oil plug came out

Big_Charlie · Nov 1, 2006

The discussion of auto-shutoff devices reminds me of some stuff I've read recently about some of the mid-70's retractable gear airplanes. I think it was Piper that started putting in an automatic landing gear extension device so that if the airspeed got low enough it would throw the landing gear out thinking that you were about to land gear up and break the airplane. Most owners disable the system. Could you imagine if you were driving along and all of a sudden your engine quit and a light came on the dash? What if that happened in 80MPH traffic on the interstate? You could cause a serious wreck trying to dive for the shoulder with no engine 'cause your brakes run on engine vacuum, power steering runs on engine power, and if it's still in gear the drag of the engine on the transmission will slow you down right quick. Yikes! Not a situation I'd want to be in!!

Willl · Nov 1, 2006

You've never thrown a belt going down the freeway ?

Just about the same.

Champy · Nov 1, 2006

I would take the tractor back to the dealer and be honest - really, really, honest....... I guarantee you will be treated better in the long run by that dealer. Also consider that dealers have many options for pushing the factory on providing warranty coverages. Finally there is also the ability for a factory rep to apply "policy" money to make the customer whole where normal warranty does not apply - we use this all the time (I work for Cummins).

If they are pushed to see you as a "lifelong" customer instead of a cheat, honest customers are the absolute best ones to have, right?.........They pay on time; they are diligent abut maintenance; they cost less to keep happy; they're ethical; and most of all (if treated right) they are repeat buyers.

Good Luck

Captinjack · Nov 1, 2006

Heck! My cheapie Briggs and my Honda small motors all have "low oil shutoff" feature. IMHO it isn't a matter of cost if B&S do it on the little mower and pressure washer engines.

I guess being a diesel might make it more complicated shutting off the fuel rather than simply shutting down the spark by applying a ground, but...........I am going to give this some more thought and would like to know what are ya'lls thoughts on this.

I once had an old Scout that I only ran on the farm and after several yrs. I decided to change the oil and filter. The oil level always was at the full mark and never smoked or used oil.

Imagine my suprise when no oil came out the drain plug! Stuck a stick up there and still no oil came out. Dang. The thing never had a drop of oil in it. After adding the oil it now started smoking........imagine that. A check of the dipstick showed an oil level 3" over full. Draining the engine again and measuring showed that 4 qts. went in and 4 qt. came back out again. The dipstick was the wrong one for the engine as it was too long and simple reached down into the gunk in the bottom of the oil pan. The scout had as many owners as Liz Tayor had husbands and I guess someone put the wrong dipstick in there. Stuff happens sometimes.

I ran just fine afterwards, but eventually rusted away and had to be put down.

This is my first diesel and I guess with the high compression and subsequent high bearing loads, they won't be as forgiving so if anyone has any ideas on how to make a simple low or no oil shutoff.......I'm all ears.

Soundguy · Nov 1, 2006

It would be easy to make a circuit to do this.. but you wouldn't find it on any machine that I owned. There may be emergency circumstances where I need the engine to run, and not shut down. Having my tractor get 'most' of the way off a railroad track.. or etc, would not be my idea of a good day because I was low on oil.. etc.

The idiot lamps do their job.. just got to pay attention to them. Red is one of the most easilly percieved colors.. if the suns bright.. get a sunshade.. Or wire a warning buzzer, or strobe lamp in the op platform to let you know to check the engine.. etc..

Soundguy

coffeeman said:
Just had a warning flash up on my car; "Check oil level". I have been changing oil about every 3000 miles. I never need oil in between oil changes. This time I only went about 2000 miles and I'm over 2.5 quarts low. Last time I had oil changed at one of those quick change places. The oil is not leaking. I am guessing the quick change place didn't put enough oil in engine. Here's the point. The warning message warned me to check oil. I am wondering if there is a sensor to actually shut down car when gets even lower. The technology is there. Why don't these new farm machines have an automatic shutoff when oil gets really low? It can really be easy to overlook the red warning oil light on a sunny day.

Couple weeks ago my brother-in-law was using my Mahindra. I have a little leak in the radiator. I have been lifting hood and keeping the overflow bottle full. It drains down when cold. Problem; it wasn't enough to keep radiator with enough water. No problem for me. I watch the gauges. Brother-in-law can't see crap and he surprised me with cutting a big section of grass that needed cut. I came home just as he shut off machine. I walked over to machine and switched key on; hot to the middle of the red line. No steam or smoke raising from engine. I guess it's ok. Ran it since then and it seems good.

Wouldn't it be nice if every thing that can ruin an engine would have shutoff sensors to protect equipment. The computers are in the machines. Couldn't cost all that much extra or make it an extra. A good name for type of extra, idiot proof. This kind af feature is always something I can use.

Cheers....Coffeeman

Soundguy · Nov 1, 2006

Captinjack said:
if anyone has any ideas on how to make a simple low or no oil shutoff.......I'm all ears.

Check out the 'murphy switchgauge' thread. There were 'easy' circuits listed that needed only 2 components to make a 'low oil pressure' shutoff for a unit that used a grounding type oil sender and dash lamp, and also has a fuel cutoff solenoid int e injection pump. I.E., and NC realy, and a NC bypass switch.. pretty much 7$ worth of parts and some wireing.. etc. i still wouldn't use it except on 'unatended or standing pto' operations.. etc... definately not while driving it on the highway..

( you could use a NO bypass switch as well.. just place it parallel with the NC relay field coil... as oposed to inline.. etc. )

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1008113#post1008113

Soundguy

MikePA · Nov 2, 2006

Soundguy said:
The idiot lamps do their job.. just got to pay attention to them.

Amen!

Check fluuds before starting work and keep an eye on the gauges while working.

While this thread is interesting, I get a mental image of all these 'tractor techies' huddled over a tractor designing and implementing a 'low oil, auto shut off' mechanism. Paper, wire, etc. are flying all over the place. Hours go by, when an old farmer walks up and asks what's going on. "Poor guy here had his drain plug fall out, engine lost all the oil and was ruined. We're designing a system to automatically shut the engine off if the oil pressure drops."

He responds, "When that red light comes on, I just reach down and turn the tractor off. The automatic part happens between my ears."

Doc_Bob · Nov 2, 2006

Soundguy said:
Or wire a warning buzzer, or strobe lamp in the op platform to let you know to check the engine.. etc..

Soundguy

i vote for the buzzer. I can hear mine with hearing protection on. My TN70 has a loud annoying high pitched squeal whenever I get off the seat or shut it down. Nice to have it sound the same alarm when oil pressure drops.

I cannot see the idiot light in bright sun.
Bob

Soundguy · Nov 2, 2006

Yep.. it's hard to design idiot proof systems... idiots are pretty resourcefull when it comes to defeating those 'proofed' systems.

Soundguy

MikePA said:
Amen!

Check fluuds before starting work and keep an eye on the gauges while working.

While this thread is interesting, I get a mental image of all these 'tractor techies' huddled over a tractor designing and implementing a 'low oil, auto shut off' mechanism. Paper, wire, etc. are flying all over the place. Hours go by, when an old farmer walks up and asks what's going on. "Poor guy here had his drain plug fall out, engine lost all the oil and was ruined. We're designing a system to automatically shut the engine off if the oil pressure drops."

He responds, "When that red light comes on, I just reach down and turn the tractor off. The automatic part happens between my ears."