SooooooooooProblems with three cyl ford

[thunderchickentoo]

I think this is a 4000 three cyl diesel. Am checking. Been working on my friends tractor. The operator ran it out of diesel, tried priming the system with running the tractor on either, and seized up the engine. Any and all help or ideas appreciated. Thanks Jon

 

[Tx Jim]

Hopefully you just ether locked the engine. How long has it been since you tried to start engine? Worst scenario is a broken piston ring or piston. Most people think if a little ether is good then more ether is better which is incorrect. I despise ether and refuse to use it on my engines.

 

[thunderchickentoo]

Hopefully you just ether locked the engine. How long has it been since you tried to start engine? Worst scenario is a broken piston ring or piston. Most people think if a little ether is good then more ether is better which is incorrect. I despise ether and refuse to use it on my engines.

Thanks for the reply. Not ether locked, I think maybe he dried out the cyl piston area so locked up the engine. I have the injectors out, soaked down the cyl walls and got it to turn over but not without a lot of resistance. How easy to these engines turn over. Can you turn them by hand with the injectors removed. It also has front end loader and back hoe attachment on the tractor. I will check and see that the hyd pumps are not seized up either. Worst case senerio is in frame overhaul... Do you know if they are sleeve engines or not. Thanks Again. Jon

 

[thunderchickentoo]

I'm with you, ether puts things to sleep, I will build a fire under an engine before I use either also. This guy was a true idiot... Jon

 

[Tx Jim]

Ford 3 cyl. engine has no sleeves. Engine should turn over freely with injectors removed.

 

[john_bud]

Murderer!

Ok, that might be a little harsh, but the guy killed a great engine because he didn't know how to prime the engine after running it out of fuel. Sad.

My guess is that he shattered at least one piston, probably scored the cylinder walls, possibly bent connecting rods and even the crank. It is HIGHLY likely that it now needs a total out of frame rebuild at a cost of 2-3000.

Remember 99 out of 100 diesel mechanics vacation in St Moritz because of ether!