Coolant leak, sealant recommendations

Ken52M

Member
Kubota B6000 has coolant leak w/ coolant getting into oil pan. I replaced the head gasket this spring... did not resolve problem. I am considering my options. Sell as is w/ known problem OR Try to seal the leak w/ some sealant product. It appears to be a slow leak and has leaked about 1 pint since early spring. I am seeking recommendations (good/bad)based on experiences that other readers may have had. TIA for and help offered. Ken B
 
sodium silicate, available at old drug stores, also known as water glass. It has sealed some bad leaks for me. usually lasts for 2-3 yrs.
 
(quoted from post at 14:45:29 09/25/14) Kubota B6000 has coolant leak w/ coolant getting into oil pan. I replaced the head gasket this spring... did not resolve problem. I am considering my options. Sell as is w/ known problem OR Try to seal the leak w/ some sealant product. It appears to be a slow leak and has leaked about 1 pint since early spring. I am seeking recommendations (good/bad)based on experiences that other readers may have had. TIA for and help offered. Ken B

No miracle in a bottle will repair the leak it.
The bearings and journals maybe damaged from ethylene glycol contamination.
A full tear down and rebuild is required by you, the dealer or the next owner.
It's 37+ years old. If the antifreeze was not replaced every 5-7 years or a package of corrosion inhibitor added when required. The wet sleeves and block could be cavitated through.
To be honest she is to the size,age and stage where writing it off as salvage is a consideration. The backwards pto is a drawback.
If it is 4WD and was equipped with a blade,it may still make it as a barn scraper.
The cost of returning the tractor to new specs would go a long way on a new JD 1 series.

1973 - 1977

The Kubota B6000 has a counter-clockwise PTO shaft, which is opposite the common direction.

Manufacturer: Kubota
Factory: Japan
Original price (USD): $3,000 (1977)

Variants:
B6000D: 4WD
B6000E: 2WD

Kubota B6000 Engine:
Kubota 0.6L 2-cyl diesel

3-Point Hitch:
Rear Type: I

Power Take-off (PTO):
Rear RPMs: 540 (counter-clockwise)

Dimensions & Tires:
Weight: 860 to 1050 pounds
Front tire: 4.00-9
Rear tire: 7.00-16
B6000 Serial Numbers:
- Serial numbers unknown -
Kubota B6000 Power:
Engine: 13 hp [9.7 kW]
PTO (claimed): 11 hp [8.2 kW]
Mechanical:
Chassis: 4x2 2WD
4x4 MFWD 4WD (optional)

Last update: May 3, 2013
Copyright: Copyright 2013 TractorData LLC
Contact: [email protected]
 
K-Seal I think is what the race car guys are swearing by. If it was a radiator leak I'd say Alumaseal. They're claiming that K-Seal works for head gaskets and such. If it's an o-ring or something,I don't know if anything will seal it up short of finding the source and repairing it.
 
If it is nearing "end of life" and will be recycled when it finally dies, or you are going to be a plick and pawn it off on someone else, K Seal is a GREAT product.

On the other hand if is a good tractor and you are going to keep it, figure out (and repair) the actual problem.
 
(quoted from post at 19:45:29 09/25/14) Kubota B6000 has coolant leak w/ coolant getting into oil pan. I replaced the head gasket this spring... did not resolve problem. I am considering my options. Sell as is w/ known problem OR Try to seal the leak w/ some sealant product. It appears to be a slow leak and has leaked about 1 pint since early spring. I am seeking recommendations (good/bad)based on experiences that other readers may have had. TIA for and help offered. Ken B

Several years ago, I traded for a TO30 that, the owner said, would turn the oil to milk within a few hours. I believe I used K&W engine block sealer???
The instructions said that anti-freeze would prevent it from working, so I completely flushed the cooling system THOROUGHLY and then filled with water and the sealer and ran until it got to operating temperature.
After cooling down to cold, I drained the water, flushed with baking soda mixture, warmed it up again and drained.
Filled it with anti-freeze mix and it is still oil contaminant free. This procedure took nearly a days work.
I am almost sure it was K&W but it has been several years?
 
I had a local farmer ask me about a coolant/head gasket leak about 5 years ago. It was so bad it would blow water nearly 2 feet out of the radiator when you ran it with the cap off. I told him it was pretty much a hopeless case short of a head gasket. He wound up getting some kind of stuff in a clear bottle that had a "liquid glass" formual and was compatible with the antifreeze. A week or so later I saw the tractor again and the leak had completely stopped. I know for a fact it ran until he passed away about 6 months ago without any further problems.

I can't remember what the name of that stuff was, but more recently I have heard really good things about Blue Devil brand. I know the company my Dad is now working for used it on an engine they had and the leak stopped. Before buying it Dad had talked to quite a few others, and they had all had good experiences with it, otherwise he wouldn't have tried it.

As others have said though it is an older machine, and glycol can damage the bearings, so your taking a chance with anything but an engine rebuild and repairing the problem correctly. I've seen this kind of thing bite people in the butt on more than one occasion.....at the same time I've also seen machines still running years after they should have been dead, all because someone patched them up and 'ran on'.
 
IronTite crack sealer. There are two types, on for use with anifreeze and the better one without where you need to remove all the coolant...

Sometimes it works - 10 years on a JD 2755 sometimes it doesn't - repair burn between cylinders on block, and head gasket on a MF 1085.

Good Luck
 
Water glass always worked for me! You have to use plain water with it, and can use antifreeze later, after sealing. Cover the radiator, to restrict air flow, and get the engine almost smoking, with the water glass water mix, then shut engine down and let it cool. Put in antifreeze and go to work with it. Just don't let it get real hot again. 200 deg to 212deg. is ok.
 
Most OTC stop leaks contain sodium silicate. Then the manufacturer adds their own cocktail. It's the water glass that really does the job so read the label.
 
Only you know if the tractor is worth selling "as is". If you are certain it is from the head gasket area, I would remove the head again and check it or have it checked for cracks, out-of-flat and pressure tested. Don't rule out the block for issues until you prove it's good to yourself. I would not run it with coolant getting in the pan.
 
If I though it was the head gasket I'd pop the head off, make sure the holes were chased with a bottom tap, the pilots are not burred, etc. MAke sure the head is flat as well as the deck... and try another gasket. If you don't think it's the head gasket... such as a block pinhole or crack then I guess you have nothing to lose in trying whatever your favorite elixir and see what happens. Beyond that I'd wager it's time to scrap it out...

Rod
 

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