Engine Oil Blow-by

Okay, I'm a glutton for punishment and I have plenty of Preparation H in case someone wants to rub my hiney in the sand, so here's another request for guidance/assistance.

Too much oil blowing out the valve cover tube/oil fill tube on 51 Super A. (Teddy: not the oil pressure gauge.)

This ole tractor is one of my toys to give me something to do - thus is not for sale and will not be worked hard, if at all by me. So, not interested in an engine rebuild or replace.

In simple terms for the simple minds of me and Teddy, will one or more tractor gurus please list some simple items that should be checked - or done - to see if the cause of the blow-by can be determined and maybe reduced????

Thanks for your guidance and advice. (BTW: Teddy, I ain't taking any more advice from you after the wire in the oil pressure gauge fiasco.)

Oops, forgot to add that until I got her fired up last year - and maybe ran her for 15 minutes since then - the ole girl hasn't been ran in many, many years.

Stuck or worn out rings. You can try all kinds of snake oils and then pull it apart , or just pull it apart right away. Can of course just run it. Trying not to be sarcastic but my experience.

Okay, good one.

Rings could be stuck creating pressure in the oil cavities as compressed air by-passes the stuck rings on the compression stroke. May never free up from running the tractor, adding snake oil or whatever.

Didn't read any sacrasm in your reply. However, the engine isn't coming apart until or unless I decide to do something with her other than ride her around the property on occasion and tinker with her.

Thanks!

Dad always said you can buy a lot of oil for the cost of an overhaul. If he is just hobby use I would run it.

Good advice so far. I've had two A's and now have a 140. IF it were mine I would do a compression check to see what I'm up against. Sitting for years without running creates many other problems from sticking rings to sticking valves to previous crud coming loose and plugging up the oil galleries. I've seen the valve cover so full of crud that it blew oil through the filler, that engine has got to "breathe". You may want to pull the valve cover and take a peek. Have you changed the oil and filter? Are you running detergent or non-detergent oil? Is there smoke or oil coming from the dipstick when you pull it out while running?
Lot's of things to look for.

Oil? (or smoke?) coming from valve cover breather/fill tube??? Don't know what it is, but it looks nasty. Will try and find out. Maybe hold a white rag around it while running?

Filter and oil (NAPA 30 HD) changed in 2011. Hmmm? Maintenance log shows adding Marvel Mystery Fluid to oil (didn't note how much) back in 2011, then ran engine for 10 mins and no smoke. Hmmmm?

No dipstick on this engine. Those two petcocks to check high/low oil level.

Will be replacing valve cover and oil pan later with ones already cleaned and painted. Will check for crud then.

Thanks for comments and ideas!!

Ted was not beinng smart I don't think. He said to run it to a oil pressure switch.

Apologies to Ted. I misunderstood. Of course I've been ragging a bit myself.

Now, please tell me where the oil pressure switch should be on a 51 Super A. My oil pressure gauge screws into the oil filter cavity and I've not found an oil pressure switch.

You would have to put a tee fitting there with an oil pressure switch that is normally open and closes with pressure. I have that on an H & it works fine. No bulb to break or burn out. aLSO IF THE AMP GAUGE SHOWS IT'S CHARGING, YOU KNOW IT HAS OIL PRESSURE TOO. Sorry, I hit the caps button.

Thanks, Ted. Interesting. I'd never heard of such a thing before. Of course there's lots I've never heard of before. Living and learning.

Okay, an update and memory kicking in.
Engine cold, wet compression test:
1 - 80
2 - 115
3 - 110
4 - 115
Plug 1 bad, bad carbon foul. All others really clean.

Engine runs fairly rough - had planned to fine-tune the timing, just in case; but first tried something else. Removed the plug wire from #1 cylinder and felt a bit of a shock to my finger but no change in engine running. When removed other plug wires individually, there was change in engine running. Sooooooooo, #1 cylinder is getting fire; but compression is significantly less than other cylinders and plug is carbon - not oil - fouled.

Also held a wad of white paper towels around valve cover breather/filler cap for several minutes to "catch" some of the smoke or oil. No oil on the towel.

Then, a flashback. After not firing up the tractor for 6 months or so, I fired it up last week before stripping externals for cleaning/painting and - removed plugs. Carbon black on ALL the plugs. Did my thing, then cleaned the plugs, put 'em back in and fired her up yesterday. Probably drove her around 15 - 30 mins yesterday and today. Pulled plugs for compression test and no carbon except on #1.

All this leads me to................?

And, while y'all are pondering whether to respond to this, before tarping her from coming rain, I squirted a abundant amount of PB blaster into #1 cylinder, waited about 5 mins, turned her over a few times with ignition off, squirted more PB Blaster into #1 and tarped her for the night.

Any takers with opinions as to cause of problem and other things I may do in addition to what has already been stated by some??????

Thanks for any and all ideas. You too, Ted.

Your compression on 2, 3 and 4 is good. 1 is a potential problem. Repeat your compression test dry then wet(squirt some oil in the spark plug hole). If the wet is a bunch better you have a ring problem. If it doesn't change much, you have a valve problem. If a valve problem, you probably need to get it fixed. Rings, not so much.

When you try running it again, swap the #1 plug with one of the others. Repeat your dead cylinder test. If the dead cylinder follows the plug, the plug is bad. By the way, if you don't have aftermarket boots on the plug end of the spark plug wires, you can do the dead cylinder test without pulling the wires. Just reach in and ground the plugs one at a time.

If the problem is rings, give the oil and gas another snakeoil treatment then learn to ignore the smoke. By the way, the oil that is burning could be coming past the stems of the intake valves. You can put valve seals on to minimize that.

Thanks for the great advice. I shall play with her some more today and follow your recommends.

(quoted from post at 21:25:49 06/02/13)By the way, if you don't have aftermarket boots on the plug end of the spark plug wires, you can do the dead cylinder test without pulling the wires. Just reach in and ground the plugs one at a time.

Click to expand...

Using something with an insulated handle -- like a screwdriver!!

In this part of the South, and some other parts, there's a saying that goes somewhat like this "Y'all ain't gonna believe this stuff".

Anyway, I pulled the plugs and gave the engine a few spins to clean out the PB Blaster from last evening. I found all plugs gapped okay except #1 gap was almost closed. Gapped to .025 then swapped #1 with #2. Then installed all plugs. Engine still smoking and running too ragged to suit me.

Adjusted timing. It was considerably off. Engine now runs smooth and.....NO smoke. That's correct, no smoke from valve cover. Ran engine for about 10 mins and no smoke at start-up or for entire 10 mins or so.

Then tested compression on hot engine. From 1 to 4 the readings were: 80, 100, 95, 95. Finger temperature from one of the hot plugs became somewhat elevated.

Other things to do for a bit, them I'm thinking of removing valve cover for a "look" and replacing with a cleaned and painted cover. Wonder if I could figure out how to check valve tappet gap? Wonder if there's where to do it? Wonder if the H in 0.014H means with engine Hot?

Wonder if anyone would clue me in regarding my wonders - if I'd listen?

> IF THE AMP GAUGE SHOWS IT"S CHARGING, YOU KNOW
> IT HAS OIL PRESSURE TOO.

Not true.

(quoted from post at 10:55:40 06/02/13) Okay, I'm a glutton for punishment and I have plenty of Preparation H in case someone wants to rub my hiney in the sand, so here's another request for guidance/assistance.

Too much oil blowing out the valve cover tube/oil fill tube on 51 Super A. (Teddy: not the oil pressure gauge.)

This ole tractor is one of my toys to give me something to do - thus is not for sale and will not be worked hard, if at all by me. So, not interested in an engine rebuild or replace.

In simple terms for the simple minds of me and Teddy, will one or more tractor gurus please list some simple items that should be checked - or done - to see if the cause of the blow-by can be determined and maybe reduced????

Thanks for your guidance and advice. (BTW: Teddy, I ain't taking any more advice from you after the wire in the oil pressure gauge fiasco.)

Click to expand...

When my O-rings failed in my hydraulic pump, the hydraulic oil went from there to the crankcase. This caused the engine to pressure up and push oil out. Are you losing hydraulic and gaining engine oil by any chance?

Haven't run it enough yet to know; but will watch out for it.

Thanks.

The way I have it hooked up, it is true. The alt doesn't charge until the oil pressure comes up to close the switch and excite the alt. You are right in that it can still be charging after loosing the pressure.

Ok, that"ll work as long as the switch can handle the current. I just wouldn"t want anyone to get the idea that that is how engines are normally wired.

My JD60 had the ignition run through an oil pressure switch. It never started until it had cranked a bit, but it also never ran without oil pressure.