Burning Oil in my H

Minnesotan H · Jun 6, 2011

My H is buring oil. It runs good and starts easily but I burn almost a quart of oil per tank. Pushing blue smoke when working. I don"t use it all the time but I do pull a brush hog a couple of times a month during the summer a few hours at a time. What is my first step in diganosis? I have read that it could be a stuck valve, scored piston, etc. Should I start at the valve cover and work my way down? I am a first time internal engine mechanic so any suggestions would be great.

labman98 · Jun 6, 2011

You could start with pulling the plugs and do a compression check, that might get it narrowed down to a certain cylinder.

Bill in NJ · Jun 6, 2011

Start by pulling the plugs and doing a compression test. You need to do two tests per cylinder. Test each cylinder dry and record the compression. Compare that reading to the spec chart for your engine. Then squirt some oil in that cylinder and do another compression test. If your compression goes up an appreciable amount, your problem is in the cylinder. (Rings, pistons, Cylinder wall wear.) If the compression doesn't go up much your problem is in the head.

GordoSD · Jun 6, 2011

how many dollars per year in oil? $25?
Leave it alone until someone decides to retore it.

farmall300u · Jun 6, 2011

Before you do anything, what type of oil are you running? if you are running 15-40 weight diesel oil and it burning 1 qt/tank of gas, then do the diagnostics. If not running 15-40 weight diesel oil, change oils. I am running a 300U and if I use 5-30 weight detergent oil, I use 2 quarts/4 hours and none using 15-40 weight diesel oil. Have run it for 7 years, no problem.

Janicholson · Jun 6, 2011

Farmall300U is on target with this.
If it is rings, there is a pretty easy test.
It takes two people that are operators, and not just friends. (I think it is rings myself if the oil does not fix it.) With it warmed up and running, tow the tractor in second gear with another tractor in second gear. Not real fast.
Idle your H down so the other tractor has to pull it and it makes burbling noises like you were slowing down with the throttle from road speed. Pull it no more than 1/4 mile for this test, and do not over speed the engine.
This causes maximum engine vacuum to be applied to the intake valves. If the guides are loose, this will make it smoke like a chimney. If they are OK, or it smokes just a little more, it is likely rings. If it has only a few hours on it sense it has been sitting for a long time, give it a chance to come around. Do the rebuild in the winter if it still smokes.
Repair can be easily done with modest tools and about 1000 dollars in parts (this includes antifreeze and new filters etc.)
This site has good kits that include new cylinder sleeves and pistons that can boost the power of the engine (enough to be impressed)
Jim

gene bender · Jun 7, 2011

I would first change the oil and try a different brand just for fun replace with 15-30 or something like that. If you arent fouling plugs i wouldnt worry as if sounds like you realy dont use it that much couple qts of oil a year is not much money as the tractor is getting the job done.

Minnesotan H · Jun 7, 2011

Thanks for all the replys. I am putting in non-detg. 30 wt. oil. I am not fouling plugs. I guess a few quarts of oil is cheaper than repairs. As long as she runs good, I"ll just enjoy the smoke in the face and smile. Thanks

mkirsch · Jun 7, 2011

Good plan. Back in the heyday of the Farmall H, farmers would run them until they pretty much died before they'd rebuild them.

For what you use the tractor to do, it'll run like that for decades... If it really bothers you, you could start socking away money now for a rebuild down the road.

The compression check is a relatively inexpensive place to start anyway.

rustyfarmall · Jun 7, 2011

(quoted from post at 05:45:48 06/07/11) Good plan. Back in the heyday of the Farmall H, farmers would run them until they pretty much died before they'd rebuild them.

For what you use the tractor to do, it'll run like that for decades... If it really bothers you, you could start socking away money now for a rebuild down the road.

The compression check is a relatively inexpensive place to start anyway.

That is a false statement if ever there was one. In the heyday of the Farmall H, that tractor was the lifeblood of the farm. It was the farmers bread and butter. The farmer took care of it because he could not afford for it to be broken down just when it was time to begin spring planting. IH even had several programs to encourage farmers to bring their tractors in during the off season for engine rebuilds and other upgrades, performance improvements, etc. It was very rare to find a Farmall H or any other brand of tractor on any farm that was burning oil. The owners believed in preventative maintenance and never allowed the tractor to get so worn out that it was no longer dependable.

oldtanker · Jun 7, 2011

Really?????? Preventive maintenance????? Farmers????? On what planet????

I've seen a buch of farm equipment held together with barbed wire, tape and bad welds....being puller by tractors blowing blue smoke! Out of all the farmers I know only a couple take really good care of thier equipment.

Rick

rustyfarmall · Jun 7, 2011

(quoted from post at 06:18:47 06/07/11)

Really?????? Preventive maintenance????? Farmers????? On what planet????

I've seen a buch of farm equipment held together with barbed wire, tape and bad welds....being puller by tractors blowing blue smoke! Out of all the farmers I know only a couple take really good care of thier equipment.

Rick

A professional farmer takes care of his equipment. period.

Allan in NE · Jun 7, 2011

Heck, that's a simple one.

If it's burning that much oil, it needs an overhaul, plain and simple.

Also might add, the RIGHT way; not just throwin' a set of rings in it and calling it a rebuild.

That ill informed, shade-tree practice will ALWAYS make 'em worse than when ya started. :>)

Allan

Allan in NE · Jun 7, 2011

Why would ya give it a compression test?

The thing is using a quart of oil to a tank full of fuel. Who gives a dern about the compression at this point?

Allan

CNKS · Jun 7, 2011

You can run it that way if you want to. Your engine very likely needs a complete overhaul, from the top down, valves, pistons, sleeves, crank ground and new bearings, possibly a camshaft. Without the cam, the parts and machine work will be as Jim N says, about $1000. With that type of oil consumption (a quart a day is not unusual, but the smoke indicates it is serious), you don't need to analyse the problem. Either use it or fix it.

Anonymous-0 · Jun 7, 2011

Rusty, I know that it is hard to choose, but this has to be one of the dumbest things you have posted! I think maybe not everyone is as perfect as your vision of yourself.

CNKS · Jun 7, 2011

And lose the nondetergent oil--that stuff is good only for for the air cleaner, hydraulics, and things like air compressors.

TomA in CA · Jun 7, 2011

That non detergent oil may be your problem. I would change to a high quality 30 W oil like Delo 400 or Rotella T. Run the snot out of it at operating temp.
Bush hogging would be good. If it seems to help invest in frequent oil changes for a while.

Yooper Farmall · Jun 7, 2011

That's pretty easy, taking care of equipment is the best business decision, many do, many don't. Everyone is right.
D

Ludwig · Jun 7, 2011

A *smart* farmer knows that preventative maintenance ensures he gets his work done and his crops in.
I can't think of a non-insulting word for the other kind of farmer who just thrashes his equipment until it breaks, then does the minimum to fix it and keep it going but you can tell the difference.

The first guy has a nice house, nice car, etc. The second guy has a broken down house, old junk car etc. I've seen many examples of both over the years.

Its not just farmers either, the preventative maintenance ethic follows all workers everywhere.

I'm somewhere in the middle myself but I do appreciate the guy who makes sure his equipment is as well taken care of as he can make it...

dhermesc · Jun 7, 2011

As you said - in its heyday these were the life blood of a farm. The only problem is we are about 30-40 years past its heyday. A lot happens in that amount of time. I know when these old tractors became "peripheral" equipment in the late 1960s and 1970s they were indeed run until they dropped - it was cheaper to buy another good running unit than it was to spend the time and money on an overhaul or major repair. It still is.

I like my old 350 Farmall and it runs like a top but when the wear and tear finally mount up the chances of it seeing an out of frame overhaul are “0”. It makes much more economic sense to keep adding oil and eventually park it under a tree and buy another one or buy modern diesel then waste that kind of money on it.

rustyfarmall · Jun 7, 2011

(quoted from post at 08:16:15 06/07/11) Rusty, I know that it is hard to choose, but this has to be one of the dumbest things you have posted! I think maybe not everyone is as perfect as your vision of yourself.

Thank you for the compliment, but no, I am not perfect. I do respect my machinery though.

dhermesc · Jun 7, 2011

"A *smart* farmer knows that preventative maintenance ensures he gets his work done and his crops in."

How do you prevent a tractor from wearing out?

Owen Aaland · Jun 7, 2011

When you change the oil it might be a good idea to feel around in the pan to see if you find any piston skirts. When the sleeves and aluminum pistons get worn enough the skirts will break off. That allows the pistons to tip in the cylinders and they will burn a lot of oil. The most I ever found in an H was six. Just two pistons left that had one skirt each. They finally had it overhauled because they couldn't keep the plugs from fouling. That might be proof that at least some farmers ran them until they were about dead.

rhtx55 · Jun 7, 2011

If the tractor had siet for quite a while you may just have some slight imperfections on the cylinder liners either rust or possibly carbon, I agree with changing the oil, and run it for the summer, if it continues to get worse ( smoking more) then I would plan on new pistons & sleeves, rods, mains, valve job & gaskets. It would then last another 80 years.
The smoking may improve (decrease) after using it quite a bit this summer, allowing the rings to re-seat and blowing out the carbon.
Keep us posted, and keep an eye on your gauges when using it.

labman98 · Jun 7, 2011

You would give it a compression test to find out if it's 1, 2, 3 or four cylinders that are bad and help narrow down what is going on. Maybe it's all coming from one or two cylinders! This is a very easy test and not sure why a person would NOT do this first. Good Luck with the H!

Reggie Palmer · Jun 8, 2011

(quoted from post at 19:30:09 06/07/11)
I like my old 350 Farmall and it runs like a top but when the wear and tear finally mount up the chances of it seeing an out of frame overhaul are “0”. It makes much more economic sense to keep adding oil and eventually park it under a tree and buy another one or buy modern diesel then waste that kind of money on it.

dhermesc;
Let me know when you are ready to park your 350 and I will be happy to buy it from you for what an overhaul would cost!(row-crop 350 ?)

As for the topic; if you switch to detergent oil, I would recommend 20w-50 to help reduce use of oil in well-worn engine.

Burning Oil in my H

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