ARRRRRGGGHHH!!!

[Katharine]

Ok, getting _REALLY_ aggravated with our newest member of the family. She seems to drink a LOT of oil. We have been thru 6 (yes, I said SIX!!) quarts of oil in basically a day! We took the advice to "work her hard" and have not gotten thru our whole five acres in a day yet bush hogging, and it's NOT been pouring out the side by the oil filter like it was, or on the other side either, but there seems to now be a steady drip/stream comming from under the steering wheel area. Thought it was power steering fluid at first, but it HAS to be the oil comming out. I don't believe it could BURN that much in a day!

Between the bush hog with the milk white lube oil pouring out, and the BLACK motor oil out of the engine I don't think he EVER did anything to it!!

Sorry had to vent......

So, now for the question. HOW can the motor oil be comming from underneath the steering assembly and dripping on the shifters? What's WRONG with it NOW? And if that has nothing to do with it, how/WHERE did it all go??!

Thanks guys, I'm tired and praying we didn't waste our money.

 

[Doug in Illinois]

Before you get much help, everyone will need to know make and model.

 

[Katharine]

'68 Ford 3400 Diesel

 

[Anonymous-0]

Katherine, it is quite possible for it to burn that much oil if the cylinder walls and rings are shot. My uncle has a 424 IH gas tractor that will beat that. I helped him set tobacco a few years ago and it went through 16 quarts in 9 hours. I suspect your little Ford will need the block rebored and new pistons put in it. Sorry you are having such a rough time with it. I don't know about the oil under the steering. I am not real familur with the little Fords.

 

[Anonymous-0]

The 424 is diesel instead of gas.

 

[old]

Rear main seal would be about in that area and if one leaks it can really pour a lot of oil out
Hobby farm

 

[Anonymous-0]

im not familiar with your tractor, but when you said the oil is dripping at the steering column, i got to thinking??? where is your oil pressure gauge? is it mounted in the dash? if it is and its a mechanical gauge, check the gauge and the oil line for cracks. could be just a hole or loose fitting in the line.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Not familiar with that model, but if the tractor has a mechanical oil pressure gauge, might the guage or oil pipe supplying it be leaking ?

 

[Anonymous-0]

Kat,don't ever get that exited you might have a heart attack.

The leak at the strg wheel is the strg not the engine.Keep driving and see what happens.

 

[Katharine]

I SWEAR I want to SHOOT that guy starting at the toes and working my way North in 3" increments! &^%$#@!@ Son of a !@#$~ and yes, I know "anger get's you know where" but sometimes...... GOODY, so I got a tractor and bush hog for $3100 but now, in total from all the posts I've made in two days, I have about another 2k I need to spend on it, in order to get something that I can get on, turn the bloody key and go get DONE what I need/WANT to get done. *&^%$$# wonderful!!!!

Thank you guys for all the advice over the days, but I'm not sure how much longer I will be able to be a part of the "club" here, as I think I'm going to be tractor-less soon.

Katharine

 

[Anonymous-0]

Swing the battery out, the 3000's of that vintage would swing out if the bent bolt at the front of the battery tray was loosened. This will allow you to inspect the valve cover and back of the engine. A shot valve cover will leak alot of oil.

 

[Katharine]

Hopefully that's all it is. I'll call my friendly local tractor mech I found Friday under the auspices of needing one shortly and see if he can come pick it up and go thru it for me. Should have done that to begin with before I bought the blooming thing, I know, but... Ya know what they say "Hindisght's a B*&$#"!

 

[Anonymous-0]

The oil coming from the steering column is steering oil getting past the upper steering valve seal..I just did one at the winery..The main shaft was bad where the seal contacts the shaft..I thought I could get by with having my machinist turn that area down then make a sleeve for the shaft..Well , that didn't work...A new shaft from New Holland is 800 bucks..There is an aftermarket shaft available for under 400..I had to go that way..On the generator side of the engine is the power steering pump.. there is a cap about 1-1/2" diameter..Fill the power steering there to the top..
As far as your engine oil consumption..Did we not see the cloud of blue smoke coming from the exhaust?? If it's a diesel....Take a hint from an old fart..If the engine gets bored, resleeve it to original size because of cylinder erosion that makes holes in the cylinder walls....A real problem with diesel tractors..I've seen blocks get bored then almost immediatly start leaking coolant into the crankcase..That's not a good thing...Keep yer chin up..Your luck isn't as bad as mine..I'm so lucky , If I died , they'd bury someone else......

 

[Katharine]

Thanks, but I'm getting so BROKE I can't PAY attention! However, in following previously issued helpful advice, I have swung out the battery and seen that there IS a whole mess of six quarts of oil remenants playing around under there and have decided to add this now to my "HONEY DO" list....

 

[Rob In FL]

And guess who"s the "honey" with the list of "to do"s?

Which brings a good point, any good tips or Do"s and Don"ts for replacing the valve cover gasket?

That seems to be our next course of action for the moment, since there doesn"t seem to be any obvious signs anywhere else of 6 quarts of oil...

Next course of action AFTER hiding the firearms that is.........

 

[ken in texas]

If you can talk to the person that you bought it from, deplomaticaly ask their opinion of your problems.If not find someone that knows tractors to check it out before you spend money on it.Hard to diagnose long distance.

 

[Traditional Farmer]

The very first picture you posted showed a stream of blue smoke coming from the exhaust pipe and the only way to get that is the oil is getting by what is left of the rings and its burning the oil.Valve guides maybe probably both.I stand by my orginal prediction that it will need a major overhaul which when its all said and done will probably cost you what you paid for the tractor if done right and a new clutch installed while the tractor is split.Used tractor buying is not for the novice.

 

[RodinNS]

Yep. I remember a 4000 like this one one time.... It had 9 broken compression rings which totaled something like 30 pieces when they came out. Smoked and leaked just like this one too.... There was actually more smoke coming from the stink tube that the muffler when we got her wound up on the dyno.

Rod

 

[msb]

Before you shoot anybody, unhook the air cleaner and see if some of your problems clear up. I have seen some air cleaners get plugged with mud daubber's nests.

 

[Leland]

bad part is that you still got to split it .

 

[Leland]

look at it this way next time you know what to look for ,but spend a little money overhaul it if needed and it will last you the rest of your life if taken care of .

 

[RAB]

1) you can't be working the engine 'hard' unless it is a) at pto engine speed and b) governor is making it bark. I would think you are OK on a) but not b).

Sort the leaks first. Engine oil is black. Power steering oil should not be black. That may well reduce your engine oil losses by 80%!

Your original post said might need a quart of oil every 20 acres? Some difference! We are only able to offer suggestions, but remember, if you had bought the gas tractor you would, like as not, have been treated in the same way - sold a heap of trouble.

When you have worked it HARD (a few hours ploughing?) and fixed the leaks get back to us with the oil usage, not leakage. I suspect tractor is from a cold area and it has been started with ether and has cracked/shattered rings, something I would take account of, with a diesel, if I were buying.

Regards, RAB

 

[dave guest]

Threaten legal action and be prepared to back it up. Not small claims. I sued in small claims and when I walked into the courtroom, the judge and the shop owner came out of his chambers holding hands. Guess how that one ended up.