You have been running your tractor hard all spring because of the late season. You’ve been watching the weather and you just haven’t had the time to do much servicing.
You know there are some things you should have done, but you shrugged it off and thought it really didn’t matter.
Trust me, it matters if you are going to maintain the value of your machinery investments.
Let’s take the cooling system. It is probably the most neglected area on the entire machine.
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Your operator manual probably recommends flushing the system and putting in new antifreeze at least once every two years.
But, you say, “I have tested the antifreeze and it is good for -34 C, why should I change it?” One reason is that the water pump lubricant is good for only two years.
Perhaps just as important is that flushing will get rid of the sludge that builds up around the injectors and prevent the coolant from keeping them cool.
When they get hot, they hang up, which shows up as white smoke and poor running.
If you took the injectors apart you might find hot spots, glazed areas and maybe even scratches. So just neglecting one little area can cost a set of injectors.
If neglected long enough, the sludge will build up around the cylinder walls and cause hot spots or glazed areas. This leads to oil consumption and loss of compression.
All this can happen without the coolant ever showing “hot” on your gauge.
The air cleaner also requires special attention.
The manual might tell you not to touch it until the indicator shows a plugged filter.
This is the way to prevent the filter from being damaged through constant handling. If you want to test the indicator, put a board across the intake pipe.
The manual also tells you to change the filter every year. The assumption is that the paper will develop cracks from the constant bending of the element.
Well, you say, at least the safety filter will save my engine. In my opinion, that inner element is there mainly to show you that the outer element has failed. It is not big enough to handle the large volume of air needed by the engine. Dirt in the engine will cause oil consumption, but it will also cause a lot of damage.
The turbo charger is the most sensitive part of the engine to dirty oil. The shaft turns up to 30,000 r.p. m and rides on a cushion of oil from the engine oil gallery. You can just imagine how fast this shaft will wear in oil that contains abrasives.
Loss of power is the first symptom of a worn turbo. This happens because the fins start to touch the housing and the turbo slows down.
If you checked your boost pressure, it would be down. If you checked the slop in the shaft, it would be looser than a new one. Then you will notice the muffler getting oily as the seal fails. I recommend sending this oil to an analysis lab.
Guenter has published his Inside Machines columns in a handy reference book, Henry’s Hints. It is available for $20 in a ring-bound edition or $10 for a PDF. E-mail him at insidemachines@producer.com to order the book or to ask machinery questions.
Henry Guenter is a former service manager for Massey Ferguson. Contact: insidemachines@producer.com.
