low oil pressure

[Saw Dust]

I have a IH 2444 with a C153 engine that has developed low oil pressure at idle. I have a couple of questions in regards to that:

I have been running 10W30 oil but I am thinking of changing to straight 30 (or even 40) for the summer. Is this OK?

I plan to remove the oil pan and the oil pump and do a refurb on the pump clean the pickup etc. I will have the end plate flattened if it needs it. Does anyone know where I can get a gasket kit for the pump? Can I just cut my own or are they quite special?

Once the pan is off I Thought that I may as well slip in a new set of rod bearings. However I have never done this before and I am a little confused as to what size to purchase. i.e. should get the original size or 20mil over or whatever? How do you know?

Thanks for your help.

Ian

 

[caterpillar guy]

Well you can get some (plastgage) and just put a piece across the bearing tighten it up then remove the cap to check the clearance or you will have to push the rod up so you can mic it to get the throw diameter then buy the bearings accordingly mic the bearing in quarter turns to get the true wear and roundness of the crank. The bearings will come in standard,0.010,0.020,0.030 under size they will not be in over size. That is for cylinder bores.

 

[Saw Dust]

Thanks Caterpillar guy,
When I was looking at the rod bearings they were advertised as coming in +.010 +.020 etc... but I guess I was just looking at it from the wrong perspective. That actually had me pretty confused as I could not understand why you would want to increase the clearance.

When I use the plastguage can I assume that the crank is round? Or should I measure it in more than one spot for each rod?

I have an IT book at home but does anyone know what the recommended clearance is?

 

[Owen Aaland]

The most likely cause is a blown gasket on the oil pump bottom cover. The gaskets also set the gear end play. You can use Plasti-gauge to check the clearance to see how thick you need the gaskets.

I straighten the plate before I sand it level. The less material you remove the better. I also add a metal reinforcement bar across the area that blow out. Use a piece of steel about 1/4 X 1/2 and drill a couple of holes for longer bolts. Grind away enough to make it fit the plate. Before installing, put a slight bend in the middle so that that it contacts the plate there before the bolts are completely tight. I have been doing it that way for over thirty tears and have never had another gasket failure on those pumps.

You will have to remove the bearing first to determine what size are in the engine. If you are planning on doing the rod bearings I would also do the mains.

 

[SDE]

No, the crank will most likely not be round anymore. But it may be quite close yet.
SDE

 

[Saw Dust]

I would love to do the mains as well but I am pretty sure I would have to split the tractor among other things to do this. I have no issue doing that in the winter but I need it for the summer. I just figured the rod bearings were easy to get at without splitting the tractor so maybe I could gain some pressure there.

If there was a blown gasket on the pump bottom cover would it not be leaking? Or does it leak internally only when this happens?

 

[MN Scott]

You should be able to roll in a set of main bearings with out removing the engine from the tractor.

 

[Owen Aaland]

When the oil pump cover warps it blows out the gaskets and the oil just leaks internally.

You have to be able to unscrew the the capscrews that go through the rear main seal retainer to the spacer bar below the rear main cap. I don't think that you can get at them without removing the flywheel.