2040 #1 low compression- did ether do this?

I suspect that "u" is short for USA and nothing is short for european? Just a WAG (wild guess), but sometimes you drop a last letter in the
number and all of a sudden it shows up and it's in stock. Otherwise they can't find it and it's endless arguments about updated part numbers in the far distant past and the counter guy isn't having any of it today or you too for that matter. This goes back to the letter series and only if I remember correctly. I came back a week later, dropped the R like I wanted the first guy to do and walked out with the parts. Only cost me a week and the extra 90 mile round trip, plus the very deere price for the parts.

I think I'm seeing a four ring piston with only 2 compression rings and an oil ring, is that second ring groove not machined properly enough to accept the second ring? And they just left it out? And it's always been this way? The bottom of the second groove is not finished so the assembler just left it out is my wondering at the moment.

I would opt for four new cylinder assemblies and I would bump the pistons out far enough to verify it has four rings. You'll have to borrow a decent ring compressor to get them back in there without breaking rings as it's important and critical. It can be done without, but I would never risk it. And a quality head job, Mother Deere might be the best bargain in the long run for that part. This one sounds like a genuine keeper, I wouldn't go cheapest on it. But with your minimal wear and if you could find someone to put a high quality hone with crosshatch in the cylinders you have, you might be able to get away with new sealing 0-rings, a set of piston rings and maybe one piston? A proper machinist needs to be consulted up close and personal with your engine at a minimum.

The old injector came apart and got spit out the exhaust valve by that single gouge dead center on that piston, very lucky it didn't beat that piston to death in there. That could have washed down that cylinder and without a decent cross hatch, the rings aren't going to seat until it gets pulled long and very hard. That's required for a decent compression test and did you happen to oil the cylinder to test for valve VS rings compression test like they did in the old days. If you suddenly have compression back then it's the rings and not the valves with an added couple of squirts of oil in there. The oil should probably be shot into that intake runner as using the injector hole is just going fill the space in the center of the piston and not get on the cylinder walls in this particular case.
 
I suspect that "u" is short for USA and nothing is short for european? Just a WAG (wild guess), but sometimes you drop a last letter in the
number and all of a sudden it shows up and it's in stock. Otherwise they can't find it and it's endless arguments about updated part numbers in the far distant past and the counter guy isn't having any of it today or you too for that matter. This goes back to the letter series and only if I remember correctly. I came back a week later, dropped the R like I wanted the first guy to do and walked out with the parts. Only cost me a week and the extra 90 mile round trip, plus the very deere price for the parts.

I think I'm seeing a four ring piston with only 2 compression rings and an oil ring, is that second ring groove not machined properly enough to accept the second ring? And they just left it out? And it's always been this way? The bottom of the second groove is not finished so the assembler just left it out is my wondering at the moment.

I would opt for four new cylinder assemblies and I would bump the pistons out far enough to verify it has four rings. You'll have to borrow a decent ring compressor to get them back in there without breaking rings as it's important and critical. It can be done without, but I would never risk it. And a quality head job, Mother Deere might be the best bargain in the long run for that part. This one sounds like a genuine keeper, I wouldn't go cheapest on it. But with your minimal wear and if you could find someone to put a high quality hone with crosshatch in the cylinders you have, you might be able to get away with new sealing 0-rings, a set of piston rings and maybe one piston? A proper machinist needs to be consulted up close and personal with your engine at a minimum.

The old injector came apart and got spit out the exhaust valve by that single gouge dead center on that piston, very lucky it didn't beat that piston to death in there. That could have washed down that cylinder and without a decent cross hatch, the rings aren't going to seat until it gets pulled long and very hard. That's required for a decent compression test and did you happen to oil the cylinder to test for valve VS rings compression test like they did in the old days. If you suddenly have compression back then it's the rings and not the valves with an added couple of squirts of oil in there. The oil should probably be shot into that intake runner as using the injector hole is just going fill the space in the center of the piston and not get on the cylinder walls in this particular case.

The letter suffix was dropped for almost all part numbers years ago. If you find a suffix on a part for a tractor as new as a 2040 it is very likely needed to get the right part.

2040 serial number 417038L should be a 1981 machine built in Mannheim, Germany ("L" factory designation at the end of the serial number). The US at the of the 2040 in the Type box might be for United states or might be for Utility. The 204 with the SA in the Code box is likely related to the transmission or other components. The meanings of the US and SA are not given in the parts catalog introduction, a dealer should be able to answer those for him.

The engine decodes as a 3179 diesel used by the Mannheim factory (L). It is the 6th version. Unit s/n number 501038. It was built at the Saran Works (CD factory designation).

Finding and using the engine block casting number can help find the correct liners, seals, pistons and rings in the parts catalog.
 
Have you had the rod checked to make sure it's not bent or twisted? Maybe between the bad injector and using either bent the rod causing the low compression. Being before the pump quit it was not misfiring on cyl 1 that might be something to check, The rings where not broken and no burnt valves. In the first picture it looked like one side of the piston skirt was missing, any pieces in oil pan when you removed it?
 
The rings where not broken and no burnt valves. In the first picture it looked like one side of the piston skirt was missing, any pieces in oil pan when you removed it?

Ok, the piston is all there the angle of the first phot left the question of whether or not some of the skirt had broken away.
Look at the photos in reply 5, I think cylinder 1 piston is the only one he pulled out. All those photos are of that one piston and cylinder. You may have a point about the twisted or bent rod, those rods in Deere engines are pretty beefy. Doesn’t mean it can’t have something wrong.
 
Look at the photos in reply 5, I think cylinder 1 piston is the only one he pulled out. All those photos are of that one piston and cylinder. You may have a point about the twisted or bent rod, those rods in Deere engines are pretty beefy. Doesn’t mean it can’t have something wrong.
I had assumed that all three pistons had been removed for inspection ? Although after re-reading the posts, does seem to indicate only one piston has ben removed for inspection . This maybe the time to consider inspecting all three pistons .
Hope the rod caps do not get switched around .
 
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If the pistons are still in the block, check the piston height on them when the cylinder is on top dead center. Check to see if they .come up to the same height in the cylinder when you rotate the engine to top dead cylinder. Maybe put the one you have out back in to compare it with the others.
 
I had assumed that all three pistons had been removed for inspection ? Although after re-reading the posts, does seem to indicate only one piston has ben removed for inspection . This maybe the time to consider inspecting all three pistons .
Hope the rod caps do not get switched around .
Lee B's engine has 4 pistons/liners
 

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