Ford 3000 Rod Bearing

jchewie

Member
Hello,

I have a 1973 Ford 3000.

It had an engine knock, no idea how long it had been there. I have put about 20 hours on it since I bought it. The first ten or so were loud because of a big old hole in the exhaust manifold - I couldn't hear the knock. I ran it another ten or so hours after replacing the exhaust manifold and muffler. The knock sound was not present all the time, usually just with throttle adjustments.

I drained the oil and took the pan off, big old pile of bearing chips underneath the oil pickup screen, and some flakes stuck to the screen.

20nour.jpg


Grabbed hold of each rod and pushed each way. #3 was clunking back and forth. Took the bearing cap off.

sxzqdk.jpg


Crank, with the piston and rod pushed up a little.
I'm concerned with the groove that is worn on the journal.
Compare each end, circled in red. Is this normal?

ejbxjs.jpg


The tractor has a Ford loader, 729 I think, and a 6.5 foot snowblower. I have been using the snowblower here in Michigan's UP and plan to use the loader for several landscaping and fill jobs around the property come summertime.

I am have done a lot of shade tree maintenance on my vehicles, including rebuilding a 4L60E, but have minimal experience inside the lower end of an engine. My goal is to get this running again and put it to work. I have an I&T manual on hand and Ford reprint manuals are ordered.

I'm thinking I need to check the journal diameter for size and roundness. Once I determine if it is round ... polish, measure diameter, install appropriate sized bearings, and fire it back up.
If out of round, split tractor and overhaul engine.

Tips and advice are much appreciated.
 
Jchewie,
First of all, Welcome to the Ford Board.
A micrometer will tell the story.
I'm the type who will, if the journals mic
out halfway decent, slip in new bearing
shells and go on for a couple thousand more
hours.
But only if the journals are close to spec.
You don't show a photo of the journal on
that piston but if it is as scored as the
bearing I would guess it's time for a
teardown.
Great photos btw.
 
I know many people who would push that piston and rod up and out of the way, and then polish the journal as best they can with some crocus cloth, after starting out with some fine emery cloth. I might be tempted to do the same if it were my own, because the scoring on the crank does not look all that bad to be honest with you.

As for the red circled areas, I think what you're referring to is the gap between the shell and rod cap on the right side, and none on the left side. Correct, that is not normal. That bearing shell has been "heat tweaked". Of course, you'd replace at least that one bearing, and better yet, all 3 rod bearings.

I don't see the groove on the journal, just some bearing deposits on it. I think you caught it soon enough that you can polish some things up and give a new bearing a try. Since it's yours, and you're not doing this for a customer, you don't have much to lose in my opinion.
 
I have a 3000 too and want to follow this thread . I also have a cracked exhaust manifold and need to replace mine. Would like to know how hard it was to get the bolts loose when you changed yours?
 
Engine needs to come completely down and rebuilt. I am surprised the rod bearing did not spin as bad as the crank is worn... You got lucky you caught it before it cost you a replacement engine...

I will not advise a patch job that is going to come back and bite you harder the next time...
 
(quoted from post at 21:47:20 01/30/16) I have a 3000 too and want to follow this thread . I also have a cracked exhaust manifold and need to replace mine. Would like to know how hard it was to get the bolts loose when you changed yours?

Not hard at all, they came right off. Very surprising to me since some of the bolt heads had rusted to the point they were only half there.
 

I would just replace a bearing if I thought I could get away with it. This tractor will maybe see a hundred hours a year, snowblowing, some landscaping projects, mowing the pasture down a couple times a year ...

I don't have a 2-3" mic but my dial calipers show max journal OD is about 2.725 and min is about 2.711.

According to I&T factory was 2.750, bearings are available to .040 under. Need to confirm diameter with a mic, but that isn't good news either.

This picture shows the wear that I was trying to point out with the red circles in the other picture. The arrow is at the step worn (or previous bad grind job?) on the journal. There is no step on the other side of the journal. The rod fits the bearing OD snug, don't think it is heat tweaked. In the picture with the red circles it was just pushed upwards just a bit.

34zj5nt.jpg
 

No. I just went and checked. The pictures were taken at a slight angle, and the oil hole is also angled.
 
I was going to reply earlier. I didn't notice the step on the journal. I was focused on the gap between the rod bore and the insert. That is a badly worn journal and would have to be reground. But with that much wear and the rod slapping around I'd say the rod needs to be reconditioned as well. Looks like a bottom end rebuild at least.
 
Pictures can be deceiving. A micrometer and your fingers will tell the whole story.

Your 2nd posting picture makes things look a little worse.
 
Do you think the pan has been off before, it Sorta looks like blue RTV on the pan gasket. This is all mote, I like to know what got it if I could even more if only one rod bearing is effected, What numbers are on the old rod bearing Are the same numbers on another rod bearing. It may have already been patched.

I am not a patch guy, I would not throw a expensive crank at it with out going completely thru the engine.
 

The pan has definitely been off before, though not recently judging from the grime and condition of the gasket. The guy I bought it from stated he hadn't done any repairs to it ever and he had owned it for ten years. I'm inclined to believe him, again based on grime and outward appearance.

All bearing part numbers match.
C5NN6211
A2B2

Looking at replacement rings on this site the suffix gives the size - B = standard; D, E, F, G = .010 - .040 under in .010 increments

Rod bearing #1 is trashed.
zogm75.jpg


Crank rod journal #1 has some scoring, and measures 2.747 to 2.749 with calipers.
kd05dc.jpg


Rod bearing #2 has wear, but not as bad as #1 or #3.
16anvqf.jpg


Crank rod journal #2 feels smooth and measures right at 2.750 with calipers.
sl6y2u.jpg






Thoughts on the reason for such severe wear on #3?
 
That engine needs to be taken down if you are going to keep it, dam if you are going to sell it, it still needs to come down
Boss
 

Yep, I wouldn't slap it back together and dump it on someone, and once it is fixed it should run fine for a good long time.

Hopefully the crank can be salvaged.

It will be a slow process, but I'll keep updating this thread with pictures. Hopefully they will help others.


I appreciate all the replies so far!
 
I'm not going to advocate one approach or the other as far as patch up or rebuilding goes, but as for polishing a rough or burred journal, use 320 grit emery cloth or a fine honing stone.
With either cloth or stone wet the journal with engine oil.
 

Ya, if were mine I wouldn't waste time, labor, money and lack of confidence in it's future dependabilty -- especially if I had the wear with all to make it perfect to the best of my ability.

I'm saying this before I even go and look at the link . . .but I'm just guessing you found cranks in this same shape and good advice on what to do about it. :D

Every time some young guy told me he'd rebuilt his engine, I'd ask him, "Was that a 20,000 mile rebuild or a 100,000 mile plus?" :)
 
jchewie,

If you do decide to just try and polish out the high points (ridges and burrs) I'd be using a good 20W50 in your engine after that . . . and NOT Castrol GTX (not the best oxidation factors to say the least).

Fold the Emery cloth for perfect journal width and long, and make like the Chatanooga shoeshine boy . . . first with the journal up high
then at the bottom of the stroke, or maybe better still in 1/4 turns.
Rock your hands from side to side towards the block pan flange as you polish but I wouldn't try to make the rag pop. :)

Good luck
T
 

That radius on the journal, from the bearing surface into the cheek of the crank throw is called a fillet. Very important that be smooth and not have any kind of groove worn in it. If it's grooved, that will act as a stress riser and that's where the crank will develop a crack and fail; big time. Think in terms of scoring a sheet of glass and being able to break it on the score line, it's that kind of deal. I really can't tell from the photos if it's scored, a finger nail can find it pretty quick, if it's there.
 


The crank is coming out. It is definitely well worn inside the fillet.

I started unbolting stuff tonight to split the tractor, steering components and rear axle loader mount are undone.
 

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