Ventrac 42oo tubo diesl driving me nuts

[muddstopper]

Yep, oil level dropped. I think the motor was pulling oil up by the rings instead of thru the turbo. the turbo was completely plugged and in order for the engine to even run it had to have air. Since I feel that there would have been minimal air pass thru the turbo, the air and oil had to come out of the crankcase. Its a I dont know for sure thing and time will tell. The engine was already down on compression with untold hours on it.

 

[Raw Dodge]

Not sure if you know the deal,with the 31 diahatsu turbo diesels,they were an afterthought,that engine was never designed to be turbocharged,and it doesn't hold up well to the turbo,and the turbo lube is inadequate as is the cooling capacity of the engine for hot weather,and heavy conditions,..in short if you have one, it's not if but when it will blow up, I've never seen one run beyond 1900 hrs without being rebuilt. or blowing up.add to that,,they are no longer available ,parts are very difficult to get,and expensive. If you need an entire engine ,you will have to go with the 26.5 hp diesel,non turbo version,which runs $4500-5400 if you can find one..those engines are much better than the turbo as far as longevity,but still don't usually last as long as a kubota or yanmar diesel.

 

[muddstopper]

I bought this thing new several years ago. At the time, it was supposed to have been number 7 sold in the south east. At the time I was doing mostly lawn installs around new homes. The power rake is a very dirty piece of equipment on the front of one of those little tractors. The air intake is in a very poor position as the dust from the power rake just blows right into it. Over the years, I have had to replace one hyd pump and the turbo. Overheating was always a issue. To say this particular machine always saw extreme duty would be an understatement. at this point, if I didnt have all those attachments, that dont fit anything other than a ventrac or Steiner, I would just crap the machine, but what would i do with all the attachments???. Since I have retired and n longer do any commercial work, I just need the tractor for tilling up my garden, I now use a zero turn to mow with. If I can keep the machine running for a few more years, It doesnt have to be perfect, just functionable. I figure on keeping my eyes peeled for a kawasaki gas burner to replace the diathsu with. New, water cooled ones are much cheaper than a replacement diesel. For attachments, I have the 60in mower deck, the stump grinder, the trencher, the dozer blade, tiller, pallet forks, a homemade root rake for pileing brush, the power rake and the slip scoop. I put a reese hitch on the rear and hydraulic hookups for towing a areovator and attaching a electric seed spreader. I also have a 6ft drop spreader I use to put out fertilizer and lime, and sometimes grass seed. I also have two weight bars with weights for the back. I found the power rake to be a little front heavy with just one weight bar. all those attachments made this machine a real money maker and the machine practically paid for itself the first year I owned it. I also own a 430 max stiener that isnt being used any more. All attachments will interchange between the two, but the stiener isnt heavy enough to handle the power rake.