DISAPPOINTING 7020 POWER

We picked up a 7020 about 10 years ago. we have always thought it was a bit under powered. it seemed to smoke(black) too much like it was over fueled. 2 years ago we replaced the injection pump, this helped some. only smokes when when it is worked hard now. it still seems underpowered. we cannot pull out on level ground in high 4 on the low side of the floor button. it will do it with nothing behind but it lugs. in the lower field gears it seems ok but we really had no frame of reference to compare it too. last year we bought 2 7000 red belly tractors. both of these will pull hills better in higher gears than the 7020 could dream of. the tractor doesn't seem like the engine is worn. it starts fairly easily in warm weather and not too bad in cold if plugged in. does anyone have any thoughts on why it would be weak?

I've been in there a couple times over the years and haven't ever found anything. Maybe putting a boost gauge on wouldn't hurt though

Install a boost gauge and report back what it’s doing under load.

Yes we have been through the air plumbing a time or two. i understand there are differences and you cant compair directly, but the 7020 seems week for a 120 drawbar hp.

A 7020 was 123 PTO HP, not drawbar HP. Injection pump timing works best at 16 degrees BTDC. There were some early 7020's that were timed at 20 degrees BTDC and the owners manual said that too. INCORRECT.  Max turbo boost is 24 psi as per A-C specs. A dynomometer is the sure way of knowing what the engine is or is not doing.

Edited by DrAllis - 13 Oct 2023 at 4:43pm

Our 7060 had a power loss this summer. We put a boost pressure guage in it, and it wouldn't make 10 PSI. We could feel a little looseness in the turbo turbine, so we replaced that. That didn't help. Then we finally pulled the exhaust and air intake off the turbo, plugged both inlet and outlet of the turbo, and put some compressed air to the intake manifold, (very conservatively) and found that there was a leak in the intake manifold gasket. New intake gasket, and we got our power back. Darrel

Edited by darrel in ND - 14 Oct 2023 at 7:37am

My 7020 doesn’t have the power my 7010 does but the pump and injectors on the 7010 were rebuilt and turned up 10%

They definitely need more rpm to get them moving, especially the power shift models.

Yup Mike kinda nailed it there, just my opinion

Edited by DougG - 15 Oct 2023 at 10:49am

We sold a bunch of 7020's back in the day.  The bad was if they were 'turned up' the engine life due to electrolysis was pretty common. The ones that we we saw that had a lot of hours on the engines were dynoing at less than 130 HP.  We always instructed the operators to keep the engine rev'ed to above 1800 rpm to get the boost up . We didn't sell the PD as it took a lot of power to move a 12,000+ # tractor to speed.  Start off in 2nd gear and power shift up. IF starting a heavy load in high range use the clutch to go 1st to 2nd due a pretty harsh shift.  We have also found a lot of To4b80 turbo's changed to ones that had the .69 A/R turbo. 7020's had a .58 A/R for more boost as did some combines that were intercooled.  When we ran with 1066/86 and 120Hp Deere's that were not fueld up - a rariety- we could pull the same disc at 1/3 less fuel.  On light draft loads going to high range and using 1st or 2nd gear was even more efficient.  Low HP is due to what has been discussed here - Timing- boost- and engine component health.  It was a small cubic inch engine on a heavy frame with not much low end torque - but a HP is a HP at the rpm range it was design to make power at.   

Are you using a premium grade #2 diesel in it or truck stop fuel? There's a difference.