Curious Cub. Oil in the donaldson air cleaner?

Moondoggie · Feb 22, 2011

'49 Cub has had a lack of power, despite new points, condensor, plugs, plug wires, carb. rebuild and removing the slack from the governor linkage. Based on info. on this site, thought I'd try the air cleaner pipe to see if it was clogged. The oil in the bottom of the air cleaner had water in it! That might explain why it ran better when warmed up (the ice melted?). Ran very well with the oil cup removed. Hasn't been run in the rain or snow. Stored inside. Where's the water coming from? Looks like chocolate milk, similar to water in the transmission. Oil was new 1 month ago. Any advice? Thanx.

1983lukey · Feb 22, 2011

There should be a metal line running from the block to the upper air cleaner (for cold start). I may be crazy but is it possible that your sucking coolant into your air cleaner. I would unhook that line, if that works plug them you dont need them anyways.

mikeintn · Feb 22, 2011

Condensation.

Moondoggie · Feb 22, 2011

lukey, thanx for the reply. The oil level does not increase and the exhaust is clean, no grey smoke, even on start up. The coolant is bright green, but the oil is not. Perhaps as the other reply suggested, it is condenstion, but why so much? The cup doesn't get that hot. I'll disconnect the tube and try that.

Janicholson · Feb 22, 2011

I would guess that the water is indeed condensation. The amount needed to make "chocolate moose" out of oil is about 10 % or less. If the oil came from a new or clean container that is ruled out. If the oil cup was clean when you refilled it that removes that possibility. If the engine oil is not "moose" I would believe it is condensation. The oil should be the same as your engine oil. Jim

rustred · Feb 22, 2011

have seen diff. tractors get water in the cup just from the rain.then when fall came and it froze tractor would not even start.

ScottyHOMeY · Feb 22, 2011

"The cup doesn't get that hot."

Precisely. The filter might warm up a little with heat from the block through the mount, but it is always drawing in cool air under vacuum so it never gets truly warm. When in operation, most of the oil that rests in the cup is up in the mesh/wool and any moisture in the intake air, whether it passes over or throght the oil has an opportunity, if the conditions are right, to emulsify to some extent with the oil.

At the same time, that filter is subject to the same kind of inernal condensation that can get into a crankcase, that from wide and rap[id temperature fluctuations while it is just sitting.

The difference is that your crankcase oil will get hot when you run it and if run long enough will steam off any water that has emulsified with the oil. That filter cup never gets hot enough to do the same thing.

billde · Feb 22, 2011

That tube is for crankase ventilation, and yes it is needed. Unless the crankcase is full of water or antifreeze that is not the source of the problem.

mkirsch · Feb 23, 2011

How long since the last time the oil was changed in the air cleaner?

If you changed it recently, and it's now contaminated with water, something strange is going on.

Otherwise it's been about 30 years since it was last changed, and anything could have happened in those 30 years.

Jim in Ma. · Feb 23, 2011

I run 3 Cubs here, and yes they tend to get water in there in humid weather. - Another thing to look at would be that small tube running from the air cleaner to the block. Make sure that's not plugged.

evilboweviel · Feb 23, 2011

1 farmallcub.com for good info
2 sounds like you just aquired this Cub. So remove the air cleaner, turn it upside down and fill with kerosene. Let it soak and then agitate it. Dump it out and refill with kerosene again repeat the soak and agitation cycle until the kerosene dumps out clean
3 remove the small tube andclean it out good as it proabably is plugged
4 replace the air cleaner and refill the cup with the proper oil to the proper level
5 cub should now be able to get good clean air and run as good as it does with the cup removed

good luck
Ron

Moondoggie · Feb 23, 2011

Thanx for all the excellent hints and explanations and suggestions. I'll clean the canister out this weekend, along with the tube, and post the results. The spouse says I must keep the day job if I'm spending money on tractor parts.

Curious Cub. Oil in the donaldson air cleaner?

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