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Problem with 4020 tractor motor

R

randallinMo

Member
I recently redid the head on my 4020 motor. The head gaskets were shot so went to do a replace and found out the head was in bad shape so put a new reman head on. THis was all done to stop an oil leak around the head gasket. All total spent about $3200. Now......I"ve got a big problem with "blow-by" of oil seemingly coming from around the exhaust manifold up towards the left front side of the engine. The local experts tell me that since we replaced the head and used all new stuff, that the rings etc. on the lower half of the motor are out of adjustment? and now are causing oil to blow by? I"ve already spent $3200.00 on this old tractor, and now they say I need to fix the lower half of the motor which will be at least another $2500.00. It's a 1969 model with 14000 hours plus. Is it worth fixing? WHat should I do? All I wanted to do was stop the oil leak...which I did...but created another one elsewhere. All advice will be appreciated.
 
Yes its worth fixing!4020s are still valuable,sought after tractors.I just watched one sell at auction for $11,500.Can you replace that tractor for $2500?or even $6,000?Probably not.You know what you have,it works for you.Fix it!
 
Any oil slobber up the stack? Is the engine running up to temp at at least 180F to 195F? Fresh injectors? Working the engine or putting around. Weight and type of oil.
 
(quoted from post at 08:58:40 04/04/12) I recently redid the head on my 4020 motor. The head gaskets were shot so went to do a replace and found out the head was in bad shape so put a new reman head on. THis was all done to stop an oil leak around the head gasket. All total spent about $3200. Now......I"ve got a big problem with "blow-by" of oil seemingly coming from around the exhaust manifold up towards the left front side of the engine. The local experts tell me that since we replaced the head and used all new stuff, that the rings etc. on the lower half of the motor are out of adjustment? and now are causing oil to blow by? I"ve already spent $3200.00 on this old tractor, and now they say I need to fix the lower half of the motor which will be at least another $2500.00. It's a 1969 model with 14000 hours plus. Is it worth fixing? WHat should I do? All I wanted to do was stop the oil leak...which I did...but created another one elsewhere. All advice will be appreciated.
Click to expand...
"..rings on the lower half of the motor are out of adjustment?"????????
Number one look for different "experts'.
 
No oil slobber up the stack. Fresh injectors were installed. And I was just putting around for hte most part. Worked the tractor for a couple hours running 1500 rpm's max. Then sprayed 8 acres running maybe 1800 rpm's. So, probably not running up to temp. Used 15w40 motor oil. Completely serviced this tractor while we had it down.
 
Go to a different shop. They are giving you a bunch of bull. The old head could have been resurfficed for very little money.
 
Are you sure it's oil? I've seen lots of diesel slobber (which may leak from an imperfect manifold gasket) in chore tractors that were seldom brought up to operating temperature in the Winter. I'd suggest LOADING it for a couple of hours and seeing what happens.
 
See, that's the problem. We did have the old head resurfaced, but it had been "fixed" previously with JB Weld. In fact, I had a cobbled up mess that I didn't even know I had. The block was from a 4020, the head supposedly from a 4010. We couldn't even find the head in John Deere's books according to the casting number. None of the head gaskets would fit that we ordered. When we discovered the JB Weld trick, I said to heck with it, get a reman head and let's go.
 
(quoted from post at 23:16:22 04/04/12) The block was from a 4020, the head supposedly from a 4010. We couldn't even find the head in John Deere's books according to the casting number.
Click to expand...

I'd sure like to know the casting # on your old cyl head that can't be found in JD parts catalog. Only adjustment on worn piston rings is replacement.
 
Rev it to rated Rpm"s and work it at 180-195F coolant temp. Few folk realize ring / sleeve wear and oil dilution occur at temps below the 180"s. Wear is actually reduced and fuel efficiency improves at 195F. For some reason the idea of "cooler is better" exists out there ???
 
I had a 4040 that I bought brand new. It wasn't more than 2 years old when I was moving a mobile home for somebody. It sat idling the better part of the day while we were pondering what we were doing. That one had fuel running right down the side of the muffler by mid day.
 
(quoted from post at 00:15:26 04/05/12) Rev it to rated Rpm"s and work it at 180-195F coolant temp. Few folk realize ring / sleeve wear and oil dilution occur at temps below the 180"s.
Click to expand...

b&d
Seriously do you think operating a engine with over 14,000 hrs at 180-195 % F will help ring/sleeve?? :wink: I think the rings and sleeves are about as worn as they're going to get!
 
(quoted from post at 14:58:22 04/04/12)
(quoted from post at 00:15:26 04/05/12) Rev it to rated Rpm"s and work it at 180-195F coolant temp. Few folk realize ring / sleeve wear and oil dilution occur at temps below the 180"s.
Click to expand...

b&d
Seriously do you think operating a engine with over 14,000 hrs at 180-195 % F will help ring/sleeve?? :wink: I think the rings and sleeves are about as worn as they're going to get!
Click to expand...

What part do you not want to understand Mr. Jim ?
 
Have bought 2 pickups where either head gasket or valve only repaired (both had valve jobs )and several hours.Eachone fogged blue smoke as if fogging for mosquetios. Installed rings bearings new gaskets and both were great runners. They sold well and were both bought for a fraction of selling price. Exceptionaly good return on my time.
 
(quoted from post at 05:26:47 04/05/12)
Click to expand...

b&d
Seriously do you think operating a engine with over 14,000 hrs at 180-195 % F will help ring/sleeve?? :wink: I think the rings and sleeves are about as worn as they're going to get![/quote]

b&d
What part do you not understand?????? An engine with "over 14,000 hrs" on it that running below good operating temperature probably won't affect the wear of the pistons/sleeves as they don't have very much LIFE left.
 
So we may as well remove that nasty old aircleaner
as probably won't affect the wear of the
pistons/sleeves as they don't have very much LIFE
left.
How about stack slobber,fuel efficiency and lube
oil dilution?
 
(quoted from post at 18:18:36 04/05/12) So we may as well remove that nasty old aircleaner
as probably won't affect the wear of the
pistons/sleeves as they don't have very much LIFE
left.
How about stack slobber,fuel efficiency and lube
oil dilution?
Click to expand...


Here you go changing the subject. We were discussing an engine with over 14,000 hrs getting more wear from operating a few degrees below 195 degrees. Now you're bringing up removal of air cleaner fuel efficiency & oil dilution which wasn't mentioned by me.

Never mind you're correct in your statement that running the engine a few degrees lower than the optimum temp will drastically shorten the life of a engine with over 14,000 hrs on it.
 
Well, I sure would have let you try to find it, but we traded the old head in on the reman and it's gone now. No kidding, two different John Deere Dealers told us they had never heard of that head and could NOT find it in their books. It is possible that just putting around with this tractor caused the "blow by". I cleaned the motor up good last night with a power washer and then started the tractor and let it run for about an hour at 2000 rpm's. I didn't notice any oil running out from around the manifold anywhere after this. So....I don't know. I"m going to run it like this for the beginning of the hay season and if it continues to create an oil mess, I"ll take it in and have the lower half of the motor redone.
 
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