Tractor smoking

[Dman1981]

Is Techron diesel rated?

Yes been using
For mainly diesel for a long long long time
Cleared up many a fuel issue
Plus keeps my gas pumps and equipment always ready to fire up

 

[rodneyn]

My tractor is smoking quite a bit and smells like fuel alot, the smoke looks bluish. Wondering what it could be.

Does tractor smoke at idle or under load. You stated the tractor sits most of the year until snow time. Typically diesel needs to be ran monthly to assure lubricity both motor and transmission.You may have diesel fuel issues more so than you know. I have in the passed mixed kerosene and diesel to purge carbon from motor to eliminate unburned diesel fuel. I have used 70% diesel /30% kerosene in winter months to clean up motor. Ideally diesel motor likes to be under load to be at its best running efficiency, reaching temperature where burning diesel over sending out unburned from exhaust pipe. No motor likes to sit they need to put under load from time to time use the tractor throughout the year doing something. Typically black smoke is oil where as blue to light blue is fuel not burning. Could be nothing more than carbon build up in the rings. Don’t panic no diesel runs well until it reaches it’s running temperature.

 

[TractorTech]

Does tractor smoke at idle or under load. You stated the tractor sits most of the year until snow time. Typically diesel needs to be ran monthly to assure lubricity both motor and transmission.You may have diesel fuel issues more so than you know. I have in the passed mixed kerosene and diesel to purge carbon from motor to eliminate unburned diesel fuel. I have used 70% diesel /30% kerosene in winter months to clean up motor. Ideally diesel motor likes to be under load to be at its best running efficiency, reaching temperature where burning diesel over sending out unburned from exhaust pipe. No motor likes to sit they need to put under load from time to time use the tractor throughout the year doing something. Typically black smoke is oil where as blue to light blue is fuel not burning. Could be nothing more than carbon build up in the rings. Don’t panic no diesel runs well until it reaches it’s running temperature.

Your advice on care of the engine and advising that the OP doesn't panic until the engine reaches operating temperature is spot on.
On the smoke color, it is just the opposite. Blue smoke signifies that the engine is burning oil. Black is indicative of over fueling or an air restriction.

 

[rodneyn]

Your advice on care of the engine and advising that the OP doesn't panic until the engine reaches operating temperature is spot on.
On the smoke color, it is just the opposite. Blue smoke signifies that the engine is burning oil. Black is indicative of over fueling or an air restriction.

Thanks had not had my first cup of coffee this morning when responded. He needs to run the unit more often to see if fighting fuel issues or really burning oil. Takes a lot abuse or excessive hours to burn oil even then it’s minimal unless it’s had hard life. Typically use soot control oil in diesel motor. If he is burning oil move up to heavier oil weight to slow it down

 

[TractorTech]

Thanks had not had my first cup of coffee this morning when responded. He needs to run the unit more often to see if fighting fuel issues or really burning oil. Takes a lot abuse or excessive hours to burn oil even then it’s minimal unless it’s had hard life. Typically use soot control oil in diesel motor. If he is burning oil move up to heavier oil weight to slow it down

Glad to hear someone else runs on coffee; no problem!

 

[Doz]

Did you get an answer to your question? Blue smoke is usually oil burning, and it can come from a variety of places. The most common reason to burn oil is that some oil snuck past too much clearance in the piston rings or valve guides and got into the combstion chamber where it gets burned as fuel. That happens to older engines which develop larger clearances as a result of wear, but exactly the same thing happens to any cold engine. because when engines are cold the clearances are naturally larger. A it reaches operating temperature the parts expand and the clearances become small enough to exclude oil from sneaking into the compbustion chamber.

So it is not unusual for a cold engine to burn oil. Burning a little oil when cold won't hurt anything, and should stop when it gets up to temperature. Obviously it is best to get it up to regular operating temperature before revving it high or loading the engine.

Another source of oil burning can be the also be fuel itself or some additives.
For example, common diesel fuel grades are bunker, diesel #2, and diesel #1. These are gradual changes in grade rather than distinctly different products, and suppliers mix grades in different proportions depending on time of year and cost.
Bunker is heavy diesel somewhat like home heating oil. It burns heavy and smoky. All diesels, even the best ones contain some small proportion of the heavier fuel oils - that's what the different grades are all about. For common diesel engine fuel at the pump, #2 smokes less - sometimes not at all. And #1 is the lighter, cleaner burning automotive diesel you want. They are not distinctly different, and some suppliers use will include additives in their mixture as well. Additives also vary. Some are very much like an oil and some are less so and contain lighter hydrocarbons.

So if your tractor has suddenly decided to throw out some blue smoke, the first thing I'd do is to make sure it is fully warmed up before running high rpm or working it - that goes for any engine. It can take ten minutes or longer on a cold day. Check the temp gauge. Sometimes in the cold it is necessary to block off part of the air flow through the radiator.
And if the warmed engine still smokes then I'd try some new winter fuel from somewhere that sells a lot of passenger car/PU truck diesel.... might even drain out most of the old fuel and replace it. Don't go crazy if you do that, just replace most so as to dilute the old fuel.

My advice is to do those things for a month and see how it goes.
Good Luck,
rScotty

Always good to have a guy that knows his stuff great information for the guys that don’t know!

 

[Lifttrainer]

Has just under 400 hours and I run between 2500 and 2700 rpm when blowing snow.

Smoke
Black. Fuel
Blue. Oil
White. Water (coolant)

 

[JimRB]

Letting an engine idle for 30 minutes is a bad practice. Get it started, let it idle for a minute or two if you must and get to work. I run Shell Rotella T6 synthetic in my diesel tractor and diesel truck. Delvac 1 synthetic in the diesel car. I start up and go in all my diesels. Well the car and truck do a low speed idle for a 1/4 mile to get to the highway. Synthetic oils tend to have better flow at cold temps than a regular oil.

 

[Skystream]

Watch your oil level to see if it changes. Could be a bad injector allowing too much fuel into cylinder. Oil level would go up and oil would begin to thin out making it less viscous and lose its properties.

 

[stormcom]

My tractor is smoking quite a bit and smells like fuel alot, the smoke looks bluish. Wondering what it could be.

Mercedes had an issue for years with oil usage. If they had a car with oil consumption, they would run non synthetic in it for 2 changes and the oil usage would go away. They found the synthetic is so slippery, oil could get past the rings. Running old fashioned dino oil would reseat the rings and usage would go away. Ask 10 tractor owners about oil and you will get 10 different answers. I have a Massey 1758 and run Rotella T6 in it and change annually with about 30 hours. I was told I can go longer but oil is cheap and engines are not. I put a pint of Marvel mystery oil in with the change and also in the fuel as an upper cylinder lube. I also have a Ford 1520 and use T5 in it. Under any load, 10w30 seems a little lite in viscosity and the ability to hold it in the heat.

I would run 2 changes with T4 15w 40 and then go to T5 or T6 whether you want full or semi synthetic.