2 cyl. Bolens with Isuzu engine

[Lem]

I have a Bolens with 1980's I think Isuzu diesel with 1300 hrs. Great shape. Occasionally (Twice) lately it pumps oil out the top of the valve cover filter and runs down on the ground. I unscrewed the dip stick and it was overflowed to the ground. I changed the oil and filter and am keeping it monitored for over filling. Did not smell and diesel in the oil but that might be my trouble. Looking to you guys for help and the last time I did that you gave me the correct answer on a B275. The Isuzu starts and runs great with no smoking unless under a load with the normal. Thanks Tractor By Net.
ldc330@comcast.net
Lehman Carrico

 

[SethPerry]

I have a Bolens with 1980's I think Isuzu diesel with 1300 hrs. Great shape. Occasionally (Twice) lately it pumps oil out the top of the valve cover filter and runs down on the ground. I unscrewed the dip stick and it was overflowed to the ground. I changed the oil and filter and am keeping it monitored for over filling. Did not smell and diesel in the oil but that might be my trouble. Looking to you guys for help and the last time I did that you gave me the correct answer on a B275. The Isuzu starts and runs great with no smoking unless under a load with the normal. Thanks Tractor By Net.
ldc330@comcast.net
Lehman Carrico

Lem, I bought a TL2300 that had fuel in the oil. Have never seen it overflow from breather, but was getting excessive level in the sump. It turned out to be the transfer pump from tank to injector pump was leaking. If you have a similar pump on your tractor, it is an easy check. Pull it off and lightly pressurize the inlet side of the pump while blocking the outlet side so interior of pump has a little pressure in it. If it is bad, you will see bubbling around the cam shaft piston.

 

[lens12]

If it fills fast, it could be a blown seal in the hydraulic pump. Check hydraulic oil

 

[Lem]

If it fills fast, it could be a blown seal in the hydraulic pump. Check hydraulic oil

Have used the tractor quite a bit after changing the oil and filter. The oil level is always on full and doesn't gain any at any time. The tractor does oil the top part of the engine real good and when it did run the oil out it did come out the top of the engine thru the cap on the valve cover and run down the side of the engine. Cannot add oil thru the cap in the top of the valve cover. Have to add it thru the Dip Stick. Strange, but thanks for the info that you gave me. Seems to be great now. Could a faulty oil filter have been the culprit? Thanks Len

 

[PILOON]

Most engines have an oil pump that circulates the oil via passages and then there are return passages back from head to sump.
A probability is that your return passage(s) is(are) clogged possibly from sludge or other form of debris.

Pulling the valve cover should expose the passages which in turn could be cleared using a small bottle brush or even a length of soft wire.

That oil needs to run back freely to the sump in order to re circulate otherwise damage will result.

 

[lens12]

The filter wouldn't be the problem. I agree w/PILOON. It is probably sludged up. I hear this on the 2AA! & 2AB1 motors. Make sure you are using a diesel oil & change it or the filter more often to remove the sludge.

 

[Lem]

Have not seen a return from head to sump with valve cover off. Looked pretty good. However there is a small line on right side of the engine that seems to come from the head where it is attached and attach again at bottom of engine. Had it off and it is not stopped up.
On original startup within 9 min's of start up oil will start to form in the bracket under the breather cap. I shut it down for 3 minutes and it is good to go for the rest of the day. After the oil gets warm seems like it returns to the sump more freely and the problem goes away for the rest of the day. Oil is very clean and went to 195* thermostat and it burns cleaner. No smoke and has good power. Had a 170* thermostat in it and Kubota said it would burn much cleaner with the 195 thermostat. Returns sounds like to me. Just don't know where to look.

 

[California]

there is a small line on right side of the engine that seems to come from the head where it is attached and attach again at bottom of engine. Had it off and it is not stopped up.
On original startup within 9 min's of start up oil will start to form in the bracket under the breather cap.

I'm pretty sure that external line is what delivers oil up to the valve gear at the top of the engine. It sounds ok if oil is getting up there.

The oil is supposed to dribble back down by gravity, through holes cast into the head. You need to poke around in the puddles of oil on top of the head to find those cast holes, then clean them.

 

[Lem]

Thanks, I will try to find them and open them up if I do. Have looked but probably not that hard. I will give it a going over as soon as the weather warms up. Got to be in the returns somehow. When the oil gets up to temp I have no problem and it happened between fall and spring. Good the fall before and in the spring it started acting up. lThanks California

 

[Lem]

100% right. Took the valve cover off yesterday and that is the case. Probably a 1/16'' and maybe a 1/4" in places. After the engine oil warms to temp that goes away and all is good. Thanks K7LN.

 

[lens12]

If you have a sludge build up, change the oil more often & make sure you are using a diesel oil.

 

[Lem]

Yes Lens I put some 15-40 Diesel oil in there for 20 hrs and probably over a year old, thick.black and I give my problem to that which I will work it out eventually. lil over 1000 hrs. now on my engine ,starts and pulls, no smoke until hard pull. Now 10w30 and that gave me more spunk right away. What do you think about running a quart of engine flush for 5 minutes in there to clean the whole system since it is a small engine and is recommended for the small diesel turbo in cars? Run it for 5 minutes cold.

 

[lens12]

I don't recommend it. If it breaks loose in chunks it can cause more problems. Been there, done that.

 

[California]

I can't find the original but here's an excerpt from a Honda-USA bulletin sent out to all Honda dealers and presenting official Honda policy:

"DO NOT perform engine flushing. There is absolutely no benefit to flushing the engine lubrication system as a maintenance procedure. An increasing number of catastrophic engine failures have been reported soon after this procedure was performed."

 

[lens12]

We had a problem with some dirt plugging the oil pressure sensor on a car. My employee put some flush in the car because it was recommended by an auto parts store employee before I could tell him not to. The junk that flaked of would plug the oil passages to the over head camshafts if you drove it interstate speeds. We changed the oil & filter multiple times before we could safely drive it 70 mph. The sludge builds up over time & has to be removed the same way. .

 

[Lem]

enough said. Thanks!

 

[Lem]

Thanks to Len and another gentleman for their help but I have about 5 things that I have used and in the last 5 weeks have no blow by and no oil forming in the bracket under the oil breather . The oil forming is over. I have a half dozen things and out of those I don't know how many helped the most. I had a 170 F thermostat and I asked about getting a 195 and a Kabota gentleman said that it would burn a lot cleaner with that one in there so I gave it that and I purchased a couple cans of seafoam and some Marvel Mystery oil and used both according to instructions in the fuel and in the oil. I keep the tractor in the basement and preheat it with a freeze plug warmer that have had for years and that only gets the water and heads up to temp but not the sump. I start the tractor and pull it outside and let it warm up for 10 minutes with the hood up and the breather cap off so I can see if any oil begins to form and in the last 6 weeks and six times I have seen 0 oil come up there and have noticed the blowby which was not much has almost went away. Lay a sheet of paper over the filter hole and none basically and can go around where the dipstick screws in to lock out any oil from escaping and I can look down in there and there is no dancing of the oil like it used to to and finally start pushing oil out the dipstick hole while it is running. Take the dipstick out while it is hot and no oil is pushed out so seafoam and Marvel Mystery oil of which both have claims of unsticking rings and cleaning the engine which I was diagnosed with by a gentleman on Tractor By Net and thanks to Len and a guy that has a name like "I like my tractor" or near that who spent some time with me and diagnosing my problem. It has been taken out of special care and put back to work. Small Diesel engines....Never use 15/40 in those engines. My book says 10w30 is max on the upper end. I use 5w40 Synthetic. Thanks Men

 

[thepumpguysc]

ALWAYS NICE to hear a success story.. glad ya got yer problem solved.. keep us up to date..
Happy tractoring.. TPG

 

[Lem]

K7LN. Have a 2aa1 Bolens with Isuzu engine. Found yesterday why oil when it is 50degrees or below flows out the valve cover cap. Took the valve cover off and cranked it up and it is shooting a big stream out the hole in the second rocker from the front of the engine back and also another stream coming out from between the rocker and the shaft that the rocker works on. All of the other rockers are normal. The rocker is tight on the shaft as well as the others. This has went on for two years and will fill the valve cover up within 8 minutes or less when cold. Is there a bearing of some kind that might be cracked or something with the 2nd rocker? Only 1100 hours and all is good. All other rocker holes are open and valves are in adjustment. Wondering why this is happening.
Thanks

 

[Lem]

Have used the tractor quite a bit after changing the oil and filter. The oil level is always on full and doesn't gain any at any time. The tractor does oil the top part of the engine real good and when it did run the oil out it did come out the top of the engine thru the cap on the valve cover and run down the side of the engine. Cannot add oil thru the cap in the top of the valve cover. Have to add it thru the Dip Stick. Strange, but thanks for the info that you gave me. Seems to be great now. Could a faulty oil filter have been the culprit? Thanks Len

I sold the tractor and all it needed was one bearing for the Valve train. Had a machine shop to make one since we could not find one.
The Diesel Mechanic ran a quart of cleaner thru the engine for 18 minutes and now it is good as gold.