Wonder what was in there?

Royse · May 18, 2019

#1 piston on a Farmall BN. I drove it in the shop, took the head
off to replace the head gasket and found the damage you see here.
Nothing in the cylinder when I took it apart.

rustred · May 18, 2019

looks like you need a valve job also.

Adirondack case guy · May 18, 2019

The edges of those valves look too thin to grind again, and are setting real deep in the seats.------Loren

2x4 · May 18, 2019

nut from the air cleaner?

Royse · May 18, 2019

Yes, it probably needs one, but it won't get one. I'll probably
run it as is until it dies, then "maybe" put a used engine in it.
It's not my "pretty" BN, it's my old forklift. Much more useful
than the pretty one, but it only runs for a few minutes at a time.

DoubleO7 · May 18, 2019

If it were not my tractor, I would guess that a previous owner installed a spark plug with way to much reach.
And maybe opened it up looked over the damage and decided to leave it as is and run it.

rustyfarmall · May 18, 2019

I will guess that the screw (screws?) that hold the choke plate in place came out.

paul · May 18, 2019

I?m not an engine mechanic....

So, while it doesn?t look good, is their anything that needs to be done about it, or just leave the surface damage as is on those flat areas? Nothing moves on them, is
just how it is and leave it alone?

Paul

mmfan55 · May 18, 2019

As deep as that exhaust valve sits; I
would wonder if the valve seat came
loose. Rattled around until the
pieces melted or got small enough to
blow out the exhaust.

Royse · May 18, 2019

That's a thought MMFan. I'm not sure it's any worse than the other
valves though and this is the only cylinder with any damage.
Still, could be. I have no idea what caused it.

Paul - I don't claim to be a mechanic either but if I were going to
work this tractor, I would not leave that damage, nor the bad valves.
Will it run that way? Yep, runs pretty good actually. Fires right up,
doesn't smoke, doesn't cause me any trouble at all and it's still a 6V system.

Rusty, wouldn't that be a lot of damage for those small screws?
I'm not saying it wasn't those, but if it was, they have since been
replaced as they are in the choke plate now. They are steel tho.
Not brass like many are.

Mike M · May 18, 2019

Replace the head gasket why ? If you were leaking coolant I'd be looking for cracks as it may not of been the head gasket ?

Royse · May 18, 2019

"Replace the head gasket why ?"

Fair question Mike M.
It was leaking/seeping coolant externally at the head gasket.
It was also leaking oil at the valve cover. Two birds with one stone.
Or so I thought. Turns out the head is cracked too. When it rains it pours.
I should have left "good enough" alone.

Steve@Advance · May 18, 2019

That looks like a freeze crack in the head.

How's the block look?

The cylinder wall looks great. I would take that to mean the piston is not damaged. Usually when something hits close to the edge it will peen the ring land down and stick the top ring. But yours looks to be really clean and well sealed.

Gary Reif · May 18, 2019

I wouldn't worry about that surface damage, it looks like old damage to me. The crack could be repaired by using the overlapping pin process, I've repaired similar cracks with no problem, it would be worth a try verses a replacement head. Just my thoughts. Gary

pete 23 · May 18, 2019

Reminds me of a head a customer brought in one time for a valve job. As I cleaned it up I noticed
some cracks. So, called customer, he says, been cracked for years, just grind the valves. And so
I did. It was a whole lot worse than that one.

A little Indian head sealer slapped in the area of crack, top and bottom of head gasket and I am
sure that machine has several other problems worse than that.

Royse · May 18, 2019

Steve@Advance, you're right about the bores. They look fine.
The engine actually runs fine with good compression and no smoke.

Gary, I'm not going to spend big money on a head.
If I can find a used one in better shape for a reasonable price, I'd
replace the head given the valve condition/depth of mine, but I'm
not going to buy a new or remanufactured one. I drove it in here,
I'll put this one back on with a new gasket and drive it back out first!
The price of this vintage of Farmall tractors here is just not worth it.

It took me over a year to sell a Farmall A with a full set of cultivators.
Front and rear cultivators, good shovels, all springs/lifters in place.
Brand new front tires on the tractor. Rears were usable but not much more.
It ran and drove fine, and had wheel weights on the rear.
It was hand crank start only, which seemed to be the sale killer.
Even though it only took a flick of the wrist to start it.
I finally got $600 for it but I had to deliver it about 10 miles away.

With that price point in mind, I'd buy a donor tractor and replace
my engine before I'd spend the money they want for a new head.

Bob · May 18, 2019

(quoted from post at 14:13:12 05/18/19) nut from the air cleaner?

I don't think the intake valve opens "wide" enough to pass a nut for anything larger than a 3/16" stovebolt!

Wonder what was in there?

Royse

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rustred

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Adirondack case guy

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2x4

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Royse

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DoubleO7

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rustyfarmall

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paul

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mmfan55

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Royse

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Mike M

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Royse

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Steve@Advance

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Gary Reif

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pete 23

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Royse

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Bob

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