48 Super A - smoking slightly

CapLoneStar · May 15, 2019

I did several things lately and want some feedback.

1.) I shortened my muffler by quite a bit, I m wondering if shortening it has revealed the smoking, whereas the longer muffler was hiding some of the exhaust? I don t think that makes any sense...

Moving on...

2.) I rebuilt the hydraulic pump with new orings and gaskets to prevent oil from the hydraulic pump leaking into the crankcase. I only noticed the smoking today, it seems to been fine for the past four days. I use 30W in both the hydraulics and crankcase, so I m not concerned about them mixing too much.

The smoke is slightly blue in color. It seems like when it s idling the smoke is clear, when I thrust the throttle up a little puff of blue smoke will come out then go back to "clear" exhaust like it s been. Thoughts ?

ih560 · May 15, 2019

It sounds like worn valve guides. If this turns out being the cause and you don't want to have the head redone you can put some umbrella seals on the valves to slowor stop the issue.

CapLoneStar · May 16, 2019

Thanks for the reply IH560. This sounds outside of my mechanical abilities. I get sketched out if I have to mess with the internals. Is this going to do anything besides burn some oil if I don t address it right away?

ih560 · May 16, 2019

(quoted from post at 15:56:24 05/16/19)

Thanks for the reply IH560. This sounds outside of my mechanical abilities. I get sketched out if I have to mess with the internals. Is this going to do anything besides burn some oil if I don t address it right away?

It will use a little oil and may foul a plug occasionally if that is the case.
If it is the valve guides that are worn, it could potentially cause the valve to stop seating completely because the valve will be rocking a little bit in the guide.
One decent aspect is that usually once the guides wear enough to start passing oil, the oil lubricates them and the rate of wear slows down a little (in theory).

CapLoneStar · May 16, 2019

I see, makes sense! I m looking for someone in my area that restores these so they can go through it with a fine-tooth comb and make it 100% mechanically sound. I think it s small things like gaskets and seals.. and like you say these valve guides

caterpillar guy · May 17, 2019

If you are not running it much might not be worth the cost and work to fix. Would run for many years as is with the small puff of smoke when accelerated. If it is burning oil it will show up in the tips of the plugs and the drop in oil in the crankcase.

ih560 · May 17, 2019

This is true and typically to redo the head on one of these little tractors, by the time you buy the valve train kit and pay for the machine work, you are looking at $300 or more.

They are a pretty simple head to work on, but once you put new guides in, you will need to have the seats cut and the valve ground so everything seals properly and if you don't have those tools, then you have to take it to a cylinder head shop.
I had a shop that I used to have a good relationship with, he would just do the needed machine work, and then I would do all assembly, it was really cheap that way, but he was an older gentleman and has gotten out of the business. Most of the places now want to do everything or nothing, including charging big money for a hot-tanking on a perfectly clean cylinder head or block. I have bought all the tools to do 99% of this work myself now, but that isn't really feasible if you just have one tractor. I currently have 9 and am always looking at more to buy, so having the tools saves me a decent amount of money and is a perfect excuse to buy more tractors to use them on hahaha.

48 Super A - smoking slightly

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