The good news is -

twoforty

New member
I have a running Yanmar 240! So, :thankyou2:

The bad news is that now I have discovered:
a leaking fuel tank
leaking / bad water pump
leaking hydraulic fluid
radiator hoses are in a poor state
so might as well change the fan belt
and
NO BREAKS!

Any volunteers going to be in the area?

Seriously, I am most concerned about the leaking hydraulic fluid as it seems to be coming from pretty much anywhere that could leak. It is especially noticeable around the PTO shaft and the right rear wheel. Is replacing the seals a huge undertakings for these seals? It would seem to me that if I change the right wheel seal, I should change both. Any suggestions on where I might get the seals? Thanks in advance.
 

Doc

Admin
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Dang, when it rains it pours. You didn't tell us where you are so kinda hard to come by and mess things up for ya. :poke: :yum: :beer: Our Yanmar expert should be along any time now. I'm sure he'll have some tidbits for ya. Good luck.
 

California

Super Moderator
Staff member
Site Supporter
Yo! (Hey Doc where's the smiley Smilies?)

Twoforty, have you discovered Hoyetractor.com? Their online parts diagrams for YM240 and YM2000 (same tractor, Japan-market version) will show you what you need.

I've owned a YM240 for ten years. I had to clean up some minor stuff like you when I bought it in neglected condition, but since then its been troublefree.

'No brakes' is the only item in your list I had to deal with. One brake was stuck engaged. This was an easy fix: Remove the brake housing cover. I had enough room to do this without removing the wheel - but you might need to.

The brake shaft on mine was stuck solid where it goes into the cover, and there's an o-ring at its outer end so penetrating oil etc won't help. (And you don't want oil in the brakes anyway).

Take off the cover. Remove the brake shoes, note their position. Clean the inner part of the shaft then hammer it out through the cover. Clean shaft and bore; grease lightly with wheel bearing grease but so little that none can later migrate to brake shoes.

If the brake shoes are oil-saturated, replace the seal behind the brake drum. I didn't have to.

If the shoes are clean (more likely) and still have say 0.100" lining or better, just swap front/rear shoes to get the second half of their life. And turn the square anchor pin at the dumb end of the shoes to adjust out the wear. Re assemble and seal the housing with RTV sealer - you don't need a replacement paper gasket for the cover. Adjust brake rods. The brake project took me a couple of hours per side, then doing another might take half of that. These things are simple to work on.

Fuel tank $100 at Hoye's. But are you sure its the tank, and not just the fittings? Water pump also ~ $100.

Belts & hoses - might as well do them all now, then they are good for a decade or more.

I haven't needed to replace any oil seals. Anybody?
 

twoforty

New member
Started to PM you California,
It looks like the diesel is coming from the area on the bottom of the tank where the plastic was sealed during the manufacturing process of the tank. My suspicion is that after sitting for a year or two dry, the vibration from running up caused this separation. That said, I will check over it again before I order anything. It does not look like there is to much to do with the seals in the rear wheels, but it will take some time as things you have not done before do. From the info Winston sent me, I'll have to remove the rear wheels anyway to replace the seals, so it would be good to replace the brakes I suspect that the pads, at the very least on the right side, are likely coated with oil. However, the operation of the pedals is free and that part seems good. One must push the pedals down past the floor board to get any type of engagement. This is a bit awkward. Gears all seem to work well, but with the loss of so much hydraulic fluid, I'm leary of attaching an implement. While I am at it, I might as well replace the PTO seal as it too seems to be allowing fluid to leak past. I'm sure there will be more as I make my way through this thing. At least it is running with the assist of a little starting fluid.
 

California

Super Moderator
Staff member
Site Supporter
Starting fluid ... Nooo!!!

These little diesels will shatter rings with starting fluid. Yanmar - and owners - say never use it.

Power Service fuel additive can make starting easier, especially if there is old fuel in it. And one thing that will help is: spin it up with the compression released then drop the compression release while continuing to crank. The inertia of the heavy flywheel will assist the starter.
 
Last edited:

twoforty

New member
Starting fluid ... Nooo!!!

These little diesels will shatter rings with starting fluid. Yanmar - and owners - say never use it.

Power Service fuel additive can make starting easier, especially of there is old fuel in it. And one thing that will help is: spin it up with the compression released then drop the compression release while continuing to crank. The inertia of the heavy flywheel will assist the starter.

Where is the "compression release" located? the new battery has no problem spinning the engine over, but it just does not want to catch.
 

California

Super Moderator
Staff member
Site Supporter
Look on the valve cover for two little levers and trace their linkage back to the dashboard. It's a rod you pull on some models, or else a lever you turn 90 degrees.

Yanmar had a problem oiling the rocker shaft on some of the earliest models, so it seems a good idea on all of them - or at least all these '70's models - to spin without compression until the oil light goes out for the first start of the day.
 

winston

Member
Compression release is a little metal lever located down a little on the left side of the dash. Turn it to hold the exhaust valves open until tractor is making a good spin, then release it but keep the tractor spinning. Thinking you have a 240 parts manual. If so, you can see it on figure 17 of the manual.

Does your engine have much blow by out the crankcase vent?
 

California

Super Moderator
Staff member
Site Supporter
Oops its a YM240. I was thinking of a YM155 post I just read elsewhere.

Yep, there's a lever to turn 90 degrees, in front of your left ankle. Winston knows my model better than I do. :pat:
 

twoforty

New member
Winston,
There is some blow by, but it is not terrible or significantly affecting the oil level. I did manage to change the oil over the weekend, but as I'm leaking so much diesel fuel, I really do not feel comfortable trying to put this machine through it's paces at present. Looks like it is time to order more parts. I will check figure 17. Thanks for your help everyone!
 

LincTex

Member
Starting fluid ... Nooo!!!
These little diesels will shatter rings with starting fluid. Yanmar - and owners - say never use it.

Quoted for truth. I bought my YM2000 as a non-runner - - I have never seen pistons that broken up that BAD in any engine in my life!

Starting fluid is a bad excuse for taking a good engine that is a little bit worn (and usually just needs rings) and turning it into a boat anchor....
 
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