Ford 881-D engine rebuild?

[TYMinColton]

Hey guys,
I inherited a 1962 Ford 881D with SOS tranny about five years back. History-wise: She ran great, then the PTO quit, then she became hard to start, then she basically sat for 2 years in the Oregon rain. Though I'm not much of a mechanic (yet ) I'm now really attracted by the prospects of trying to get her going again. So, here's the lowdown: The engine is seized. After a PM consultation with Soundguy (really smart dude ), I managed to pull the injectors, fill them with mystery oil, isoprop, diesel, and ATF, and tried for a week to bar her over by placing a large wrench on the crankshaft pulley. Won't budge. Today I decided to pull the exhaust/air manifolds, and low and behold there's clear evidence of water damage on the valves (pics below). I haven't yet pulled the cylinder head to assess the extent of the damage to the pistons/rings.

Here's my question: In your honest opinions, do you think it's worth it to open her up, clean her out, maybe replace piston rings/values, and get her running. Could I do this for a few hundred bucks. As it is I don't need another tractor, but I'm really enjoyed her as a project and learning experience. What am I getting myself into?
All comments welcome,
Pete

 

[TYMinColton]

Brief Update. Still haven't pulled the cylinder head, but decided to drop the oil pan and have a look at the underneath side of the cyls (see photos). There was definitely some water in the pan - not good, but maybe salvageable? I added several more ozs mystery oil to injector ports and this doesn't seem to be dripping through the cylinders.
Comments? Suggestions?

From back to front.
Cylinder #1.

Cylinder #2.

Cylinder#3 is hard to photograph.
Cylinder#4

You get the idea. . . .

 

[MikeD74T]

Take a look at engine rebuild kits here: Discount Tractor Parts and Manuals for Older and Antique Tractors

As you can see all parts are readily availible including new cylinder liners. You might want to find someone familiar with SOS transmissions before investing a lot of money on the engine.

I'd use Kroil to attempt to free the pistons. You might get away with honing & new rings. Either way pull the head cause it's going to have to be done anyway. MikeD74T

 

[TYMinColton]

Thanks Mike. Just to clarify a couple of basic points. The original 172 diesel had cylinder liners? Somehow I thought these were inserted in rebored cylinders to mate with new pistons. Also, by re-honing - do you mean basically purchasing a cylinder honing caliper (e.g. from NAPA) that fits on the end of a drill to "resurface" the inside of the cylinder - removing rust, etc. Changing the rings is probably a no-brainer at this point. . . .

I'll give head removal a go this weekend and see where that gets me. My concern is that if the valves and cylinders are indeed stuck (rusted to the cylinder, etc.), I may not be able to pull the head. Am I way off here? Anything else I'm missing before I totally screw things up. . .

Thanks for your insight, every little bit helps
Pete

 

[TYMinColton]

I should clarify. When this tractor was running a few years ago the SOS tranny was fine, but in need of minor adjustment. Best I can tell it was completely rebuilt for $3500 in 2000 or so. Now, the PTO - that's a different story, but one I can live with for the moment.

 

[MikeD74T]

First I doubt that internal rust could be so bad that the head won't come off.
I'd pull the head, soak with Kroil, rock the tractor in gear or tow a short distance or try jacking one rear tire, get spinning , & pop the clutch. If that doesn't break it loose I'd next disconnect the rods, move the crank if possible, apply heat to a liner & use a block of wood & hammer to move pistons one at a time. Shape the wood to fit the piston & work at the edges so you don't just punch a hole through the center. I've also seen my mechanic use a hydraulic jack to push pistons down & out after the crank was removed. Once pistons are moved you can evaluate whether refinishing or replacing the liners is the way to go.

I suspect the pto issue is just a broken shaft or gear. Should be an easy fix.

I had a '58 841D until 3 years ago when it was replaced with a DK45S. I miss it sometimes. I still have shop manuals but they're 150 miles away. Just dig in, mark & keep parts organized as you disassemble, and you'll have it running again. MikeD74T

 

[TYMinColton]

First I doubt that internal rust could be so bad that the head won't come off.
I'd pull the head, soak with Kroil, rock the tractor in gear or tow a short distance or try jacking one rear tire, get spinning , & pop the clutch. If that doesn't break it loose I'd next disconnect the rods, move the crank if possible, apply heat to a liner & use a block of wood & hammer to move pistons one at a time. Shape the wood to fit the piston & work at the edges so you don't just punch a hole through the center. I've also seen my mechanic use a hydraulic jack to push pistons down & out after the crank was removed. Once pistons are moved you can evaluate whether refinishing or replacing the liners is the way to go.

I suspect the pto issue is just a broken shaft or gear. Should be an easy fix.

I had a '58 841D until 3 years ago when it was replaced with a DK45S. I miss it sometimes. I still have shop manuals but they're 150 miles away. Just dig in, mark & keep parts organized as you disassemble, and you'll have it running again. MikeD74T

Thanks Mike. Just found out that my local NAPA carries Kroil OTC, so I'll give that a try later this evening. Should I suck out what I've already added to the injector ports?

And thanks for the insight on head removal. Unfortunately, I won't be able to "pop the clutch" on the SOS tranny (has no clutch and is locked down into Park with the engine off), but I think a combination of pressure, Kroil and lots of patience will get 'er done.

One way or another it's definitely going to be a learning experience for a nerd like me.

 

[TYMinColton]

I suspect the pto issue is just a broken shaft or gear. Should be an easy fix.

One last thing. If the pto issue was related to a broken shaft or gear, will I need to split the back-half of the tractor or can I access this from the rear?

 

[TYMinColton]

For those interested I started a thread in Parts/Repairs to deal with a pulley question and it morphed into a discussion of my Ford 881D engine rebuild project. Thanks again for your input. . . .
Pete

 

[Soundguy]

Pto not working is likely a cable or sos issue...

I also doubt the rust will prevent you from pulling the head..

soundguy