John Deere STX38 Yellow Deck Smokes when warm

Jack in Michigan · Jun 6, 2023

I am helping a friend figure out why her tractor is smoking, but it is not coming from the exhaust. The Tractor seems to runs good, but after it has been running for a while and heats up, there is smoke coming up from under the metal engine housing that covers the flywheel. There is also a trail of oil from front of engine and may be running down onto the muffler as well.

DaveBN · Jun 7, 2023

Not sure about your model but I had a similar one that had a leaking gasket under the housing marked OHV. That where you adjust the Over Head Valves. It is really more of an O ring than a gasket. It would smoke when hot as it was leaking onto the muffler.
Dave

Don B. · Jun 7, 2023

Have you had the flywheel cover off? Mice
lobet making nests in there it might be
packed with grass clippings or whatever the
varmints may have dragged in there to make a
nest. No matter what engine, it will be air
cooled on that machine, and it depends
heavily on the cooling fins and such being
clean and not packed with crap....

T.R.K. · Jun 7, 2023

It sounds to me like removing that cover is the next step. It could be foreign matter-like was suggested that mice leave behind or it could be a leaking flywheel side oil seal. Or even a head gasket blown in the right place.
You might also remove any covers over the muffler to see if you can trace the oil you say is down there.

John Deere STX38 Yellow Deck Smokes when warm

Jack in Michigan

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DaveBN

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Don B.

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T.R.K.

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