First tractor, did i get burned? ym2000 cracked block....

[c low]

OK guys finally time for an update. I flushed the cooling system out some more, added coolant and some radiator flush. my radiator cap was leaking a good deal so i got a new one. I also got a temp guage from hoye tractor and installed. I ran the tractor today at @ 2400 rpms in the yard just creeping in reverse and 1st in the lowest gears, i did this for maybe 15-20 minutes and it never got above 195 degrees. BUTTTT, i popped the hood open, and what do you know the crack in the block in seeping with what i think is a coolant/oil mix. Its thin and black, but tastes sweet like antifreeze. Im waiting for it to cool down to check the oil for water and vice versa. I have some pictures to share. The crack is above the big goop of what appears to be jb weld, the highest point that is wet.

 

[sdkubota]

Maybe I am mistaken or have been out of the loop for a long time but as memory serves cast iron is extremely difficult if not impossible to weld. You better be carefull or you will cause more damage to the CI block then what is already there. Personally, I would have returned the tractor and demanded my money back...that is a serious issue far greater then GB Weld. As I recall, threaded inserts need to be installed in the metal prior to welding and the are pre-heated, etc. to even have a chance. Maybe finding a used block won't be overly difficult...don't know.

 

[clemsonfor]

yea cast is hard to weld. it can be done, is iffy though. i think thats why we recommended someone who can weld and knows what they doin. i can weld but just roughly on steel, i would not even think of trying cast though.

 

[c low]

It does not appear that there is oil in my coolant or vice versa. As a temporary fix im going to drain coolant, use a grinder with a wirewheel to remove all of old jb weld, clean up area well and apply 2 thin coats followed by a 3rd thicker coat of jb weld. If this holds it from leaking out the side of the block i will continue to check my oil and coolant for signs of contamination from the other. I know a guy who has welded his entire life for a career, before there was mig and tig, and is now a welding inspector. He has welding many thousands of cast items in his life and if i decide to get it welded he is the guy i will ask.

Would anyone know where to find or look for a bare engine block? or even a short block or running engine? I could swap all my internals into a good block if i could find one. I am planning on starting to use this tractor in the next month so we will see how she fares. Thanks guys for all your comments and suggestions, Chris

 

[chopped]

Seems to me nothing to loose to grind down and rough up the patch on it now, and the clean and try a JB weld fix..Its worth a shot.Ive welded cast with good results, but its been on something that wasnt as delicate.

 

[clemsonfor]

Call hoye they can give you a price on one imsure. Bare block or short block. My guess is they will be a good bit though? Also i think there is a member bruce something that has engines that he sells?

 

[Marauderer]

Seems to me nothing to loose to grind down and rough up the patch on it now, and the clean and try a JB weld fix..Its worth a shot.Ive welded cast with good results, but its been on something that wasnt as delicate.

I agree with Chopped. You might look into Devcon patches as I have had very good results using them.

 

[shortthrow50]

Have you even called the guy you bought it from and said "Hey, anything you want to tell me about the JB weld you put over the bcrack in the engine block that has oil coming out of it?"

 

[Car Doc]

Normally a small hole is drilled at the ends of the cracks to relieve the stress and stop the crack from getting longer. But who ever does the welding will do what he knows and it will be tough to weld leak free but thats what silver seal is good for fwtw.

 

[Coldwater]

i have welded yanmars my ym1700 2x4 is a welded block... it not hard to do. i do it with a mig welder and co2 gas.yanmar block are more cast steel then cast iron.some times i get a good deal on a good tractor that needs its block welded.

 

[Car Doc]

I agree with Coldwater on this some cast is better to weld than others and he has done it so there ya go. I used to mig weld Toyota 4cyl pickup cast iron exhaust manifolds all the time and they would weld nice with a mig and 75-25 even all I could figure was the steel content (or whatever) must have been high.

 

[kenmac]

I have welded cast with good results. You have nothing to loose if you try to weld & it doesn't work out. Unless, you want to try & return the tractor. For a block or engine try Fredricks or Anna @ http://www.southern-global.com/

 

[SpaldingTractors]

C Low
My #678/688/7040

 

[Coldwater]

i think you can get all your 2800 back it you sell it just tell the buyer that it has a crack and all the implements you got. it runs good. i think it sill a good buy. i bet i can get 3200 for it with the implements i have seen a lot of 9n 8n with welds.

Well i bought my first tractor and i think i got burned. I posted a wanted add on some semi-local forums that are fishing and offroad related. A guy responded saying he has a ym2000 tractor with a boxblade,rotary cutter, and a finish mower-that needed work. He sent me some pics of everything and all looked good. He said the tractor ran great and he used it to cut his yard up until about a year ago when the finish mower gave out. I drove over to look at it.(2 hours) It looked good for its age. It was kept in a shed, and he told me that when he moved to that house about 10 years ago the previous owner worked the tractor into the deal for him. He said the previous owner had it roughly another 5 years before that. He brought it out and i looked it over. Eveything worked good, lift,clutch brakes, the engine started right up. He did say it was low on radiator fluid, i figured the old radiator probably has a leak, no big deal. Well i talked him down a little and gave him $2800 cash for the tractor, 4' rotary cutter(good shape), 4' boxblade(good shape), and king kutter finish mower that is in repairable shape(needs spindle and some idler pulleys and a good blasting and painting). We loaded it all on my trailer and off i went.

I got home filled up the radiator and drove the tractor off my trailer. I took it around to my back yard to drop off the finish mower, then i drove back to the front yard to move the next attachment. I hooked up to the rotary cutter and drove it to the back yard and dropped it off. I drove back around to the front yard, hooked up to the boxblade and drove the 300 feet to the back yard again and turned the engine off. I heard water boiling in the radiator. Im now upset.
The next day i take the upper radiator hose off from the radiator.Thinking i need to flush rust and crud out of the system, I undo the cap and backflow the fluid with a garden hose for roughly 10 minutes before the radiator fluid turns somewhat clear. It was a rusty black color! basically black!
I let the tractor run without the upper radiator hose unconnected to the radiator,while topping off radiator with garden hose to keep up to water pump, but water would barely pump flow out.a small stream. If i raised the hose slightly above the normal height of the hose it would not pump out. IS THIS NORMAL?
So by now im thinking that i need a water pump, and that just my fluid looks rusty black. well i reatach the hose and run the tractor for 15 minutes or so leveling a small dirt pile. Water is barley steaming from the overflow tank, but i did have to much water in it to beginn with. BUT, after it cools a bit i open it up and it is already black! Now im thinking im getting oil or smutt in my coolant.

Maybe i need a headgasket and a water pump im thinking?

Well im looking at the motor to see any parts i need while i order stuff and what do you know! I think i see a crack in the block near the starter! it looks like it has been partially jb welded or what not. Its not leaking but im concerned about my block being cracked. How do i know its not cracked on the inside?

Im out of $2800...i Barely even make that in 2 months right now.Im mechanically inclined, self taught. Im wondering if i just slapp more jb weld on it, and replace the head gasket and water pump and hope it doesnt overheat. The engine runs great, but has cracked block/overheating issue. What do i do?

My father is giving me a few acres of land, i bought this to do everything i need to do to prepare in getting bushes gone, yard level, and a foundation set up to build a house. I figured id be better off to do the work myself with this tractor and have something in the end instead of just being out of money for labor gone into the air.

Thanks so much for yalls opinion of what i should do. I have this posted on hoyetractor as well.Sorry for rambling -Chris

 

[Djames55]

My opinion there are 2 cracks. One outside and one inside. Because you are getting oil and antifreeze. Or the crack could be long and into water and oil. But I don't know how the oil and water jackets are in this block.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Djames55 I agree there has to an opening into both the oil and coolant chambers.

 

[winston1]

My opinion there are 2 cracks. One outside and one inside. Because you are getting oil and antifreeze. Or the crack could be long and into water and oil. But I don't know how the oil and water jackets are in this block.

Good chance there is an internal crack but not knowing the history it could be a blown head gasket allowing water in oil. Whole thing is a mystery.

 

[c low]

Sorry i have not had time to get on here guys. I just removed my starter and other things that were in the way to get to the crack. I took a grinder with a wire wheel to the crack and it runs almost the entire length of the water passage way in the block. I have decided that i am going to weld it with Crown Alloys royal 44-30 mig wire which i have heard of great results mostly on marine blocks around here locally and online. The jb weld that was previously on the crack looks as if it helf 75% of the crack from leaking. Im sure if done again/correctly with better prep that it would hold and last. If the crack was shorter that is what i would use. I am going to bevel out the crack just very slightly with a dremel, drill the ends of the crack, then slightly heat the area with map torch to burn off any coolant or oils to assure i get a good clean weld. I will be welding very short tacks maybe 1/4" or less at a time to keep the heat down.
I also drained my coolant once again. It does seem dirty but i see NO signs of oil in my coolant so i am good there. I am going to drain my oil and check it out as well but from the dipstick it appears to be in good shape, it doesnt look milky or "waterey" for lack of a better term.

I have not contacted the buyer about getting my money back. I bought this tractor to get what i need done by springtime and will repair it and use it until i get this property cleared and somewhat leveled. Im pretty sure with a proper repair this engine should last for years to come.

 

[c low]

 

[greasemonkeyok]

Just a thought. From the earlier photos, the black stuff running down from the crack looks a lot like what Bar's Leak looks like. If the previous owner had been dumping Bar's Leak in the coolant, you may have a bunch of it in the lower passages.

Keeping an old busted engine running reminds me of my younger days. Good luck.