Two questions about engine oil contamination

mkirsch

Well-known Member
The 1066 has been "making oil" this year, about a quart during spring tillage and about half a quart during fall chopping.

Dad figured coolant was getting into the oil. So first question:

1. How much coolant can get into the oil before the tractor spins a bearing?

The good news is, he dumped the oil before corn chopping and there was NO WATER. I figure the injection pump front seal is leaking and putting fuel in the oil. This brings up the second question:

2. How can you tell that there's fuel in the oil?

To me the oil on all the diesel tractors smells has a tinge of diesel fuel smell to it.
 
mkirsch,

Perhaps an oil sampling sent to a lab would ease your concerns? Or identify the problem(s)?

We do at work and the test kits are under 20 bucks.

D.
 
Hi, on the German Diesels with Bosch pumps and
when crankcase oil level starts rising, the oil
really smells like Diesel, the oil is thinner and
at engine hot idle the oil pressure drops off
significantly from normal.

JimB
 
how much coolant... basically if you know you have an antifreeze leak into oil and you drain it off daily nothing ewill happen. this applies to a slow leak that would be like 1/2 cup daily. it has to be a small amount so oil pump pick up wont happen. but... if the pump is picking it up and oil is getting milky then watch out.
as suggested an oil sample is the best way. but injection pump is most likly the culprit.
 
The oil will smell really 'diesely' and be thin.You
should be able to see the coolant as the oil will
start to change color.Let tractor set for
overnight,or longer.'Crack' the drain plug and see
if water/coolant is present.
 
On an IH such as that,Hydralic oil CANNOT get to the crankcase.On older IH tractors with engine driven pumps('mag pump'),yes,that happens.
 
So are you having to add coolant? If oil going up and coolant going down then there you go. But without milkiness in oil I would go for leaky pump seal.
 
1066 has the American Bosch model 100 pump. There is no drive shaft seal, but it can leak fuel internally at the head or supply pump area. The lower head seal, or the control unit O ring may be leaking. The supply pump shaft seal can leak also.
 
When they leak small amount of coolant into crankcase they really steam out of the breather until it burns it out. Also, collects in breather pipe. Diesel in oil should also show lower oil pressure at idle speeds. I have seen many, many engines with coolant in crankcase over extended period of time without any heavy damage to bearings. Most people feel they catch them right away but in reality the coolant has been getting in there for quite a while before they catch it. The old wet sleeve A, B and C engines were prime example of that but the 400 series engines do same thing. Guy says, my breather really steams for first hour every day but then quits. Had a 5288 doing that about three years ago this fall. First I heard about it he had been using it for all his corn stalk chopping for several days. No damage to bearings.
 
More good news then: No steam out the breather.

It is using some coolant, but that's going out the overflow. It tends to get hot if you lug it much.

Dad was all set to dig a hole and bury it back in the spring when he thought it was dumping water in the oil. Totally changed his attitude yesterday when I suggested it was putting fuel in the oil instead.

That old tractor still lights off like a match in about 1-1/2 revolutions, unless you run it out of fuel like we did yesterday. Note to self, fuel tank only has capacity for 27 loads.

Well, almost ran out of fuel... Dad shut it down the moment it stumbled so we pretty much dodged a bullet.
 
Coolant in oil (thankfully yours does not) reduces the lubricity dramatically. A pint of coolant in the oil can destroy an engine in 20 minutes. Jim
 
Well we've definitely run it more than 20 minutes.

Sorry for asking though. I guess I'm too stupid to tell if there's fuel in the oil when it ALL smells like diesel fuel to me.

There are five diesel tractors on the farm and if you pull the dipstick and take a whiff, they reek of diesel fuel... It's called BLOWBY, gentlemen. The only one making oil is the 1066. The rest use a little oil.

Odds are by now Dad's done chopping corn. He only had 3 loads left standing yesterday. The tractor will get moved around a couple times before winter, and a fresh oil change. Lots of time to pull the injection pump and have it freshened up...
 

Does the Bosch Injection pump on a 46 IHC TD9 have motor oil in it or does it use diesel internally as lube? If it uses diesel internally as lube is that why you are saying the overflow will find its way into the motor oil?

If that is the case ... I hadn't thought of that but that sounds like what is happening to my TD9... I have not smelled the dip stick, not milky, but I did start leaking around the rear main seal.
Just got a Adams 46, TD9 motor grader and just got it running again, Oil psi. 50+, old gauge, it also has a "bad case of the all overs". Needs a little work all over.

Fat Dan
mvphoto12055.jpg
 

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