5000 Ford

[JPK]

Tractor started pushing coolant out while cutting hay. Big bubbles coming out the radiator. Block with pin hole or head gasket?
Owned for the past 25 years been best tractor I have owned. Probably not worth fixing.

 

[DanielW]

Ouch. Possibly block pin holes, but worth popping off the head and having a look.

The 'porous block' issue is not uncommon for those Fords. Which is too bad: these tractors are virtually indestructible in every other aspect. It wasn't really a design/manufacturing problem - it was more that Ford was one of the first to get really creative with different block alloys for better cooling/strength, and these alloys needed proper coolant with proper conditioners in them. These days all coolant is conditioned and all blocks (diesel especially) are made of alloys that require conditioned coolant, but back in the day people were used to their old pig iron blocks that would handle anything, and you'd get folks filling them with any coolant imaginable (my Grandfather was partial to river water because he said it was softer. And never mind the sand/silt/weeds that came with it).

I'm surprised that a porous block issue would show itself suddenly, however: Usually it's noted with a little bit of coolant in the oil, slowly getting worse over time. So maybe you'll get lucky and it'll be a head gasket.

It's definitely worth looking into and fixing: these tractors are still worth a lot in running condition. Unless the block is really, really pooched, it's probably fixable in some sense. I know a couple folks have posted about their block getting porous around the sleeves, and they've pulled the sleeves and gooped it up with some high temp and good quality gasket maker and it worked just fine.

 

[Destroked 450]

If the rest of the tractor is in decent condition it s worth fixing
If it is a pin hole in a cylinder tear it down and have all 4 holes sleeved. Once fixed you ll have a tractor that will last another 25+ years with near zero electrical issues

 

[1955]

I agree! Fix it. Better than any new tractor. And you said it served you well for the last 25 years, so it deserves some love.

 

[sweetskillsrk]

I'm with Daniel. Would be surprised for a block issue to just show up all of a sudden. My vote is head gasket, especially with how bad you said it was almost immediately.

+1 on the repair. It served you well for many years, fix it and keep the tractor you already know. You could spend far more money on another tractor and not truly know what you're getting. I will almost always fix what I have because there's no surprises (usually), I know what's been done, I know it's flaws, I know what it can handle. Buying something else is a roll of the dice in my book.

 

[johnofnewhaven]

I will add if it is a head gasket get one frome New Holland. It will cost double the price from New Holland but worth the money. They are about $70. Don't get the cheap one.

 

[johnofnewhaven]

One other thing. There are 2 different thickness of head gaskets. Get the right one. Bern on here got me straight on that.

 

[Bern]

Pinholes in the block don't act like that. I'm guessing you have an early 5000 with a thin head gasket that blew. If indeed you have a thin gasket, don't replace it with a thick one unless you never use it in the winter time. Thin gasket is roughly .035 and a thick one is about .055.

 

[showcrop]

Fix it! 5000s are not near retirement age yet.

 

[RodinNS]

It's almost certainly a head gasket... It would be worth checking the head and block for flatness... Wash it out, reinstall and move on.

Rod

 

[paul]

Fix it. Worth it. One of the better tractors made, still useful on real farms and small farms, both big enough and small enough to get stuff done with enough features to get something done.

Paul

 

[JPK]

Removed head and head gasket looked ok. Cleaned head and block surfaces and they looked good no visible cracks.
Had some water jacket in block and head that were plugged up with crud. The motor has sleeves in all 4 cylinders, and they look good.
Not sue what is causing the coolant bubbles in radiator and pushing coolant out.

 

[showcrop]

(quoted from post at 18:30:16 08/12/23) Removed head and head gasket looked ok. Cleaned head and block surfaces and they looked good no visible cracks.
Had some water jacket in block and head that were plugged up with crud. The motor has sleeves in all 4 cylinders, and they look good.
Not sue what is causing the coolant bubbles in radiator and pushing coolant out.

Yes, reading the responses that you have gotten you are sure.