Had engine rebuild, but I kept blowing old Hyd. hoses, and a cylinder, so I only have about 2 hours on rebuild. Tractor sat in the yard for several months. When I started the engine it blew at least a gallon of water from the Valve cover blow off hose. The water coming out of the hose ran solid for 10-15 seconds, clear water, and the radiator is still full of green antifreeze. I pulled the dip stick with the engine running, and it was blowing traces of light oily water. When I turned the engine off, the dipstick shows full of new oil. I then ran the hoe for about 30 minutes. No problems, or over heating. Mechanic who did the rebuild thinks it could be coming in through the exhaust pipe (which has a swivel cap on top). I don't see how it's possible. The engine cover has open space around the air intake, I haven't removed it yet to see in the intake filter cap might be loose? Any ideas? I do plan to find room in the barn to park it after this.
Interesting that it'd blow that much water out the crankcase vent without any real noticeable oil contamination. Not really sure how water down the exhaust would do it, normally that would just hydrolock the cylinders and whatever managed to bypass the rings would go straight into the oil pan.
A gallon of water out of hose that is connected to the top of the valve cover ? Yikes !! There should never be water or oil trapped in the valve cover. I'm not doubting what you described, but it is impossible for that to occur in a normal situation.
There's just no way I see what has been described being possible. You have the 188 or 207 engines, and the crank case breather hose should be coming out of the top of the valve cover. Any significant water under the valve cover should be draining down into the oil pan through the casted oil drain holes in the head and block castings. On a new rebuild, the crank case pressure should be very little and not enough to blow out water like a garden hose. As said above, rainwater down the exhaust pipe will lock the engine if it gets on top of a piston, and normally there may be some water escape to the oil pan through the ring gaps. Something else HAS to be going on here.
I appreciate responses, and disbelief, but that is exactly what happened. Haven't started it since that day, (been incredibly busy and waiting on a new hyd. hose). It is the 188. Going out today to change the oil and check the valve cover gasket. The only possibility I see is that rain water pooled around the valve cover, and the gasket failed? Sherlock Holmes once said, "when you have ruled out all the possible explanations, the impossible becomes possible". Thanks again for thinking about it. dC
This isn't the kind of thing you leave set and hope it gets better. Either there was water in the valve cover (almost impossible as stated above) or there wasn't. If there was water, loosen the oil pan drain plug enough to let it drip, and don't tighten it until it drips all the water out and oil drips out. Then start it up and run it until the steam stops coming out of the vent. Then cover your exhaust. Maybe some pictures of the hose in question and your muffler setup would explain this mystery.
Thanks for all your replies. There was water in the oil pan, and obviously pushed out of the valve cover vent hose, however that happened. The exhaust has one of those weighted covers, and the bolts were worn, so I think it was just getting lifted by the wind, and the rain blowing in for a few months while I was waiting for cylinders to be repaired. Changed the oil, and filters. Put some diesel fuel treatment in the tank, and it started right up. Let it run for about an hour, then moved it to the barn. Happy New Year
If the water got in the exhaust, it would go into whatever cylinder had open valves, not the oil pan and valve cover.
Then it's still a mystery. It definitely ran a steady stream of water out of the valve cover relief hose when I first started it. When I drained the oil pan, there was some oil, but definitely over a gallon of water. Oil fill cap is tight. The radiator has green antifreeze, and it's full. The engine runs well, but it constantly blows white smoke, or mist.
Typically constant white smoke is excessive blowby, because the engine is worn out. If this starts reasonably at 50 degrees, and runs smooth enough, then you might still have water in the crankcase, most oil pans won't drain all the oil, and if there's water, the oil on top will drain before the water. Water in the oil is usually not a big deal, because it doesn't last long, it evaporates off quickly at operating temp. If this is sitting, and is going to sit, I'd want to know that the oil is dry by working it longer than an hour.