CIH 1660 - Found the engine problem.

Dave H (MI)

Well-known Member
For anyone who might happen to remember my efforts on my first year growing corn in 2014, I thought you might like to know what happened to the old IH diesel engine. To refresh your memory, the combine (first year I owned it, first time I used it on a field) worked extremely well on my small test plot of corn. Toward the end of the day the old 863 head started to have issues but nothing with the combine until I went to unload the last of my corn. Heading across to the wagon the engine huffed a black cloud out the breather and from thence forward seemed to run fine except for a pronounced ticking sound. Out of necessity I have had to run it a couple times...once to get it out of the way for Spring planting and a couple times for mechanics. Ticking only getting louder. There was a lot of speculation here as to the issue and it's cause. The issue is now known, the cause is still a matter of speculation.

I hired an experienced diesel mechanic to consult with me and do the work. Figured I had done enough damage, time to get a pro. Dealer came down and removed the engine and off it went to the fellas shop. The engine spun a connecting rod bearing for the #3 cylinder. There was no other damage in the engine. Very clean, tight engine in all other regards. I am left with the conclusion that I ran her low on oil. Not going to go into all the ways we checked and thought we were good. It does not matter....damage was done and I really cannot see what else would cause it. Should have it back in one piece within a couple weeks. Then y'all get to suffer thru my efforts harvesting oats.

Combine has recovered...gonna take me a little longer...
 
I seem to remember something fishy with the oil. It was full and you parked it away from home and then it wasn't full anymore. That was your 1660, right? Seems like is somehow tied in. Your awfully conscientious/meticulous to run it low on oil. It happens I suppose, but still a scratcher.
 
Appreciate the kind words. Yes, it was parked 20 miles from home. I had given the tenant the word that I was taking over the whole place in 2015 so he was on the property nursing some resentment. Also the fella across the road who was trying to block me from putting up my equipment shed. He fights me on everything I try to do. I have a hard time believing either one would drain my oil. Easier to believe I made a mistake somewhere. Either way....time to move on. :)
 
I apologize, but I cannot seem to remember the engine model number. The only number that I can seem to think about is the one I am putting on the mechanic's check tomorrow. It is the IH engine that was standard on the earlier 1660's. There are a couple hundred thousand of them in old school buses all over the nation. I was originally going to swap mine out for one of those but it turns out mine was repairable for less than the cost of the rebuilt engine. Good for me, but it is still a big number. (Don't ask)
 
I have a later 1660 with the CDC, Case/Cummins, or whatever you want to call it engine. A couple years back, without any warning, it threw #3 rod out through the left side of the block. Now my combine has a garbage truck engine!

At about the same time, someone put a picture up on here of the same engine, in the same application, having done the same thing(only it was #4). My conclusion is it's idiotic engineering to design that machine so that they want a 2750 RPM no load engine speed! Then supposedly that yields a 2500 RPM loaded speed. My monitor will beep when engine RPM drops below 2450. I have mine set at, maybe 2570 no load, so that I will get an occasional beep when it's near full load(based on the "power monitor"/manifold pressure/boost gauge). And I make an effort to avoid no load wide open throttle operation.


Shortly after my combine was built, they re-geared the main drive, so that a lower engine speed was obtained.
 
We ran old ih 6 cylinder diesels for years and broke a crank in a 1466 tractor one time. The cranks and rod bearings in these engines are the weak points. Two things to watch for. First keep the oil on the full mark when working the machine, once it goes down a quart it will heat up and burn off the rest in a hurry. Check your oil morning, noon, and night. Second we think the crank broke in the 1466 after the injection pump burped. We think this mis fire under load did the damage. If the engine misses at all shut it down and check the injection system. And it's 30 years old, anything can break anytime. Only fix for that is new $300k combine :)
 
They were nuts with those RPMs in that 466. I have three tractors with that engine. I know that PTO speed full tilt is 2200 rpm but it frequently rides about 2190.I only run it full blast with the baler hooked up. Everything else is about 2/3 throttle (except for the 8430 doing tillage). No reason to run her to death and burn fuel pulling an easy planter.
 
I agree that 466 IHC engine runs to fast for the long stroke that it is, Allis Chalmers tried that 2800 rpm with their 426 diesel engine on their combines, most didnt last long.
 

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