engine knock / clatter

[boggen]

allis chalmers CA 1954 tractor.

just got done...
1. pulling starter and greased it, along with checking it all internally
2. checking all wires for shorts.
3. fixing A or F terminal of generator (plastic washer broke causing short) (along with greased the bearings)
4. new 6v battery (old one was dead)
5. new spark plugs
6. new head lights, 1 was burned out, other not looking to good.
7. pulled apart carb and ran some carb cleaner across all the parts.

8. mowed for approx 2 hours. cutting thicker grass, in 3rd gear. (pushing the tractor in a pretty good load)
9. rain clouds coming in, choice either mow rest of front of farm, or go hit some spots on the back that are nasty when wet. headed to back of farm. got about 1 strip around.... noticed "white smoke" coming from the spark plug side of engine. almost like a puff of a cigarette hardly noticeable. and took me a few minutes turning about and dealing with wind. i only saw white smoke while actually cutting grass (under load). not running over/turning around on already cut grass. ((i thought eyes were playing tricks on me initially))
10. engine knocking. (see video) the clatter clatter clatter was not there before, if it was, it is much, much louder now.

not sure if i screwed something up / something out of adjustment, or this is a new issue.

being noobie. have some seafoam. i could run through carb / gas, along with engine oil. but figure best ask before i get myself into more trouble.

 

[TCJatko]

Sounds like valve clatter to me; did you adjust the valves?

 

[ericm979]

It doesn't sound like loose valves to me, but being a video it's more difficult to tell. Loose valves are more of a ticking sound, and the sound is more regular at constant rpm but varies with rpm. Of course it depends on how loose the valve adjustment is, and the valvetrain. In any case loose valves would not cause white smoke. A blown head gasket would, from coolant getting into the combustion chamber.

Check the coolant- if there's oil in it or its milky (suspended oil) that's the head gasket leaking. Or if there's water in the oil (also milky or frothy). Next check is a compression test. The way it sounds I half expect there to be compression leaking past the gasket to the outside. When it's running pass your hand around the head gasket area and feel for pulses of air coming out.

 

[IH3444]

Sounds like head gasket leak. Compression test. If confirmed, pull head before any damage to surfaces occur. Deck head, and do a quality valve job.

 

[boggen]

have yet to do anything yet, looking at some youtube videos. trying to get an idea of what i am getting myself into. looks like if i am pulling the head. i should be prepared to remove the valves and clean them up.

what other tools / cleaners / and like might i need?

1. compression kit (looks like generic cheap kit will work i am assuming)
2. lapping tool
3. saw something about a "fine grit" valve cleaner (use with lapping tool)?
4. valve spring compression tool (cheapy)
5. package of new razor blades (need another package)
6. wire brush? (clean gasket material off) (what i have is nearly destroyed)
7. wire wheel for bench grinder, any suggestions? (to clean valves)
8. any suggestions on a parts cleaner, carb cleaner, or acetone?

misc...
see if owners manual i have has torque specs for engine. "doubtful"

 

[Coyote machine]

Before jumping to conclusion you 'have' to pull the head, do the due diligence first: compression test dry, and possibly wet to see what results you get. See where valves are adjusted to currently, they could be all over the place. Or just pull the head, do a valve job and see what it results in.
Personally, I'd do some preliminary tests first, especially since it doesn't seem you're well versed in head reclamation, correct?
AND, if you don't do tests first, you have nothing to compare to when you've done the valve job. PLUS, a 1954 tractor may have stuck rings, or cracked or broken rings too. You won't know until you put it back together. AND, tightening the top end doesn't always bode well if you don't know the condition of the lower end - all data available via testing the engine condition prior to any teardown. JMHO, having owned and run a foreign auto repair shop for nearly a decade, in one of my prior lives.:confused3:

 

[ericm979]

If you remove the head I'd just take it to a machine shop and have them remove the valves and replace them and/or or cut the seats as needed. Also deck the head to make it flat if it's not. And check the guides and seals.

But like everyone says do the compression check first. Do wet and dry test so you can see the condition of the rings vs valves.

 

[luke1782178]

From reading this the first time, it sounds like the smoke he is referring to wasnt coming from the exhaust which would make it sound like a headgasket, but it sounds more like its coming from the breather on top of the valve cover and being blown by the radiator fan which would indicate excessive blowby, possibly from a bad bearing

 

[boggen]

low rpms = less constant clatter/knock.
higher rpms = more constant clatter/knock. and louder noise.

at very end of video (20 seconds). kinda pointing around the distributor area. that is were i saw smoke. i never saw it come from the other side. there was to much wind already from storm front moving in. and the smoke was blowing back towards me. (radiator fan) blowing it back towards me. i could not tell if it was directly on front of engine. or coming out the side just in front of the distributor area. but it was coming out straight out.

smoke looked like it was "blown out" like someone blowing cigarette smoke directly out of there mouth, in a stream.

=======
compression test kit order

 

[boggen]

compression kit arrived today. hoping next day or 2 get to the tractor and test things out.

saw UPS truck down the road at neighbors house, and was just about to pull truck/trailer around to block driveway to load up some limbs. figure would pull down by road and wave driver down, so he didn't get jammed up. glad i did, my package got delivered to the neighbors. and he was pedal to the metal trying to fly pass me, till he realize i was trying to get him to stop, he went and go it, and delivered it to me. all good.