FarmerToby
Member
Hi everyone, this is my first time posting.
I'm a young farmer up in northern Alberta. I am not the most mechanically minded person but I try to do any mechanicing I can before hiring someone. This excavator was my first heavy equipment purchase. I bought it last year and I plan on using it to build some dugouts and various other farm jobs. The machine was clean with no leaks and a decent price because of the size. Everything works and it runs strong. One time before running it I checked the oil and noticed it was overfull so I opened the rad and I couldn't see any fluid. Uh oh. I had just changed oil not long before that and I know I had it right at the top of the safe range on the dipstick. So I removed the skid pan underneath and cracked the drain plug and slowly loosened it until I had fluid come out. Straight coolant. I drained it until I had oil and I replaced it. The rad took probably 5-6 liters of coolant before it wouldn't take anymore. Now everytime I run the machine for probably 3-4 hours I will check the next day and sure enough I will have to drain 4-6 liters of coolant out of the oil before running it. I don't really want to keep running it for fear of damaging the engine.
It had the Isuzu 6Sd1T engine. From what I understand from the research I have done is that there are basically 4 ways coolant can get in the oil:
Head-gasket, Oil cooler, liners and the water pump.
From what I've read the 6sd1t has dry liners so that removes that option.
I don't believe I have oil in the coolant so I don't think I am getting cross contamination through the oil cooler.
Now the water pump is belt driven so Its not like it is being driven through the timing cover but It might be oil lubricated?
I talked to my local service manager at John Deere because he is quite knowledgeable but he doesn't think the water pump for that engine is oil lubricated nor could it be a vector for coolant to get in.
Now obviously that leaves the head gasket or head itself to be the culprit which is probably the most expensive fix. Does anyone have any experience with this or do you know anything I can try to narrow it down? I was hoping it was the water pump because it probably wouldn't be too expensive to change.
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
I'm a young farmer up in northern Alberta. I am not the most mechanically minded person but I try to do any mechanicing I can before hiring someone. This excavator was my first heavy equipment purchase. I bought it last year and I plan on using it to build some dugouts and various other farm jobs. The machine was clean with no leaks and a decent price because of the size. Everything works and it runs strong. One time before running it I checked the oil and noticed it was overfull so I opened the rad and I couldn't see any fluid. Uh oh. I had just changed oil not long before that and I know I had it right at the top of the safe range on the dipstick. So I removed the skid pan underneath and cracked the drain plug and slowly loosened it until I had fluid come out. Straight coolant. I drained it until I had oil and I replaced it. The rad took probably 5-6 liters of coolant before it wouldn't take anymore. Now everytime I run the machine for probably 3-4 hours I will check the next day and sure enough I will have to drain 4-6 liters of coolant out of the oil before running it. I don't really want to keep running it for fear of damaging the engine.
It had the Isuzu 6Sd1T engine. From what I understand from the research I have done is that there are basically 4 ways coolant can get in the oil:
Head-gasket, Oil cooler, liners and the water pump.
From what I've read the 6sd1t has dry liners so that removes that option.
I don't believe I have oil in the coolant so I don't think I am getting cross contamination through the oil cooler.
Now the water pump is belt driven so Its not like it is being driven through the timing cover but It might be oil lubricated?
I talked to my local service manager at John Deere because he is quite knowledgeable but he doesn't think the water pump for that engine is oil lubricated nor could it be a vector for coolant to get in.
Now obviously that leaves the head gasket or head itself to be the culprit which is probably the most expensive fix. Does anyone have any experience with this or do you know anything I can try to narrow it down? I was hoping it was the water pump because it probably wouldn't be too expensive to change.
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
