Oliver Super 55 Diesel Cracked Head and PTO Clutch

[magnumpowers]

Hello All,
A couple of years back I purchased a beat up 1955 Oliver Super 55 and did a lot of work to her including replacing a lot of bearings, shafts and the like because it was never greased or properly maintained. The PTO clutch was locked up as the steels were warped and the frictions cracked and really broken up. I purchased new frictions and steels, made my own spanner to undo the assembly and put it back together with new brake disks etc. Well I fired her up and put a 4 foot tiller behind and the PTO clutch lasted less then a minuet before all the teeth were stripped off the frictions. Well I am finely getting back to her, decided to rebuild the engine as it is really tired with nearly no compression. I pulled the head and sent it off to Portland Engine Rebuilders, they hot tanked it and reported this morning that it has two very large cracks plus a small one. There is no one in my area who welds cast iron, according to Ted and PER they are either dead or retired. I googled around within 200 miles of my area and confirmed Ted appears to be right. I talked with Kent Gordon today and he said he might have a good one but he needed to check it out. In our conversation he told me that John told him that these diesel Oliver heads are mostly cracked and not to be concerned. Looking for feedback from John or anyone else.

Now to the PTO clutch issue. When I got these new clutch components the frictions were not all the same color. That concerned me at the time but I went ahead and assembled the clutch with them anyway. Could I have received defective component? Most likely they were made in China etc.... Feedback anyone?

Cheers,
Charles

 

[KLPinNC]

Hello All,
A couple of years back I purchased a beat up 1955 Oliver Super 55 and did a lot of work to her including replacing a lot of bearings, shafts and the like because it was never greased or properly maintained. The PTO clutch was locked up as the steels were warped and the frictions cracked and really broken up. I purchased new frictions and steels, made my own spanner to undo the assembly and put it back together with new brake disks etc. Well I fired her up and put a 4 foot tiller behind and the PTO clutch lasted less then a minuet before all the teeth were stripped off the frictions. Well I am finely getting back to her, decided to rebuild the engine as it is really tired with nearly no compression. I pulled the head and sent it off to Portland Engine Rebuilders, they hot tanked it and reported this morning that it has two very large cracks plus a small one. There is no one in my area who welds cast iron, according to Ted and PER they are either dead or retired. I googled around within 200 miles of my area and confirmed Ted appears to be right. I talked with Kent Gordon today and he said he might have a good one but he needed to check it out. In our conversation he told me that John told him that these diesel Oliver heads are mostly cracked and not to be concerned. Looking for feedback from John or anyone else.

Now to the PTO clutch issue. When I got these new clutch components the frictions were not all the same color. That concerned me at the time but I went ahead and assembled the clutch with them anyway. Could I have received defective component? Most likely they were made in China etc.... Feedback anyone?

Cheers,
Charles

The head on my super 55 diesel is cracked on one cylinder. The crack is at the injector. It runs fine

 

[super99]

Have the head pressure tested, if it doesn’t leak, run it

 

[Tramway Guy]

MOST cracks are harmless. But some are not, like if they run to a valve seat, for instance. A pressure test is the best way to conclude whether it is or isn’t, as Super99 suggests.

 

[J. Schwiebert]

Hello All,
A couple of years back I purchased a beat up 1955 Oliver Super 55 and did a lot of work to her including replacing a lot of bearings, shafts and the like because it was never greased or properly maintained. The PTO clutch was locked up as the steels were warped and the frictions cracked and really broken up. I purchased new frictions and steels, made my own spanner to undo the assembly and put it back together with new brake disks etc. Well I fired her up and put a 4 foot tiller behind and the PTO clutch lasted less then a minuet before all the teeth were stripped off the frictions. Well I am finely getting back to her, decided to rebuild the engine as it is really tired with nearly no compression. I pulled the head and sent it off to Portland Engine Rebuilders, they hot tanked it and reported this morning that it has two very large cracks plus a small one. There is no one in my area who welds cast iron, according to Ted and PER they are either dead or retired. I googled around within 200 miles of my area and confirmed Ted appears to be right. I talked with Kent Gordon today and he said he might have a good one but he needed to check it out. In our conversation he told me that John told him that these diesel Oliver heads are mostly cracked and not to be concerned. Looking for feedback from John or anyone else.

Now to the PTO clutch issue. When I got these new clutch components the frictions were not all the same color. That concerned me at the time but I went ahead and assembled the clutch with them anyway. Could I have received defective component? Most likely they were made in China etc.... Feedback anyone?

Cheers,
Charles

Where are these cracks? If you are going to overhaul it use 550 sleeves and pistons and get the valve protrusion set correctly Do get the head pressure tested. Can you send me a phone number and a picture of the head. Also a picture of the PTO clutch.

 

[magnumpowers]

Where are these cracks? If you are going to overhaul it use 550 sleeves and pistons and get the valve protrusion set correctly Do get the head pressure tested. Can you send me a phone number and a picture of the head. Also a picture of the PTO clutch.

Hi John, will do. I can't get the head back before Monday as the shop is closed on Fridays that has it. I'll post pictures of the head Monday. I was planning to split the tractor after the engine was reassembled so I would not have to fight the splines being turned when disassembled. Also I was going to have valve seats installed to raise the valves up flush with the head surface as you suggested back a couple of years ago, just now getting around to it. I assume it is just the intake valves that are a concern? Also not sure of the seat thickness to use. Cheers!

 

[magnumpowers]

Where are these cracks? If you are going to overhaul it use 550 sleeves and pistons and get the valve protrusion set correctly Do get the head pressure tested. Can you send me a phone number and a picture of the head. Also a picture of the PTO clutch.

BTW, the engine sometime in the past had 3.625 pistons and sleeves installed. The back two pistons had broken top compression rings that really gouged up the sleeves too much to be honed out so I have two pistons with sleeves and rings here ready to go in.

 

[magnumpowers]

My dear wife of 46 years on my Super 55.

 

[magnumpowers]

Okay guys, here are some pictures of the cracks. Seems all the cylinders have cracks in the same place, from the head surface going down to the injector hole. What do you think? The engine shop does not have a pressure test plate for this head so I'm thinking of having one water jetted.

 

[Dieseltech]

On Continental diesels with that type head those cracks don't hurt anything.

 

[magnumpowers]

On Continental diesels with that type head those cracks don't hurt anything.

Interesting, this is my first experience with a combustion chamber sunk into the head above the exhaust valve like this. Seems like an odd setup to me. Was this a common diesel typology back then?

 

[Dieseltech]

Interesting, this is my first experience with a combustion chamber sunk into the head above the exhaust valve like this. Seems like an odd setup to me. Was this a common diesel typology back then?

That's how energy cell engines are built. During the compression stroke air is forced into the small energy cell where it heats up, pump/injector then shoots fuel across the exhaust valve into the cell HOT air and ignites. The charge then blows back out the cell orifice to force piston down on the power stroke.

 

[Tramway Guy]

The cracks don’t look like anything unusual. But #1 (on the left) looks like there might have been water in the cylinder while running. Steam causes those potholes.

 

[magnumpowers]

The cracks don’t look like anything unusual. But #1 (on the left) looks like there might have been water in the cylinder while running. Steam causes those potholes.

Thanks, I was wondering about them. I was thinking rust and was let set for a long time.

 

[magnumpowers]

Where are these cracks? If you are going to overhaul it use 550 sleeves and pistons and get the valve protrusion set correctly Do get the head pressure tested. Can you send me a phone number and a picture of the head. Also a picture of the PTO clutch.

Hi John, I sent you a message. But I don't mind my cell # is all over the net: 9712269006

 

[magnumpowers]

I fab'ed a pressure plate and delivered to the engine shop this morning, hoping all is good.
John said I need to raise the valves up by using valve seats. I am a bit concerned about breaking into the water jacket. Can anyone provide advice on this like the size or thickness of the valve seats to use? I am assuming it is the intake valves that are of concern. Are the exhaust valves also to be modified in like manor?

 

[Dieseltech]

I fab'ed a pressure plate and delivered to the engine shop this morning, hoping all is good.
John said I need to raise the valves up by using valve seats. I am a bit concerned about breaking into the water jacket. Can anyone provide advice on this like the size or thickness of the valve seats to use? I am assuming it is the intake valves that are of concern. Are the exhaust valves also to be modified in like manor?

Only a GOOD head machinist can determine what seats are needed to repair the head correctly. They have thicker/thinner seats available that the average repair shop has no access to and have the machine that sizes the counter bore as needed for the correct press fit.

 

[magnumpowers]

Only a GOOD head machinist can determine what seats are needed to repair the head correctly. They have thicker/thinner seats available that the average repair shop has no access to and have the machine that sizes the counter bore as needed for the correct press fit.

I remember someone here said that they should be either 5mm or 7mm thick, I can't remember which. I am going to a very good engine machine shop near Portland Oregon; "Portland Engine Rebuilders". The owner has been in business for 40+ years, however Super 55 diesels in this part of the country is as rare as hen's teeth, he has never seen one. Help would be appreciated.