3020 has oil blowing out of the exhaust

[gengine]

I have a '65 Deere 3020 diesel non-turboed that I had plugged in overnight to fire up the next morning to push snow. All of a sudden after 3-4 minutes of running to warm up, tractor hadn't moved yet, it started smoking like an old steam locomotive. I went over to it and oil was blowing out of the exhaust. I shut it off and after a bit checked the oil which was two quarts low, when it was up to the top of the hatches before I started it. It never burned oil before. Where should I start?

 

[beenthere]

Broken rings? Valve stem problem?
Firing on all cylinders?

 

[gengine]

This is running on all four cylinders just fine, has a hard time revving up but I'm sure that's because of the oil. I haven't let it get hot enough for a runaway. I am also thinking valve stem seals, but I didn't know if there was somewhere else that I should check first. I am a heavy equipment mechanic, and this is a little engine by what I work on most of the time. My first thought was turbo, but there is none. My second was valve seals, or worse, a cracked head. I'm just curious if there is something I'm missing before I do a tear down. Any thoughts and insight are appreciated.

 

[big bubba]

might do a compression check to start if you can get the right gauges, procedures
best of luck

 

[Hay Dude]

Clogged crankcase vent?

 

[etpm]

I have a Honda tractor and it would blow oil smoke in huge clouds from time to time. The oil level would drop quite a bit when this happened. The culprit was valve stem seals. My son replaced them and now it never smokes and does not use oil.
Eric

 

[beenthere]

What is your Honda tractor? Engine? HP ? Model #?

 

[etpm]

What is your Honda tractor? Engine? HP ? Model #?

I don't know offhand the engine HP but the engine is a single cylinder air cooled engine. The tractor is a small 4WD machine with 4 wheel steering. The tractor is a model H5013. Here is a link: Information about Honda RT5000, H5013, and H5518 Garden Tractors
Eric

 

[gengine]

The 3020 Deere is a heck of a lot bigger than a single cyl Honda, but engines are engines. Valve seals are very likely in both cases. I didn't think about what Hay Dude said about crankcase vent...
Been There and Big Bubba, my compression tests from 1-4 are: 325, 317, 321, 330, so I am not thinking it is a ring or compression issue, what do you think?

 

[boomer1025]

The 3020 Deere is a heck of a lot bigger than a single cyl Honda, but engines are engines. Valve seals are very likely in both cases. I didn't think about what Hay Dude said about crankcase vent...
Been There and Big Bubba, my compression tests from 1-4 are: 325, 317, 321, 330, so I am not thinking it is a ring or compression issue, what do you think?

Pull the exhaust manifold and check the ports. If it's smoking that bad you might be able to see the oil coming down the valve stem or stems.

 

[gengine]

Thanks for the reply Boomer, I will try that this week.

 

[Hay Dude]

Semi-related: I have a Kubota diesel that kept blowing a crankcase plug. Pressurized oil blowing out of it. Turns out the crankcase vent had mud wasp nests built in it and the crankcase had no way to vent itself. I guess Kubota installs a small rubber plug on their crankcases to blow out for just such a problem like that, but it could also be for something else.

 

[rScotty]

Gengine, I just had a thought with a JD I worked on last week. This may not apply to the 3020, but it does apply to any JD which has a fuel tank mounted low enough that it uses a lift pump to get fuel through the fuel filter and over to the injector pump.. Come to think of it, this applies to the injector pump as well, not just to the lift pump.

Both those pumps are driven off a cam and the only thing that keeps oil and fuel from mixing is the seal between the cam and cam follower in either pump. So that seal does much the same job as a valve stem seal. The difference is that if the pump follower seal goes bad I'd expect the crankcase to probably get fuel into the motor oil.... which you would notice on the dip stick.

I think you said the motor oil was lowish, so that probably isn't the problem. But since it didn't run very long it still could be. It is worth thinking about if the valve seals don't pan out or if you see a gain in motor oil level in the sump.

As you say, all 4 stroke engines are basically the same.

rScotty

 

[jonsstihl]

I had a 91 roadmaster blow out the dipstick from a plugged crankcase vent passage in the throttle body. It didn't smoke from the exhaust. it smoked from the oil hitting the exhaust manifold under the hood.

 

[Hay Dude]

I had a 91 roadmaster blow out the dipstick from a plugged crankcase vent passage in the throttle body. It didn't smoke from the exhaust. it smoked from the oil hitting the exhaust manifold under the hood.

That has happened to me, too on equipment with a plugged crankcase vent. Ever since my Kubota blew the small rubber plug, I became a little less comfortable knowing how quickly a lot of oil could be lost before you realize it and shut it down.

I had it happen twice and lost several quarts in less than a minute.

 

[rScotty]

That has happened to me, too on equipment with a plugged crankcase vent. Ever since my Kubota blew the small rubber plug, I became a little less comfortable knowing how quickly a lot of oil could be lost before you realize it and shut it down.

I had it happen twice and lost several quarts in less than a minute.

Good call, Hay Dude. Now that the Kubota M59 has passed the thousand hour mark I was thinking of going back to the operator's manual's "periodic maintenance chart" and seeing what else I've missed.

Oops, I just checked and the crankcase breather isn't mentioned. That seems like an oversight, so I'll add that breather to the routine maintenance and thanks for the reminder. Seems easy, On the m59 the breather sits on top of the rocker cover, disassembles with screws, and inside has a diaphram flapper valve and what looks to be some filters.

I'll put it right there next to Kubota's reminder to drain the clutch housing water "as required"... That always gives me pause when I read it. You gotta wonder what they think I'm going to be doing if draining water out of the clutch housing is required maintenance...

rScotty

 

[jonsstihl]

I was driving and noticed the smoke in the rear view mirror. Made a mess of the engine bay. I pulled over, stuck the dipstick back in and it didn't come back out again. after that I investigated and cleaned out the passage and hose in the throttle body.

Where was that plug on your kubota? I'm assuming on a much larger tractor than my L4740.

I should probably check mine. I have what appears to be a rear main seal leaking and I want to make sure it is not something simple before having the tractor split.

 

[gengine]

It's been a little while fallas, I apologize. A bigger project came up and it'll take some time before I can really get this into the shop. I'll start posting again when I get started. Thanks!

 

[gengine]

I just saw the second page, oops. I had a Kubota engine in a generator where the crankcase vent was plugged with ice. A rubber plug blew out and sent oil everywhere. That plug is for another location for the dipstick depending on the engine application, such as this engine in the generator is also widely used in mini excavators. The oil pressure sensor shut that down before any damage was done thank goodness. rScotty- I don't have fuel going into the oil on this tractor, but I do in the Allis Chalmers 175, coming from the injection pump, so that's another project. I think I spend too much time/money on this farming habit...

 

[dieselade]

maybe try letting the motor get warmed up. i`ve had jd tractors that slobbered after starting but then would clear up after a good warmup. this happened during cold chilly wx.