Noisy 3 cylinder Diesels

Hi all,
This may come as kind of a stupid or redundant question but I can't seem to get a satisfactory answer. First a little background on my Ford collection. I have the following: 3550 gas, 340 gas, 340 diesel, 65 3000 diesel, (2) 3600 diesels, 3910 diesel and older Fords. I have completely rebuilt the 3000 and both 340's engines and had all of them sleeved back to standard. The only reason I did the 3000 was it sounded like it had a loose wrist pin. After the rebuild I was expecting a quieter engine, but it was the same. I have five other diesels, (2) 4000 four cylinder's and (2) Japaneese diesels and 1 Kubota. The 3 cylinder Fords are by far noiser than the latter mentioned models. The two gas three cylinder engines or super quiet.
I know diesels are noisy when they idle but these sound like something is loose. I have been told that it is the backlash in the gears in the valve/pump train but the last diesel I rebuilt had all new gears and it is the noisiest. I have ruled out combustion since it makes the clanking noise as the engine is coasting down to a stop with the fuel shutoff pulled out.
I love these Ford 3 cylinder diesels and use them to mow and do landscaping with and have learned to live with the noise but I would like to know why they are so noisy? I'm sure there are Ford enthusiasts out there that can tell me once and for all what make these engines so noisy.
P.S. A fellow just brought me me over an old 5000 diesel to work on and it too sounds like the wrist pins are ready to let loose.

I've got a 4400 Ford, 3cyl Diesel..

I have been around MANY other diesels briefly, but this one just makes noise....

Don't know enough about them to give you a good answer, but, I THINK it is mainly because they are Fords....

Bryce

I have had many 3 cyl fords. and some are horrible loud, and others just loud. Seems like the atwerp and basildon models are loudest? Or maybe just a couple of years were louder in the 65 to 75 models.

That's the sound of horsepower!

You say you've ruled out combustion, and that you think it's a gear noise. That doesn't make any sense to me, as the mechanical parts of that engine are the same as the 4 and 6 cylinder engines, and the 6 is very quiet by comparison. Using that logic, if anything, the 4-cylinder engine should be the loudest because of the crank driven balancer, which the 3 and 6 cylinder engines do not have.

I think the reason why 3-cylinder Fords sound so much noisier than others of similar size are for three primary reasons:

1) Because most other engines of a similar cubic inch displacement are indirect injected. For example, the Japanese engines you mentioned are almost undoubtedly indirect injected. Without going into technical details, quietness is a feature of indirect injection - so is harder starting.

2) Virtually all 3-cylinder Ford diesel engines use rotary injection pumps. These pumps all have automatic timing advance mechanisms in them. Whenever you advance injection timing, combustion noise increases.

3) The muffler sits closer to the operator than on a comparable 4 or 6 cylinder tractor.

In summary, there's really nothing about the mechanical parts of the 3-cylinder Basildon engine that should make it any noisier than its 4 or 6-cylinder cousins.

Thanks Bern,
The reason I said I didn't think it was a combustion noise is that the engine has the loud rattle as it is freewheeling down with the fuel shut off knob pulled out. So there is not detonation during this shut down cycle. And I hear the clicking right till the crank stops turning. That's why I said mechanical or gears. One other thing I was wandering about is the injection pump itself. Could it be the pump make the clicking noise whenever it is turning. And yes the two Japanese engines are indirect injection and need the heaters even when it's 80 degrees outside. One is an old 1210 3 cylinder and the other is a T2310 4 cylinder. Both are real quiet when running. My two older 4 cylinder diesels (861 & 4000) don't make much noise and both have counter balancers and when I kill them they make no noise at all while spinning down. I am just wandering where all the noise is generated from. Everyone I seem to talk to says the same thing, "Ford Diesels Are Just Noisy". Thanks for the info...

I really don't know what year this one is... It is Blue and Yellow, 4400 Industral. Loader, Hoe. Good machine! Digs a hole pretty darn fast!!!

I would guess early 70's myself..

This rattle you refer to during shutdown is not normal. My first thought there would be a loose/worn clutch disc hub.

Later versions of the engine had a "waffle" pattern of stiffeners
cast into the cylinder block. This was supposed to quiet the engine.
The early engines with flat surfaces were like drum diaphrams.
A lot has been learned about noise and vibration over the years.
A lot of farmers over 60 are half deaf.

Bryce,
I'd have to say I differ on that. My 3-cyl. 2040 JD seems to make a lot more noise than my 4-cyl. 5610.
Butch

I am glad to read this post, I thought it was just mine. I am thinking the removable exhaust stack on the 4000 3 cyl contributes to the extra noise. Glad to know it isn't jut mine! Sure wish I could buy a brand new 4000. None of the new tractors will still be running in 50 years!