What am I looking at?

TYMinColton · Aug 16, 2008

Can anyone tell me what I'm looking at? This is the front end of a Ford 881D that has a seized engine. I'm trying to bar her over. At first I was placing a large wrench over an odd shaped piece of steel bolted over the pulley. The inside of this piece clearly is the female receiver for a hand crank of some sort.

After pulling on this for several days I didn't like that it was doing some damage, so I decided to just remove it - hoping to find the legendary "pulley nut". Well there's a 15/16th nut for sure, but is this the pulley nut?

if I crank to the left it comes off - and with an easy tug so does the pulley it holds in place (gunked in with white silicone mind you). This exposes the front end of the crankshaft that has a 16 tooth or so splined end. I really don't like the feel when I try to bar her over by tightening this nut down on the pulley. What am I doing wrong here? Should I be baring over using the piece attached to the pulley?

MikeD74T · Aug 16, 2008

The piece in your hand is a flex coupling (universal joint) for a front mounted hydraulic pump. Live hydraulics for FEL. MikeD74T

TYMinColton · Aug 16, 2008

Interesting. So should I try to bar the engine over by placing a wrench over this flex coupling or focus on the nut that hidden beneath? Either way I'm probably going to pull the head this weekend, but for future consideration - what should I attach to in order to bar an engine?
Thanks,
Pete

ToadHill · Aug 16, 2008

Attach to the pulley nut. If you haven't pulled the plugs and soaked the cylinders with some penetrating oil, I'd do that before I pulled the head.

TYMinColton · Aug 16, 2008

ToadHill said:
Attach to the pulley nut. If you haven't pulled the plugs and soaked the cylinders with some penetrating oil, I'd do that before I pulled the head.

I'll give it a try. I pulled the injectors last week and have been soaking the cylinders with ATF, diesel, isoprop, mystery oil for a week. I replaced this mix with Aero Kroil last night. I'll get there eventually. . .

Willl · Aug 16, 2008

How long has it been sitting frozen up ?

TYMinColton · Aug 16, 2008

About 2 years, but here's her brief history:

She was up and running about 2 years ago, but had starter trouble. So, she ended up just sitting outside in the Oregon rain. In april I decided to get her going to sell and after buying a new starter motor tried to turn her over. She's been frozen ever since.

Dropped the oil pan and there is a little rust here and there on the crankshaft and along the edges of the pistons/cylinders, but all-in-all it's surprisingly clean. On the other hand there's lots of rust on the valves supporting the idea that water likely entered the engine through both the exhaust and air intake manifolds (indeed there was water in the air filter and some in the oil pan).

That's where we're at. Comments welcome. Thanks!
Pete

kmdigital · Aug 16, 2008

Yeh, you need to take the head off and make sure the valves aren't seriously stuck. Otherwise, you may break something by trying to force it.

I wouldn't turn on that nut. IMO, you can't get enough torque to break the pistons free w/o potentially breaking the bolt. Better, put the tractor in high gear, jack up the one rear wheel and rock the wheel. But take the head off first, and use a wire brush on a drill or something to remove as much rust as you can from the cylinders. If it rained in the exhaust, you probably have an exorbitant amount of rust on the cylinder walls, and you need to get as much out as you can above the rings, otherwise it may never turn over.

TYMinColton · Aug 16, 2008

Thanks KMdigital. Unfortunately with the SOS transmission, its locked into park when the engine off (real PITA). Because the don't have a clutch per se, I can't put her in high gear and rock a rear tire. I tried this at first only to find the tranny was locked in park

. However, I can certainly remove the head and if needed, drive the pistons out of the cylinders. One way or another they're going to have to come out so I can evaluate just how badly pitted the cylinders/pistons are. . . .
Pete