The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

Hi All.

The 58 major i have just got as been standing since March this year, it was suposed to have been serviced and full working order as it should be.
Ran around the block a few times today and it is blowing oil from the exhaust bend, and from the crankcase breather.
Looking at some oft he replies here,would i be right in saying that it needs to go out in the field for a few days and worked at a steady pace.
Or will it need the head off and looking at.

Ray,

Try the first thing. Work it hard. If that does not help you can Always remove the head.

Hi Henk

Thanks for the advice.
I will have to tap up a couple local farmers to see if they can put it to some work.
Also thank you for the welcome.

Hi Ray

Mine is April 58, a Mk2 engine and is doing the same, unfortunately I also suspect a head gasket leak (for other unrelated reasons, I had a hydraulic lock when I started her recently after 10 months idle) and have just had a new gasket arrive this morning, hopefully that will cure the oily, pressurised coolant being ejected as I trundle along so I can give her some collar work as well.

Welcome aboard

Hi Ray,

When you say it "is blowing oil out of the crankcase breather" do you mean the circular oil bath on the timing case cover to the front of the injection pump, or the tube outlet on top of the rocker cover? The engine ventilation is supposed to work by drawing clean air IN through the oil bath and through the engine and dirty air OUT of the engine through the outlet on top of the rocker cover - this outlet on the top of the rocker cover should be connected to the top of the air cleaner by a pipe. Dirty air is thus drawn into the air cleaner when the engine runs by vacuum effect and into the engine and burnt. Check that the pipe is present connecting the rocker cover to the air cleaner and that it is clear. Check the air cleaner is clear. Check the gauze in the little oil bath is clean and re-fit it with a little clean oil in the bath. If the ventilation system is working correctly air should be drawn IN at this point and not blown out with oil.

With regard to oil in the exhaust bend, this could be caused by:
(1) pressurisation in the engine due to the ventilation system not being clear or connected as above
(2) worn bores and/or rings and oil getting past the piston rings and being expelled into the exhaust system
(3) glazed bores due to running on light loads for a long time
(4) the valve stem seals being hard or missing and allowing oil down the exhaust valve stems which is then blown out through the exhaust. Two types of valve stem seals were fitted in production - early engines had "O" ring seals fitted to the valve stems and these were superceded by mushroom type seals. Always fit the later mushroom seals to all engines in service. Being a 1958 your engine should have the later seals fitted as original.

Hi Rick
Mines been standing since March.
So similar to you. I havenot suspected thehead gasket as yet because the oil is clean.
I keep you up to date.

Hi Shepp

Thanks for the advice.
Yes it was the crankcase timing cover breather that i was refering to.
When i got home tonight i thought thats go to basics here.
Radiator was drained and reversed flushed, and the engine also flushed both ways as clean as i could get it.
And no water in the oil.
Hoses refitted, Blue antifreeze 50 / 50 mix added.
Check oil and filled to correct level.

I took of the breather pipe from the airfilter to the rocker cover, and found that the plastic had melted on the inside of the pipe and blocked it.
Why they used plastic i do not know.
Anyway airfilter off cleaned reoiled, refitted.
New pipe on and no blockages, this is HD rubber pipe, not plastic.

I will try and give it a good road run over this weekend, and let you know how i get on with it.
Hopefully this will have sorted it.
If not plan B,C,D

Hi Ray

Looks like you have found the cause of the engine pressurising with that plastic pipe being blocked. The original set up was a braided rubber pipe from the rocker cover to just before the pipe passes through the battery bulkhead, then a cranked metal pipe through the bulkhead hole, then another braided rubber pipe from the metal pipe to the air cleaner inlet.

Hopefully the pressurisation is what is causing oil to be blown out of the exhaust elbow - this could be oil forced past the piston rings into the cylinder and out through the exhaust system, or it could be oil forced down the valve stems past the seals and into the exhaust system.

Fingers crossed!

Thought i share a photo of the new Major.

Lovely tractor, Ray. A Major just looks right, doesn't it?
Re your engine, what oil pressure are you getting?
Best, Adrian.

Hi Adrian
Thanks.
As far as the oil pressure is concerned, i am not sure that the gauge is reading anything.
Also the temp gauge as well, i noticed the stat as been removed as well.
Voltage meter as well does not seem to move.
All need investigating?

I should have a manual by this friday which will help!

Not surprising that the gauges are not working. Unusual to find ones that are!
You could always connect a modern oil gauge into the side of the block. Not pretty but effective.
Re the thermostat, there are a number of posts here to explore and read up on. In my opinion, a thermostat should definitely be fitted.
Going back to the oil pressure, it will give us an indication of any wear. Given the age of these tractors, wear is unavoidable.
Tinwork looks great, a big bonus, as you probably know.
Best, Adrian.

Nice looking tractor.

btw it's a Amp meter not a volt meter.

Tis a nice straight looking tractor Ray and I suspect those oil pressure gauges were over optimistic in their scaling when new - mine comes up off the pin but not by much and it has not seized up in the last 60 years

But oh dear, what do you think Brian would say about those red radiator grilles Henk ??

(if you have not come across them yet Ray, there are topics highlighting that even exhibition Majors were blue sprayed everywhere but the instruments & wheels, including exhausts, dynamo, starter, pump, fanbelts etc.)

henk wrote:Nice looking tractor.

btw it's a Amp meter not a volt meter.

LOL Point taken my friend.

oehrick wrote:Tis a nice straight looking tractor Ray and I suspect those oil pressure gauges were over optimistic in their scaling when new - mine comes up off the pin but not by much and it has not seized up in the last 60 years

But oh dear, what do you think Brian would say about those red radiator grilles Henk ??

(if you have not come across them yet Ray, there are topics highlighting that even exhibition Majors were blue sprayed everywhere but the instruments & wheels, including exhausts, dynamo, starter, pump, fanbelts etc.)

Hi Rick
So everything blue then my friend apart from the wheels, which are orange.
So where did this grill painting orange / red come from?

Looking at posts about color, mine does look like it was blue all over, including rad and pipe work.
If thats the color then thats the color.

RayClayton wrote:

oehrick wrote: So where did this grill painting orange / red come from?

DON'T ASK !!!!!

This is an ongoing question and theres no answer other than they leave the factory all blue. Even the exhaust is painted blue.

Rick,

Will you make some pictures when doing the gasket job?

Red or Blue grilles = light blue touch paper and retire

Hadn't thought about taking pictures Mathias, thought that would have been covered in the past (in fact I was going to search if there was already an 'idiots guide' in past topics before starting on it) but will try to remember - was there anything specific you wanted to see or was it just a general question ??