'65 up BSD engine compression pressures

[Bern]

A post a few days back discussed compression pressures on '65 and up Ford diesel engines. The OP was asking if pressures in the high 300s were OK. I maintained that it was, someone else posted some specs from a 5000 repair manual indicating it should be between 420-510 PSI.

Those numbers of 420-510 are flat out wrong. Unless you have a large amount of carbon buildup inside of a cylinder, you'll never see over 400 PSI on a Basildon series diesel ("BSD"). I believe those numbers came from the original testing procedure which was for a test with the engine running. However, at 200 RPM cranking speeds, you'll never see 400 PSI, let alone 500 PSI.

In the interest of not having someone rip apart their engine for no reason, I have included some information above taken from a manual Ford put together back in 1987 titled "Diesel Engine Diagnosis". It was specifically for the Basildon series diesels only. Note that they're looking for 290 PSI minimum for non-turboed engines, and 275 PSI for turboed engines.

Also, specs from a TW repair manual (same engine family) show compression pressures of 325 PSI for a turboed engine, and 350 for a non-turboed engine. In my extensive experience compression testing numerous Ford engines, those numbers are pretty close to the mark.

Hope this helps.

 

[JWA]

I'll show my ignorance. Please define Basildon engine. Thanks..

 

[Bern]

Pretty much any engine installed into a Ford tractor built between 1965 and about the year 2000 or so. This excludes any Japanese or Italian built tractors with the name Ford on it built during that same time.

The most common BSD engines were the 201 3-cylinder, 256 & 268 4-cylinder, and 401 6-cylinder.

Basildon refers to the factory in England where many of them were made.

 

[RickB]

Also includes the later and less plentiful 4 cylinder 304 and 6 cylinder 456 cu. in. "Genesis" engines. Bern, were these engines (1965 and up) built anywhere in the world other than Basildon? I'm not aware that any were, but I've never made a real study on the topic, either.

 

[Bern]

I really don't know - I was wondering that myself. Maybe Rod knows?

 

[RodinNS]

As far as I know... all BSD engines were slapped together at Basildon. The Brazilian engines were based on them but obviously were not BSD engines...
It is interesting to note though.. that the 'BSD' engine was originally designed by Ford's engine and foundry division in Troy...

Rod

 

[Bern]

So if I understand you correctly, all "C" prefixed tractors came with engines made in England. If so, what engines were being made in Troy at that time?

 

[RodinNS]

To my knowledge all engines fitted to Ford tractors after 1965 were assembled at Basildon from a Troy design up until such time as engine design was transferred to Basildon. The basic system in 1965 was that engines and manual transmission and I believe axles were all cast and assembled at Basildon/Dagenham or in that general area. Hitches were produced at Antwerp and the S-O-S was produced at Highland Park. So components from various locations were then shipped to Basildon, Antwerp and Highland Park and later, to Romeo for final assembly. Another interesting note that I read at one time is that the actual machinery for Basildon's engine plant was removed from the US Cleveland works and shipped over and re-tooled for the tractor engines...

Rod

 

[RickB]

Interesting info. I've never had reason to think any Ford engines 1965 and after originated anywhere other than Basildon. But 'always' and 'never' are words we all know not to use often.