2014 LS G3038H blown head gasket

[Mainelsowner]

2014 LS G3038H. 696 hours. Mitsubishi Tier 3 1.9L engine.

Fully maintained at 680 hours and no sign of any issue at the time. 15-20 minutes into normal use and coolant boiled over and blew coolant/oil everywhere.

I am curious if I am the one lucky one or if anyone else has seen such a premature failure? I realize this is not an LS tractor issue as it is a Mitsubishi issue. I imagine most of these tractors have Mitsubishi engines, but I am not impressed.

 

[ptsg]

Are you the first owner of this tractor or bought it used? Is the radiator clean from shaff, dirt and so on?

We get the LS R28i and R36i, which are European models, but have the Mitsubishi S4L 1.8L. Haven't heard any complains on this engine. And it's also used on another brands of tractors here.

 

[Mainelsowner]

I am the original owner from new. Radiator was spotless clean from full maintenance just 16 hours before it blew. I guess I am just lucky!

I lost the tractor for a month at 250 hours for an engine recall. I understand they turned the pistons around for emissions purposes. I lost the tractor for a while twice for blown up defective front tires made by Carlisle. Now this.

I think I will repair it and get rid of it.

The nastiness on it now is from it blowing up:

 

[3Lfarms]

I think this is the first actual engine failure I have read about in the last 4 years since I started reading everything I can find about LS tractors.
There was a rash of turbo failures last year during the really cold temps up north due to the thick factory filled oil, but this is the first actual engine failure I can remember hearing about.

You said the dealer did a recall on the pistons? That would make this head gasket failure a result of the work they did. Probably either a defective gasket or it was improperly torqued.

 

[Mainelsowner]

I pulled the engine apart today. It looks like the head gasket has been leaking for a while at the center between cylinders 2 and 3. The closest head bolt is heavily damaged. I checked the torque of each head bolt before removing them and they were all within the torque per the manual.

I will call the machine shop tomorrow to see if they are working during the apocalypse for me to drop off the head to get checked.

Dealer is ordering me the gaskets and new head bolts.

If anyone in Maine wants a tractor for thousands of $$$ less than a typical 38 horse 700 hour tractor, let me know. I am not going to take a chance on the future. It might go for thousands more hours without trouble, but I will not own it for those hours.

 

[Mainelsowner]

 

[Mainelsowner]

Machine shop now has the cylinder head. It looks fine so I don稚 expect any surprise.

 

[Peter 315]

Only 700 hours, Sad to be having all that trouble....

 

[sbct]

View attachment 651027

I've never seen one torn down this far. That engine looks so tiny in that frame!!

 

[Diggin It]

You said the dealer did a recall on the pistons? That would make this head gasket failure a result of the work they did. Probably either a defective gasket or it was improperly torqued.

I'd be pointing the finger there too.