The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

I`ve had oil / air bubbles in the radiator for a while and tried changing the head gasket to cure it. Started and ran the engine to find bubbles in the rad still, so left it overnight and went back today to start stripping down to do the liners and seals. I drained the coolant, then the sump oil, no suprises there, took the head off and found one cylinder almost full of coolant, which must have got in there overnight. How did it get there? the engine ran fine last night apart from a few small bubbles in the rad and it had been like that for months.

I`ve now blocked the tractor and sump up, and taken 20 smaller bolts out the sump and 5 ( may be 7 couldn't remember ) larger ones around the gearbox end and tapped out a couple thin blocks from under the sump and it hasn`t moved, do I need to tap a screwdriver into the joint to free it or have I missed something ? The new gasket has 20 holes so I thought I`d got them all.
Finally, never having done it before, when the sump is off will I be able to undo the con rods from the big ends and push the pistons out through the top of the cylinders ready to pull the liners? Thanks Dave

There is a bolt that is easy to miss at the front of the engine that requires a long extension. It is just behind the crank pulley in a tunnel. Also there are two bolts around the bell housing that are easy to miss up around the side rails. They are in the opposite direction to all the other bolts, that is they go front to back.

Yes you can remove the pistons and liners with the engine still in the tractor.

Steven

Thanks Steven, I missed the front one, the seal was leaking badly and its covered in oily sawdust and crud - and so am I.