How bad is this engine? (pics)

[mk2mark]

Hey guys,

I bought this AC model C this week, seller says it was running when parked. Not sure if I believe that.

It does turn over pretty well, but I don't have compression figures.

My question is whether this is for sure a re-sleeve and valve lapping, or is there any chance at all that I could clean things up, bolt it back together and have a running engine? Pictured are the bad cylinders, the other 2 bores seem ok. It's for my kids to putter around on, this tractor will not be doing any work.

 

[mk2mark]

Here's the pics

 

[rustred]

hey ,you need to finish pulling it apart and clean up everything. pull pistons , hone the cylinders, and give it a set of rings. check the rod brgs at the same time. may as well replace them also. pull all the valves out of the head and get them cleaned up then with an inspection will see whats next. that thing sat with no rain cap and rain got into the engine destroying it. sure it was running when parked but not covering the exhaust makes a good engine a junk engine. there is a guy on here that does just that in two hrs. keeps the mosquito's away i guess , but its not the way i do things. as for your question... the sleeves need to be clean to even do a visual on them. and same with the valves.

 

[Butch(OH)]

As Rustred said "bad" is subjective. To me bad is out of spec, or out of condition. In a world of properly built engines those sleeves are junk. However there is no doubt that if you clean it up a bit and get the valves moving you would be able to get it to run in some manner, some here even call that rebuilt or restored. I understand just puttering around doesn't require an A1 engine. If blue smoke and few knocks, low oil pressure and leaks don't bother you then clean it up as best you can and run it, it's just not the way my gears mesh to do things that way.

 

[John Deere D]

As Rustred said "bad" is subjective. To me bad is out of spec, or out of condition. In a world of property built engines those sleeves are junk. However there is no doubt that if you clean it up a bit and get the valves moving you would be able to get it to run in some manner, some here even call that rebuilt or restored. I understand just puttering around doesn't require an A1 engine. If blue smoke and few knocks, low oil pressure and leaks don't bother you then clean it up as best you can and run it, it's just not the way my gears mesh to do things that way.

X 2

 

[John Deere D]

hey ,you need to finish pulling it apart and clean up everything. pull pistons , hone the cylinders, and give it a set of rings. check the rod brgs at the same time. may as well replace them also. pull all the valves out of the head and get them cleaned up then with an inspection will see whats next. that thing sat with no rain cap and rain got into the engine destroying it. sure it was running when parked but not covering the exhaust makes a good engine a junk engine. there is a guy on here that does just that in two hrs. keeps the mosquito's away i guess , but its not the way i do things. as for your question... the sleeves need to be clean to even do a visual on them. and same with the valves.

I'm NOT a shade tree mechanic.........X 2 as per rustred

 

[rustred]

I'm NOT a shade tree mechanic.........X 2 as per rustred

i dont mind the shade , but my work is not shady either. lol.

 

[Aaron SEIA]

It turns over with the pistons as rusty as that first picture? I guess you could ball hone the bores and try to get the head cleaned up. bet she's gonna smoke like a freight train though.
AaronSEIA

 

[mk2mark]

It turns over with the pistons as rusty as that first picture? I guess you could ball hone the bores and try to get the head cleaned up. bet she's gonna smoke like a freight train though.
AaronSEIA

Actually as it turns out, that's not rust - just some weird crud that's come off with some ATF. I was very confused by that too.

The head needs to be cleaned up and as you can see the valves are not moving freely.

I'm hopeful the damage is not too bad. I opened it up and had that heart sink moment and assumed the worst, but maybe there's more here that's salvageable than it looks.

The plan is to clean it up, get the valves moving, then do a compression test and take it from there.

Regarding shade tree mechanics - I understand where you guys are coming from but in my mind it's more about the vehicle than the mechanic. I have other projects that are worth putting my time and money into - this tractor will never be a concours queen. Better to get it running cheap than to let it rot away because I 'm not willing to spend thousands on it. I definitely appreciate your responses and advice, thank you.

 

[4wdtom]

If the valves go up and down and the cylinders clean up I would let some oil soak (maybe ATF) down around the pistons and rings for a few days to try and get to the rings and then give it a try. It will smoke when it gets running but t he oil may help the rings if they are stuck.

 

[Wdj]

Clean it up and make it go putt putt putt. Let your kids take it from there. It's the kids that learn how to keep junk running that make it as engineers and innovator's. Helps develop character. At least that worked for me.

 

[Jim.ME]

Actually as it turns out, that's not rust - just some weird crud that's come off with some ATF. I was very confused by that too.

The head needs to be cleaned up and as you can see the valves are not moving freely.

I'm hopeful the damage is not too bad. I opened it up and had that heart sink moment and assumed the worst, but maybe there's more here that's salvageable than it looks.

The plan is to clean it up, get the valves moving, then do a compression test and take it from there.

Regarding shade tree mechanics - I understand where you guys are coming from but in my mind it's more about the vehicle than the mechanic. I have other projects that are worth putting my time and money into - this tractor will never be a concours queen. Better to get it running cheap than to let it rot away because I 'm not willing to spend thousands on it. I definitely appreciate your responses and advice, thank you.

You might help understanding what you are finding by posting pictures of the cleaned-up cylinders, to offset your original pictures of the cylinders. We are going from what you originally posted and likely answers will be on the negative side based on those pictures.

 

[rustred]

there is no drought that the valves must be removed to clean up the valves and seats and the chamber. all it takes is a tiny piece of carbon or rust on the seat to not have compression. then post a pic of the valves and seats and i can definitely tell you what's going on . it takes a lot more than just the valves going up and down. hope you know how to remove the valves , as that why we work with you. keep asking. i don't know what you know and don't write books here as some do, as to me that's a waste of my time. most working on engines have some knowledge of what to do. so don't know,...ask. and them cylinders can be cleaned up with a scotch bright pad if you not pulling pistons and they are moving freely.try to get some sort of cross hatch pattern on the cyl walls even though the pad wont do much. i dont know about honing cylinders with pistons in them , probably can , but thats back to the backyard screwdriver mechanic's. and the grit will be stuck in the rings! plus blow the rust out with air and keep turning the engine also and blowing the junk out. you dont not want any carbon or junk to get caught in the valves after. always clean the pistons when doing valves. then you can give it a few a quirts of oil before installing the head, to lube up the cylinders. as the head is now thats a total mess! this is another example for the ones that just get stuck engines running with out a tear down , plus change the oil and filter and give it a good workout after its running. and one more thing... there is valve guide brushes for cleaning the rust out of guides, and clean the valves on a wire wheel, and dip the stem in atf before installing them back in. you dont need valve seals as these engines never did have seals. be waiting to see how them valves look. thats the heart of the engine.

 

[used red MN]

i don't know what you know and don't write books here as some do, as to me that's a waste of my time.

You can always tell when it’s raining in Westlock during the farming season, rr’s replies get longer. Raining here as well.

 

[fdt860]

I think you should remove the pistons and hone the liners + install new rings and do a lap job on the valves.
You are halfway there anyway, and you do not want to tear it appart again. From the picture, it does not seem to have much wear, so you can really hone it and get it back to new. Then make it work hard, NO PUT PUT, to set the rings.

 

[560Dennis]

Talk to Grandpalov ,he have you running a jiffy.