[Farmall] Progress on my Int. 184 engine overhaul

[cvill]

Great update, Mike.  I was just wondering yesterday how this project was 
progressing.  Looks good so far.

Charlie V.



On 1/25/2011 6:29 PM, Mike Sloane wrote:
> I am sure that everyone has been holding their breath, waiting for the
> latest installment on the story of my engine overhaul on the 184. Maybe not.
>
> Well, you're going to get it anyway, since the group seems a little slow.
>
> When I took the pistons out of the bores, it was pretty obvious that the
> rings were badly worn. But when I "miked" the bores, they were nearly
> perfect. Also the pistons were in very good shape. In fact, they were
> marked .010" oversize, indicating that this was not the first time
> someone had been working on the engine. As it happens, the rings for
> standard and .010" over are the same size, so that's what I ordered.
> When I took the rod bearing caps off, they were marked "standard" and.
>
> looked really nice, but a glance at the tops showed definite wear. But
> the wear was just normal, no spalling or grooves, so I just ordered
> another set of standard bearings. I guess you can call me lazy, but with
> only slight wear on the rod bearings, I am assuming that the main
> bearings are fine - that is based on my personal experience with IH C-60
> engines; I have never had to replace main bearings yet. I also bought a
> new top hose from Case IH, as the one on there was original (it still
> had the old style clamp), so I replaced that and the fan/alternator belt
> too (it is very easy to get at while the engine area is open, not so
> easy when everything is buttoned up).
>
> There was some discussion among some people familiar with engine repair
> as whether honing the cylinders was needed or not, and in the end I
> decided that I might as well just do it. For a little engine like this,
> it only takes a few minutes, and I already have a hone just sitting in
> the tool chest.
>
> I removed all the valves, and they (and the seats) turned out to also be
> in excellent condition, although there was more lead deposits on the
> exhaust valves than I would have expected from an engine built in 1979
> (when lead was being phased out). I lapped the valves and seats and
> re-adjusted the gaps, as per the service manual.
>
> Then I put the head back on and torqued it down in rotation "by the
> book", only going in 10 ft/lb steps to bring the pressure up as evenly
> as possible. The head is pretty heavy, but it is possible to crack it if
> you aren't careful. I put the manifold and muffler back on, and then I
> realized that the muffler blocked access to the remains of a screw in
> the frame rail that had broken off when I took the front left side plate
> off. So I had to pull the manifold off, drill out the screw, and then
> tap the hole for a new 10-24 screw. Then I could put the manifold and
> all the other pieces back up top.
>
> For the last few days, the temperatures have been below 0°F at night and
>
> only in the single digits during the day - too cold to work comfortably
> in my barn with cold wind coming through the space between the doors and
> the floor. Today, it was finally warm enough to lie on the concrete
> floor (using an old blanket as a cushion and warmth for my old bones)
> and put the oil pan, flywheel shield, and steering cross member back on.
>
> So now the tractor is complete except for the hood, mower frame, and
> rear tires. (I still need to put oil in the sump.) But the weather here
> in NJ won't be suitable for any kind of outdoor activity until maybe mid
> March. So everything will just have to sit until the next nice day, when
> I can put the tires on and roll the whole tractor outside to start it up.
>
> Images of the progress can be seen at
> <http://public.fotki.com/mikesloane/international_184/>  and page 2 has
> the newest images.
>
> If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me
> <mikesloane at verizon.net>, and I will do the best to reply.
>
> Mike
> _______________________________________________
> Farmall mailing list
> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/farmall
>
>
> -----
> No virus found in this message.
> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> Version: 10.0.1202 / Virus Database: 1435/3402 - Release Date: 01/25/11
>
>
>