172 Ford industrial diesel (operator error)

Mr. T. Minnesota · May 18, 2017

Forum,
Recently delivered my Pettibone log skidder up north and used it on Tuesday and made a big mistake. Was traveling down hill and tilted the skidder too much and believe I lost lubrication to the rod bearings. The engine lost oil pressure for a short time. Ran the engine after this pressure drop and did not realize there was a problem until more than average smoke came out of the breather vent. Ran it a little longer and then it began to screech intermittently. I shut it down immediately. Oil pressure is back to normal, no white oil, and no excessive heat in the head. Operator error?? Now I believe I must redo the bearings and need all assistance possible. Any and all info is appreciated. Engine was in very good shape before this event----?
Mr. T. Minnesota

cdmn · May 18, 2017

Don't get too excited. Might not have done any harm. Maybe the squeak is in the fan belt.

Mr. T. Minnesota · May 19, 2017

C,
Checked the fan belt and removed the belt from the generator. I gave the pump a quick spin and there was not even a squeak thinking it may be a water pump problem. Still may be that problem. One critical bit of info is the excess smoke coming out of the breather vent, why? Will check the fan belt again when I travel up north in a month. Thanks for the info and all ideas are appreciated.
Mr. T. Minnesota

Welding man · May 19, 2017

Sounds like you have 2 choices, Run it or pull the oil pan and check the bearings and
crank. If it has good oil pressure and not knocking,I'd run it a while and see what
happens. I know a guy that ran an 8N for several days with no oil pressure before it
croaked. He thought he had a bad gauge. Suction tube had broken off the pump. Remember that
engine has a balancer too. Sometimes they make strange noises.

Mr. T. Minnesota · May 19, 2017

Welder,
I like your advice. Yes, the oil pressure is still very good, 80 plus which is consistent with past operation and there are no knocks noticed. Pulling the pan with engine in place is a great option. After all that happened I did turn it over without starting and it seemed good. Is it possible to change a bearing without removing the engine? Will let you know what happens in a few weeks. Thanks again for the advice.
Mr. T. Minnesota

showcrop · May 20, 2017

(quoted from post at 06:21:16 05/19/17) Welder,
I like your advice. Yes, the oil pressure is still very good, 80 plus which is consistent with past operation and there are no knocks noticed. Pulling the pan with engine in place is a great option. After all that happened I did turn it over without starting and it seemed good. Is it possible to change a bearing without removing the engine? Will let you know what happens in a few weeks. Thanks again for the advice.
Mr. T. Minnesota

It is very easy to change both rods and mains, (except for the rear) from underneath, although they will drip oil for weeks. The tough part is to get the right bearings. It is unlikely that they are standard or original. You have to remove one main and one rod cap and look for markings on the back side of the inserts. You can use the information from them to get the ones that you need. You should check all journals and bearings while you are in there for scoring or wear.

Mr. T. Minnesota · May 21, 2017

Showcrop,
Thanks for the info. Your suggestions will be taken seriously and I will proceed working on the 172 in a few weeks. Question, why did the breather give off so much white smoke,
not black which I thought would be associated with a possible hot bearing? I am a novice when it comes to this kind of problem. I can repair mechanical items but not do a major
overhaul so all help is appreciated!
Mr. T. Minnesotal

172 Ford industrial diesel (operator error)

Mr. T. Minnesota

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cdmn

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Welding man

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Mr. T. Minnesota

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showcrop

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