Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
Hi,
I have a 1968 4020 Deere tractor with the diesel engine. Overall, the tractor is solid as hell, and aside from some seeping from quick connect fittings, it is as clean as hell.
I recently did a 12V conversion on the tractor with all modern Deere parts. Working for a John Deere engine distributor sure does have its advantage, and it is amazing that Deere does not change much over the years (the starter went in perfectly for instance,and it was originally for a modern Tier 3 6068).
At any rate, one thing that the modern diesels do not have are the weep holes on the side of the block. I know the history here on why Deere did it, and what the holes are for, but I do have a question that I am having a hard time trying to understand.
When the engine is shut down and has been sitting, things are a little damp on the block below the holes. Two of them (forward and rear holes) have a bit of weeping. The center hole does not.
When I start the engine up, they tend to weep a bit more than when it is shut down (pressure in the cooling system of course). However, after about 20 minutes of running, or until the engine is somewhat warmed up, they completely stop and dry out.
If the seals were going bad, wouldn't they leak all of the time? I cannot imagine that it is simply due to evaporation. I don't go through any antifreeze, and I don't burn or loose any oil. I have had oil scans done, and the oil is perfectly fine. The fluid coming out does not smell like antifreeze, and it is too clean to be engine oil, although it does have a very slight green tinge to it.
So, is it possible that they only weep when it is cold? I am not going to plug them up at all because they do have a purpose. But, my research has shown me that perhaps I might consider a major overhaul... But again, everything looks fine. Could it be just condensation leaking back out? That might make sense since Deere removed them in fear that air might deteriorate the seals.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
I have a 1968 4020 Deere tractor with the diesel engine. Overall, the tractor is solid as hell, and aside from some seeping from quick connect fittings, it is as clean as hell.
I recently did a 12V conversion on the tractor with all modern Deere parts. Working for a John Deere engine distributor sure does have its advantage, and it is amazing that Deere does not change much over the years (the starter went in perfectly for instance,and it was originally for a modern Tier 3 6068).
At any rate, one thing that the modern diesels do not have are the weep holes on the side of the block. I know the history here on why Deere did it, and what the holes are for, but I do have a question that I am having a hard time trying to understand.
When the engine is shut down and has been sitting, things are a little damp on the block below the holes. Two of them (forward and rear holes) have a bit of weeping. The center hole does not.
When I start the engine up, they tend to weep a bit more than when it is shut down (pressure in the cooling system of course). However, after about 20 minutes of running, or until the engine is somewhat warmed up, they completely stop and dry out.
If the seals were going bad, wouldn't they leak all of the time? I cannot imagine that it is simply due to evaporation. I don't go through any antifreeze, and I don't burn or loose any oil. I have had oil scans done, and the oil is perfectly fine. The fluid coming out does not smell like antifreeze, and it is too clean to be engine oil, although it does have a very slight green tinge to it.
So, is it possible that they only weep when it is cold? I am not going to plug them up at all because they do have a purpose. But, my research has shown me that perhaps I might consider a major overhaul... But again, everything looks fine. Could it be just condensation leaking back out? That might make sense since Deere removed them in fear that air might deteriorate the seals.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!