Farmall C smokes

BIGR · May 24, 2009

Picked up a '51 C last fall that was sitting in a barn for 3 years. Owner said it ran when he parked it. Went through everything through the winter and this spring went to fire it up, started right up but the head gasket leaked bad. Changed the head gasket, anti freeze and oil. Tractor starts and runs good but smokes out of the exhaust pipe. Makes a good fumigator. Just wondering where to start. My buddy asked if I did anything with the head when it was off, he thought I should of gone through the valves since it sat so long. Any ideas? Also, a previous post to use Hytran oil in the hydraulics, I changed it and went with 10wt just like the manual said. OK?

Janicholson · May 24, 2009

If it smokes oil smoke, run it hard doing real work for maybe 5 to 8 hours. If it does not improve, pull the plugs and put 1/4 cup of ATF in each of the holes. put the plugs back in and wait 5 days.
Pull the plugs and place a old blanket over the holes. Crank it 15 seconds to blow out the excess ATF.
Put in the plugs and work it again (it will smoke from the ATF for a while, but if the rings can be loosened that will do it.
If it boils over, or it is Antifreeze smoke, it may be cracked internally. Have the head checked first, then block.
JimN

CNKS · May 24, 2009

10 wt was recommended before IH developed Touch Control fluid, which was then replaced with Hytran--so 10W will work, but I prefer Hytran. Blue smoke is oil, black smoke is a rich fuel mixture, white smoke is a water or antifreeze leak, possibly a cracked head or block. If the spark plugs are black and sooty the mixture is too rich, if oily it is burning oil and needs at least rings, preferably a complete overhaul including the head. Could be a combination of all of the above. Run a compression test -- you will likely find a lot of variation between cylinders. Compression should be 100+, new was about 120, will run on 80. Ideally cylinders should be within 10% of each other.

BIGR · May 26, 2009

Do you have the proper procedure to do a compreesion check? I pulled the plugs, the front one (#1) is a little black, the other 3 are tan. No problems with cooling or anything. I'm beginning to think it's just from sitting so long.

Janicholson · May 27, 2009

Compression check:
All plugs out.
Throttle wide open.
Battery charged.
Tested to be good and accurate gauge
crank engine for six strokes on each cylinder.
Write down the numbers.
Repeat with two squirts of engine oil in each cylinder. Write down the numbers. Each should be within 10 % of the highest reading. JimN

Farmall C smokes

BIGR

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Janicholson

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CNKS

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BIGR

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Janicholson

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