I think my SC blew a head gasket

Well today I was running my Super C, playing around with it a little since I just bought it. I shut it off, hand cranked it, shut it off, and hand cranked it again, and the last time it kind of smoked a little when it fired up, and blew a little bit of water out the muffler. I shut it down, opened the oil petcocks and there was no evidence of coolant, but I then remembered that coolant will probably sit on top of oil, so I pulled the dipstick and it looked like it had a green tint to it, but was hard to tell. I was running late for work at this point, so I had to come in. But now sitting here I can't help but wonder why it would do this. It wasn't over heated that I noticed (temp gauge doesn't work) and was only running for maybe 20 minutes or so, if that. When I first started it today, it had stalled a couple times randomly after 10 or so minutes of running/driving around, but always fired right back up, then for a minute or two acted like it was plugged up a little, like something got in the fuel line, it would die down, yank on the choke, come back to life, and so forth a few times. Other than that it's been running fine, never smokes, never lost any oil psi..and I'm puzzled as to why it would do this. Going to drain the oil tonight when I get off, or tomorrow morning.

Cliff notes:

Started tractor
Ran for 10 mins
Started coughing and stalling for a few mins
Ran fine for another 10 or so mins, shut it off
hand cranked it, shut it off
hand cranked it again, smoked a little, with water lightly coming out the muffler

The head can be rusted thru at the exhau8st post and do the same. This will let coolant thru the valve and into the pan by the piston. If cooland is coming out the exhaust thats probably it. Remove the manifold and you will be able to see the leak if thats where it is.

(quoted from post at 16:15:30 02/04/11) The head can be rusted thru at the exhau8st post and do the same. This will let coolant thru the valve and into the pan by the piston. If cooland is coming out the exhaust thats probably it. Remove the manifold and you will be able to see the leak if thats where it is.

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That doesn't sound fixable..jesus I just can't win with these Farmalls.. :?

I think any anti freeze will be on the bottom of the oil. Let it set all night and then loosen the oil drain plug to the last couple of threads and see what seeps past the plug.

It is cold out and constant restarting will cause condensation in the muffler.

I doubt there is anything wrong with your tractor. check the antifreeze level,check the oil level,smear a little oil on your finger-you shoould be able to smell antifreeze if it has any in it

(quoted from post at 16:56:11 02/04/11) I think any anti freeze will be on the bottom of the oil. Let it set all night and then loosen the oil drain plug to the last couple of threads and see what seeps past the plug.

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I thought it was the other way around. The ol lady and I just finished dinner. Was going to run to get some oil, and drain it tomorrow and see what the deal is.

(quoted from post at 17:14:31 02/04/11)
It is cold out and constant restarting will cause condensation in the muffler.

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I would drop to my knees and kiss the tractors shoes if this was all that was wrong.

(quoted from post at 17:40:09 02/04/11) I doubt there is anything wrong with your tractor. check the antifreeze level,check the oil level,smear a little oil on your finger-you shoould be able to smell antifreeze if it has any in it

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When I pulled the dipstick, I could've swore it had a greenish-antifreeze color tint to it, but I rubbed it on my finger and smelled it. It was slippery, just as oil and antifreeze both are, but it didn't smell like coolant from what I could tell. If you guys are right, you will be my new best friends. I'm so bummed over this. I cannot begin to tell you the horrible luck I've had with my past two Farmalls previous to this one.

The antifreeze will be on the bottom (oil is lighter than water) and I speak from experience as i've been bathed in antifreeze when changing the oil and have had antifreeze come gushing out first. I agree with the others that it is just condensation, as it is pretty cold accrossed most of the nation.

You can expect a little water this time of year when you start it(check the tail pipe on your car)hot gasses blowing through a cold metal tube.

I'd say condensation. I get misted by mine sometimes. Goes away in a minute. Check your fuel stream. Pull the plug at the bottom of the carb, or the line at the carb. You might have some junk in the tank or the line causing it to sputter. Fuel stream should be constant. Shawn

Quit "playing" with your C. In cold weather if you
are not going to use it for an hour or so and get it
hot let it set.

There's no specific sequence of events that will automatically blow a head gasket, so it's not going to be something like:

Drive around for 10 minutes
+
random sputtering
+
do the hokey-pokey and turn yourself about
=
blown head gasket

NO, it just ain't gonna happen.

If indeed there is something wrong with your tractor, it was either just on the edge of going bad when you bought it, or it was already like that when you bought it. Nothing you've done has hurt the tractor one bit.

First thing you need to do is get over your "tractor hypochondria" and not assume every little sputter and blip is a catastrophic failure. Fact of the matter is...

Your tractor probably needs a full tuneup.
Your first attempt at a carburetor job probably won't be successful.
There's probably crap in the gas tank and/or fuel line.
Gasoline powered tractors sputter and spit in the cold weather until they're warmed up.

Just keep at it and take things one day at a time. Don't get too excited about any one possibility.

First thing you need to do is get over your "tractor hypochondria" and not assume every little sputter and blip is a catastrophic failure. Fact of the matter is...

Your tractor probably needs a full tuneup.
Your first attempt at a carburetor job probably won't be successful.
There's probably crap in the gas tank and/or fuel line.
Gasoline powered tractors sputter and spit in the cold weather until they're warmed up.

Just keep at it and take things one day at a time. Don't get too excited about any one possibility.

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If you knew my past experiences you'd know where I'm coming from lol..I think my soil might just be cursed. I got my uncles 48 H, the constant mesh gear sheared all the teeth off like a week later. I picked up another H on craigslist to use while I rebuilt the trans on my uncles 48, that the block and head happened to freeze on and crack the day I brought it home before I had a chance to be sure it was safe in these temps. So after that I bought a C, had it at my work for a few weeks and used it around there, then took it back to my farm because I was going to use it for plowing the driveway with the 3pt on it over the winter. The DAY I unloaded it from the trailer, the trans in that one broke. Soooo after all that I gave it a 4th try, bought this Super C from a guy who seemed very caring for his tractors, brought it back to the farm. Left it in the trailer for a week, then finally unloaded it yesterday and this happens. So I'm praying it's nothing serious. But now you have a better idea of why I'm so quick to jump at the first puff of smoke I see.

Sir if you had antifreeze in your oil. After running the engine your oil would look like milk.
All gas engines spit and sputter when cold and expel water. Uses the tractor and work it hard, it's good for it.