Took a CHANCE, Bought a 7234/Excessive Smoke/no power

[OldMachinist]

Get yourself a combustion gas tester like this U-View Gas and Diesel Combustion Leak Testing Kit - eToolDirect Napa sells them and I'm sure other auto parts places do too. It will tell you pretty quickly if you have a head gasket /cracked head problem. You don't want run it very much if it does. A coolant leak into the combustion chamber will burn a hole in a piston.

 

[F100Panel]

Well.... Saved the $50 for the test kit. Went back this morning with a clear head and just pulled the radiator cap... Signs of combustion products all over it & oily goop... Now I'm thinking either crack somewhere or head gasket as it runs pretty good. I'm thinking I'll pull the head & have that gone over at the local shop for cracks & put it back on after looking over everything else good & see what gives.. In my mind if a head is off it should be rebuilt...It has become obvious I should avoid trying to buy anything from Cub. Anybody know where on that block I'd find the Mitsubishi numbers so I might try buying what I need /head gasket kit, from Mitsubushi?

 

[OldMachinist]

Here are some links to help you identify your engine.
http://www.mitsubishi-engine.com/documents/serial/SerialNumberLocations.pdf

Mitsubishi Engine North America, Inc

 

[F100Panel]

Update- It turns out the engine in the tractor is not original. While still in the Mitsubishi S3L series it has differences than the original. I have the owners manual.. Oil filter in different place and no serial numbers as there should be on the left side of a factory engine. Injectors are different- factory engine had flange type injector nozzles. Mine screw right into the head & are hard piped nozzle to nozzle for the returns. I tried the dealers listed in another post on this site about looking for a Cub parts place with reasonable prices. Two as soon as I said not original engine were all done. The third recommended another dealer. The recommended guy didn't blink an eye about the engine not factory & worked everything out for me/the parts are being shipped. Complete head set/gaskets & valve seals.. I'd HIGHLY Recommend Kevin @ Southern Global tractor Phone 601-928-7491. He took the time to figure it all out. Likely just a newer/replacement version of the original engine. Will update how it turns out after I get the head done & running...

 

[F100Panel]

Update- Cracked head is the issue. Non repairable, cracked through the precombustion chamber all the way into the valve seat. Now I have to search for a head via engine serial number. My head don't look nothing like the head in the service manual Old Machinist GENEROUSLY supplies. I looked at one Cub parts website that did not have pictures that said one head for my tractor is no longer available. There is a replacement head. I'm HOPING that is what I have as the glow plugs & injectors in my cracked head are new. The original head design looks to have injector nozzles that are a flange type that have 2 bolts that hold them in. My injector nozzles are screw in. Says L3 on the head so I believe it to be the right series engine... Anybody have any thoughts on my injectors/head not looking like the ones in the service manual & where I might get a decent price on a head? Soo far I'm at $415 for a head which is OK but if I can do better.......

 

[F100Panel]

Well this has been going on for months but I got to the bottom of it a couple weeks ago. It turns out I was correct & it IS a newer replacement engine in the tractor & that was the source of all my signs of little things did not look right & the head bolt torque questions.. The guy I bought the head from "SOUTHERN GLOBAL TRACTOR" was able to get me an outrageously priced replacement head based on the serial number off the block & it was the correct head. While I was spending $1400 on a $500 head Southern Global was all ears/Help and the block serial number was all I needed. When I called back to ask what the engine actually was based on the serial number ( not spending any more money) they could not help me. Thought I'd throw in a plug for them & their NON customer service.... Went back to Mitsubishi & every time I gave the serial number I got the you have to get that information from Cub Dance. Soooo as the weeks turned into months I called Cub again & GOT LUCKY!!!!!!! I was connected to a guy who had been there 30 Years & he figured it out in 2 minutes. My tractor is a 1997. The 23 & 27HP Mitsubishi Deiesels in the 7000 series tractors were upgraded in 2000 to a newer/better Mitsubishi with 20/26HP. The engine I have in my tractor is a roughly a 2005 26 HP & if I go to the manuals & look up the 7260 Tractor I'll have everything I need. The guy was right & everything I needed all these weeks/months was right there.... Soon as I flush the radiator full of soote from the cracked head leaking byproducts of combustion into the cooling system I'll be running!!!!!

 

[scoutcub]

Well this has been going on for months but I got to the bottom of it a couple weeks ago. It turns out I was correct & it IS a newer replacement engine in the tractor & that was the source of all my signs of little things did not look right & the head bolt torque questions.. The guy I bought the head from "SOUTHERN GLOBAL TRACTOR" was able to get me an outrageously priced replacement head based on the serial number off the block & it was the correct head. While I was spending $1400 on a $500 head Southern Global was all ears/Help and the block serial number was all I needed. When I called back to ask what the engine actually was based on the serial number ( not spending any more money) they could not help me. Thought I'd throw in a plug for them & their NON customer service.... Went back to Mitsubishi & every time I gave the serial number I got the you have to get that information from Cub Dance. Soooo as the weeks turned into months I called Cub again & GOT LUCKY!!!!!!! I was connected to a guy who had been there 30 Years & he figured it out in 2 minutes. My tractor is a 1997. The 23 & 27HP Mitsubishi Deiesels in the 7000 series tractors were upgraded in 2000 to a newer/better Mitsubishi with 20/26HP. The engine I have in my tractor is a roughly a 2005 26 HP & if I go to the manuals & look up the 7260 Tractor I'll have everything I need. The guy was right & everything I needed all these weeks/months was right there.... Soon as I flush the radiator full of soote from the cracked head leaking byproducts of combustion into the cooling system I'll be running!!!!!

Wow....what a saga! Will you still be ahead after the added investments?

 

[spkrohn]

If you are interested in parting it out I would be interested in the front axle assembly

Saw this 7234 4x4 with Loader on E-Bay. Bought it for what I'd guess the loader would go for ( IF some one actually needed a loader..other than that the loader ain't much.. ) Problem that has to be dealt with once delivered- Excessive smoke and lacks power. Starts OK/loader & power steering work OK, no noises reported and the 3 point hitch don't lift/I have no use for that anyway....... Nothing else known about the tractor... I'm hoping I find a mouse nest in the air intake or muffler but likely it will need an engine..especially after reading some posts here about Cub Cadets... If I had read them first I probably wouldn't have bought the tractor-I thought Mitsubishi made good stuff? BUT, I've managed to find an owners manual on line but not a service manual on line that has service info for the engine. Anyone have a link for the engine service or tractor service and repair in general that includes the engine? With that any Cub guys out there that may have seen this before & and have some ideas of what I should look at off the top of their head? Is the pump for the 3 point lift & Loader/power steering Hydaulics one and the same? It would be nice if the 3 point hitch pump was different & causing the engine to be under load all the time but at this point I'm just fishing for things to look at when it arrives and fully prepared that it may need an engine....