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Tractor engine assembly - BOY am I having fun!

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Tinkerman

Tinkerman

Darth Vader
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She who is to be obeyed has left gone for 5 or 6 days. Hoo boy no interruptions, I will get the TR-3 engine back together this weekend, YEA. All the preliminary work has been done, parts bought, machine work. I cleared a work spot, got out the manual and got started. I set the bearing halves into the block, lubricate them, pick up the crank, heavy but not terribly bad, and set it in place. Yea! One small step for the tractor engine and one giant leap for this mankind. Go to the work car for my camera, got to photo document all of this. Not in the car! Must have left it at the office, ah well no one cares about the pictures anyway. So back to the crank, try to turn it, wont turn? If it's seated in the journals it should, all the other engines I have done did. Well I look and see a space between the crank and the bearing, ah not seated, I'll just take it out and try it again. A little heavier but still not too bad. So I keep fiddling with it and ya know, after 5 or 6 tries that crank weighs a ton. May have to go see the chiropractor Monday. Be smart, says I and call a friend that has an engine shop. He will come over and take a look at it for me, Tomorrow. arrrgggghhhh
Oh well I shall be stoic like my boxer and start on the head. Same deal, parts bought, prep work done, valve guides set in place. I'll just put it on my work bench. Ya know what, the head is made of VERY heavy cast iron. Managed to get it on the work bench, two visits to the chiro man.
So I get out the intake and exhaust valves, intakes go in fine, exhaust are tight. two of them wont go in, sigh.
So my questions are: Do the valve guides have to be honed? Why wont the crank seat right? How long will my back be out of whack?
By the way the bearing caps fit the crank journals fine when it is out of the block.
Many thanks for all of your help.
Cheers Tinkerman
 
Tinkerman,

Take a break and go get the camera. I didn't take as many pics as I should have mainly because it was all 35mm back then. Digital makes it so much easier so no excuses.
 
Thanks Harry, I think I'll do that and when I get back I'll start on the SU carbs, gotta be easier. At least they are lighter.
Cheers, groan, Tinkerman
 
Oh yeah... they are a breeze to put together. Just don't force, bend, or jam the needle in the seat and take pics. You may need them to remember where all the washers and cork seals go to put it back together. Have fun and remember to take a break when things don't fit the way they should. Otherwise your front bumper over-riders will wind up looking like mine.
 
Wow, problem solved! The guy that ground the crankshaft ground the mains 10 thousands and the rod journals 20 thousands, BUT marked the crankshaft just the opposite! Ordered new bearings today, should be able to get after it this weekend.
My machinist and I decided the exhaust guides need to be reamed to 5/16ths and that should take care of the problem and while he has the head he is going to grind/relieve the combustion chamber to maximise the gas and exhaust flow. My back feels better and I had fun with the carbs. Carbs are still in progress.
Cheers, Tinkerman
 
While he has the head, ask him to put steel inserts for the exhaust valves so it will be compatible for lead-free gas. As it is, an original cast iron head will get eaten away at the cast iron valve seat areas and you'll get burnt valves in about 15,000 - 20,000 miles without the steel inserts. I had mine done about 50,000 miles ago and since that time, the valve gap clearances have never had to be re-adjusted with lead-free gas.
 
Thanks for the idea. I will talk to him about it. There is a moral to all of this. I had a boss who used to always tell me to "inspect what I expect"! Didn't do it did I, Shame on me.
Cheers, Tinkerman
 
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