Bought a 706 at a sale and...

This past weekend I bought a 1964 Farmall 706 with a 263 gas engine. Tonight I was checking some fluids and noticed signs of coolant in the engine oil. I need to let it sit and crack the drain plug to double check my suspicion. The radiator is full so this is a little surprising. My first thought is a possible head gasket problem. Were these engines known to have head issues? If I have coolant in the oil I plan on dropping the oil pan and pressurizing the radiator to try and determine where the problem is. I am just curious what you all have ran into on this engine? Thanks.
 
Perhaps it was rebuilt and there was some residual coolant in the crank case. I'd run it a while, change the oil and then re-assess. If it runs good, run it. You already bought it.
 
I wish it was residual but I don't think so. The equipment had set for a couple of years. The family had an auction to help fund a nursing home for the owner. I plan on repairing it but I have never had a 263 apart. The tractor was a one owner. It might be time to invest in a manual. I really bought it to play with and use on tractor drives. The price was right and I am thinking it would be nice to have some comfort and a tractor I can use a little on the farm.
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I would run it/play with it/keep my eye on it. There is no engine oil cooler on a gasser. I wouldn't go after a problem until I knew I had one, and it was serious. My experience with the 263 and 301 is head crackage and warpage. Just figure if you take it apart that you're going to be faced with one or both of those problems and it can get expensive. Be sure your problem is serious before you go after it because once you start digging, it may turn serious very quickly.
 
I agree with the head being the likely source (or at least the cheapest and easiest place to look first). Even on well kept 263s the constant heating and cooling of the head would result in the head gasket eventually leaking because of warpage and gasket failure.


I agree with also waiting a bit to make sure its a problem before making it a problem.
 

I "helped" out the local Case-IH dealer a few years ago when his regular truck driver was out sick. In just one day, I retrieved and hauled in TWO 706 gassers. Both of them with blown head gaskets.
 
Well ya had all the comments from everybody that think they know 706 gassers . I can tell ya that i know every nut and bolt in a 706 and tell ya what wrenches ya need to do the job. We still run 2 706 gassers and i have lost count of the ones i have bought and sold . If a 706 gasser was at a sale that i was at i owned it when the hammer went down . Dead row thru the ring i would buy them . Take them home and do what was needed to make a usable tractor . Most needed a T/A and they got a new clutch and T/A with warranty , made for a good selling point as the warranty paper work went with the tractor . As far as head cracking i have never seen a head on a C221- C301 crack , Warp yes Crack NO Did a ton of valve jobs on them replaced lots of head gskt. Each and everytime i had a head off it was checked for cracks and never a one found . Warped heads now that is another thing they all need run across the head surfacer as to how much that can vary , valve guides yep they will need them if your doing a good valve job . Ya want it to run good and stay running good then use only LOW ASH oil in it , now some of the EXPERTS will say well i run what ever it's his tractor and he is the one that foots the bill as i have been down this road . That is why i run LOW ASH NOW . We use our 706's each and everyday in all weather . The only thing that we do not do anymore is tillage work with them . Gas is another BIGGIE with them ya need a Min. of93 octane if your going to work them . IF your usen them for pulling a wagon in the local peraid then if your a cheap skate then run what ever ya want here again i really don't care. Ya may want to upgrade to the spring loaded park loc. for safety as that was one other thing i would do to any that came thru my doors . about a 165 bucks .
 
Just curious tractor vet, if I end up tearing this motor down and find some gremlins in it what brand of overhaul kit do you like to use? I am leaning towards draining the oil pan, flushing it as best I can, putting in fresh oil, run it, and see if more coolant appears. This tractor appears to have set for a while and I am halfway wondering if it could have some condensation in it. The head gasket on the left side does look weepy though. Where are the coolant passages at in the block? Thanks.
 
is the C301 and the UC301 the same engine family,reason I asked I use to see a good many in industrial equipment,one I don't reckon i'll forget was in a Hughes pressure digger that the shop had rebuilt, never would run over 30 minutes without running hot, after every avenue of fixing it, I told the supt it had to be bored to thin because nothing helped it,he didn't believe me or want to replace as long as it was running,i finally got tired of the whole mess and told the operator the next time it run hot, run it until it quit and I'd put another motor on it, he said I've already tried and it will just shut off,finally got them to change motors end of problems with overheating,those were good engines especially with any and everybody running them, never give any real problems out of the ordinary
 


Having condensation in the oil from sitting is the first thing I'd think about. I know very little about 706's but if I were you Id do what was suggested. Change oil, run for a while and see what happens. Not gonna hurt anything.
 
come to think of it: someone once told my brother; If you take the sleeves out of a 706 engine and put in the bigger pistons ,ect. you get a 806 engine
 
Well as for a O/H kit they all seem to be made by only a couple places . Last OEM kit we got as per customer request were Clevit pistons with and I H part number stamped in the top but casting numbers were Clevit . If the head gskt. is weeping on the left side then i would say that you have found your problem along with a little warpage in the head . I will tell you tis if you pull the head spend the extra and get a head set from Case I H as the gskt that comes in it is far better then what you get from the parts store . There is something about the Victor Gskt that they supply and never ever use a fel pro btdt . When you do pull the head get a 1/2 13 bottoming tap and chase all the head bolt holes in the block , check each and every head bolt and run a thread chaser over them and run them across a wire brush . Myself i use a Light coat of white grease on the threads and i clean the holes in the block with brake kleen and blow dry . torque the head down in three stages and go over the final torque twice once the engine is back up and running let it run and get up to operating temp and retorque Watch adjusting the valves as the ends on the rocker arms ware funny and you have to watch that you do not get the feeler gauge under the part that is not wore as you will get a false set . Any temp above 70 degrees is warm enough to set valves . Watch your ing. timing as you set it at full throttel for full advance and on a 263 that is 23 degrees BTDC. While you have the head off make sure that you are a C263 and it has not been up graded to a C291 over bore. Then things change .Have the head checked for being true and have it lightly dusted just enough to get it flat, nomore then it needs .
 
If it is one you bought by Petersburg, Il, I would change all the fluids in it before getting too excited or worried, as that tractor has not had much use in the last couple three years due to owners health, so what you are seeing could be from sitting and condensation.
 
That is the tractor. I still think I got a good tractor. It is straight as an arrow. The t.a. is good, the shifters are tight, and the hydraulic control levers don't have any slop in them. For having the hours on it that it does it must have been taken care of. The only thing I don't know is it's history and the dealer that sold it new.
 

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