144D,172D,192D engine balancing

[Hostile]

I've located the needed parts to get my 144D running again. Now it's time to solve the bent up flexplate problem. The flexplate I need is now extinct. I found a company that might be able to CNC a new one. They are asking if the Ford 4cyl Diesel engine are internally or externally balanced. I would think from what I've seen that they are internally balanced but I thought I would ask the experts here before I respond to the machine shop.
Thanks,

 

[white halftrack]

I cannot tell you if this is considered internal or external, but on my 172 diesel it has a balancer that mounts under the crankshaft on the lower part of the engine inside of the oil pan. It is ran by gear off of the middle of the crankshaft. I presume that the balancer is the same as the 144 diesel.

 

[farmsjake]

Iam pretty sure the early diesel didn't have that balancer. At least on the 172 engine. I may be wrong I think awhtx or soundguy would know better.

 

[white halftrack]

The early ones did not come out with the engine balancer, but I was told that almost all of the surviving engines did as otherwise they broke the crankshaft. The dealers retrofitted the balancer to the early ones as a repair. i cannot tell you if this applied to the 144d.
Jason

 

[shaun wallace]

What are you calling the flexplate?

 

[Tony Jacobs]

Hello Hostile , ALL 144's , 172's and 192's are INTERNALLY BALANCED but it was a very lousy job and the addition of the Balancer did not make that much of difference . Do yourself a favor and spend a couple of hunderd bucks and balance your engine while it is apart and REPLACE ALL OF THE Connecting Rod Bolts and nuts it is the root cause of almost every Diesel Failure I have seen in the past . Also make sure you have the rods and the crank Magnafluxed to see if there is any small stress cracks starting otherwise all of your hard work and money will be blown up when it breaks again . Thanks Tony

 

[JMOR]

(quoted from post at 23:25:14 06/30/11) Hello Hostile , ALL 144's , 172's and 192's are INTERNALLY BALANCED but it was a very lousy job and the addition of the Balancer did not make that much of difference . Do yourself a favor and spend a couple of hunderd bucks and balance your engine while it is apart and REPLACE ALL OF THE Connecting Rod Bolts and nuts it is the root cause of almost every Diesel Failure I have seen in the past . Also make sure you have the rods and the crank Magnafluxed to see if there is any small stress cracks starting otherwise all of your hard work and money will be blown up when it breaks again . Thanks Tony

ony, looks like you were the only responder that understood the question.

 

[Hostile]

Thanks for the info! I'll be sure to change the rod bolts and nuts!

 

[white halftrack]

Well, we tried. Sorry.

Jason

 

[Tony Jacobs]

Hello JMOR , Both my Brother and I are long time engine builders and when building high dollar high horsepower engines you had better know the difference between internal and external balancing it's not that but it is that important . Thanks Tony

 

[Anonymous-0]

I wondered that too, but no one picked up on it. I have dealt with flexplates on engines that are attached to automatic transmissions torque converters, but none of them have been on hundred series Ford tractors. I don't think the flywheel used with SOS transmissions is really a flexplate.

So Hostile, what do you mean when you refer to a bent flexplate?

Tony Jacobs has been posting on this board for years and I believe he is someone who really knows what he is talking about. When I get around to rebuilding an engine for my 641D, I think I will spend the extra money to have it balanced. And I had already planned to use new rod bolts, the best ones I can find.

Good luck with your diesel!