Standard 23C Engine Rebuild.

[slim_boy_fat]

Sadly access to underside of the piston is very limited due to the position of the crankshaft and the design precludes the removal of the crankshaft until you get pistons and con rods out of the way.

I have a 10 tonne press

Ah well, it was just an idea.

 

[Questions]

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

Bob

Was told the head of a MF 65 of the same era would bolt straight onto the 4 cylinder diesel that was a hard starter. Is this a diesel or petrol.

 

[Questions]

Well I have aquired a Standard 23 C Diesel engine which I intend to rebuild.
The engine has been stood with the head off for the last 15 years so cylinder bores are very heavily rusted.

The liquid you can see is Plusgas.
I am sorely tempted to fill the bores with citric acid to dissolve the rust (What do you guys think)
to make piston removal easier.
Once I have the pistons out the plan is to pull and replace the liners and pistons as part of the complete overhaul.
The 23c engine was notoriously bad to start so attention to detail especially with the timing will be paramount.

Bore it out and re line it, no more rust.
Take out crank to save damaging it, then use a wooden block and mr sledge to move the pistons, no point in hammering them onto the crank via the con rods.

 

[Tractor Tony]

Bore it out and re line it, no more rust.
Take out crank to save damaging it, then use a wooden block and mr sledge to move the pistons, no point in hammering them onto the crank via the con rods.

Read back and you will see that due to the design of the 23C engine you have to move the pistons and con rods out of the way to remove the crankshaft.
Once pistons and con rods are out it is a simple matter to replace the liners

 

[Questions]

Read back and you will see that due to the design of the 23C engine you have to move the pistons and con rods out of the way to remove the crankshaft.
Once pistons and con rods are out it is a simple matter to replace the liners

That makes it trickier.

 

[fatfranky]

Sadly access to underside of the piston is very limited due to the position of the crankshaft and the design precludes the removal of the crankshaft until you get pistons and con rods out of the way.

I have a 10 tonne press

I know access is limited but I managed to do it with mine, granted mine probably isn’t as seized as yours, as with one exception they came out fairly easily .

Alternatively would it be possible to make up a ring, similar to what doubleboost has already made you but with a much larger central hole to go over the conrod and press on the base of the liner.

Ps I got my final piston out, the flap wheel cleaned up the bores so well I was tempted just to hone them at put a set of rings in, but a couple of them have a very small wear lip, but the cost of rings, top end gasket set and sump gasket Vs a piston and liner kit (which includes all of the necessary gaskets) made me decide to order the rebuild kit.

Stripped the head the other night and valves and guides are serviceable so I’ll get on rebuilding that whist ordering parts.

 

[Tractor Tony]

Update.

Well it appears what I have is NOT the 23C engine I thought I had.
I was a bit confused when the plates I had Doubleboost make to weld to the cyliner liner appeared to be undersized (I quoted measurements from the Manual regarding the bore size.
Anyway got the plates welded in and tried to pull the liners and pistons as an assembly , Sadly all I managed was to snap off the top third of the liners
The only good new is that the relase oil is able to soak down between liner and block.
I posted this sorry saga on a FB page and someone identified my engine as the Leyland OE 160 version of the 23C whicch has a larger bore and longer stroke, and produces 60 horsepower as oppose to 37 hp for standard 23C

 

[zx9]

The only good new is that the relase oil is able to soak down between liner and block.
I posted this sorry saga on a FB page and someone identified my engine as the Leyland OE 160 version of the 23C whicch has a larger bore and longer stroke, and produces 60 horsepower as oppose to 37 hp for standard 23C

That sounds like good news to me though I don't recall if you said what you are going to put the rebuilt engine into.

 

[arther dailey]

thats a head scratcher if you were going to put it in a fergie

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Alternatively would it be possible to make up a ring, similar to what doubleboost has already made you but with a much larger central hole to go over the conrod and press on the base of the liner.

This ^^, but with a hole in the centre just large enough to slip past the con-rod and turn through 90o?
Apologies if this is what was meant

 

[Tractor Tony]

I am trying to locate pistons and liners for it. Not easy for a 50 year old engine

 

[Woody.v8]

I am trying to locate pistons and liners for it. Not easy for a 50 year old engine

Have you tried these ?

 

[8ob]

Original part numbers and gumph for the oe160 start on page 91, may be of use chasing bits.
https://www.commervanfan.co.uk › assets › files › CommerWalkthruParts...
Bob

 

[Tractor Tony]

Thank you 8ob.

That confirms beyond any doubt that what I have is the EO 160 engine.
If all else fails I know Westwoods will manufacture new cylinder liners which just leaves pistons and rings to find.

 

[jinjahbiscuit]

Thank you 8ob.

That confirms beyond any doubt that what I have is the EO 160 engine.
If all else fails I know Westwoods will manufacture new cylinder liners which just leaves pistons and rings to find.

Surely if the liners are to be manufactured from scratch, you could use any suitable piston of similar dimensions? No point in stressing over finding the exact ones?

 

[Tractor Tony]

Surely if the liners are to be manufactured from scratch, you could use any suitable piston of similar dimensions? No point in stressing over finding the exact ones?

Oh if only life was that simple.
You need to read the link supplied for the write up on the OE 160 to appreciate the difference in piston design

 

[Melvyn Best]

I am trying to locate pistons and liners for it. Not easy for a 50 year old engine

Try FW Thornton near Telford 01952 252892, their advert in Practical Classics reads
“Need obsolete or hard to find engine parts?”

 

[Tractor Tony]

Thanks Melvyn I will give them a call
I did contact them to see if they had pistons

 

[Tractor Tony]

Well thanks to DoubleBoost turning up a aluminium drift, numbers 2 & 3 pistons and the remains of the liners are sitting on the bench.

Those liners normally need a press to remove them so they were definitely Well and truly seized and no amount of waiting for release oil to do its job would have made any difference

 

[arther dailey]

victory , well a step in the right direction eh. enjoy your christmas break and wishing you all the best for the new year.