What is this on my Super M?

Billsco

New User
New to the IH world so sorry about my ignorance. I bought Super M and immediately left of the distributor there is a tube which originates on the valve cover and ends underneath the tractor. It creates considerable exhaust when warmed to operating temp. Is this normal?
 
Crankcase vent tube. The "exhaust" you
see is cylinder blowby and indicates worn
rings.
 
The cover you mention is covering the lifters for the valve train. The actual valve cover is on top of the engine, covering the valve springs,
rockers,and tops of the valves.
The blow by mentioned by Bob M is as he describes. If the engine has not been used in a while, it could be kinda normal for water vapor to be expelled
from the vent. also there is a tube that connects to the air cleaner from the head, and it could be plugged up and not sucking some of the blowby into
the intake. Make sure the oil level is up to the top petcock in the oil pan, and run the tractor for several hours to see if it has oil consumption,
(usually grey smoke out the exhaust. Jim
head and valve train

block and covers
 
Now is it anything to worry about? If the engine starts well, makes good power, has good oil pressure, and doesn't make any funny noises, there is no rational reason to tear the engine down and overhaul it to get rid of the blowby. The only reason to go through the work and expense is if you personally can't stand it.

One thing you can try is a Seafoam treatment. My best results are from spraying it directly into the intake of a warmed-up engine, as much as it will take without stalling, until I get most of a can in, then shut down and let the tractor cool off. Next time you start it, it will smoke like a freight train for a few minutes, but once it's cleared up, it may not smoke as much in general.
 

Would agree with the above posts. Main one is if the tractor has not been worked hard in the last month would be condensation boiling off. Run it till good and warm and then drain oil and change filter.

I would have to add a couple thoughts or questions.

Like why do you have this tractor? By that I mean is it being used as a major part of a farm, something to tow a trailer for a once or twice a year Hayride through the woods, just a toy to remind you of growing up and visiting grand-dad on his farm, or something else.

Next might be what is you mechanical ability? Work full time rebuilding engines for local Cat dealer, broke every toy you had as a kid, don't know which end of a screw driver to hit with a claw hammer?

How long do you hope to be using this tractor? Did you buy a Farmall because red is your favorite color? Do you live some place up north and have a heated shop and need a reason to hide from significant other?

Okay guess I got a bit carried away, but many of the answers to those questions would give you answers or at least excuses for what to do next.
 
I bought this tractor because it has a
live hydraulic loader. It will see light
farm work on my 100 acre tillable fields.
I bought it from a Vietnam vet whose
plans for it diminished when he was
diagnosed with COPD. He had the engine
overhauled ($3200) and then it sat until
he put it up for sale. He estimated 2
total hours running since the overhaul,
mostly idling to keep it limber.

As for my mechanical abilities, I can
follow instructions in shop manuals, last
week I replaced a head gasket in my 8N.
But no, I am not mechanically inclined. I
recently retired and was hoping to hobby
farm. My workhorse for now is a MM 670
Super. I will probably sell it and get
more red paint.

Anyway, that's my story. Another farmer
has been working my fields and I was
thinking of slowly getting into this. But
as for the Super M, it will probably see
light duty.
 
It is a vent from the valve cover. Most likely if it has been sitting for some time that the rings might be
stuck in the piston grooves. On my farmall A I took out the plugs and sprayed some seafoam penetrating oil
in each cylinder, and turned the engine a few times with the crank. put the plugs back in a couple of turns,
waited a few days, took out the plugs and gave it another treatment, turned engine a few times with the crank.
waited a few days again and started the tractor. Got a big blast of black smoke and it ran like a charm,
after the rings had broke loose. Try it snd work it for a while. Your compression tester is a friend.
make sure all tubes are clean and air cleaner cup is filled to the right mark and not overfull.
You have a great workhorse.
 
Sitting around idling is NO WAY to break-in a freshly overhauled engine. That Super M needs to get out and do some fieldwork! Once the engine is warmed up it needs to run about 50% load at full RPM for an hour, then an hour at 75% load, then an hour at 100% load. Then it needs to be idled down allowed to idle for 10 minutes to cool off, then probably check and adjust the valve tappet lash, and while you have the valve cover off, check the torque of all 17 head bolts in the order specified in the service manual.
If the engine was simply idled for a while during winter the engine oil was loaded with moisture. Burning a gallon of gasoline in an engine creates a gallon of water that roughly 1/4th of that water ends up in the engine oil, the rest goes up the muffler. The owners manuals for all engine powered equipment says to change oil & filter more frequently in cold weather when used for short durations for exactly that reason.
I spent some great hours on a Super M in my youth 55 years ago, a Super M-TA actually, year or two later it was traded for a 450 I swear I lived on spring and summers.
 

Well if that's the case I would repeat my suggestion about an oil change, run it long enough to warm it up good before draining and I guess it might not be a bad idea to do the SeaFoam down the plug holes first.

I always like to work a new or rebuilt motor, don't abuse it but let it run a bit to warm up then do some real work with it and try to vary the load on it.

Then I would change oil once more at about 1/2 what is considered "normal". I'm thinking someone might chime in on what that would be!
 

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