TO 30 Compression Test Results

[Jim Gorter]

The coolant in my tractor looked like hot chocolate and was foaming at high RPMs with cap off. I ran a coolant flush and the foaming stopped. I checked compression on the engine to see if I needed to change a head gasket. Results as follows; #1:130,#2:130,#3:120,#4:115
This was a dry test, engine warm. Does this indicate a bad gasket?

 

[gshadel]

Jim, No, probably not a head gasket leak. A lot of guys probably wish they had compression numbers like those! Maybe whatever gunk was in your coolant was causing it to foam.

I saw your post below about axle seals. If your just putting-around your yard, you can try cleaning the old brake shoes with solvent, but the oil seeps into the lining and is hard to get out. If your pulling trailers, bush hogs, etc. and need solid brakes, better get new shoes. If you know someone that re-bonds/rivets new linings, that is good also. If you don't have yourself a Fergy re-print service manual yet... spend the ~$25 or whatever to get one. Money well spent.
I've got some good pics on my website for a brake job & sure seals on my TO-20. The only difference on your TO-30 is you can't do sure seals 'cus you have an extra seal in your TO-30 axle housing. Other than that, the hub, brakes, etc. are the same.

George
TO-20 brake job

 

[Jerry/MT]

As George says your compression numbers look very good, like a new engine. There may be a al ot of sludge or rust in your cooling system,and since you did a flush it should look more normal. Always run with 50/50 coolant water mix and don't fill the radiator any more than a 1/4" above the core. The rest of the tank space is for coolant expansion. Make sure that you have a working pressure cap on the radiator. The pressure caps were initially rated at 4 psi and then they went to 7 psi to give more temperature margin. Check again to make sure that you don't have any bubbles in the coolant and if you don't, you're good to go!

 

[phil(va)]

Jim, another comment on your brakes. George mentioned them in his post below. Anyway, as I noted in your earlier brake post, and as George notes below, you have two seals on each axle. One seal is easy. You can pop it right out and replace it easily. The other seal is pressed on the axle. Some people take the entire axle to a machine shop for this, and that is a good option if you don't have a press. Also, others have noted that you can often clean the shoes with solvent, if you are just tooling on flat ground, and I have done that to saturated shoes; but on hills especially with a bush hog that you can't lower to stop (like a blade) it may not be good enough.

 

[fort67]

good results for comp. hopefully good to go.
By the way there is a decent way to clean your brakes if there saturated without buying new ones. Take them off and place in a vice. Clean with solvent as clean as possible. the take a small propane torch and work your way from the center and slowly work your to the end. watch the grease run off. takes a little time.

 

[Randyr]

I saw an article in an old Popular Mechanics from the 1950's that said you could soak your brakes in boiling hot water with lye added, and it would clean the oil out.
They were car drum brakes, but couldn't be much different except for size.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I use an acetelyne torch with the cut lever depressed and run it over the shoe.Like fort67 says, the oil will just run out. It sounds like its going to ruin the shoe when you do it, but didn't hurt them a bit. Don't be afraid to get right after it. I did mine a couple times before and still had oil in them. The last time I thought it's either go or blow and I REALLY warmed them up. I just got back off a 120 mile tractor ride and it's the best the brakes have ever been.

 

[Anonymous-0]

George:
A little off the subject, but I enjoyed the pictures on your web site. What paint did you use on your TO-20?