What would you do

cuculainn

Have old ford 4600 that was going grand, bringing in bales tedding hay etc

Water in oil, auld lad did the head gasket himself. Obviously had suspicions it was a porous block. Was going grand for a few weeks but is now full of mayonnaise again.

What would you do in this situation......recon engine is 3k before it's fitted...is it alot to be putting into a fairly rough all round tractor.

Would I be better off spending a bit more and getting something else, possibly a small 4 wheel drive. ( The ford cuts the **** out of the fields drawing bales)

Knowing tractors in the price range I'd be looking are a minefield...

FintanMcluskey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058339770/what-would-you-do

Change the oil and feed the cattle.

Seadin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058339770/what-would-you-do

You could always put on wider tyres on the ford and it wouldn't cut the sh## out of the fields then. I did that with a 4600 I had once and put a few counter weights on the front of it and it was more than good enough to draw bales. We made a long Frame so that the weights went out further so kept her always on the ground. The ford was light enough up front without that.

You will pay a nice bit for a new or secondhand tractor. New tyres and recon engine still should be cheaper I guess that would keep her going.

blue5000

https://gwyneddfarmmachinery.co.uk/products/ford-4000-4600-4610-engine-short-motor-new

Short block would probably be the best option. I think QTP have them.

This one is in UK, try find one in the EU

cuculainn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121870894#Comment_121870894

That's not a bad option alright Fairplay.

Getting someone to do it would be the next problem 😭

blackbox

When the head gasket was changed, was there evidence that this was the actual problem? If there was, I would not jump to the conclusion there is a porous block issue now.

Did he get the head skimmed before fitting the new gasket?

Good loser

I have a 4600 and got a porous block fixed in south Carlow someplace about 14 years ago. Has been fine ever since. Use weights (5) in front to draw bales.

cuculainn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121873928#Comment_121873928

There wasnt anything too obvious on the gasket from what he says. Didn't skim the head

cuculainn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121877617#Comment_121877617

how they fix the block?

in fairness its a grand yoke bringing bales even without weights, so agile around the yard/shed. Its only one group of bales that we had to go through the field for that it was ripping it up

FintanMcluskey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121878276#Comment_121878276

Unusual that he didn't skim the head

older by the day

We have an old ford here, we got it reconditioned 20 years ago, they sleeved it and everything. She doesn't stop during the winter.

A silly question, but it happened to me. I got a couple of drums of oil long go from a traveller. A couple of months later the oil was creamy. I rinsed out the engine and put in my proper oil and that sorted it

cuculainn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121879189#Comment_121879189

I wish that could be the problem, unfortunately I also had a radiator of coolant missing...

cuculainn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121879189#Comment_121879189

I'd say sleeves is possibly what it needed.....and skimming the head!

See the images of one of the cylinders below. The first image you can see the piston at bottom of stroke. Just above the piston you can see a mark on the wall of the cylinder. At just after 12 o'clock....

The second image is a close up the mark. It looks like pitting in the wall.???

Good loser

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121878285#Comment_121878285

Think they re bored the cylinders to a wider diameter.