My biggest frustration. Engines, and mechanical things. I don't understand, and I'm not very good at maintenance because of that lack of knowledge/experience.

JD 1050. About 15 yrs old, but only 500 hrs. Haven't used for a couple of months. Started today - and brought it about a 1/2 mile to where I wanted to use it. Coming up around a turn on an incline, the engine sounded "funny", not exactly like it was laboring, and not a knocking sound, more of a sound like rushing air or maybe rushing water, but even that isn't quite the right sound. After I topped the incline the sound ceased, and the tractor sounded "normal".

I worked with it using the loader bucket to fill in a hole where I had dug out two large stumps with a small backhoe. Probably worked about 1/2 hour, and then the tractor started to make the same sound, and within seconds the tractor stalled, and as I reached down to turn off the gas and key, I saw a "spurt" of steam shoot out of the left side somewhere near the back of the engine area on the side.

Since I am seriously mechanically inept, I didn't try to restart the tractor. Matter of fact, I'm terrified of trying, as I saw someone freeze an engine on an old Massey Ferg once when they should not have started it.

I had checked the hydraulic oil, and the engine oil, and they were both OK. However, the person who usually does my maintenance on the equipment has been ill, and NOW that I was forced to think on this, none of the filters have been changed this year.

And. . . .it is NOT out of gas. Laughing. ( Did that trick a couple of times too).

-- Granny Hen (cluckin along@cs.com), July 13, 2002

Answers

check the radiator, see if thats low,,,sounds like it will be. Now you have to hope its just a blown hose, and not a head gasket or such. After you refill it, check the engine oil also, check for any "white" oil, if there is, its water mixed with the engine oil, and cause it to "foam" and look white, which would mean head gasket or such. If there isnt any "white" oil, then start it up, let it get warm, anf look for any drips/leaks around the hoses. The steam you saw is definatly from the cooling system,, now you just have to find out where

-- Stan (sopal@net-pert.com), July 14, 2002.

STan, I found a leak. The hose from the bottom of the radiator to . . . . . (something?) had been cut/damaged and I guess all the water had leaked from the radiator. ( I am a mechanical disaster waiting to happen). I discovered the leak by following your advice, checking the radiator and trying to fill it. The water came gushing out the minute it went in. I went to JD, bought a new hose, and I have put it on. I'm still afraid to try and start it for fear my engine is damaged. When I check the oil it is WAY up on the stick. Where it should show and inch or so, it is showing four or so, and that gives me the jitters! ! ( There is no sign of water in the oil, but how could there be - there wasn't any oil in the tractor). Darn it! The break in the hose had to happen last time I used it, and pushed a tree out of my path that had fallen. A branch must have cut the hose. Darn it! So it sat for weeks before I started and used it. I had to be using it with NO water in the system. Ouch!

Any further sage advice?

-- Granny Hen (cluckin along@cs.com), July 18, 2002.

without doing a compression check on it,, the only way to check for other internal damage,, is to start her up. Let her run for a few mins,, then check all the fluids again. oil,, water. IF still ok,, then drive her back to the barn,,, keep an eye on that leak,, sometimes the hose needs to be retightened after a bit.

-- Stan (sopal@net-pert.com), July 18, 2002.