Ford 1300, top end not oiling....

[BTDT]

A week or so back, my stepdad called to say there was something wrong with the tractor. Was running, now won't start. I went to investigate. Tractor would try to start, smoke out exhaust, but would't fire off. (Engine rebuilt in 2002, probably less that 20 hrs on rebuild). I pulled valve cover, one of the pushrods was out from under rocker arm. I put it back, adjusted valves, and it fired right up, but it's not oiling the top end. I loaded it up and brought it home to my house, and now am trying to find why it's not oiling.

First pic (#6) is rocker arms, from top front. Next, bottom side, notice one of the rocker arm adjusting screws has the cup missing, (eat away due to no oil), this is why the pushrod had slipped out.

 

[BTDT]

I went to NH dealer in Royce City, and talked to Greg to see if he had any ideas. I told him that it has oil pressure (oil press. light goes out when running), but I don't know how much pressure. Will have to install a guage where sending unit goes to find this out. He said there is an oil delivery tube under front engine cover (timing gear cover) that may be stopped up, and he said it could have the wrong head gasket which will block the oil port going to head from oil galley in block. Not what I wanted to hear.

Pic #8 is rt. side of engine, with oil filter and sending unit.
Pic #9 is left side of engine showing timing gear cover.
Pic #10 and #11 is top of head showing where pushrods go through
to lifters

I'm thinking that oil is supposed to come out of a couple of notches between head and block and run down to lifters, then up pushrods, to rockerarms, valves, etc.

 

[BTDT]

I think my next order of business will be to check pressure with guage, then maybe blow back through hole where sending unit is with air to see if I get air coming out at top of head where it is supposed to be oiling. I thought maybe the suction tube in pan may have come out/loose, thereby not letting it pick up oil, but as I said, oil light goes out, so I'm thinking it's past the pump (on the outlet side). Anybody have any other ideas?

 

[CATMAN]

I don't know your engine model, but from your description, I would believe that the cause of no oil to the top end probably occured during the overhaul. I had a CAT engine (3116 in a GMC topkick) that one our competitors overhauled and the same thing happened=no oil to the top end.

I noticed that the front cover had fresh "liguid gasket" material on it. On this engine, there is a oil passage at the front of the block that oil travels up the front cover, then enters a passage at the very top of the block. This upper passage is how the rocker arms get its oil. Unknowingly, our competitors' mechanics coated the front cover surfaces with soooo much "liquid gasket" material that it totally plugged up that oil passage, thus no oil got to the top end. I photocopied a picture of the lubrication passages for them and highlighted where their problem was and they had a tow truck take it back to their shop for repairs=cheaper for them to repair, than to pay us.​

This may give you something to think about. There are other possibilities, such as someone left out a critical frost plug(expansion plug) that covers an oil passage rail and volume of oil is just dumping back to the oil pan. You didn't mention anything about oil pressure. Maybe this engine only has an oil light/idiot light. There maybe a head gasket issue, like the gasket was incorrectly installed and this covered the oil passage to the top of the head, thus no oil to the rocker arms. Hope some of this thoughts help.

 

[CATMAN]

Looks like it took me too long to type up my reply.

 

[BTDT]

Looks like it took me too long to type up my reply.

Thanks for the response. I'm sure it's something simple. This is the second set of rocker arms that's been installed. A company in Dallas did the rebuild of engine, my brother (now deceased) put it back together, so no telling what was covered or left off. Luckily it will run a short while, then rocker arm failure occurs, and it shuts down. No significant damage to engine as far as I can tell. Like I said, maybe I can determine if passage is blocked when I blow out with air.

 

[JC-jetro]

A week or so back, my stepdad called to say there was something wrong with the tractor. Was running, now won't start. I went to investigate. Tractor would try to start, smoke out exhaust, but would't fire off. (Engine rebuilt in 2002, probably less that 20 hrs on rebuild). I pulled valve cover, one of the pushrods was out from under rocker arm. I put it back, adjusted valves, and it fired right up, but it's not oiling the top end. I loaded it up and brought it home to my house, and now am trying to find why it's not oiling.

First pic (#6) is rocker arms, from top front. Next, bottom side, notice one of the rocker arm adjusting screws has the cup missing, (eat away due to no oil), this is why the pushrod had slipped out.

I have to study this engine a bit. I have a 1700 and it got pretty much the same set up although have never done engine work on it. do you know if your lifters are solid or hydraulic> is your push rod hollow or solid. I'm thinking you have oil journal plugged up with old oil residue, dirt particle or stuff left off from the rebuilt job. I think if you had oil passageways plugged because of RTV gasket material , then you would have issues immediately after the rebuilt and not after 20 hrs. I'll hit my manual tonight before I go to bed. I may see something interesting there.

Jetro

 

[BTDT]

I have to study this engine a bit. I have a 1700 and it got pretty much the same set up although have never done engine work on it. do you know if your lifters are solid or hydraulic> is your push rod hollow or solid. I'm thinking you have oil journal plugged up with old oil residue, dirt particle or stuff left off from the rebuilt job. I think if you had oil passageways plugged because of RTV gasket material , then you would have issues immediately after the rebuilt and not after 20 hrs. I'll hit my manual tonight before I go to bed. I may see something interesting there.

Jetro

Jetro, I have the FO-44 shop manual, not sure if it's same as yours. It says it covers 1700 model also. Pushrods are hollow, and manual says they are cam followers (lifters?). They have a hole in the top of them, but I don't know if technically they are solid or hydraulic.

 

[CATMAN]

I can't tell by the photo of the rocker arms, does it look like the oil comes up those little holes that would align with those little roll pins on the cylinder head? The only other way to get the oil to the rockers would be oiling from around those big stud bolts on the cylinder head photos.

Now, a shortcut on larger engines that have internal oil passages in the cylinder head and that have external end plugs(at the end of the oil rail) in the cylinder head, is to put a tee fitting at the oil pressure sender and make up a hydraulic oil line/hose to go up to the cylinder head to provide oil pressure/volume that that cylinder head oil passage. I personally don't feel you have this option on this engine design, BUT look for a plug on the cylinder head that would line up with how a engine manufacturer would "rifle drill" thru a cyl. head to get oil from one location to another. Again, I doubt this is an option. Just trying to let you think "outside the box" a little.​

 

[BTDT]

I can't tell by the photo of the rocker arms, does it look like the oil comes up those little holes that would align with those little roll pins on the cylinder head? The only other way to get the oil to the rockers would be oiling from around those big stud bolts on the cylinder head photos.

Now, a shortcut on larger engines that have internal oil passages in the cylinder head and that have external end plugs(at the end of the oil rail) in the cylinder head, is to put a tee fitting at the oil pressure sender and make up a hydraulic oil line/hose to go up to the cylinder head to provide oil pressure/volume that that cylinder head oil passage. I personally don't feel you have this option on this engine design, BUT look for a plug on the cylinder head that would line up with how a engine manufacturer would "rifle drill" thru a cyl. head to get oil from one location to another. Again, I doubt this is an option. Just trying to let you think "outside the box" a little.​

I thought it would oil through the rocker tower too, but if rocker is pulled off of tower, there is no hole drilled for oil passaged. There is a hole in the rocker arm itself, on the top, that ends at the cup on the adjusting screw, that fits on top of hollow pushrod. The manual doesn't show the oil path, so I'm guessing it's from the lifter, up through pushrod, through rocker arm top, then oil would flow down to valve, down tower, over top of head and back down orifice that pushrods come up through. I have turned engine over with tower off, and no oil comes out of those alignment pin holes. I am hoping that if I pull front engine cover, that oil supply tube has maybe come apart or is stopped up. Might be a days work, but I'll find out something this weekend when I am off and can work on it.