How much smoke is OK?

[awdbandito]

I recently acquired a Kubota B6000. When I first start it up it gives off a couple puffs of smoke. Then if I'm really lugging it, say up a hill in 1 first gear, 3/4 throttle pulling large logs, it gives off a very faint puff of white smoke.
I just figure this is normal, or at least expected out of a 30 year old tractor. This is both my first tractor and first diesel engine.

What do you all think, or at least what is normal?

When do people re-ring or do valve work on these old motors?

 

[Sam427]

Sounds normal to me.

 

[aquaforce]

Welcome to the forums and congrats on the orange tractor.

Sounds mostly normal.

Be careful with the temps as that tractor does not have a water pump. Keep the radiator full and make sure it is not restricted at all. Wash and or blow out the radiator fins so they can breathe very clearly. If there are cooling system issues smoke could be an indicator of other trouble.

Just some things to be aware of on a thermo-siphon cooling system.

 

[ETRon]

Also.. seeing it's that time of year be aware that on a cold start in colder weather the combustion chamber has to get up to temp before it'll quit smoking and be efficient.

Old laymans way of having an idea of whether a diesel is getting low on compression - the periods of cold smoking will get noticably longer and when the compression really starts to go down it'll be much harder to start. They sorta have to "wind their way up to speed" starting, not the normal turn over a lick or two and running.

 

[awdbandito]

Thanks for all the info. This tractor starts pretty easily. It got down in the low 40s earlier this week and I went out about 8am and fired it up just to get an idea of how it would do in the cold.

I energized the glow plug for about 60 seconds or so and it fired up with about 10 revolutions.

It starts with about 5 revolutions on a 70 degreee day and 10 seconds of glow plug.


On another note: What do I need to do to prevent the fuel from gelling when it gets really cold? At what point do I need to start doing that?

 

[ETRon]

Unless we have a really cold winter here it's not something we usually have to worry about. If you're running straight #2 diesel then I'd only worry if it were going to get to the low 20's or lower. I consider that a good point of safety. Go to the K-town Co-Op or even Advance Auto and you can pick up Diesel conditioner for winter use pretty inexpensively. I usually add a little alcohol throughout the winter along to bind any condensation myself.