3020 has oil blowing out of the exhaust

[DarkBlack]

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.

If this is accurate, I wouldn’t suspect valve stem seals. They harden and wear over time, and slowly start letting more oil by. When they get brittle and break off the stem, they do so, independently, one at a time. Your engine has 4 cylinders. One breaking off , won’t make it smoke like you described, “all of a sudden “.
To me you had a larger sudden event.
I would check your radiator and see if the coolant looks fine. I’d also check it again first running cold , and confirm there’s no crankcase pressure getting to the radiator.
Otherwise it’s likely the previous suggestions, broken oil ring, fuel system leakage, or crankcase pressurization.
Also rule out it’s oil smoke and not diesel smoke from injection timing being off.

 

[gengine]

DarkBlack; I checked the radiator like you suggested, coolant is bright and green, although I didn't start it, I don't want to until I am ready to lift the loader and pull it into the shop. If it was fuel in the oil from the fuel system, the oil level wouldn't have dropped, it would have gained, I believe. There was a ton of dark chocolate brown smoke with liquid oil coming out of the exhaust, leaving an easily 20' diameter circle of oil in the snow, as well as running down the pipe, onto the muffler. I am leaning to crankcase pressure due to our -25°F temps at the time with snow/ice buildup, as I have seen that before on a dozer. I also learned of a crankcase pressure valve that gets stuck shut. I'm just looking to see if there is something that someone more familiar with these engines knows about that I haven't learned yet. Thanks for the reply!

 

[jonsstihl]

I hope you meant 20" because 20' is a lot of oil. I really hope for your sake that it is related to the PCV system because it would be an easier fix and probably cheaper. the sudden onset of symptoms seems to lean in that direction as well because if it was internal wear you would think it would have shown up gradually.

 

[gengine]

So, here it is again, on my radar as the "next project", although I am sure that something else with more importance will pop up, like my brothers water heater scheduled for tomorrow morning.
This tractor fired right up, no hesitation, and I have no oil blowing out of the exhaust...like it was only a cold weather event. I topped off the oil before starting, about a quart, let it run about 15 minutes around 1200 rpm, and the oil is still at the top of the hatches. It was around 70°F as the high today. Where did the oil coming out of the exhaust come from when temps are in the teens, but magically disappear when things warmed up?

 

[gengine]

I went back and I did not find anything about 20" or 20'...but the oil spray out of the exhaust pipe was easily 20 feet in diameter in the snow. It would ahve easily covered the seat if the tractor wasn't backed into the shed up to the muffler.

 

[rScotty]

I went back and I did not find anything about 20" or 20'...but the oil spray out of the exhaust pipe was easily 20 feet in diameter in the snow. It would ahve easily covered the seat if the tractor wasn't backed into the shed up to the muffler.

I do like those old JDs...especially the 3020/4020s

With your description of a sudden cloud of oily crud but no change in the way it runs, it may not be anything mechanical.
Might be that it is just exhaust slobber.

Since you said the muffler is outside the shed in the weather .... hmm... Is that an upright muffler or exhaust pipe? Could rain or snow or condensation have gotten just a little bit of water into the exhaust, muffler, or some part of the exhaust plumbing? If so, maybe cold weather made that water freeze and then running a few minutes thawed it out - making it slobber until all the water was blown out.

We've all had upright exhausts blow slobber in the winter - just the tractor's way of reminding us to stand upwind and wear a wide brim hat.
Our JD has a drip hole at the lowest point on the upright exhaust.... maybe I'll check to make sure it's open.

rScotty

 

[jonsstihl]

The lack of a rain cap on the stack would explain the symptoms and be a cheap and easy fix.

My rear main seal leak I mentioned before seems to have cured itself as well.

 

[gengine]

So here it is, many months later. Life is slowing down for the fall/winter months from the busy-ness of summer. I have stacked over 10,000 bales (60-80lb bales) on a trailer 8 at a time bouncing around the fields, and the 3020 didn't use a drop of oil. Once the residual oil burnt out of the exhaust, there was no more liquid, nor oil smoke, coming out of the muffler. My Case 75c unloaded and stacked the bales in the sheds, the 3020 loading bales in the field. Now that temps are going back into the 20's, I am worried about issues arising again. Just for fun, I took the 3020 that was blowing oil out of the exhaust last winter, plowed, and disked, 5 acers of ground to really work it, and it went flawless. What the heck is going on?

 

[Tx Jim]

Just for fun, I took the 3020 that was blowing oil out of the exhaust last winter, plowed, and disked, 5 acers of ground to really work it, and it went flawless. What the heck is going on?

Sounds typical for what is called "wet stacking" which is unburnt, raw being blown out of muffler until engine temp is up to operating temp for a period of time. During colder temperatures it's possible engine thermostat isn't operating exactly as designed. If operating in colder temperatures block or partially block side screens on each side in front of radiator.

 

[rgood]

@gengine I have a 3020 and had this exact same thing happen to me. The cause was there was frozen water in the air cleaner / oil bath. The crank case ventilator pump works in conjunction with the air intake. If the air intake gets plugged/frozen it pulls oil from the crank case. When I parked my 3020, it worked great... However, when I started it 3 weeks later the temp had dropped significantly. Sounds like similar to what happened to you because your problem started in February.