Any diesel mechanics here tonight??

dreher

This older womans husband died about a year and a half ago and since than if she didn't have bad luck she wouldn't have any luck at all. Tonight she asked me to look at her diesel Massey farm tractor as "something" was blowing out the side of the engine. She pointed at the oil fill cap as where it was blowing from. I check the oil and the oil is runny, not viscous as oil should be. I'm assuming she has coolant in the oil. She said she drove it last week and it wasn't doing the blowing from the oil fill cap and it hasn't been started until today at which point it immediantly started blowing out the oil fill cap.

What could this be other than a cracked block?? Is there any gasket that could cause this? I know this woman is hurting for money. If this could possibly be something simple I would try and fix it for her. 30+ years ago I overhauled a few diesels but I have forgotten 90+% of what I knew. I'm guessing I could change out a head gasket but that is about the extent of both my ability and my current tool situation. Any thoughts??

35 Whelen

Are you sure it's coolant in the oil, and not a fuel leak that's dumping fuel into the oil pan?

Horse Plains Drifter

Is it grey and foamy looking, or is it brown/tan and foamy looking?
Is it regular dirty oil colored, and just real runny?

jltrent

Poor lady I understand the situation she has been left in. Usually blowing out like this is not good. I would say, head gasket,or cracked head or with water possibly in the oil, rings, seals and main bearings bad. Check and see if the fluid level is proper in the radiator and if there is bubbling in the radiator.

A J Christ

What color is the oil? If it looks like coffee with cream, its coolant in the oil. Probably cavitation to the liners.

If oil looks OK, just thin, probably fuel in the oil. Most
likely source being either the lift pump or the injection pump.

Do NOT just take it apart. Determine if its coolant or fuel first.

bigoutside

Where is she filling it up with diesel? Same fill cap you are looing at?


And I am not a diesel mechanic. But I am an expert in "stupid".[;)]

jltrent

I have a Massey 285 and it got diesel in the oil and I caught it pretty quick before any damage. It leaked in through the diaphragm in the hand pump on the side. These need replaced as Massey gets some age on it. If it is diesel fuel in the oil about at least 90% certain this is how it is getting in the oil. You can see a lot of these have been sold and I bet it is from leaking fuel into the oil.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/3637286M91-Massey-Ferguson-Fuel-Lift-Pump-30D-70-80-165-255-285-698-1080-1085-/320779398225?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4aaff12c51

fishkiller41

quote:Originally posted by dennisnielsen
straight edge the block and head
for a true/straight gasket surface

feeler guage if ness



If you pull the head and the gasket is bad
it should show combustion leak to an oil galley


Roger that...
HEAD GASKET..

burpfire

be sure to check the air filter system. i have seen this exact same thing on diesels before. if the air filter system is plugged, the engine cant breath correctly, and will build up massive amounts of blow bye. very possable a squirel or mice built a nest in the filter area. they love being in there.

dreher

I had to leave for a while and just got back to find out some of you were asking questions. Will try and answer them.

Is it coolant? I didn't think there was any diesel smell at the time I first checked but think there might be some diesel smell, very faint on my fingers where I wiped off the dip stick. This after washing my hands a few times.

Appearance. I'm doing this in the dark by flashlight. Don't think it was foamy. Best guess dirty oil color, runny texture.

Did not think to check air filter.

grumpygy

I'll have to add in Fuel in Oil.

savage170

A failed injector can leak fuel onto the top of the head, where it floods the crankcase with dsl fuel.

jltrent

Get a diesel compression gauge and check at the glow plugs or injectors and that will tell the story about the head and/or cylinders. I have one of these for gas and diesel engines and it is usually the first thing I do if I suspect any head/cylinder problems. On gas it should be 130psi+ and on a diesel it should be 280psi+. If it is blowing out oil at the cap or oil at the blo-by hole then usually not good.

nord

If a diaphragm fuel pump, then almost certainly a simple and inexpensive fix. Not really any different than cars of old. If coolant is mixed with the oil, then a head gasket would be first on the list.

Cracked block or head, chemical action, and assorted other possibles usually cause problems over time. Your failure appears to have happened between a shutdown and a restart. Further, I'd guess that the fuel tank rides above the engine and gravity will do a quick number on pushing fuel through a failed pump.

So... Let's hope for cheap and simple.

babun

Easy check for water in the oil is to get the motor up to operating temp. then drip some of the oil onto the hottest part of the exhaust manifold. If it bubbles, it has water in it. If it just spreads out and smokes it's just oil.

mond

check the breather 1st aint blocked, then if is blowing out the oil filler cap (& i read this right) there is more compression down than up the cylinders, put ya hand flat over the oil spoit, if it pressures ya hand off.......the piston rings or big ends are flooked !easy job to cure tho [;)]

but with out seeing it..it could be a simple rocker gasket, or crap oil (in need of a service) or as said head gasket , but that is rare on a massey,so it must have cooked the water up,some time .