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Tractor Talk Discussion Forum

diesel maintenance

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eferwerda

08-27-2006 04:18:55




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Recently purchased a 1974 Ford 3000, 3 cyl diesel tractor. I have never owned anything diesel before and have not gorwn up with tractors. I have changed the oil , oil filter and, with manual in hand, changed the fuel filter including the bleeding of the rear and front bleeder screws. (The manual said to bleed the injectors as well - I didn"t - tractor runs fine). My question is - what is special or different about diesels that I need to know. From reading this forum my impression is that fuel cleanliness is a must. Some folks have mentioned fuel conditioners - What type and when?

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mowr

08-27-2006 20:05:54




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 Re: diesel maintenance in reply to eferwerda, 08-27-2006 04:18:55  
Don't try substitutes; 'penny wise and pound foolish.' Buy good quality DIESEL rated fuel (not heating oil, used motor oil, fast-food waste oil with salt, water, etc. in it), DIESEL rated motor oil, DIESEL rated battery; 4DLT for your tractor (not a high CCA rated car or truck battery), DIESEL rated coolant (and/or additives to prevent cavitation of cylinder walls). Keep ether out of the intake (use engine block heater if needed for cold starts, know and use your factory cold-starting aid, if so equipped). I know some people will argue these points but those people won't be there to pay you the 'pound' when the 'penny' you saved comes back to bite!

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rottenrobert

08-27-2006 16:06:00




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 Re: diesel maintenance in reply to eferwerda, 08-27-2006 04:18:55  
No harder than you will use that 3000 Ford I would change the oil every 100 hour or yearly and the fuel filters every two years. We had one that my brother now has and we serviced it twice a year (spring and fall)when it was being used heavily year around haying in the summer and feeding cattle in the winter.



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Jerry/MT

08-27-2006 15:29:46




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 Re: diesel maintenance in reply to eferwerda, 08-27-2006 04:18:55  
I don't know if your tractor has an air filter delta p switch that cuases a red light to come on when the air filter restriction is beyond limits , but paying attention to the air filter is a must on a diesel engine. The intake on a diesel engine is unthrottled so the air flow through the engine is only a function of the rpm. The control variable is the fuel flow. Unlike the gas engine which runs a near constant fuel air ratio (and hence near constant max gas temperature), the diesel runs with a variable fuel air ratio and a variable max gas temperature. At a given rpm, restricting the air flow by allowing the airfilter to get clogged will reduce power because of the reduced airflow but also causes the max gas temperature to increase because the fuel air ratio increases. This can result in reduced engine life and a burned piston crown. As stated by other writers, fuel cleanliness is important also and changing filters per the maintenance schedule and keeping the fuel clean in storage is very important.You may also wnat to add an additive to the antifreeze to prevent cavitation of cylinder liner, which can be a problem on some engines. It's cheap insurnce. Last but not least, regular oil and oil filter changes are a good way to make your engine last.

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eferwerda

08-27-2006 08:58:20




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 Re: diesel maintenance in reply to eferwerda, 08-27-2006 04:18:55  
Should add I,m in southern Michigan and the tractor will recieve farily light use - snow removal, wood hauling, and landscaping stuff.



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jdemaris

08-27-2006 07:03:56




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 Re: diesel maintenance in reply to eferwerda, 08-27-2006 04:18:55  
The fuel can be a critical issue. I don't know what your weather is like. We had a fleet of rental crawlers, log skidders, and backhoes at our Deere dealership. Very often equipment was out in temperatures of 20-30 below F. At those temperatures, it's not easy to keep diesel fuel running. We mixed all our winter fuel with 50% kerosene and also used an anti-gel additive (usually Power Service). Some diesel equipment will keeps its own fuel warm once running, and places in the extreme north keep their engines running all winter, night and day. None of this probably relates to you and your tractor. But . . . the new pump diesel, by federal mandate June of 06, will be ultra-low sulfur and very low lubricosity. What this means is - if you plan on using highway fuel from the pump - and not farm or "off road dyed fuel", you could have wear problems if your Ford has a distributor style fuel injection pump, e.g. a Roosamaster/Stanadyne or CAV rotary. Those pumps are NOT designed for the new fuel. To prevent problems, if that's what you have - you have several options. Add some oil to your fuel - Dexron, 2 stroke engine oil, etc. Or, use the cheaper off-road fuel - assuming the stuff in plain-old heating oil, and not dyed pump fuel. The companies that make the rotary injection pumps, e.g. Stanadyne and CAV sell "Arctic Grade" parts to upgrade the pumps - but that's a big and . . in most cases, a unnecessary expense. By the way, if your Ford has an in-line pump, e.g. a Simms or CAV, then you probably have nothing to worry about. A three cylinder engine with an in-line pump actually has three injection pumps instead of one - and each one is a plunger type. These types of pumps handle modern fuel much better than rotaries. The fuel plungers don't need as much lubrication, and the camshaft that drives them usually uses engine oil for lube. The rotary pump, however, for a three cylinder engine, has a small, dual plunger pump that does all the pumping for all three cylinders, but does them one by one, by directing fuel through a distributor head. This head works on extremely close metal-to-metal tolerances, and relies on the resident diesel fuel for all it's lubrication. This is the part that fails when it lacks lube, or gets water in it, or suffers an extreme temperature shock.

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eferwerda

08-27-2006 08:51:29




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 Re: diesel maintenance in reply to jdemaris, 08-27-2006 07:03:56  
third party image

The fuel pump is a Simms and has three lines coming out of the top. I will try to post a picture similar to it scanned from the manual. If it doesn't show up I'll put in a link to follow. From what you say, I shouldn't have to add anything to increase the lubricosity - I have only put in 5 gal. of undyed highway fuel.


http://users.tc3net.com/eferwerda/fuelpump.jpg

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jdemaris

08-27-2006 18:33:04




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 Re: diesel maintenance in reply to eferwerda, 08-27-2006 08:51:29  
That's probably one of the most durable pumps ever made. Nice and simple and a separate injector pump for each cylinder. You just have to be sure to keep oil in it. Only trouble I've ever experienced with them is on some early 4000 and 5000s Fords. The pumps had their own lube-oil reservoir in the injector-pump bottom. If it ran dry, the pump would start to set up - usually one cylinder at a time. There's a camshaft in there with one lobe for each cylinder - each lobe pushing on a sort of tappet that pushes on an injector pump. When the sump runs dry, the tappets or plungers stick, and then the cylinder stops firing. Those type of pumps usually either have an oil-level check-plug or a dipstick. Many later tractors of various brands eliminated the separate oil-sump and teed it into the engine's oil-pressure galley instead. That way, it keeps itself full.

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Cristina Dettore

08-27-2006 07:19:46




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 General Question in reply to jdemaris, 08-27-2006 07:03:56  
Jubille Tractor, confirming that it is or isn't a Jubille model.

Hi there, I saw your posting and hoped that maybe you could help with a question I have. I inherited a tractor and the serial number on it reads NAA 27803 -however, to me knowledge the regualr Fords manufactured in 1953 were numbers NAA 2380. How can I establish exactly what year and make I have of this Ford tractor? Can you help?

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Logan in S.E. Texas

08-27-2006 07:49:09




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 Re: General Question in reply to Cristina Dettore, 08-27-2006 07:19:46  
Go a little further down the page here to the "Ford" forum, they are the experts for your tractor. HTH.



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jdemaris

08-27-2006 07:48:58




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 Re: General Question in reply to Cristina Dettore, 08-27-2006 07:19:46  
Although I own more Fords than I care to admit (trucks and tractors) - I am NOT an expert. I even sort of married into Ford, since my wife's parents are both retired Ford engineers. There are websites and books all over that detail the process of ID-ing Fords. In regard to your NAA - one my books states the following: 1952 Serial number NAA runs from NAA 1 to NAA 2379. 1953 Serial number NAA runs from NAA 2380 to NAA 77474. So, it seems your tractor is a 1953.

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Cristina Dettore

08-27-2006 21:07:30




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 Re: General Question in reply to jdemaris, 08-27-2006 07:48:58  
Thank you. That was very helpful. It answers the 2nd question then, because the Jubilee was only a 1953 model? Or is that assumption incorrect?



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bruster

08-27-2006 06:26:57




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 Re: diesel maintenance in reply to eferwerda, 08-27-2006 04:18:55  
clean fuel is VERY importanr, I've always used #1 fuel in the winter to bypass jell up. On coolant, diesels need low silicate(sp?) and proper ph levels to give the liners long life



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T_Bone

08-27-2006 06:16:16




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 Re: diesel maintenance in reply to eferwerda, 08-27-2006 04:18:55  
Hi eferwerda,

There's oil and anti-freeze rated for diesel engine use, that is very important to any diesel engine. Using the correct air filter s also impotrant.

Here in AZ I use Chevron Delo for the oil and Fords "gold anti-freeze" ($5gal) as both are
rated for diesel use and easy to find local. Oil on most dirt equipment should be changed at 100hrs of use. The Ford anti-freeze is good for 5yrs.

Winter fuel can be 10% gasoline with 90% #2D, or buy Power Service to mix with #2d fuel and/or buy winter diesel when available ( a mixture of #1d and #2d) and should be used at 20º or lower temps if you don't want the fuel to gell. If you ever gell a diesel, you will not gell one a second time as it's alot of work to get them to restart once the fuel gell's. It's just like jello pudding!

If the engine restarts easy, then cracking open the injector nuts to bleed air is not required. All diesel injection supply's more fuel that the system uses and the excess is returned to the tank. Never long crank a diesel, over 10sec, but find the problem and correct it.


T_Bone

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Coloken

08-27-2006 05:50:59




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 Re: diesel maintenance in reply to eferwerda, 08-27-2006 04:18:55  
Advice I was given many years ago is still good. "Use clean fuel and leave it alone".



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Bus Driver

08-27-2006 05:10:46




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 Re: diesel maintenance in reply to eferwerda, 08-27-2006 04:18:55  
Be sure that the tractor does not run the fuel tank dry. Refuel before the tank is empty. The alternative is a "7 Rolaids Day".



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Allan In NE

08-27-2006 04:38:42




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 Re: diesel maintenance in reply to eferwerda, 08-27-2006 04:18:55  
Efer,

That's the beauty of diesels. They just don't require a lot of wrenchin'.

I change engine oil/filters once a year. Try to change that hydraulic oil and filter every two or three years.

Check the air filter in the spring and in the fall, Keep the antifreeze fresh, stay clear away from conditioners and make 'em work.

I leave the diesels set during cold weather; don't even start 'em.

Allan

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thejdman01

08-27-2006 05:34:32




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 Re: diesel maintenance in reply to Allan In NE, 08-27-2006 04:38:42  
Not to hijack the thread but allen you say stay away from conditioners, do you mean antifreeze or fuel? IF you mean antifreeze why??? I have worked on many many diesel engines and we use conditioners to keep antifreeeze within specs and haven't ahd antifreeze related problems. Just curious what your take on the situation is.



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Allan In NE

08-27-2006 08:20:24




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 Re: diesel maintenance in reply to thejdman01, 08-27-2006 05:34:32  
Naw,

Fuel conditioners. :>)

Allan



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