# Super Dexter died



## 1gr8bldr (Sep 1, 2015)

My Fordson Super Dexter, diesel, started struggling today, just as I was finishing up my last food plot. Made it back to the trailer, but now it will not start. The only symptom,  it blew the seal between the header and the exhaust. So much of the exhaust is escaping there. I have always heard this would cause one to heat.... but not quit running. I wonder if something else went wrong and this was a result of another problem? Could this cause it not to run?


----------



## 1gr8bldr (Sep 1, 2015)

I covered the joint on the exhaust and put a pipe clamp around it. I think I had it covered well. Tractor still will not crank. It has always been an instant starter. I think I have bigger problems. Simms injector pump, timing, I don't know. I am getting fuel to the pump. It has a strange noise while turning over. Not a grind or anything like that, don't know how to explain it.


----------



## 7 point (Sep 6, 2015)

I hate to hear that your tractor quit running before it stoped running did it smoke or make any noise ? also you could try bleeding the air from the injectors it may have gotten air in them some way.


----------



## 1gr8bldr (Sep 6, 2015)

7 point said:


> I hate to hear that your tractor quit running before it stoped running did it smoke or make any noise ? also you could try bleeding the air from the injectors it may have gotten air in them some way.


I bleed the lines, no air. Disconnected the fuel lines where they enter the injectors, getting fuel there in increments, as it should. Checked the timing, Pulled the injectors out and turned them upwards so I could see it spray. Two holes in each CensoredCensoredCensored. Out of 6 holes, I was getting fuel from 2. One injector had none. So I took them apart and cleaned them. I worked on one hole for an hour with a small wire before getting in. So, I put it all back together and it would not fire. Dang, I figured this was it. Pulled injectors again and twisted up. One was not spraying... so I probed it with a wire and got it spraying. Put it back together and.... still would not hit. I have added fuel through the intake hole trying to get it to hit. Nothing. Frustrated. I had to borrow my dads 32 hp 4x4 John deere to cover my seed. The Dexta died after having finished the hard work. It is twice the tractor than that little tonka toy. And dang a front end loader... I would not have one on food plot tractor. To much bounce, noise, play, etc. I Love my Super Dexta. Got to admit that power steering was nice.... and if it had enough power, the hydrostatic was nice. But it is to weak


----------



## 1gr8bldr (Sep 6, 2015)

7 point said:


> I hate to hear that your tractor quit running before it stoped running did it smoke or make any noise ? also you could try bleeding the air from the injectors it may have gotten air in them some way.


My exhaust is a down sweep. I have had a small exhaust leak where the pipe meets the header. At the moment I lost power, my exhaust leak became 5x what it was... or more. No strange noise. I drove it back to the trailer, watching oil pressure and temp. They stayed fine, just had no power and that big exhaust leak. After unloading, it has not cranked since. It turns over about the same as always, in other words, the compression seems normal otherwise it would turn over faster


----------



## tree cutter 08 (Sep 6, 2015)

Did it choke down about the time it blew the seal? Or anytime


----------



## 1gr8bldr (Sep 7, 2015)

tree cutter 08 said:


> Did it choke down about the time it blew the seal? Or anytime


No, it just had half power, Now it will not start


----------



## Gaducker (Sep 7, 2015)

Filters?


----------



## SGaither (Sep 7, 2015)

Since it wouldn't fire with fuel in the intake, I'm going out on a limb and say it has something to do with the timing. I admit, I'm not that knowledgeable with diesels but how do the plugs look?


----------



## tsharp (Sep 7, 2015)

May sound crazy but on our tug boat the main engine had a bad exhaust leak on the strb side and the generator wouldn't start. I sent a mechanic to check the gen out all it was the air filter was clogged with soot. He changed the air filter and it cranked right up. We then fix the exhaust on the strb. side NO more problems.


----------



## 1gr8bldr (Sep 7, 2015)

Gaducker said:


> Filters?


Showing no signs of filter blockage. In the past it always needed bleeding when the filter got clogged. I have bleed it and no air in the lines


----------



## 1gr8bldr (Sep 7, 2015)

SGaither said:


> Since it wouldn't fire with fuel in the intake, I'm going out on a limb and say it has something to do with the timing. I admit, I'm not that knowledgeable with diesels but how do the plugs look?


I checked the timing. All good


----------



## 1gr8bldr (Sep 7, 2015)

tsharp said:


> May sound crazy but on our tug boat the main engine had a bad exhaust leak on the strb side and the generator wouldn't start. I sent a mechanic to check the gen out all it was the air filter was clogged with soot. He changed the air filter and it cranked right up. We then fix the exhaust on the strb. side NO more problems.


I took the air filter off and tried it open. No start


----------



## 1gr8bldr (Sep 7, 2015)

I much appreciate any thoughts. It could be something so simple that I am over thinking.


----------



## 1gr8bldr (Sep 7, 2015)

LOL, the John Deere , my fathers that I borrowed, would not crank. To make a long story short, All the  kill switches that keep it from cranking, seat, pto, brake, neutral, I gave up trying to find which one. I pulled the selinoid harness connector apart, made two wire jumpers and touched the male fittings, I heard the selinoid open, hit the switch and it cranked right up. LOL, This proved it was a kill switch. Put it back together thinking tracing those wires would be a pain.... and LOL, it cranks every time now. Maybe the seliniod was stuck shut [fuel shut off selinoid}. LOL, that is not spelled right


----------



## badger (Sep 13, 2015)

Why don't you unbolt the exhaust system? If the leak occurred right before it quit, it's likely that something may be blocking the exhaust, a baffle may have come loose, perhaps?


----------



## 1gr8bldr (Sep 14, 2015)

badger said:


> Why don't you unbolt the exhaust system? If the leak occurred right before it quit, it's likely that something may be blocking the exhaust, a baffle may have come loose, perhaps?


I thought about that. But was getting smoke thru when trying to start.


----------



## 1gr8bldr (Sep 14, 2015)

Pretty sure it is the injector pump. I pulled it off to take and get rebuilt. I tried cranking right before. When I pulled the injectors, 2 clyinders were wet, one bone dry. The last time I did this , a different clyinder was dry. Apparently it is not producing enough pressure


----------



## NE GA Pappy (Sep 14, 2015)

SGaither said:


> Since it wouldn't fire with fuel in the intake, I'm going out on a limb and say it has something to do with the timing. I admit, I'm not that knowledgeable with diesels but how do the plugs look?



Diesels will not fire by pouring fuel in the intake.  The fuel must be atomized, and diesels don't have plugs either.
They are compression fired engines.  

How are you determining that the injectors are in time?


----------



## 1gr8bldr (Sep 14, 2015)

NE GA Pappy said:


> Diesels will not fire by pouring fuel in the intake.  The fuel must be atomized, and diesels don't have plugs either.
> They are compression fired engines.
> 
> How are you determining that the injectors are in time?


Went to my manual. removed timing cover on flywheel and rotated to specified mark. Then took of injector pump cover and looked to see if specified marks were lining up. They were. I depend on manuals, otherwise I would be overwhelmed with the unkown.... and just not attempt to fix it


----------



## NE GA Pappy (Sep 14, 2015)

good deal on the timing.  I am worried that you may have hurt the injectors cramming wires down in them.  I hope it was at least copper wires.

You might have to have them spray tested and rebuilt too.


----------



## 1gr8bldr (Sep 15, 2015)

NE GA Pappy said:


> good deal on the timing.  I am worried that you may have hurt the injectors cramming wires down in them.  I hope it was at least copper wires.
> 
> You might have to have them spray tested and rebuilt too.


Those injector holes were extremely little. My smallest wire on a carb jet cleaner kit was the one that fit. Extremely small. Had to be careful because it would stick in your skin like a needle and not even know it. The guy who is rebuilding it said that tips were $35 each. He is going to check them out. I like to fix things myself. I learn alot this way. But some things are best left to the pros.


----------



## Gobbler521 (Oct 3, 2015)

*Tractor*

You possibly burned the valves or disfigured them or possibly burned a piston. You can not run a engine with a large exhaust leak like that for any period of time. Just my two cents.


----------



## OmenHonkey (Oct 6, 2015)

I agree with Gobbler on this. Even though you said the compression sounds ok it does not mean that it is ok. Diesels have to have a tremendous amount of compression to ignite the atomized fuel. Hopefully it is a injector pump problem and not a burnt or blown head gasket or cranked cylinder wall or even a burnt piston(s)..


----------



## jaybirdius (Oct 28, 2015)

You can find compression leaks while your injector nozzles are out by removing the valve cover, turn the engine until the valves are loose on the  cylinder your testing and apply regulated air pressure through the nozzle hole. A bad valve will leak air through the intake or exhaust ports and a bad head gasket will leak air out of the adjacent injector nozzle hole.


----------



## 1gr8bldr (Oct 28, 2015)

I picked up the rebuilt injector pump today. I will eventually find time to see if this fixes it.


----------



## 1gr8bldr (Dec 24, 2015)

Just got around to installing the rebuilt injector pump on my Super Dexta. LOL, I have ability that exceeds my patience. 3 of those bolts requires a magician. Then everything had to be timed. After much agitation, I get it all back together, bleed everything and try to crank it. It is doing the exact thing as before. Apparently, this was not the problem. But, I will go back through everything once my patience level has a chance to come back up. Looks like exploratory surgery is in the near future


----------



## 1gr8bldr (Dec 25, 2015)

Could it be that the fuel pump not having the pressure to supply 3 injectors left one cylinder dry causing it to burn out? I do know that the fuel pump would not supply 3 injectors. When I turned them upward while attached to the lines, only 2 would spray at one time. Let it sit a few minutes, try again, and a different combo of two would spray. Never 3 at one time. So therefore I had the injector pump rebuilt. From the moment it happened, whatever happened, the initial pop that seemed to be at the manifold gasket, I headed straight for the trailer, only having 1/2 power. I had app 300 yards to go, temp climbed slightly, but was climbing by the time I got it loaded. Looking at the block, number 1 cylinder area had a different look. Can't remember how that was, but a dry look is the only way I know to explain it. Maybe this is not how a diesel works, but I have always assumed that the fuel added lubrication


----------



## 1gr8bldr (Dec 25, 2015)

Oil is extremely black. I'm thinking blowby


----------



## 1gr8bldr (Dec 25, 2015)

Ordered a cheap bore camera. I want to see what is wrong.... but not ready to tear into it yet.


----------



## NE GA Pappy (Dec 25, 2015)

1gr8bldr said:


> Oil is extremely black. I'm thinking blowby



diesel oil is always extremely black.  If you drained it, changed all the filters and put in new oil, cranked and ran it for 20 seconds, it would be just as black.

Always go by the hour meter to change the oil.

I am betting you are still not in time.  You could be a 1/2 round out and everything look like it is timed up.  Compression test time sounds like to me.


----------



## 1gr8bldr (Dec 25, 2015)

NE GA Pappy said:


> diesel oil is always extremely black.  If you drained it, changed all the filters and put in new oil, cranked and ran it for 20 seconds, it would be just as black.
> 
> Always go by the hour meter to change the oil.
> 
> I am betting you are still not in time.  You could be a 1/2 round out and everything look like it is timed up.  Compression test time sounds like to me.


Timing is one of those things on a dexta that is hard to get wrong. All the marks line up or they don't. I will dbl check everything and make sure it was on the compression stroke


----------



## 7 point (Dec 26, 2015)

If you have blowby it will smoke out of the blowby tube on the right side of the motor down by the oil pan .


----------



## 1gr8bldr (Dec 26, 2015)

7 point said:


> If you have blowby it will smoke out of the blowby tube on the right side of the motor down by the oil pan .


Early riser  or could not sleep? [4:59 am]


----------

