looking for advise about my cub

tedregentin · Nov 11, 2023

I have a 1963 cub low boy with one point and a loader. It has been a great little tractor. Yesterday I was using the one point disc to work up my garden and I noticed a lot of blue smoke under load. Any thoughts as to the best way to deal with this issue?

the tractor vet · Nov 11, 2023

Well if it is coming from the breather cap on the engine then that is blow by . Now i know you don't want to hear this but it is time for a rebuild . It will need the block bored and over size piston and rings installed and a valve job . It also may need the crank turned .

Janicholson · Nov 11, 2023

If the discing was the first major load on it for months, the smoke may disappear after a few days of work. But if not, and you need it to be reliable, what the Tractor Vet is telling you is correct. The engine cannot be fixed with a Kit because it has no cylinder sleeves. Like auto engines, the pistons run directly in the block casting. Jim

Geo-TH,In · Nov 11, 2023

If I use too much choke, it will make blue smoke too.

I'm guessing that under load, your carb is too rich.

rustred · Nov 11, 2023

would also add ,... monitor how much oil it is using. i have had tractors smoke that have been sitting around for years , and once heated up on a load they kinda cure themselves. so the way i look at it if its not going through a lot of oil just keep it full of oil and thats as cheap as you can get. plus check on the blowby, a small amount is ok , but if you can actually feel it blowing in your hand the sleeves and rings are worn. do a compression check for your satisfaction also. look at the spark plugs also, and that will tell the engines condition. so after you do this then let us know what u find.

used red MN · Nov 11, 2023

GEO.. Too much choke causes ..black.. smoke! If you are out in the field pulling an implement you should not be applying choke, if you have to something is wrong with your fuel system.

It is my opinion that the engine is probably worn out. That is what happens old tractors wear out. Depending on the amount of wear in the cylinders you may be able to get away with a ring job and valve grind. As stated a premium overhaul job requires cylinder boring and oversized pistons. On the other hand how much does the smoke bother you? If you have to add two quarts of oil after an hours work that would be excessive for sure. Otherwise if it starts fine and can do the jobs you need it to do it becomes a choice between living with the smoke or choosing to spend X amount of dollars to make it go away.

Geo-TH,In · Nov 11, 2023

GEO.. Too much choke causes ..black.. smoke! If you are out in the field pulling an implement you should not be applying choke, if you have to something is wrong with your fuel system.

Everytime I start my mowers and tractors, too much choke washes oil off the cylinders. The white smoke stops after I remove the choke.

And yes if the fuel to air ratio isn't right over a long time, it will carbon up the plugs.

White/blue smoke is usually a sign of oil smoke.
Black smoke is incomplete combustion.

White smoke on choke in a mower is usually due to the engine running very rich, which means more fuel is being burned than air. Check the air filter for air restrictions, and check for other airflow restrictions including a stuck choke. Other possible causes of white smoke in a push mower include insufficient oil level, oil spilled on the engine, a plugged air filter, AN INCORRECT CHOKE SETTING, a bad engine gasket, or a valve train or piston ring problem.

My Farmall made white/blue smoke when the carb was dripping gas while running. I bought a replacement carb.
All is good.
Believe what you want, it's a free country.

Part Time Pete · Nov 11, 2023

Blue smoke usually means burning oil - the smoke will also have a distinctive smell. As said, as long as it's running well I would just run it and keep a close eye on the oil level.

Blackhole49 · Nov 12, 2023

If you can't live with the smoke, the vet probably has the solution. My very tired 8n has been using a qt of oil every 5hrs running my finish mower for 20 years with plenty of blue smoke. Does it need a rebuild, da. What is your compression? BTW; seeings how it is a free country, I agree with used red.

dhermesc · Nov 12, 2023

Probably your rings - those old flatheads don't burn to much oil when the valves get some wear - they just get down on power. If all you are doing is garden work you could run it for years this way - just keep the oil fresh as it gets really dirty fast when there is blowby - especially on these old carbed engines.

looking for advise about my cub

tedregentin

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the tractor vet

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Janicholson

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Geo-TH,In

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rustred

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used red MN

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Geo-TH,In

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Part Time Pete

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Blackhole49

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dhermesc

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