Considering Overhaul

I'm considering performing a engine overhaul on a 1951 To 30.. It runs I would like to increase power.. It bogs down in grass with the hog. Its does not miss on any one cylinder.. I use minor oil, have minor blue smoke.. There seems to be oil leaking externally from the spark plug threads.. I'm hoping Pistons and rings will increase power. I'm sure it has been a while.. I'm only hesitant because of the cracked blocks they seem to be common for..Interested in your feed back.. I back up a very steep hill and it bogs to the point of it would kill engine if I let it.. thanks
 
I Am no expert by any means, but you could do a pressure test on each cylinder.

The add oil to the cylinder, see if pressure goes up,

Sometimes you can get by with a head valve job, but if the rings are worn, it will just start smoking worse.

Probably needs a full rebuild, May want to install a new clutch while you have the tractor down for rebuild.
 
If I rebuild the top I will do the bottom also.. I question is a to 30 a strong engine after overhaul.. Should tall grass bog it down..
I wonder if a rebuild will give me enough power..
Im pulling a about a 50" woods hog..
 
I had a gutless TO30 with Davis loader for a few years, such a poor performer I couldn't even sell it. So I sold the loader off it.... wow. It doesn't even need a tune up! The loader simply sucked the life out of the rest of the tractor.
You might just need a serious tune up, compression test yep, but sometimes the governors just get out of sinc and you get nothing once you need to work it.
Rebuild the carb too, fiddle with the needles- do all the simple basic stuff first, that time and expense will not be wasted even if she does need a complete rebuild.
 
it sounds like the tractor runs fine, remember its 30hp or less and gas power at that a tune up never hurts, but if you have the time and money to do the project be sure to do it right and good luck post back with question and progress
 
I'm with Tony on this, do a compression test and also if you can get a tach see what you are getting for top rpm. Also, I use a 5' mower on my TO 30 with no problem unless I try to go through the high stuff too fast. 1st gear works best then.
 
Tony,
how does one adjust the governor and can you go to far with it. I think the governor works on my tractor, but it could be better I believe, that is one thing I haven't adjusted on it. and it may be out of adjustment not sure, so how would I goes about it?
 
(quoted from post at 23:01:34 10/31/14) I'm considering performing a engine overhaul on a 1951 To 30.. It runs I would like to increase power.. It bogs down in grass with the hog. Its does not miss on any one cylinder.. I use minor oil, have minor blue smoke.. There seems to be oil leaking externally from the spark plug threads.. I'm hoping Pistons and rings will increase power. I'm sure it has been a while.. I'm only hesitant because of the cracked blocks they seem to be common for..Interested in your feed back.. I back up a very steep hill and it bogs to the point of it would kill engine if I let it.. thanks

All the suggestions should be your first level of response, especially checking the governor and then the timing. There is a good chance your distributor spark advance is locked up. On the other hand, blue smoke IS oil and it is probably coming around the valve guides so a head refresh will be needed somewhere along the line. If all else fails and you need a rebuild, go for the larger diameter liners and the engine will go from 129 cubic inches to about 135 (don't remember exactly) but the extra 5 or 6 cubic inches and a slight compression increase will improve your situation.

Please keep us informed.

Don
 
A few things will indicate need for overhaul, excess oil consumption, (which you don't seem to have); excess blow by, indicated by excess smoke/blowing oil out the crankcase breather; fouling plugs; exhaust smoke, worse under load; poor idle, unsolvable miss at idle; low oil pressure, deep knock in engine.

Unless you have these symptoms you may not need an overhaul yet. Your block is probably OK unless you get coolant in the oil.

Some things to check in the meantime...

Point gap, distributor bushing wear, stuck centrifugal weights, retarded/advanced timing, bad plug wires, cap, rotor, coil, plugs. Worn distributor bushings can cause strange things. A distributor rebuild and electronic conversion should be a consideration.

Fuel system; carb dirty, main jet out of adjustment, fuel starvation, choke adjusted properly, etc. Another commonly overlooked item is the air cleaner. The oil cup is only a part of the regular maintenance. The upper housing/horse hair element also needs to be dismantled and cleaned occasionally. Also check the governor. With the throttle lever in the fast position, engine off, the throttle plate in the carb should be wide open.

Exhaust system; doesn't happen often, but crushed/kinked pipe, internally blocked muffler will kill top end power.

Valves; Check the valve lash, make sure all the valves are opening as they should. Also, the oil around the plugs, could be coming down from the valve cover gasket. If you decide to put off the complete rebuild, a top end repair (valve job, carbon removal) might get some power back. At least that part would already be done.

If you don't already have one, a shop manual will be a great investment!
 
Check the archives on here- or was it on the Massey forum?? there was pics of a governor that disassembled itself, as what most of them do, a $150 fix, because its the sheet metal that wears and tears, and the new assembly comes with the steel ball bearings. No cheaper way around it I know of. The whole front clip has to come off to get at it....
To me, this is the weakest link in on any Continental engine. Everything else lasts for 30 or 40 years without a problem- or expensive 3 day project problem....
 
Its stronger than a 20 and I've bushhogged tall grass with it after an overhaul.You can get a compression tester at any parts store, do that first and let us know.
 

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