TX1300F engine questions

dantnz · Jan 18, 2015

Well, curiosity got the better of me and I just went down in the dark to check it out under torchlight. It's the KE70 engine, at least that's what stamped on the block. I checked out my TX1500 and that has the same clearances as your tractor.

There isn't an obvious difference in geometry, but I'll get a tape measure on it tomorrow and try and see what has been altered.

dantnz · Feb 3, 2015

Head gasket finally arrived and the engine is back together.

Good news is that it now starts and runs. I haven't got a compression tester but it certainly sounds a lot better turning over, but still not as good as my TX1500, so there is more to do on the compression front - I won't really be happy until I can get a look at the rings. Also, it stills blows more smoke than I would like, not sure this is the classic rings or valve seal passing as it this engine has never seemed to get through any oil. Maybe the injectors need a look at? If they aren't spraying good then could be getting an incomplete burn.

I'm not really happy with the new head gasket I have either, just not great quality, and thinner (bolted down) than the one that came out. Will look for an OEM one when I next take the engine to bits - when I do the rings eventually.

For now, it is running I need to put it to work, so the finer points will just have to wait!

Ilikeurtractor · Feb 3, 2015

Congratulations - glad to hear it's back up and running

dantnz said:
...Also, it stills blows more smoke than I would like...

What color is the smoke? My KE70 smokes a little more black than it should and not just on acceleration after I put another set of injectors in it so apparently that is the cause. I'll need to go back to the first set which have new tips. For some reason these tractors like to smoke white and I can't pin down the cause. It might actually be very light blue which would indicate oil but I can't tell for sure. I don't think it's because of coolant leaks into the cylinder though as all my tractors of this period do this and none of them appear to be losing coolant - haven't really noticed much oil loss either but haven't been paying real close attention. They do this mostly during acceleration and the smoke can be combinations of white (lt. blue?), gray, and black. It doesn't bother me enough to try to correct it at this point but it would be interesting to see how a new one smoked under the same conditions. These engines were made during the era of questionable Japanese quality (at least for some things) so it may be inherent in the design. Smoke can be a funny thing too since it depends greatly on the background it is looked at. Some of my tractors look terrible from one direction and when you walk around to the other side the smoke is clear depending on where the sun is, etc.

dantnz · Feb 4, 2015

The smoke issue is really difficult to describe!

My benchmark is my my TX1500 which, prior to me getting it and putting it to work, either had a very easy life or a very competent rebuild. It runs beautifully and starts on the button, it can't be too far away from how one of these would have run new. But it still generates some smoke, much as you describe - of the whitey/grey variety - on acceleration or when the governor picks up under load. NO smoke at all at constant RPM.

However the TX1300F I've just got running generates more and thicker smoke under acceleration, at constant RPM it has a hint of smoke in the exhaust.

But, I'm just going to have to leave it as it is for now. Later on in the year I'll strip the whole tractor down and probably have a look at the injectors at the same time.

Ilikeurtractor · Feb 4, 2015

FWIW I have a KE70,75,K3A, and B and the KEs actually smoke the least amount of "light" smoke but they still do at times. The K3s will show at least some light smoke nearly all the time. On acceleration they generate much more white/gray/black smoke but are a lot quicker to accelerate it seems. Their pump configuration seems more intricate as well which might have something to do with it and I'm sure having 3 even firing cylinders vs. 2 odd helps acceleration too. Compared to some gasoline engines of the 80s I've seen I'm not complaining though.

dantnz · Feb 4, 2015

Did a lot of running in the tractor today, smoke issue not as bad today. Still a pain on start up, I'm still guessing an injector issue, but investigation will have to wait.