Aaron wrote:I'm not really sure how you can get oil into the water from a blown head gasket on these tractors. You, no doubt, have a blown head gasket from the pictures but could there be two problems? Cracked head?
I agree, two separate issues, though maybe related. One is the loss of compression from the blown sealing ring between 2nd and 3rd cylinders. That explains why it stopped running, and why those two pistons/combustion chambers are damp with unspent fuel.
The other issue below your quote...
Aaron wrote:My reasoning: There is no pressured oil passages going through the head gasket- only an oil drain back to the crankcase. The pressurized head lubricant is provided by an external oil pipe. It seems to me that if the oil appeared in the water when you were using the tractor then the coolant would be hot and under some pressure. Any opening between the oil & water passages would cause water to push into the oil
Unless the sealing ring was compromised and allowed pressurized/partly spent fuel/exhaust to force itself into a nearby cooling jacket:
