MF 35 Perkins White Smoke

[NoPaint]

I picked up an MF35 with the Perkins 3 cylinder. Its a nice tractor with a couple faults like they all have. The main issue I want to address is the blue smoke. Fires up and runs nicely. It just smokes. Smokes at idle, smokes at higher RPM, just always smokes. I haven't had it warmed up yet but I don't believe that would help. There doesn't seem to be anything coming out of the crank vent tube at the front of the engine which makes me think its not a rings and blowby issue. So my question is: could I have a bad valve stem seal thats just letting oil into the engine? When I rev it up you see the puff of black smoke among the blue smoke...but sometimes you hear some popping in the exhaust and I would guess thats from the oil issue. My thought is the head needs to be rebuilt but today I noticed it has this diesel fuel fired manifold heater. I have no used that yet but it got me wondering if any engine oil could dribble into the intake from that heater? Is there a common source that causes smoke on these Perkins 3 cylinders (I believe it is the A3 152).

 

[gary49]

I have a similar Perkins in my Fordson Super Dexta. Also experience with larger Perkins 6-354 in a boat Perkins are on the smoky side, especially when cold. What helped my tractor's smoke habit was Power Service diesel fuel conditioner. The start aid uses diesel fuel and an electrical coil to make a small blowtorch in the manifold. The marine engine had a broken one, so I've never used one, but it's only connected to diesel,so I don't see how it could drip engine oil into the engine. I'd add conditioner and use the tractor for a while before I did any repairs if I were you. That'll give you some idea of how much oil it's using. They're tough engines,I doubt you'll do it any harm. BTW, there's 2 quarts between add and full on the dipstick.

 

[thepumpguysc]

Like Gary stated, they ARE a smokey engine when cold.. & again as stated, the intake heater runs off of FUEL.. no chance of oil being introduced..
Its likely u need some head work..valve guides{very common} & your not doing it any favors not getting it warm.. or up to operating temp.. THEY LIKE TO WORK..

 

[NoPaint]

Sounds good and thanks. I'll get some fresh diesel in it, some fresh fuel filters, and get her warmed up. That should tell me more.

Regarding the starting aid. I would like to get it operating if it is not. If you know of any tips on diagnosis please let me know. I am guessing that it would make some noise if I fire the heater with the engine off?

 

[gary49]

I think the start aid uses the lift pump to supply fuel to an electrical coil which lights the fuel as it runs into the intake manifold. So you turn on a valve to allow fuel pump pressure to push fuel in and push a button to activate the electrical coil while you crank the engine. Somebody's got to have a MF with the start aid and can fill you in on proper procedure,I'm just surmising on the basis of having looked at one that was on our big Perkins. It's been recently rebuilt and starts readily down to freezing temps without it, so we didn't bother with fixing it (coil is broken, so nothing to light off the fuel). We don't use the boat in weather that's much below freezing. There are some tricks with starting the Perkins in my Fordson, which I've owned for over 25 years and was on the tired side when I got it. I use it mainly to maintain about a third of a mile of driveway and to plow snow with the road blade. It starts pretty easily down to the mid 40's, and with some help, down near freezing. One trick is to crank it with the stop button pulled out, so that no fuel is injected, and then crank it again with the stop button in. The fuel cools the combustion chamber, cranking it without fuel warms things up. Another thing I do when it's cold is to heat the intake manifold with a propane torch. Anyway, maybe you don't really need the start aid, it's pretty Rube Goldberg,hope somebody chimes in who has one and has used it.

 

[Agvg]

If it works you can hear poff sound when it ignites, often the small tank that are feeding it full of junk.

 

[NoPaint]

If it works you can hear poff sound when it ignites, often the small tank that are feeding it full of junk.

Mine looks to take a fuel line right off the main tank - is there is a sub-tank inside the main tank for the heater?

 

[Agvg]

So you don't have this?

 

[Johnnybgoode]

The preheat circuit uses return fuel from the IP. It fills up the small canister while the tractor runs and the excess bypasses right back into the fuel tank. The preheat setting on the ignition heats up the glowplug and the heat also opens a thermal circuit that allows the diesel from the canister to flow thru the hot glowplug, thereby igniting it and allowing it to pass into the tractor's intake. It makes a big difference in ease of starting if it is working properly.
No engine oil involved.

 

[goeduck]

I have a Perkins 3 cyl in my Massey 245 with 6000 hours. The only time it smokes is on the first start of the spring. I attribute it to leakage and do not worry about it. How long had yours been sitting when you started it?

 

[NoPaint]

So you don't have this?View attachment 586375

Thank you for clarification. I do have that part. Once I get the tractor inside to start working on it I will remove that little tank and clean it.

I don't know how long it had been sitting but fresh fuel and getting it hot might just be all it needs...but I'm skeptical.

My manual came today and I noticed no mention of a rubber valve seal. There is a crazy tight tolerance spec'd for the valve stem to valve guide. If fresh fuel doesn't clean it up it might be worth my time to try and see if there is a rubber stem seal I can fit over the valves and guides (to prevent a rebuild or removal of the head). Perhaps it would be worth investing in a diesel compression tester. Does anyone know what size thread the fuel injectors use so I can purchase the correct compression tester?

 

[thepumpguysc]

TU-15-11A Lang Diesel Adapter - M21 Injector

Harbr freight has a DIESEL compression tester.. 1 is basically a tester to go thru the glow plug holes but comes w/ a gauge.{u don't have GP's}
The other has multiple injector adaptors & a gauge..
Its been said that the adaptor does NOT come in the Master compr. tester kit, so I sent a link..
Thay are also easily made if u have an old injector around & are "handy"..

 

[NoPaint]

TU-15-11A Lang Diesel Adapter - M21 Injector

Harbr freight has a DIESEL compression tester.. 1 is basically a tester to go thru the glow plug holes but comes w/ a gauge.{u don't have GP's}
The other has multiple injector adaptors & a gauge..
Its been said that the adaptor does NOT come in the Master compr. tester kit, so I sent a link..
Thay are also easily made if u have an old injector around & are "handy"..

Thanks for the link! I will buy the adapter and then get a slightly better gauge than the harbor freight. I see good snap-on and other usa made diesel gauges on ebay for good prices. Thanks again!

 

[thepumpguysc]

Seeing a compression job is "usually" only performed once.. there isn't a lot of NEED for a 100.00 gauge.. that's why I said, HF.
& I hate to burst your bubble & I applaud u for buying American.. but I've tossed more snap on diesel compression gauges in the trash than any other manufacturer/vendor that I've ever used..

 

[NoPaint]

Seeing a compression job is "usually" only performed once.. there isn't a lot of NEED for a 100.00 gauge.. that's why I said, HF.
& I hate to burst your bubble & I applaud u for buying American.. but I've tossed more snap on diesel compression gauges in the trash than any other manufacturer/vendor that I've ever used..

Quick question for you: I'm hoping to pull the tractor in, get some fresh fuel in there, and see how she runs. I've only run the engine one time but I recall hearing some popping into the exhaust like diesel was dribbling in late. I think I'd like to have the injectors and pump reman'd. Is this something that you do (assuming so from your username).

 

[thepumpguysc]

Yes Sir.. That's what I do..for the past 30 years.
I'll send u a prvt msg.

 

[NoPaint]

Thanks. Well I finally got around to trying her again. Its about 35-40 degrees out. I found that the intake heater is not wired in. No amount of cranking fired it...a sniff of starting fluid and it fired up (i know i know bad practice). Once fired it was smoking white...like a lot. The rpms would randomly go up and down almost like some cylinders were hitting and then not hitting. I have the compression testing stuff on order. Step one will be compression and leakdown tests. If those prove good (unlikely) then I think its time to have the injection pump and injectors reman'd. Just to clarify the procedure for compression testing these engines (and I will look in my manual as well): put the fuel shutoff lever in off position, remove all 3 injectors and lines, install tester and crank each cylinder until a peak is reached, retry same test with a squirt of motor oil in cylinder, move onto next cylinder. Does that sound right?

In terms of leakdown - I am wholly unclear on how to perform that. Any help on that test would be awesome.

 

[NoPaint]

In this video you can see and hear the engine running and sort of surging even though the throttle isn't moving. Wind was blowing toward the camera so you cannot see the smoke but it was heavy smoke so I shut it right off.

 

[NoPaint]

Ok heres a little video before injectors were removed and shipped to our good friend in South Carolina (USA) for rebuild. We don't know what is causing the white smoke...so injector rebuild is first and then we keep moving around the engine until we find it. The knocking is mighty loud in the video but in person you can tell its not coming from the bottom end and in fact under the valve cover and oil in the pan looks good (oil is a little high from all the unburnt diesel running through the cylinders but oil is clean).

 

[Agvg]

Timing? Have you checked that?