International d239 engine timing conundrum

[ecoogar]

I am attempting my first engine rebuild on an International 574. I removed the timing gear cover today and attempted to line up the timing marks between idler, cam, and crank (I removed the fuel injector pump earlier so I am not concerned about that gear). As I rotate the crank, I cannot get a single set of timing marks to line up, either the crankshaft to idler or the camshaft to idler. I purchased this tractor from someone just before the rebuild project, and it was running at the time of purchase. I am rebuilding the engine because coolant was getting into the oil and the bearings are very worn (I suspect from the coolant contamination).

Does anyone have any ideas why none of the timing marks will line up? Is it possible to set the crank at a known position and look at the cam position to determine if it is correctly timed?

 

[MikeJM]

Never worked that deep in on an IH D239, but I was in a ford 268 a while back and the tooth count on the crank, idler, cam, injection pump gear are of such that the timing marks only lined up once ever so many times and it wasn't 2 or 3, it was quite a few, I can remember how many now could have been 10 could have been 30, can't remember anymore.

 

[mite-help]

any time an idler gear is involved, it takes a whole bunch of turns, but they should line back up-learned how many turns it took on a perkins diesel once, can't remember, but it's a lot.

 

[JimB2]

Hi,
Send me an email at:
clarabrownlee-rogers&com
In above email replace - with @ and & with .

I will email you a page from I&T repair manual.

JimB

 

[jm.]

Hate to say it and not a smart a but if you cant do this you have a whole lot more problems with that engine. The oil pump balancer also must be timed to the crank shaft. Did you have the cam or crank out. Remove the idler gear turn the crank and cam then put the things in their correct mark.. You DO need the book.

 

[pete 23]

If you don't have the gears off yet, keep turning and it should align within the number of teeth on the idler gear, like 50 or something. If it never does, well, it will. The reason I say to do this before taking them off is for your own satisfaction that when you get it running and don't think it is running right you will be thinking of those timing marks. Ideally , should have left pump on so you could observe that also as some of those pump drive gears are marked for different applications. But, it will work out.

 

[T in NE]

We had issue with it on the 684 years ago. Also the
balancer gears if put in with the block upside can
easily be timed wrong. You'll know it if they are.

 

[Steve@Advance]

Please do yourself a huge favor and buy a shop
manual! Diesels are unforgiving money gobbling
beasts! The manual will pay for itself 1000 times
over by preventing mistakes!

 

[Mike M]

Don't know about the IH but on a JD they need a special tool to align all the marks.
I worked on a known running one and just put it on TDC # 1 and made my own marks.

 

[oldcl]

If you have not removed the idler or cam gear just keep turning the engine and the marks will finally line up.There are uneven number of teeth on the gears.Sometimes it takes a lot of turns.I just went through this on my tractor.The nice people on this site helped me so much.

 

[urbancase]

I did one on a 584 and yes it like ever 36 times or something like that the marks line back up, my problem was get the injections timeing right. I ended up getting a buddy to come out and help get that part right. After that no problem.

 

[NDIHC]

I wonder if he ever got it timed...11 YEARS ago! I know on some engines I work on with quad overhead cams and 3 timing chains (one for each bank of 2 cams and one for the oil pump/balancer assembly), the timing marks on the chains and gears would all line up once every 51 turns if I remember correctly.

 

[Ed Fulton]

any time an idler gear is involved, it takes a whole bunch of turns, but they should line back up-learned how many turns it took on a perkins diesel once, can't remember, but it's a lot.

It's a LOT of turns. Don't give up.

 

[NDIHC]

It's a LOT of turns. Don't give up.

He either got it set or gave up 11 years ago when this thread was started. We will never know since he hasn't been back to tell us. The OP made this one post in 2015 and has never been seen or heard from again.