Ford 172 diesel squealing noise, no oil pressure, loose harmonic balancer bolt, and white smoke out of breather

Hi, I was driving my 1978 omc770 loader when I noticed some white smoke coming from the engine, (engine is behind driver). I checked it and thought is was a leaky headcover gasket. I drove a bit more and heard some squealing and drove another 50 yards to park it. I noticed the oil pressure was at zero.
I also noticed the harmonic balancer was loose and the bolt holding it to the crank was almost backed all the way out. I tightened it and started the engine and still no oil pressure and noise. Shut it down immediately. I'm trying to figure out where to start before I pull the engine. Thanks for your help!

1. Does this sound like a rod bearing?
Can I fix this without removing the engine?

2. Does the harmonic balancer have anything to do with this?

3. What could have caused the loss of oil pressure?
 
Hi, I was driving my 1978 omc770 loader when I noticed some white smoke coming from the engine, (engine is behind driver). I checked it and thought is was a leaky headcover gasket. I drove a bit more and heard some squealing and drove another 50 yards to park it. I noticed the oil pressure was at zero.
I also noticed the harmonic balancer was loose and the bolt holding it to the crank was almost backed all the way out. I tightened it and started the engine and still no oil pressure and noise. Shut it down immediately. I'm trying to figure out where to start before I pull the engine. Thanks for your help!

1. Does this sound like a rod bearing?
Can I fix this without removing the engine?

2. Does the harmonic balancer have anything to do with this?

3. What could have caused the loss of oil pressure?
The odds you WON'T have to pull the engine are pretty darned slim!

Yo don't mention if you checked the crankcase oil level, the oil MAY have sneaked out through the front seal with the balancer being loose.
 
Usually rod bearings go first and they are accompanied by knocking especially in a diesel where the pistons usually run closers to the cylinder head. The squealing usually comes on after the bearing shell has spun loose of the clamping force on the outside that held it tight. Is your oil gauge run by an actual pressure tube that runs to the gauge or is it electric type that uses wires. The chance of the electric type failing is higher then the “manual” type that read pressure supplied to them but s tube. Main bearing can go out but it is far less common.
 
What Fritz posted. Those diesels do sometimes break a crank and they tend to break at the front. They sometimes run for some hours before something happens like the front falling off.
 
IF ful of oil then if the front pulley is loose so it can be moved easily . You will at least need to drain the oil and pull the pan . Could be just a bad bearing which will need the engine out to remove the crank it could also be full of antifreeze with enough oil to look like oil on the stick and has put antifreeze through the oil pump that would make things squeal and white smoke. Turned a corner and crossed a set of RR tracks one time with an old 50's Dodge with the Siamese 6 in it blew the head gasket right as I crossed the tracks let that coast to be sure of clearing the tracks. Drug it home the 3 or 4 miles with the tractor. New head gasket and oil change was back to work in a day or so. Those head gaskets had to be ordered even back in the 80's.
 
A friend of mine found this:
Screenshot_20240320_061854_Messages.jpg

I imagine the distributor is substituted for injection pump in the diesels.

I need this loader/forklift up and running asap. Is it worth rebuilding? Where would I find a replacement motor? Is there a different type of motor that others have swapped out for the Ford 172?

Thanks for all the responses!
 
What Fritz posted. Those diesels do sometimes break a crank and they tend to break at the front. They sometimes run for some hours before something happens like the front falling off.
I had a MF 65 diesel that broke a crank in the front, it ran but knocked it still had oil pressure. When I tore it down the only damage was the broken crank, broke in the arm. My neighbor had me look at a 955 Minneapolis Moline which had stopped. The balancer bolt was loose, and the crank nose sit at an impossible angle. Somehow it didn't damage the crankcase. The squeal may be the mains without oil.
 
Could be.

The early Ford converted gasoline 4 cylinder diesel engines are well known for breaking crankshafts, balancer or otherwise.
Interesting comment sir. Do you know how a person would know if his 172 diesel would be one of those?
I just pulled up the 2000, 3000, and 4000 tractors on Tractor Data and the closest to that C.I. is 175????
 
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A friend of mine found this: View attachment 63446
I imagine the distributor is substituted for injection pump in the diesels.

I need this loader/forklift up and running asap. Is it worth rebuilding? Where would I find a replacement motor? Is there a different type of motor that others have swapped out for the Ford 172?

Thanks for all the responses!
The Ford 172 engine was used in a lot of different things. I have a Mobility Little Dipper that is a loader built around a Ford 172 Power Unit. I have seen water pumps using same engine. Look around your area there may be sources for a replacement engine. Steve.
 
A friend of mine found this: View attachment 63446
I imagine the distributor is substituted for injection pump in the diesels.

I need this loader/forklift up and running asap. Is it worth rebuilding? Where would I find a replacement motor? Is there a different type of motor that others have swapped out for the Ford 172?

Thanks for all the responses!
Oil pump drive shaft was my thought also. The loose front pulley was probably unrelated to the problem. Stan
 
Interesting comment sir. Do you know how a person would know if his 172 diesel would be one of those?
I just pulled up the 2000, 3000, and 4000 tractors on Tractor Data and the closest to that C.I. is 175????
The 175 CI engine is a post 1964 three cylinder engine. The 172 is a 4 cylinder converted 172 CI gasoline engine.
 
Thought I would chime in on the squealing. My 172D ran beautifully but had that squeal and I found the balancer shafts and bearings to be in awful shape. Maybe your loose bolt caused a wear pattern on the balancer shafts thus causing the screaming. I think you are definitely onto something with the drive shaft hex - check to make sure it isn’t rounded off.
 

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I had a 1963 2000 4 cyl diesel. I think I have manuals that put the engine at 172.....yes, no?
Ford 6*1 series and early 2000, 4 cylinder diesel tractors are equipped with 144 CI engines, for which parts are very difficult to find.
 
Hi, I was driving my 1978 omc770 loader when I noticed some white smoke coming from the engine, (engine is behind driver). I checked it and thought is was a leaky headcover gasket. I drove a bit more and heard some squealing and drove another 50 yards to park it. I noticed the oil pressure was at zero.
I also noticed the harmonic balancer was loose and the bolt holding it to the crank was almost backed all the way out. I tightened it and started the engine and still no oil pressure and noise. Shut it down immediately. I'm trying to figure out where to start before I pull the engine. Thanks for your help!

1. Does this sound like a rod bearing?
Can I fix this without removing the engine?

2. Does the harmonic balancer have anything to do with this?

3. What could have caused the loss of oil pressure?
My son has a 172 Diesel motor in a 8O1 Ford tractor. But Doesn't run. 618 599 8041
 

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