Help me trouble shoot

BlackThumbHomesteader · Apr 27, 2015

Tractor; 2N
Problem; Using the bush-hog for roughly an hour when I figured it was time to break for water(myself and the tractor). 30 minutes later I go out, turn the engine over and am greeted by a splash of liquid from my exhaust pipe. Turn the tractor off immediately and rush to check the oil for foam or wateryness. I couldn't tell if it was watery, but there was no foam on the dipstick.

The engine did sound almost like it was surging when I had it going. I pulled the exhaust pipe and poured out about 2 tablespoons worth of the liquid and did I visual examination of the engine; no new leaks, odd smells, holes in the block, etc.

I'm letting the motor cool for a while then I plan on going out, blipping the starter, and taking a sample of the oil to see if it separates. Any idea what else I should be looking into?

Den N Ms · Apr 27, 2015

BlackThumbHomesteader,Pull the radiator cap and have a look ,see if its full of coolant.If not it could be a head gasket.Time for a compression test.

BlackThumbHomesteader · Apr 27, 2015

(quoted from post at 15:02:03 04/27/15) BlackThumbHomesteader,Pull the radiator cap and have a look ,see if its full of coolant.If not it could be a head gasket.Time for a compression test.

Head gasket was replaced this time last year(felpro fibre with copper sealant). Radiator was topped up before I went in for my break and the level is the same now...as far as I can tell; just over the core.

Jimmyjack · Apr 27, 2015

Curious why you had to top up radiator, and stopped for water? I have not had to add water for years. You must have had indications of some problem before this happened?

BlackThumbHomesteader · Apr 27, 2015

(quoted from post at 15:56:55 04/27/15) Curious why you had to top up radiator, and stopped for water? I have not had to add water for years. You must have had indications of some problem before this happened?

Water pump went out last month and the fan blade did a number on the lower radiator hose. New pump, duct tape on the hose. Slow leak, new hose coming in 2 weeks.

ZANE · Apr 27, 2015

Did you turn off the gas when you stopped?

Could be that the carburetor flooded and you got gas coming out the exhaust
Better check your oil and make sure it is not over full because of gas in the crankcase.

Zane

old · Apr 27, 2015

Did you add the water wit hit still running or was it stopped and still hot??? If not running and still hot you may well have cracked the block or some such thing. Cold water into a hot engine with out it running tends to cause cracks in things

BlackThumbHomesteader · Apr 27, 2015

It's not fuel, I smelled it and it didn't even smell of oil, odourless like water. Which is a telling statement in itself.

Water was poured in with the engine running, no oil scum on the top of it that I could see.

tractorguy2 · Apr 27, 2015

it has to be either oil,fuel, or coolant.

If you have been adding water to a hot engine. You most likely have a cracked head.

Petey156 · Apr 28, 2015

how much water came out? Any chance it was condensation?

BlackThumbHomesteader · Apr 28, 2015

I'll be doing a compression test later today and will report back with numbers. I'm wondering if the water pump issue starved the engine of coolant before I caught it and I'm looking at a warped/cracked head. Regardless of the issue this gives me a chance to go through my hydraulic pump finally and get it back in shape while getting this new issue dealt with.

BlackThumbHomesteader · Apr 29, 2015

Update;

Didn't have time to get to the tractor untill just a few minutes ago.
Pulled the dipstick and it was showing only oil.
Pulled the oil filler pipe to look in the block and saw nothing untoward. Filler neck was full of creamy white gunk.
Turned the engine over without spark while looking in the oil filler hole and saw normal engine movement and oiling.
Turned the engine over with spark and fuel; very difficult to start and I was greeted with a blast of oily water from the header(exhaust pipe is off).
After a few seconds of running I looked back in the oil filler hole and can clearly see oil/water mix in the block.

At this point I realise something has failed; cracked block or head or headgasket. How do I diagnose from here between those issues? This must have been a problem for a while but I saw no signs beyond disappearing coolant which I attributed to the damaged radiator hose and faulty water pump. I'm religious about watching fluid levels and did not see my dipstick levels going up from water in the block.

BlackThumbHomesteader · May 2, 2015

Got out to the tractor today to do some work on the problem. Pulled the head and found that #1 had a significant amount of water in it, #3 showed a tablespoon of mocha-coloured sludge, and #2 and #4 looked like good running cylinders.

I can't report on bleed over between chambers due to a failed head gasket because it was destroyed when removing the head(used copper sealant on it). I do not see, through the gasket remnants, any visible cracks in the head. Looking around #1 cylinder area of the block I likewise don't see any visible cracks. To be honest I'm not certain exactly where I should turn my eye.

Help me trouble shoot

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