TO 30 overheating fuel boiling

GranOlaFarms

New User
This summer my TO 30 started acting weird. The engine would start surging after a short time. I had the carb rebuilt last year, set the large dial screw to 1 and 1/4 turns the smaller screw to 3/4 turns she fired up after the carb rebuild. Minor adjusting and she ran well rest of last year.

This year she is over heating. I checked everything but timing cant find the timing light still searching. Flushed the cooling system. all was green then clear. Added new petcock old one broke when draining block. refilled and still over heating soon after starting bush hogging..
water moves when radiator cap is off so water pump is moving water.

I am stuck now on what to try next...

Thanks
Tim in Tn
 
Have you checked the thermostat to make sure it isn't sticking or even stuck closed? Is one of the radiator hoses weak and sucking closed when the engine is operating at higher RPM's?

Bob Mc
 
Retarded timing and too lean a mixture can cause the exhaust gas temperature to be excessive and the added heat rejection from the mainifold can warm the tank bottom. You power jet setting sounds correct so I would check the initial ignition timing and the advance schedule.
 
check the timing

radiator may be stopped up on the outside and not letting air flow through the radiator.

remember a radiator can be stopped up on the inside and it can also be stopped up on the outside not letting air flow through the radiator cooling the fluid.

i know the older tractors do boil gas, but i have a t0-35 and it never has boiled fuel.
I just do not want the the motor hot enough to boil the fuel when i am driving the tractor.

lack of oil pressure is the fastest way to ruin the old motor, the second fastest way to ruin the old motor is letting the engine get hot.

have you washed the radiator out backwards with a water hose insuring the fends are clean. Is the fan belt in good repair and not slipping,
may only be turning the fan at half speed.
 
Flushed the radiator from the inside our water went through pretty easy, seeds did come out :)..

Someone else was using the tractor I have just started trying to see whats wrong..

Goiing to check the timing tomorow and check for cool or hot areas on the raditor once I start it..
also check hoses for colapse.. it still starts easy and no smoke from exhaust when reving her..

more looking her over tomorow. I was shocked the user was not as concerned as I was about boiling gas right in front of you.. scares me just hearing it have not duplicated it yet.. hope not too really..
 
opps left off the main part..


Thanks for all the replies so fast..

one day in the future I will be restoring this girl but right now shes still a worker..
 
"The engine should be idling at 400rpm."To adjust timing:- turn distributor cam in normal direction as far as it will go,with distributor adjustment slack, then hold onto cam in this position, now turn the distributor in opposite direction until the points JUST start to open, and lock it up. Fit number one HT lead in the contact over the top of position of the Rotor arm when you have set timing" The ignition should be set with number one piston on compression at TDC, the flywheel set to 31 deg to the scribe line in the inspection hole, and the points should be just opening, when the distributor shaft is in this position. This is the correct timing procedure as in the manual, it may just help"....John

Is this the same for my TO 30 to set timing? or do I use a light and set it at 7 BTDC.. thats what I have in my notes here..

Thanks again I have a manual somewhere but in the process of moving and am not sure where
 
(quoted from post at 22:06:54 09/13/12) Flushed the radiator from the inside our water went through pretty easy, seeds did come out :)..

Someone else was using the tractor I have just started trying to see whats wrong..

Goiing to check the timing tomorow and check for cool or hot areas on the raditor once I start it..
also check hoses for colapse.. it still starts easy and no smoke from exhaust when reving her..

more looking her over tomorow. I was shocked the user was not as concerned as I was about boiling gas right in front of you.. scares me just hearing it have not duplicated it yet.. hope not too really..
) I remove the bottom radiator hose & insert garden hose into filler neck & see if radiator can flow that much without much running over. Typical garden hose won't flow more than about 25GPM & engine pumps on old engines around 20, newer- 50, modern- 90-135gpm. So, this gives me some indication as to whether or not the core is obstructed. 2) I like to remove the thermostat, re-connect upper hose/housing and insert garden hose into radiator at bottom connection (sealing best possible with old rag) and back-flush both radiator & engine. Open block drain too. As far as boiling fuel.........todays modern blends will boil beginning at about 115F and have a rolling boil at 130F. That isn't much above daytime temps in the southwest, so when running your tractor on modern fuels, you should expect this to occur after it runs long enough to heat the volume of fuel in your tank. Gallon or two, pretty quick. Full tank, longer time to boil. Be cautious in removing cap on hot gas tank.
 
The engine surging may be a clue for you, it will do this when there is a shortage of fuel, this may be due to incorrect setting of the main Jet or this jet becoming restricted with crud.
To set the main jet, it is not enough to set it like you did for hard work in the field and it will overheat. That setting is OK for light work and to get it running before you set the carb.properly. Get the engine hot, that means it must have been running at least 20 minutes, open the throttle fully and adjust the main jet,start to close it until you hear the engine note changing and then open it to about 1-1/2 turns, close the throttle and allow the engine to idle slowly about 450 rpm ONLY when it runs at this speed can you set the idling. The engine idling speed screw is at the back of the Carb on the side nearest the air cleaner.
Now turn the air screw to the right (close) until the engine exhaust note changes and then unscrew (open) the air screw SLOWLY until the engine runs smoothly. You will need to turn the screw a little one way and then the other to find the sweetest spot for the adjustment.
If you can't get it to run smoothly, you should carry out a service of the ignition and set it according to the book for this engine, unless you do this it won't run properly. When you have set the Air Screw, open the throttle quickly and the engine should speed up without blowing black smoke or spluttering. If you get black smoke, turn the main jet in-wards 1/8 turn and try it again, if it splutters, turn the main jet out 1/8 turn. Do all adjustments slowly with the engine running, you need to allow a little time for the Engine to change when you have adjusted the Carburettor, especially if it is idling. You MUST have the engine idling at 450 rpm before you can set the Air Screw and you must have the Engine HOT before you can adjust the Carburettor.
I saw somewhere in this post that it was overheating, this can be due to either incorrect ignition timing or the Carburettor set too weak, but don't forget that although you may have the Carb set 1-1/4 turns open it can be that this jet is restricted and it is not getting the full flow like it should do. If, after setting the Carburettor and it still surges at full throttle, it can be an Engine Governor adjustment that needs checking and adjusting. Overheating can also be caused by a blocked or restricted Radiator or a pressure leak on the cooling system. Look for rusty water marks on the outside of the Radiator and Engine. Make sure that the Radiator Cap it marked at 7lbs on the top, this is the pressure in the cooling system. it allows the engine to run hotter before it boils and is important. If you are using a Bush-Hog, are the blades sharp and are you cutting too close to the ground, it is harder to cut the lower you cut.Have the back of the Hog set 2" higher than the front so that the cut grass will escape faster and not absorb engine power.
If you need more info about all this, email me and I will send it to you...John(UK)[email protected]
 
Use a timing light and set it to 7°BTDC @ 400 engine idle rpm. Rev engine and observe timing advance. If it doen"t change, advance mechanism is stuck.
 
My TO-30 has never overheated but I did have problems with my gas boiling earlier in the year.

I got some stick-on heat shield material and wrapped it around the bottom of the gas tank(tank has to come off to do this- not difficult). This seems to have solved my boiling gas issue.
 
Thanks

still tinkering I think I have a Gremlin as it keeps changing its symptoms. Even if I have changed nothing myself so I shouldnt be creating my own tail to chase..
 

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