# Maybe I wasn't ready. Bad leak.



## SurveyTrey (Oct 22, 2020)

I've always wanted an old tractor and old farm house, got the 90yr old house about 4yr ago & the 58yr old tractor 4mo back.

Old ugly yellow junky 1962 ford 4000 industrial 4cyl gas burning thing with a Davis loader for about $2000 that needed work but started and ran.

I've messed with it for 4 months, new plugs, wires, distributer, water pump, radiator, thermostat, oil and filter, ignition, wiring, and even gave it a rattle can job to make it look better than faded rusted yellow (definitely not a restoration) it kinda needed most of that but others were as preventative maintenance.

Get her all back together and let it run for a while to be sure all is good....it starts whistling as if to overheat and chocolate milk or coffee begins to pour from a hole in the block. I'm no mechanic at all and this is my first attempt at owning a tractor.....but that isn't right.

When I bought it I drove it once around his driveway and then loaded it, once home I noticed there was NO water, once topped off she leaked at the pump and sprayed at the radiator (hence the change) while doing the oil change I noticed dirty thick oil but only about a qt drained out, 6qt of clean went back in.

Now with the milk, I notice low or no water in the radiator but the oil still looks great. Hopeful its a freeze plug and not a head gasket.


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## SurveyTrey (Oct 22, 2020)

Before


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## SurveyTrey (Oct 22, 2020)

Current


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

Welcome to the forum! Can't help you out, but I'm sure somebody can.


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## FarmingEngineer (Oct 23, 2020)

What is coming out of that hole is an emulsion of oil and water. I believe the hole it is coming out of leads into the transmission housing. I likely has oil in it because that is where any oil that leaks past the engine rear main seal or transmission input shaft seal ends up. This most likely means you have a leaking freeze plug in the back of the motor block. Given the shape of the cooling system when you got the tractor it probably rusted through and the others are probably not far behind. First step would be to get a good shop manual.


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

You need a radiator tester to pump the cooling system up to 15PSI. Freeze plugs, head gaskets, hose leaks are all going to show up. The down side is if the leak is bad enough, you have to keep constantly pumping the system up while you search for the leak. In that case, you need a rig that uses shop air through a pressure regulator to maintain a constant 15PSI while you search for the leak(s).
*Pressure test kit*
https://www.wish.com/product/5f1fc6...d_price=34.99&hide_login_modal=true&share=web

*Shop Air for constant pressure*
https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...&ved=0ahUKEwiwrK3c5cnsAhWMHjQIHfl0AFAQ9pwGCAU

Pull the spark plugs and stick either a need-nosed stethoscope, or some small diameter tubing, in the spark plug holes to listen inside the cylinders. At 15PSI you can usually hear either air leaking, or coolant gurgling, into the cylinder from a blown head gasket. With a pump-up radiator tester in place of a radiator cap on a running engine, the needle will "flutter" if it's a bad head gasket.


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## Ultradog (Feb 27, 2005)

I'm a Ford man but not so well versed on the older 4 cylinder models.
We first need to determine the source of the leakage.
Some questions for you to answer:
You state that you changed the oil and filter.
Did you change the oil in the transmission and rear end too?
What does the engine oil look like now?
Is it still clear or is it milky?
Remember; there are 3 (three) compartments for oil on those - in addition to the engine.
Transmission, hydraulic reservoir and rear end.
What does the oil look like in those? Clear? Milky?

The place that is leaking looks like it is coming from the bell housing. Every Ford tractor (under 70hp) from the 1939 9N till the end of the Fords in 1999 had a cotter pin in the bottom of the bell housing. There was a hole under there to drain any leakage from the rear of the engine and front of the transmission. The cotter pin jangled around and kept the hole from plugging up. Photo shows the one in my 1966 4000.
Look under yours. Is the cotter pin still there?
If not can you see/find the hole where it should be?
You MUST find that cotter key or the hole under there.
This wouldn't be the first time I've heard of a seller removing that cotter pin and plugging that hole because of a bad leak.
It is very common to have water build up in the transmission. Both from a bad rubber shifter boot and from condensation.
If you did not change the transmission oil and IF there is a lot of water in it and IF that cotter pin is plugged up or missing that is most likely the source of the oil. Wouldn't be the first time I've seen that.
You may also have a problem with a leaky radiator but we will address that issue AFTER we determine the source of water/oil in your bell housing.
PS, If you do not have an I&T FO-20 repair manual click the link and GET ONE!
One last thing; You state you maybe weren't ready.
We were all in your shoes at one point.
I say by taking on that project you WERE ready and we are ready to help you.
Those are outstanding old tractors and worth the effort to keep running. 

https://www.yesterdaystractors.com/FO20_5895.htm


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## SurveyTrey (Oct 22, 2020)

FarmingEngineer said:


> Given the shape of the cooling system when you got the tractor it probably rusted through and the others are probably not far behind. First step would be to get a good shop manual.


Thank you. Hopefully it won't be as difficult as buying parts, I'm quickly learning that I can't just grab the first thing that says Ford 4000, there are several different combinations.


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## SurveyTrey (Oct 22, 2020)

Ultradog said:


> Did you change the oil in the transmission and rear end too?
> What does the engine oil look like now?
> Is it still clear or is it milky?
> Remember; there are 3 (three) compartments for oil on those - in addition to the engine.
> ...



Thank you.

I have not changed other fluids yet but plan to before I work her, been trying to solve one issue at a time but it seems 2 more jump up when I do. Engine oil is still clean and I havent even added water to learn if the radiator is just low from new install or if it has all leaked out somewhere.

I'll look for the pin when I get home from work today & order up my manual, hopefully its easier to match to my tractor than parts are, seems there are many different combinations.


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## Ultradog (Feb 27, 2005)

SurveyTrey said:


> Thank you.
> 
> I have not changed other fluids yet but plan to before I work her, been trying to solve one issue at a time but it seems 2 more jump up when I do. Engine oil is still clean and I havent even added water to learn if the radiator is just low from new install or if it has all leaked out somewhere.
> 
> I'll look for the pin when I get home from work today & order up my manual, hopefully its easier to match to my tractor than parts are, seems there are many different combinations.


Ford was kind of odd in that they made Two different 2000s and two different 4000s.
The first ones were built from 1962-64 and were really just a continuation of the older 601 and 801 four cylinder Ford tractors. The second ones were a brand new from the ground up machine and built from 1965-75. These used a 3 cylinder engine and were a much improved model. The 3 cyl 4000 is a larger, heavier, beefier machine. About the only parts that will interchange between them is the front rims and tires.
A lot of parts sellers don't know this.
As for your tractor being an Industrial model keep this in mind. The only difference between your 4000 industrial and an 801 is the front axle.
Yours is a very heavy, one piece axle whereas an 801 is a much lighter, adjustable (for width) axle.
So aside from front axle parts, since your tractor is about 99% the same as an 801 you would be wise to simply order parts for an 801.
Photos show a 3 cylinder 4000 that I restored then sold and an 801 that I grabbed the photo off the web














.


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## SurveyTrey (Oct 22, 2020)

Bob Driver said:


> You need





Ultradog said:


> Ford was kind of odd in that they made Two different 2000s and two different 4000s.
> looking for the 801 stuff may be easier, when buying radiator and water pump and thermostat on Amazon I had to keep sending stuff back and trying again, I finally removed all my parts and ordered by visual....the water pump claims to be 9N and the radiator Jubilee while the thermostat was just labeled as for a tractor to find one at 160 instead of 190.


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## Ed Williams (Jun 13, 2019)

The older Fords are notorious for leaking freeze plugs, especially the rears which see constant dirt and water. Change all 4 if you have one leaking. They are paper thin to protect the motor. Change the side ones first. They are easy to reach and give practice for the rears. The rears can be changed without parting the tractor. Just go slow and be patient installing the new ones. Be sure to coat the outer rims with sealant. I used Indian Head gasket shellac. It aids in the install and gives an additional barrier for leaks. It is also a good time to give the block a good flushing with a wand. Open the block drain back and below the oil filter and flush til clear water comes out the drain.


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## SurveyTrey (Oct 22, 2020)

Ed Williams said:


> The older Fords are notorious for leaking freeze plugs, especially the rears which see constant dirt and water. Change all 4.
> 
> Excellent, I'll get me a manual and then get to work.
> 
> Thank you.


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## Ed Williams (Jun 13, 2019)

Howdy Neighbor. I am just down the road in Richmond, KY. Actually, I am at Clays Ferry, halfway between Richmond and Lexington.


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