D12 Engine Ideas

My D12 has been burning oil pretty bad ever since it was givin to me in 2009. It will oil foul no. 3 spark plug every few hours and looks like the blue bandit going across the field. I ran this tractor as a kid and it never had any issues. While I was away in the Army for 8 years it got left outside after being used one day and then sat out without any cover or rain cap for probably 5 years or so until I got it handed down to me. I'm wanting to fix the oil burning but do not want to do a full overhaul. I don't think it needs a full overhaul or even an in-frame. All four cylinders show about 150psi of compression and it sounds great until it fouls that plug and starts missing. Does anyone have any ideas as to what I may find when I pull the cylinder head? I figured it would need a sleeve set but since the compression looks what I think is pretty good I'm wondering if it could be something else. I'm going to mow my field with it one last time this week and then take it apart this week or next. Just looking for ideas. Thanks!

Thanks for the reply and idea Tracy. I pulled No.3 wire and there was not even a hint of smoke at idle or revved up. If it needs a liner and piston kit I guess doing all 4 cylinders and rods and mains wouldn't be to bad. Any idea if these "TISCO" kits are any good. Was looking at them today on Yesterdays Tractors. Thanks

I would go with the valve issue as well. I think if you broke a ring or had a scored cylinder you would see low compression in that cylinder.   I am not a fan of doing upper end work without doing the lower end but if you have good compression and the oil flow and pressure is good then I think I would start with the head.

No 2 and 3 cyls are gonna be where rainwater gets into, if it was left outside,(depends on which valve was open, and slope tractor was sitting at, when outside) I'd pull the head, and take it to a machine shop, and have the valves done, and a pressure check, because its there.  If the head work don't cure it, time to start looking at rings...

Joe, thanks for the reminder. Jeeper, drop a quart of ATF in the oil, next time you get a quart low.  It de-sludges and unsticks things...

Put a can marvel mystry oil in and run it may be a stuck ring. Nothing to loose.

At one time I had an example of the stuck oil ring with the compression rings free years back out in the shed. Finding it to take a picture probly will not happen. I am sure I never tossed it but I wouldn't know where to look anymore. Boxes and piles of old parts packed in the shed like the hoarder pictures you see on TV.

Edited by Dick L - 28 Sep 2016 at 6:25am

I used this shop years ago and didn't have trouble with their work.

If you pull the manifold off can you see the valve stem from the manifold port for cylinder number 3 if that's what's leaking you probably will have build up on the valve itself correct

That last photo gives me the willies.... my fab way to deal with them is chemical warfare spray right at the opening early in the morning or about dusk when they stop dropping out the bottom work you way up the nest with spray I typically keep working around and up. Had a few yellow jacket nests at my old home.

One can of spray, in each hand, and hose them...

     EEEeeeeeeeeeekk,,,,I'm like ole Dan says,,,you say hornets and I'm outa here,,,!!!! We don't have hornets 'round here,,but I learn't bout them bad boys on one trip to North Dakota,,,, My In-laws had a TV rotator on top of house that had stuck and would not turn,,,so Ole Joe offers to go up and fix it,,,Me and my wife's brother are pushing and pullin on the antenna and why we didn't notice em,I have no idea,,,,but when HE DID,,it was too late,,He SCREAMED,,,Hornets,,RUN,,!!!  It was too late,,one of them stung me on the back and I RAN,,,right off the roof,,, never mind the dang ladder,,!!!It wasn't that far to the ground as one of them stung him when he landed and stood there,,!!
  That sting hurt  so bad and it festered to where the meat kinda ate away and left  bout a nickle size hole and I finally went to the ER and they gave me a shot of something,,,,That sob hurt for a LONG time,,,,,,I went up on roof after dark,,,and treated them to a half quart of premium gasoline,,,they was all daid in the mornin,,,,,,

don't think I would trust em to be dead even with icicles hanging from em......

Garbage bag and a can of ether will do them in. Should be able to save the nest for display. HTH Tracy

I didn't know you went to Sunday school with Shameless.