They were a good tractor. My dad had a 9000 when I got of the service back in 71. I sure can't recall any major problems with it.
 

I have had one for about twelve years. I think that it is pretty cool. They are generally thought of as being pretty tough and very good on fuel. They are also called big dumb power, but the upside to that is a lot less to go wrong that would cost you a lot of money to fix. The most noteworthy possible problem to check on is potential for perforation of a cylinder by cavitation in the cooling system which is caused by engine vibration and made worse by lack of correct antifreeze. It should have red antifreezeand you should be able to get an SCA reading. You can pick up test strips at any heavy truck dealer. The 401 is a parent bore motor, and many with perforations have been sleeved, which of course takes dollars. If you buy it check the injection pump for good oil. Changes are often overlooked.
 
Showcrop so any red antifreeze is what it takes? Does this go for all the 401's, all the way from the 8000 to TW 30 to the 8830?
 

Red isn't the proper way to tell. My fuchsia will do what his red will.

You need to find a diesel rated coolant with the proper SCA or one without it! OAT (Organic Acid Technology) coolant is the best. It is rated for the longest life and cannot be properly tested with test strips. Most of it is good for 12,000 hours or 1,000,000 miles and does not need to be tested for additive except maybe at half-life!
 
(quoted from post at 23:40:36 08/03/16)
Red isn't the proper way to tell. My fuchsia will do what his red will.

You need to find a diesel rated coolant with the proper SCA or one without it! OAT (Organic Acid Technology) coolant is the best. It is rated for the longest life and cannot be properly tested with test strips. Most of it is good for 12,000 hours or 1,000,000 miles and does not need to be tested for additive except maybe at half-life!

That sounds really good Larry, but how does he know on a tractor that is new to him if it has been running for years with great protection or very poor protection? That is my point. Not the future, the history.
 
(quoted from post at 06:57:02 08/04/16)
(quoted from post at 23:40:36 08/03/16)
Red isn't the proper way to tell. My fuchsia will do what his red will.

You need to find a diesel rated coolant with the proper SCA or one without it! OAT (Organic Acid Technology) coolant is the best. It is rated for the longest life and cannot be properly tested with test strips. Most of it is good for 12,000 hours or 1,000,000 miles and does not need to be tested for additive except maybe at half-life!

That sounds really good Larry, but how does he know on a tractor that is new to him if it has been running for years with great protection or very poor protection? That is my point. Not the future, the history.

How do you know its history hasn't been OAT??? Refractometer will work no matter which antifreeze it has been used to.

If he wants to know for sure he better collet a sample and send it to a lab or drain what's in it and start over.
 

Maybe I should simplify that. Telling the OP that it needs to have red coolant that can be tested with a test strip is a generality that does not necessarily hold true. My company's original OAT antifreeze was red. A test strip would not help one bit in reading it. OAT does not have nor rely on SCAs to protect a diesel engine. Our OAT is now orange. Our conventional diesel antifreeze with SCAs is fuchsia or pinkish purple and has been as long as I can remember.

When I got my '08 Ford F-350 that diesel antifreeze was gold colored. I believe Detroit's is blue. Therefore, what I'm saying is that telling the OP a diesel antifreeze has to be red is not necessarily true.
 

Ford1956tractor, Don't worry about that 9000 having any problems at all. You can count on it giving you excellent service with no significant problems for the next twenty years.
 

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