you ran the tractor I think you're going to be OK.

If you have a way I would trailer it home vs drive it. Once you fix the hose and put new fluid in the radiator I try to turn the engine over with a ratchet just to make sure there's no coolant in the cylinders (better safe than sorry). If you can turn the engine a couple of revolutions I would feel much better about trying to start it. If you have an autozone I would check to see if they loan a radiator pressure tester (a hand pump to pressurize the system without having to run the engine). They are a good way to make sure there are no leaks in your coolant system. I would also check the oil out before starting it, make sure the level is not way too high because you got coolant in it. If you do try and start it I would run it for a few seconds then shut it off and do a good check on the engine, see if anything is leaking, check the oil again, top off the coolant if needed, etc. Even if everything looks good I would still change the oil. This is probably overkill but it your tractor.

 

[Dadof3]

Thanks for the knowledgeable advice guys. I did shut the engine off myself (it didn't just stop running) and as far as I can tell, it sounded normal just before stopping. Hopefully I can give you some good news tomorrow.

 

[devildog1]

Thanks for the knowledgeable advice guys. I did shut the engine off myself (it didn't just stop running) and as far as I can tell, it sounded normal just before stopping.

Your fine then, just repair line and add correct amount of fluid and your good to go.
DevilDog

 

[Zebrafive]

I agree with what Crazyal said, temp guage if no longer in coolant will not read accurate.
Check your oil level to see if it higher from coolant getting in the oil.
I doubt in 200 yards you did any damage.
Could you tell how much coolant was lost?

 

[Dadof3]

Quick F/U. Turns out it is a blown head gasket. No serious damage from excessive heat. Will get it fixed soon. Thanks for the help.

 

[greasemonkeyok]

Check the head for warping, probably have to use a machine shop. Common when overheating has occurred, and better to do it the first time rather than having to replace the head gasket two times.

 

[yanmars]

It is not unusual if a head gasket blew that the head itself could be warped. If so it might need to be planed to get it level but do not take off too much or the compression will be raised. Hopefully no other damage beyond that.