Case 310G Dozer - Rebuild/Repair Project and Questions

[rtimgray]

So all the way back in 2007, I bought a Case 310G crawler dozer from an older local fellow. I paid about $5300 for it back then and have used it on and off for the past 12 years around the farm. I've done a lot clearing with it, dug a pond (that took a while), drained and then filled in another old silted-up pond, and a lot of general cleaning up and grading projects. It's been pretty reliable for an old machine and I've had to put very little into it besides changing filters.

When I fired it up to do some work in the fall after it sat most of the summer, I used it for about 15 minutes pushing some dirt out of a pile to scoop with a loader and I thought I heard (through my earplugs) an unfamiliar knock coming from the engine. I got off and listened more intently, then called one of my friends that has a lot of experience with older equipment and let him listen to it over the phone. I asked "What should I do about that?" and he said "Start driving it to wherever you want to tear it down at!".

So I did...

...and I got about halfway to the barn. On the way, it lost power, smoked a bit, coughed and died. I did have the foresight to raise the blade completely, so I was able to (with the help of my lovely bride) use my old M35 deuce and half to pull the dozer to the barn.

The good news is the engine still turns over, but that's about it.

I'm thinking I'm going to get into an engine rebuild/overhaul because I would like to be able to use the dozer again. I've done some engine and transmission swaps in vehicles before, but I've never done an engine teardown and rebuild before.

The engine is the Case 188D 4 cylinder diesel, and I've got the overhaul/service manual for it. It looks like that parts availability isn't going to be too bad because the engine was used for years and years and years by Case in lots of different equipment. It looks like I may have to do some measuring and figuring out exactly what components I may have because there's not guarantee that this is even the original engine to the crawler.

My question to the group is: anything in particular to be aware of regarding this project? I go the blade disconnected and pulled off so I can get to the tractor better, and have removed the hood, front cowl, radiator and some other odds and ends. I've found a set of videos where a fellow goes over what he did in rebuilding his 188D (also from a 310G), and they look helpful, but there are a some gaps in it as well.

What are the different levels of an overhaul or rebuild? I've read some comments on other forums about doing an in-frame versus removing the engine from the crawler? I'm assuming the removing the engine allows for better access to all the components for removal and replacement, but is more work, will take more time and cost more.

My barn isn't heated, so I'm working on cleaning out my well house (which has electricity and can be heated) so I'll have a place to work if I pull the engine out. That will probably take a week or two, so I thought I would see if there's anyone that cares to offer some advice on what I should be planning for besides diving headlong into the project.

I have a buddy that has offered an engine stand that he's not using. I know from my previous projects to take a lot of notes and bag/tag/label everything that I remove and disconnect so that I can (hopefully) put it back where it came from. My biggest issue is that I'm just completely new to the challenge of rebuilding an engine.

The 188D looks like it might be a good candidate for someone like me to learn on, because it looks like a relatively simple engine.

I would welcome any advice, either specific to my equipment or about rebuilds in general. I have no particular rush on my timeline. I would prefer to take longer and get it right the first time rather than have to pay my "stupid tax" and do something twice.

I appreciate any help anyone cares to offer.

Thanks.

Good luck and take care.

 

[thepumpguysc]

Do yourself a BIG FAVOR & check the inj. pump timing BEFORE u yank the pump..
Some timed at 8*BTDC, while others timed at 0*/TDC..
Just remove the side cover plate on the inj. pump.. its gonna be full of fuel so be prepared for that..
Under the window/cover is a STATIONARY line..& there is 1 that rotates..
Rotate the engine on the normal run direction until the 2 lines meet in the side window on the pump..
THEN look at the access hole to the flywheel.. note weather its at 8* or 0*
& don't forget about going thru the fuel system.. Budget for 4 new injectors & a pump o/h..

 

[caver]

Side note: If those dozer YT videos are real helpful, download a copy. I use 4K Video Downloader but there are others. Why do this you ask? YT is going through big changes and who knows what the outcome will be. A small channel owner may log in one day to find their videos gone as they aren't economically viable. There's a repair video out there of a project that I need to tackle some day and I saved a copy just in case it gets flushed down the toilet by YT.

 

[thepumpguysc]

If memory serves me correctly.. 1 of the rocker bolts has the oil passage thru it to lube the r.arms..
PAY CLOSE ATTENTION where it is & where it goes back to..
& I think the oil pump is shimmed.??
Good luck & let me know if I can help u out w/ the fuel system..

 

[rtimgray]

Thanks for the advice, both on the injection pump and the youtube videos. This is exactly the type of information I was looking for so I can go into it as prepared as possible.

I'll have a look at the injection pump before I start taking anything apart and make some notes or pictures or both.

I know that my manual says the oil pump is shimmed, and to note how many shims and their location when taking it apart.

Thanks again!

 

[thepumpguysc]

Glad my old memory banks are still firing on all 8..
I've heard/read horror stories about the oil pump shimming..
Some guys dont know about it, get the engine put back in & fire it up, only to find that the oil pump isnt working..
& back out it comes..
THEN they start worrying about how much damage has been done "trying" to figure out why they didnt have oil pressure..
I'm glad u have a manual..
I hate to see those thread topics about>> "I need torque specs." "I need rods, mains, head tightening sequence & tightening specs"..

 

[rtimgray]

I'm also planning to pick up a complete service manual for my tractor - it's about 1000 pages and is supposed to cover everything end to end. The only reason I haven't bought one yet is that my friend (the one that recommended I start moving the dozer to wherever I want to work on it) thinks he has one because he got a truckload of manuals when a heavy equipment shop closed a few years ago. I need to go over to his shop and dig through the pile and see if he has the one for my crawler.

On the subject of the fuel system, I've got a few questions:

1. Would there be any benefit to install a 12 volt electric pump inline between the fuel tank and the fuel filters? Whenever I change the fuel filters, I've had difficulty getting them to prime and get all of the air out. If I did install an electric pump, would it be better to have it "switched" so I could just run it to help start the engine after a filter change or just let it run all the time to help get fuel through the filter and to the injection pump.

2. The fuel filter assembly itself has been problematic in the past. It uses a primary and secondary filter, and I've had a hard time getting them to not leak because of wear and damage. I've thought about just replacing the whole unit with a new filter assembly - either a universal aftermarket with a common, quality filter or buying one that fits a John Deere/Kubota/Kioti something (all dealerships near me). Is there anything in particular to look out for regarding that. For what it's worth, I'm not trying to do a restoration on this tractor - I'm trying to get it running well again and make it easier to operate, maintain and repair in the future.

3. I think my engine has the older CAV injectors as opposed to the more common, newer pencil injectors. Do you know anything about these particular units as far as their "rebuildability"? I know of a couple of diesel shops in my area that advertise to repair and rebuild pumps and injectors, but I've contacted anyone yet.

Thanks for the help. I made some progress getting my pump house cleaned out yesterday and should have some time off around the holidays to work on it, so maybe I'll get the engine out of the crawler and to a place I can work on it.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Because you are not familiar with this, take a picture just before you take something apart every step of the way. And I mean everything, not just the engine. Our memory may not be as good as we might think it is. Pictures may help in the reassembly, they sure will not hurt. :thumbsup:

Good luck.

 

[rtimgray]

Hi Brian - I was hoping that you would chime in on this thread at some point, because (if I recall correctly), you did a good deal of work (that's probably an understatement) on your 310 crawler.

I've already taken pictures of the "simple" stuff - removing the front cowl and radiator. I've stumped myself too many times trying to leave things to memory. I've also got a notebook that I make notes of what I do each time. I just pray I don't lose the notebook!

Something else I'm planning on address is the electrical system. When I went through and documented everything, I found that the only thing that the generator was connected to was the voltage regulator - and the voltage regulator wasn't connected to anything! No wonder my batteries died quickly! I'm planning to replace the generator with an alternator. Do you happen to know what might be a good alternator to use? I've googled some stuff about it and a Delco 1100170 (or it's equivalent) pops up a lot. I'm assuming I may have to make a bracket to adapt the longer generator mounting to a shorter alternator. My only real concern is that the space where the generator/alternator will mount is between the engine and the upright stanchion that holds the blade lift cylinder (mine has a 4 way blade).

Thanks.

 

[thepumpguysc]

Yes those CAV style injectors are rebuildable.. & any fuel shop can do them..{or me} same goes w/ the pump..
Like I said.. U REALLY wanna check that timing before tearing anything apart..
U could take out the injectors to make the engine easier to rotate..

That inj. pump only requires 1-3psi of fuel at the inlet.. anymore than 10psi will blow out the front seals in the pump..
so pick your electric supply pump carefully..

 

[aczlan]

Something else I'm planning on address is the electrical system. When I went through and documented everything, I found that the only thing that the generator was connected to was the voltage regulator - and the voltage regulator wasn't connected to anything! No wonder my batteries died quickly! I'm planning to replace the generator with an alternator. Do you happen to know what might be a good alternator to use? I've googled some stuff about it and a Delco 1100170 (or it's equivalent) pops up a lot. I'm assuming I may have to make a bracket to adapt the longer generator mounting to a shorter alternator. My only real concern is that the space where the generator/alternator will mount is between the engine and the upright stanchion that holds the blade lift cylinder (mine has a 4 way blade).

Thanks.

I have one of these alternators on our 1960s David Brown project: ACDelco 334-2114 Professional Alternator, Remanufactured https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000C9NN5S/
Under $50 and it's a 3 wire alternator, so it needs 1 wire to the key, 1 wire to your fuse block (to sense voltage at the fuse block) and 1 wire to the battery (or in our case, to the positive lead from the battery at the starter).

Aaron Z

 

[MtnViewRanch]

As far as an alternator, what I remember is getting one for a 1969 Camaro. Super easy to make the new mount and wired in easy. Should have no problem for any interference issues. :thumbsup:

 

[EddieWalker]

I don't know anything about your model Case dozer, but will comment on my Case dozer engine and a few things that I learned when I rebuilt my engine. Case is really bad about supporting older equipment, so it's hit or miss on what they have or don't have anymore. My engine is a Cummins, but in order to buy parts for it, everybody wants the serial number off of the block. Napa said that they are unable to get parts for my engine and that I could only get them from the dealer. They told me what their rebuild kits sold for, so I had an idea what I should pay when going to the dealer. I was very surprised to learn that the Case dealer was cheaper then Napa. I also learned that buying a new turbo from the dealer cost less then having one rebuilt by a specialty shop in Waco. The parts guys at Case where fantastic. The mechanics in the shop where also fantastic. They copied pages and pages from their manuals on what to do, what to torque everything to and pretty much every single thing that they could think of on my engine. I had the very distinct impression that they did not want to have to do this and went out of their way to provide me with everything that they knew of to help me do it and keep it out of their shop!!!

I built my own tool for pulling the sleeves. That was something new to me that I had never done before, or even knew about.

I used the loader on my backhoe to pick up the cylinder head. It was way too heavy for me to get off of the block and into my truck.

I posted pictures of what I was doing on here and was really saved by a huge mistake by one of the guys here in something that I did, that I shouldn't have done. I forget what it was, but i remember it being significant.

This was my one and only diesel engine that I ever rebuilt. I've done about ten car engines, but mostly when I was in my teens and 20's and thought that was fun. Now I hate wrenching on stuff.

Here is the link to my project.
https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums...welcome-my-nightmare.html?highlight=Case+1550

 

[rtimgray]

Hi Eddie-

Thanks for the link to your project. I can remember perusing that when it was going on and thinking "Wow, what kind of dummy would work on his own dozer?" Now I know..

...at any rate, my dozer isn't half of what yours is. Mine is a lot more akin to working on a 30 horsepower tractor, in terms of size of components and scale. With the blade, hood, grill and radiator off, everything is pretty accessible. I'm planning to strip all the accessories of the engine and then use my loader and a chainfall to get it out of tractor, then into the small pump house that has electricity, light and heat.

I don't plan on making an engine rebuild my vocation; I'm just hoping it ends up being a project that I learn something from and have a usable dozer when I'm done.

Thanks again. Good luck and take care.

 

[rtimgray]

It was a beautiful Christmas day (70 degrees F and sunny, so I decided to work on the dozer a bit. I managed to get the pump house (what's going to be my workspace) cleaned out and an engine stand on site. I looked for the full 310G manual that my friend thought he had, but came up empty on that. I may just have to order one. Anyway, here's my progress and question:

I pretty well got everything removed off of the engine - air cleaner assembly, intake manifold, exhaust manifold, starter, generator, fuel filter assembly, all fuel lines, hydraulic pump and a lot of minor odds and ends. I bagged and labeled everything that came off and made notes in my notebook - nothing was really difficult and it seems reassembly shouldn't be too bad, although the fuel lines from the injection pump to each injector are like spaghetti (in their shape - they are all rigid lines) and that will take some patience to get them all placed back where they go.

Now the issue/questions:

I was getting ready to remove the injection pump and wanted to check the timing as I was cautioned to. I rotated the engine until (I think) I have No. 1 cylinder at top dead center. The manual says both push rods should be loose (they are) and the exhaust rod of No. 2 cylinder should be loose (it is). It also says to open the flywheel inspection window and look for the marks on the flywheel - I opened the window, and can see the indicator pin, but I can't see any marks of any kind.

Also, the injection pump is located directly behind the front stanchion that holds the lift cylinder for the dozer blade. I can't see what is in the inspection window of the injection pump because there's no way to get a clear look, even with a mirror.

So can I remove the engine with the injection pump on it? What about the timing marks on the flywheel - is that critical?

Right now, I'm going to stop and think about this for a day and look again tomorrow. Maybe the light was just bad or maybe my eyes are. Sometimes a little time helps.

But I would welcome any suggestions regarding this.

Thanks for the help.

Good luck and take care.

 

[thepumpguysc]

If your not sure about the inj. pump timing.. thats not a good start..
If your not sure about being on #1 compression stroke.. & theres no marks on the flywheel & u cant see the marks inside the inj. pump..
I'd say your probably not on the compr. stroke.??
U can prob. pull the engine w/o pulling the inj pump.??
Did u use sand paper on the flywheel to try to get any #'s up.??
I would leave the pump inplace for now.. that thing is the heart of the engine.. if u get that wrong & everything else right.. its not gonna run/start.. & that leaves u 2nd guessing everything u did..

 

[rtimgray]

I'll get some help to keep rotating the engine and keep checking the flywheel. I'm not in a hurry and I don't want to take things apart just for the sake of taking them apart.

I may wait until I get the full manual for a 310G and see if it is helpful also.

And just to clarify - the whole point of checking this is to confirm the timing of the pump relative to engine - is that right? So that when I re-install everything, I set the No. 1 cylinder to TDC and put the pump on in the same position is came off in - correct?

Thanks again.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

The only thing I know about the 188 is, they have a nasty habit of putting a rod through the block. I've seen quite a few dead ones with a rod out.

That was corrected with the up-grade to 207, and the 207 has more power too.

Anyway, good luck with your rebuild.

SR

 

[rtimgray]

All right - some good news to report (I hope).

I took a fresh look at it this morning and removed the access panel on the bottom of the bellhousing/clutch housing/whatever it's called). I used a wire brush while my son turned the cranked and I had to clean off about 1/8" of gunk from the flywheel, and sure enough I found some markings on it. I also removed the instrument panel/hydraulic tank/floorboard so that I could get a straight-on look at the access hole in the bell housing. We put the engine to Cylinder 1 TDC like we did yesterday, and then turned it to 8 degrees past. At that point we pulled the access window off of the injection pump and my son used his phone to get a picture, and sure enough the timing lines were lined up. So it looks like my pump is timed at 8 degrees above TDC like it shows in the manual. After that, we removed the injection pump and put it with the injectors. With that accomplished, I removed the 6 bolts that hold the clutch to the flywheel and then we removed the 4 bolts in the bellhousing and one up front that holds the engine to the crossmember.

We used one of the tractors with a fork attachments and some straps and were able to pull the engine out of the bellhousing and frame pretty easily, then got it settled onto the engine stand.

I have a ton of cleaning to do, both on the engine and on the crawler. Almost every surface of the engine has about 1/8" to 1/4" of grime on it (because my radiator has had multiple leaks over the years and the coolant splashed off the fan and all over the engine, and the dust settled on that). I'm also planning to thoroughly clean the frame and undercarriage of the crawler and make any repairs I need to while it's all accessible.

I believe my next steps are going to be to remove the oil pan and remove the head and see what I find inside the engine.

Also - does anyone know where to find a radiator for this model Case? I've searched and googled and yahooed and haven't found much, including searching my different manufacturer part numbers. The only one that I've located was about $1,600. I'm going to check a couple of radiator places and see if mine can be repaired for a reasonable cost. If anyone knows where to find a new radiator, I'd love to know.

Anyway, it will probably be a bit before I have a lot more to share, but thought I'd get that update on here.

Thanks for the help and advice.

Good luck and take care.

 

[aczlan]

Radiator place should be able to fix it if it just needs to be recored or the ends need to be patched.


Aaron Z