Engine Overhaul Kama 554

[Kernopelli]

Loretta spent a great deal of time helping me clean off the parts and making new gaskets.

Rob, you better hang on tight to that gal and tell her every day how special she is. They sure don't make 'em like that any more!

 

[dcyrilc]

Anyone else feel that we're being had here? That engine looks way to clean and shiny to be used. Even the oil pan looked new! LOL

It looks really good Rob. I bet it even purrs like a kitten after its back in.

 

[GuglioLS]

Hi Rob,
I've been following all along from the start of all this. I must say it's pretty much left me speechless. What an incredible amount of work in such a short period of time. Making the gaskets alone takes an incredible amount of patients and a steady hand making all those inside and outside curved cuts. Loretta is a real trouper sticking by your side and helping out through all the phases of this amazing engine rebuild story. I must say I really like the new two tone paint job on the engine, it looks really sharp like that.

Whew! your on the home stretch now! I bet your chomping at the bit to try it out. The anticipation wanting to see what the oil pressure is going to be has got to be tremendous. Cant wait to see her back together and your smiling face behind the wheel.

Larry

 

[studor]

I too have been following the thread but having never rebuilt a diesel I don't have much to contribute but encouragement. Great job and I look forward to high oil pressure and low blood pressure. By the way, thats not a flannel shirt, that is a country dinner jacket

 

[tommu56]

Rob
1st I like the "Gone fishing magnet"
2nd You got a keeper there my wife wouldn't be cough dead cleaning any parts let alone sitting on the ground doing it!!!!!
3rd Too bad you couldn't hook the engine stand on the front of it and roll it right back on to the transmission.

tom

 

[3RRL]

Thanks a bunch guys!
Yeah, I hope nobody ever has to go through what went through ... twice!
But I'm hoping it's gonna be worth it. The engine sure does look nice though. I had the opportunity, so I changed out those other things like the fan belt (my 2nd Napa one), the pilot bearing, all new "O" rings where needed, new banjo bolt rubber coated washers called "Stat-O-Seals", new fuel and oil filter, new air filter last time around, and new motor components of course. Figured might as well get it 100%. While everything is easily accessible.
You know my Kama is going on 5 years old already.

And you guys are right about Loretta.
She works her butt off without complaining. She knows how important it is to me. She is a real trooper and knows I miss my tractor.

Today, we took it off the engine stand and mounted the engine on the front wheel half of the tractor.
I tried to get the motor onto the rear half by itself, hanging from the engine stand, but no go. I could never get it line up or tilted correctly. Bet we spent the whole morning trying to do that. Finally gave up and mounted it to the front half. Then we spent the entire afternoon trying to get the 2 tractor halves together ... no go there either. We made several attempts but just couldn't get it closer than 1". I think we have to make a couple more little adjustments, right or left or up and down? We gave up just now and will try again tomorrow. I took the week off to complete it. I really thought I'd be hooking up all the electrics, hydraulics and put the radiator back on, but that didn't happen.
I'm a little disappointed for the moment.
Thanks for all the encouragement!

Here are a few snapshots.
First one is the motor off the engine stand. Second one is the motor bolted to the front half. Third one shows the tractor almost together again except that last part as shown in the last 2 photos below. You can see the flywheel and gap.
Tomorrow is another day!

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Rob, sometimes you have to just walk away. Tomorrow it will just fall together on its own. Well maybe with a little coaxing.

 

[Red55]

Rob, sometimes you have to just walk away. Tomorrow it will just fall together on its own. Well maybe with a little coaxing.

That's a fact. Can't tell you how many times after stopping and going to get a cup of coffee and presto! Experience is when you know you are only digging yourself a deeper hole. Walk away. . . tomorrow it will fall right into place. Good luck Nice work! -Ed

 

[Gator6x4]

Did pressure plate allow the clutch too slip? You may have to use the "Clutch Alignment" tools again to insure the clutch is still in proper alignment to allow the transmisson drive shaft to properly slide into the pilot bearing.

 

[dex3361]

In the few tractor split repair and reassemble projects I have been involved in it always helped to rotate the engine a little when you get to the point where it should drop into place, the splines may not be aligned. I have seen people destroy the pressure plates trying to force it. I have had someone on the front with a breaker bar turning the crank pulley bolt to align the splines. In a pinch I have even inched around the flywheel with a bar.