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Smokin' H

S

shredderboy

New User
I've recently bought a 1944 H. When I got it, it smoked.I assumed the rings were bad. The smoke has continued to get worse. This tractor has
a 306 Woods mower. It's not all bad, I can mow and fog for mosquitoes at the same time! But, I added a half bottle of SeaFoam to the
crankcase and the rest to the fuel tank. I ran the engine for about an hour and sprayed a can of SeaFoam spray through the carb. I left the
tractor set for about 30 minutes, then removed the filter drain. Nothing came out. After opening with a stick I got about 3 ounces of oil
out. There was a bunch of crud around the bottom of the filter casting and the filter was very heavy. When I pulled the oil pan plug nothing
came out. After probing, I got it to drain. The oil was very black and thin. I'm guessing that this oil hasn't been changed in a long time.
Refilled with 5 qts of 10-w-40. Started the engine and let it run for a while then added 1 qt of Lucas oil treatment. Within a couple of
minutes the engine quieted down and smoke lessened. After mowing about an acre of grass the smoke has continued to lessen. My question is,
has anyone else tried this and have I done any damage to the engine by using these products?
 
I don't know why you would have hurt anything if the engine continues to smoke less.

Several years ago, I bought a '41 H on a consignment auction. It started right up and I drove in onto my trailer. When I got home, I could never get it to settle down and run as smooth as it should have. After much hair pulling, I traced it down to the distributor drive gear being one cog off. First time I started it up with the timing set right, you wouldn't believe the blue and black smoke that came out of the pipe. The smoke cleared up and it's settled down to be a good old work horse.

I have no idea how long it ran with the timing off, but it must have been a long time for the engine to get sooted up and crudded up like it was. Actually, I suspect someone overhauled the engine, messed up on the timing, and then got rid of it because it didn't run right.
 
You'd best pull the oil pan and clean the crud out of the bottom of it. Clean the filter housing out, too, before chunks break loose, and circulate through your bearings, and other places where you don't want them.
 
The oil change has saved the engine from a broken rod through side of block incident- for awhile. Seafoam in oil probably got some oil film to bearings, the gas treatment got a bit to valve guides, Lucas oil treatment got some extra additive to oil so you did see less smoke, likely rings seating a bit, oil getting into ring grooves. New oil filter, check oil bath air cleaner for mud and birds nests, get ready for another oil change- the 10-40 is cleaning out some more crud that should be flushed when hot. Early Diesel spec 15-40 Rotella or Delovac with zinc additive for flat tappets and extra detergents may be useful for next oil change. Work it some, let it play in dirt with a 2 bottom plow or disc then drain oil. If you have the clearance to get to oil pan- take it off and clean mud from bottom, check rod bearings for slop. Have fun, have some GoJo or other cleaner ready(Simple Green good) , 1/2 bucket of rags handy. Next thing to check is tranny- don't be surprised if water drains first or a real mud mix. Deferred maintenance is common problem with old tractor that can run a long time while being abused. RN
 
Here is my H tale. Much different than the others ! It was rumored to of knocked ? It was partially torn down but not too much. Stuck it back together and got it running. Thing sounded fine ? Ran it up and down the drive still fine ? So then I thought must be fine so I changed the oil. That's when the knocking started ! Turned out it needed the crank reground. Set engine up on workbench pulled crank out of it and had it reground and new bearings. Nothing else done and it ran fine after that. Then on to fixing leaking oil onto the brakes and bad trans. input bearing.
 
Thanks for the reply. I hadn't thought of the fact that I should pull the pan and scrape it out. That stuff comes loose it'll probably plug the filter and cause some real probs.
 
Sea foam will help. I have used it for years good stuff. But I agree pull the pan and clean it. I was asked to check the HYD system because it was slow to operate. Pulled the filter screen it looked like a mud ball. Cleaned it and everything was fine. I think you will find the same thing. When you pull the pan.
 
One old truck I bought smoked at startup, despite only 90K miles. Decided it was time for valve guide seals. When I got the valve covers off, there was probably a quart of oil on each head, pooled up waiting to drain back to the pan. No wonder the valve guide seals leaked by, they were not meant to be submerged in inches of oil! Whatever the previous owner did caused some extra gunk to form and plug the return galleys. That also explained why the oil pressure would drop off low when filled with the right amount of oil, under hard braking- the oil was all in the top end and the pan was low enough to slosh away from the pump pickup. A few cycles of cleaning agents and some hand scraping got most of it. About 35K later it did spin a bearing, not sure if the first condition was at all related, or not.
 
(quoted from post at 08:53:54 08/04/17) I've recently bought a 1944 H. When I got it, it smoked.I assumed the rings were bad. The smoke has continued to get worse. This tractor has
a 306 Woods mower. It's not all bad, I can mow and fog for mosquitoes at the same time! But, I added a half bottle of SeaFoam to the
crankcase and the rest to the fuel tank. I ran the engine for about an hour and sprayed a can of SeaFoam spray through the carb. I left the
tractor set for about 30 minutes, then removed the filter drain. Nothing came out. After opening with a stick I got about 3 ounces of oil
out. There was a bunch of crud around the bottom of the filter casting and the filter was very heavy. When I pulled the oil pan plug nothing
came out. After probing, I got it to drain. The oil was very black and thin. I'm guessing that this oil hasn't been changed in a long time.
Refilled with 5 qts of 10-w-40. Started the engine and let it run for a while then added 1 qt of Lucas oil treatment. Within a couple of
minutes the engine quieted down and smoke lessened. After mowing about an acre of grass the smoke has continued to lessen. My question is,
has anyone else tried this and have I done any damage to the engine by using these products?
Click to expand...

Changing the oil and filter SHOULD have been the first thing you did.
 
I rebuilt a ford 351 from my brother's truck and couldn't believe the amount of crud on top of the heads. I had to clean it off with a
gasket scraper before the over haul.
 
After you pull the oil pan pull the side inspection plates and the valve cover and clean the crud that has built up in those two locations. I've found a can of gas and a paint brush is a lot cheaper than can after can of carb/brake cleaner. If you literally had to poke a stick into the drain hole to get the oil to come out I wouldn't run it another minute before doing some serious cleaning.
 
(quoted from post at 13:28:32 08/04/17) Thanks for the reply. I hadn't thought of the fact that I should pull the pan and scrape it out. That stuff comes loose it'll probably plug the filter and cause some real probs.
Click to expand...

The filter on the H is a bypass filter. The oil that goes through the filter simply returns to the oil pan. Having the filter plug up will not affect the oil going to the bearings.
 
If this tractor has a bypass oil filtration system how are chunks going to get to the bearings?
 
curious as to why the oil was not checked or changed as thats kind of the first on the list when used equipment is bought. forget the additives... remove oil pan and clean out gunk as there will be lots. some people dont look after engines or know how to change oil and are lazy too. it quieted down due to the viscosity taking up brg.clearances that are probably excessive now from that thin slop being in there. the only damage to that engine is that it never had oil changes regularly. the damage is basically done now. and use the thickest oil like at least 10-40, 20-50. even check your compression then you have an idea as what you got there. good luck.
i run used clean filtered hydraulic fluid through a few of mine as a flush for 1/2 hr. of running. after cleaning them up. then give it the good oil. oil even stays clean for a while too.
 
But if the pick up tube is covered over. He wont get any oil. That is why it would be a good idea. To clean the pan and pick up screen.
 
Same thing happened to me with a Chevy Caprice once. I was a GM salesman at the time when we traded for that Caprice. The car was a creampuff--except after we traded for it we found it continually fouled the #8 spark plug. After it had been relegated to the back lot for a few weeks, I asked the Vice President what he'd sell it to me for. He said how about a hundred dollars, just to get the damn thing out of my sight. I told him he had a deal.

Outcome was the same as yours. The drain down hole at the rear of the right cylinder head was plugged, piling oil around the #8 intake valve. I cleaned the tops of both heads, set the tappets, and drove it for 50,000 miles.

The VP never asked any questions and I never volunteered anything.
 
Will do. The problem is that the tractor is in Illinois and I'm living in Wyoming, so I've only got so much time to do stuff that needs doing when I'm in illinois. Hopefully I'll get this rig home this fall and then I can do everything that it needs.
 
Thanks for the info. I bought this tractor, with mower, for $1000. Originally it was going to be a parts tractor. I have my Dad's 1940 H that I'm going to restore and I was going to scavenge parts from this one, but this one's in too good of shape to strip.
 
It pretty much is one of this first things. I bought it this spring, but I'm living 1300 miles away so I can only work on it when I'm back in
the area. The fella that I got it from noted the fact that it smoked, but because I was going to strip it for parts, I figured I was getting
a pretty good deal.
 
This rig does have a slight miss, but I'm thinking that I'll just need to adjust tappets. Spark plugs were pulled and they look fine.
 
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