As of right now the plan is to get the compression checked and go from there. Are you thinking that if the compression check comes back ok, there could still be other problems?
I had thought that the bearings could have taken a beating with the pistons no longer freely moving in their bores. Also, the head could have become slightly warped which would eventually present itself as a leaky head gasket, coolant loss over time, etc. I wouldn't expect there to be any damage to the valve train, but I'm a shadetree mechanic at best so I could be missing something. I guess at this point the best I can reasonably expect to get is a compression test done to determine if any cylinder wall damage has occured. As much as I would prefer to just get a different new tractor and start over, I really would not expect that they would give in and get me a new tractor over this. I think the best I can hope for is to do whatever tests there are to determine if any damage has been done.
It's your brand new tractor. I'm going to try to get you on the same page as me.
First, for background, I build a 150+ thousand dollar/year foreign auto business in the late seventies/early '80's. Started with a close friend trained at automotive school. We split after a few years and I bought him out. I also bought the building from the former owner, then sold the entire package in 1987, 15 days before the market crashed, and went on to other things, mostly because the chemicals and exhaust fumes were making me more and more ill.
We worked exclusively foreign autos, both brand new and used. We specialized in Volvos, and Saabs, two of Vermont's favorite vehicles. A fair amount of our traffic was Diesel Benzes, and a few Volvo diesels and some Volkswagon diesels too, reluctantly.
Anyway we almost always put in a remanufactured Benz diesel, we did not have time, and no extra space to do complete engine rebuilds, and the factory remans were cheaper and had the same factory warranty as a brand new engine, (if they even offered one then, I can't recall).
To boil it down I'm telling you, forget the compression check, approach the dealer for a new engine now. You may not get one, but your best chance is now- not later. Here's why: you bought a new tractor, with a new engine. You have a no longer new condition engine and someone is aware of the issue of these block heaters blowing out by now, I'm confident of this from dealing with Kioti for over ten years.
I spoke to an engineer I know today about this exact problem. He is a metallurgy expert with his own business. We talked about using Anerobic Locktite and sealing metal to metal without any other means of securing the bushing to the block. Then screwing in the actual heater into the bushing after the bushing mating process is properly completed and correctly torqued to manufacturer's specs. We agreed that even a slight error in sizing of either the B. heater's bushing or the freeze plug hole diameter would allow the B. heater to loosen during expansion/contraction cycles, and it would allow the weak link, the B. heater to become a projectile, because they are designed to work by a force fit, coupled with the red Locktite, which is meant to be permanent, NOT the removable blue color.
We discussed the way the freeze plugs are convex prior to install, then are hammered in the center to force them to dent to concave, which pressurizes the freeze plug and deforms it to concave, making for a 'press fit ' into the block's machined external edge. The freeze plugs from the factory seldom leak.
I don't know if you asked for a block heater for your new Kioti, or if your dealer installs one in each tractor as a preventative measure due to your climate locally? I would like us all to know this info please. Please provide same.
Kioti stands behind their product, as has been my experience over the past ten years. BUT you have to make a case to them through their dealer network, and ultimately through Kioti Corporate. It may take some time, but you will likely gain NO ground with a compression test. It will NOT show you what you seek, and it could hurt your ultimate outcome if it shows normal range numbers. I suspect it will. It would be hard to destroy a diesel by seizure with such low hours. I'm not saying it's impossible, but it's highly unlikely, especially since your failure was at mid-block and drained coolant down away from the top end. It's also why I believe your thinking about top end damage is wrong. This is exactly where the other OP's engine suffered excessive heat and caused the need for a complete rebuild or replacement.
Had the heater caused loss of oil, that's a different situation. But it's NOT your problem. If damage started to occur it would first happen to the top end- everything from the block to head interface and all parts, especially the weaker ones like valve collets and such. All engine parts can fail from over stressing them, whether it be by loss of oil or coolant. Your failure was due to rapid loss of coolant and it matches the situation the other thread OP had with his low hours on his engine WITH blow out of the block heater. In both your AND his engines the block heater blew out of the block due to either improper installation OR due to fitment failure due to a spec the does not allow the B. heater to stay intact to the block mating surface.
A number of B. heater failures, failing the same way on tractors recently in different parts of the country, speaks to me as a flaw in mating. Less likely is installation error, since most we've heard of are occurring with low hours, regardless of whether still covered by warranty or not. And numerous techs installing these incorrectly is possible but less likely, because unless a junior mechanic with little experience is doing the installs the top end techs take pride in their work, and the same failure is less likely to occur in different places and result in the basic same outcome- B. heater blow out,- result top end parts fail due to excessive heat, and trash the engine.
One other possibility could be in play, though less likely. Let's assume that the B.heaters which have 'scramed' are due to improper install to the extent that the cooling system trapped unpurged air somewhere in the system that at some random point built up excessive pressure and then that excess pressure blew out the weakest link - the poorly fitting B.heater causing the otherwise known chain of events of rapid loss of coolant. Diesels run cool compared to most internal combustion engines, so it is sometimes difficult to get air bubbles to float to the top of the radiator neck. Once an engine gets those bubbles to eventually rise they can block the passage of coolant and then excessive pressure can occur from trapped air, which often is not registered by the coolant gauge. Once the air bubble restrict coolant flow through it's passages, especially in the top end, pressure has to release from easiest release point; in this case via B.heater blow out. Most important when coolant stops flowing to the top end the metal temperature skyrockets and the metal has no way to extract the excess heat since only coolant
liquid is what cools the head/top end, NOT excessively hot air.
I'm trying to get you to see the way to accomplish preventing this from happening to your brand new tractor.
Doing the compression test is like changing a tire when you need a battery, it just isn't going to tell you what you need to know. If your tractor was 4 years old with 1200hrs. on the clock, it might be able to give you cylinder ranges of numbers or show a weak cylinder. If I thought it would help you I'd say go ahead. For future reference: if a good outcome doesn't happen with your dealer/Kioti Corporate, you could do an oil analysis right now to see if any coolant got into your oil. This could easily become a fatal outcome since coolant is an enchant, NOT a lubricant like oil.
Furthermore this is and isn't your problem. It is because it happened to your new tractor. It more importantly isn't your problem because it happened right away, they knew exactly where you should look and pointed you there, AND they had on hand what it took to get you up and running for NOW.
One last time- for your best result act right now, ask the owner at the dealer to start the communication with your area's zone rep, and for the dealer to contact Kioti corporate, in addition let them know you plan to do so as well, immediately. Tell everyone you seek a brand new engine, if not a new tractor. And that you do NOT want another B.heater for any reason- even if it's a newer revised part! (ONLY release the original B. heater if required to do so by the zone rep, or Kioti Corp, and get it in writing that they required it to fulfil your warranty). While you wait for the answer to your new replacement engine/tractor, have your dealer install a new freeze plug so this cannot happen again to your existing engine!
While you're at it get your dealer to say if your tractor's controls include a shut down device for low coolant, or if it is able to go into a 'limp home mode' like on outboard motors, via the computer. It would be worth knowing for future reference for all Kioti fans...
If I can give more detail, don't hesitate to post again with questions or PM me, or both.
Try your best to keep your temper with all those you encounter in person, by phone or email.
Good luck, remember you won't get anything if you don't stand your ground. You deserve a new unit, not a patch. This is on Kioti. Don't let fear of a negative outcome stand in your way.
FWIW, you will be helping add to the Kioti Pak's overall knowledge which 'pays back' to all who take their time and knowledge and share it here. I've learned a ton from posting here over the last ten, and never stop learning from those with more knowledge than me. They exist?!:confused2::laughing:
Oh yeah, read the other thread(s) as far as they make sense. If we knew then what we do now that thread would have gone way better, but we could not get what we needed to help as we are trying to do for you..unfortunate outcome.
BTW, I plan to add a addendum to the other thread to clarify for anyone reading it, to link back to your thread for updated info...
CM
