Standard 23C Engine Rebuild.

[Tractor Tony]

Problem is Bob with the old 23C Engine you have to lift crank out through flywheel end of the block

So stand block on end fasten lifting eye onto flywheel mounts then lift out with engine crane. (sighs )
You therefore have to get pistons and rods out before you can remove the crankshaft. ( Photo from service manual)

 

[slim_boy_fat]

^^ I can see where that could be a problem.

 

[Tractor Tony]

Yeah you have to get pistons and con rods out of the way before you can remove the crankshaft and with the crankshaft in there is very limited room to get a ally drift in to drive them upwards HAPPY DAYS

 

[Tractor Tony]

Well as the piston is in the center of the block, my thinking is if you heat the metal surrounding it, it is the heat from that metal that in turn is transfered to the piston. Wont know till I try.

Another problem is I need to remove the dowel pin from the crankshaft, a decent collet style puller is going to set me back £100 +
I do not want to use mole grips so my thinking is to get a secondhand collet chuck and then attach that to my slide hammer !!!!!

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Another problem is I need to remove the dowel pin from the crankshaft, a decent collet style puller is going to set me back £100 +
I do not want to use mole grips so my thinking is to get a secondhand collet chuck and then attach that to my slide hammer !!!!!

Would a S & K micro puller do the job? If you think there'd be a chance it would, you're welcome to borrow it.

 

[Tractor Tony]

Thank you very much for your kind offer
I will mic up the Diameter of the dowel and get back to you if I may

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Thank you very much for your kind offer
I will mic up the Diameter of the dowel and get back to you if I may

No problem.
Here's a pic I posted a while ago [note standard mug for reference.....]

The legs can be reversed for pulling 'internal' [blind?] bearings too.

 

[Tractor Tony]

In the absence of a collet style puller and before taking up slim_boy_fat's kind offer I tried using a large drill chuck tightened up on the dowel and a couple of lever and voila out came the dowel.

 

[arther dailey]

every little victory is astep forward

 

[Tractor Tony]

Update.

Well engine inverted and stripdown begun.
Whilst removing the oil pump drive it appears not only is the engine seized due to rust but possible bearings could be seized as the mills pin that holds oil pump drive gear in place was hiding in the sludge in bottom of timing chain case.
The position of the crank makes it impossible to remove 1 & 4 big ends at present.
I tried drifting the pistons on 2 & 3 out but without success so now the plan is to get 4 plates made with 20mm nuts welded to the reverse face.
These will be dropped down on top of the pistons and MIG welded in place in 4 places.
I am hoping that then I will be able to use the liner puller Doubleboost made for me and jack liners and pistons out as an assembly.
By releasing the main bearing securing bolts I am hoping they will rotate in the block allowing everything to rotate.
If you see any flaws in my plan please say.

Thanks Tony

 

[Woody.v8]

If the pistons are scrap can you not drill a hole in the crown and tap it to take a bolt ?
You could then draw them out

 

[Tractor Tony]

Engine inverted and you can see that due to position of crankshaft only 2 of the 4 bolts are accessible on no's 1 & 4.
Strangely there are no lock tabs on the big end caps

To get the big end caps off I inserted 8mm Rawbolts and wound them up till they had a firm grip and then wiggled them back and forth till the caps came away.
Big end shells were not as bad as I expected.

 

[zeppelin builder]

x 2 for that, particularly pump timing.

Strange things, some engines. The single pot Dennis in my Avatar wont run on NGK plugs - even new ones, but on a collection of old KLGs, Lodges, Autolite and even a new Champion D16 - no problem.

is it that most of the modern plugs have a resistor in them, old weak magnetos dont like this ,and ht caps with resitors are a no no too

 

[8ob]

If its having new pistons and liners why not tug the liners/pistons/rods out in one go? You could split the liners in two on the bench afterwards to get at the pistons .

Bob

Update.
These will be dropped down on top of the pistons and MIG welded in place in 4 places.
I am hoping that then I will be able to use the liner puller Doubleboost made for me and jack liners and pistons out as an assembly.
By releasing the main bearing securing bolts I am hoping they will rotate in the block allowing everything to rotate.
If you see any flaws in my plan please say.

Thanks Tony

Its what I was getting at on post#19. It should work on the pair that you have released the big end caps on ,you will probably have to tug out the two others at the same time to get the crank to rotate to a position where you can release the other big end caps.

Bob

 

[fatfranky]

Now there`s a challenge , horrid things. May as well do the glow plug conversion while the heads off.


@8ob

Do you have any more info on this, I’ve read a bit on web about people having the conversion done
( apparently they were fitted to engines destined for cold climate countries as well@# the 23C engine in other applications) but have a friend who could do the machine work but would like some dimensions etc

Bob

Glad this thread has come back to the top, because coincidentally I’ve picked up an MF 35 with you guessed it, a seized 23C engine, I’m going down this afternoon to start dismantling and see what’s what.


Many thanks

Frank

 

[Tractor Tony]

Hi Bob
I reckon if I release the main bearing housing securing bolts and the one bolt that secures the center main then hopefully the crank will turn even if bearings are seized. I may pull on 1 and 4 at the same time with a cobbled together version of a liner puller.

Good luck

 

[Tractor Tony]

Good luck Frank
If I can be of any help just message me.

 

[fatfranky]

Good luck Frank
If I can be of any help just message me.

Thanks

Had a couple of hours on it this afternoon, first thing I did was drain the oil, unfortunately lots of water came out with it!

Removed the head which was easy as the previous owners mechanics had loosely bolted it back on, there was some rusting to the bores but probably not as bad as yours, I then removed the sump and like you could only access 2 of the big ends, in my case 1&4, I loosened no 4 and have drifted the piston 3/4 way up.

At this point I ran out of time and will need a longer drift, should get back to it during the week

Progress may be awkward as the tractor is stored in a lock up 20 minutes drive away and if I fail to take all the tools required it’s job stopped

Hope you don’t mind me posting on your thread, I’d start my own but I always forget to take pics

 

[Tractor Tony]

Hi Frank
No problem at all post away.
At least your ahead of me in getting a piston to move.
Like you I got a lot of water out when I removed the sump plug.
I do not know how much you know about the 23C but there is a good video available from The Vintage Tractor Engineer which covers everything from how to remove the engine through to a full rebuild including how to set the timing.

 

[Tractor Tony]

Here is the liner puller John aka DoubleBoost made for me in position, just waiting for the plates to weld into the bores.

If you do not already subscribe to Johns channel I highly recommend you do.