400 finally running

Finally got the 400 together and running this weekend. Started with this project years ago as I bought it with a bad head gasket. I went through the engine then, but as is all to typical for me, I saved $300 by not having the block planed. So that meant it wouldn't hold a head gasket. I tried several things to get it to hold, but it wouldn't. Then I found a newer engine from a combine to put in it. Did that last year. Then I started to get water in the oil on that one. That is not uncommon on these older case engines as the seals are 60 years old and they get hard and leak. In this case tho it wasn't the seals, it had two cracked sleeves which I found while honing them to reinstall. They were cracked around the o-ring groove at the bottom of the sleeve. Seems that is rare since I haven't found anyone who has seen it before.






So I had some used sleeves from the 1030 that I rebuilt that weren't worn much. But when I started looking at them I found one out of round, two that were corroded around the top lip from a head gasket leaking, and one that was cracked around the upper lip where it sits on the block. Those issues do happen sometimes, so that was not a surprise. But I did find four usable sleeves from the ten I had.


I cleaned up the sleeves and honed them good. The pistons got new rings. I also put new rod bearings in and had the heads rebuilt with new valves and seats. That was most of the reason for the delay of a year this time. I told the head guy that there was no hurry. Lol.

Anyway, worked the last two weekends getting it together.





I added this tank heater to help with cold weather starts.



It works pretty good too, I plugged it in for a few hours before the first start and the engine showed 180 deg when it started. After a good warm up and re-torquing the heads it finally got moved outside.




I let it run at various throttle settings for an hour or so then took it for a drive in the fields in the snow to add some load. Used the brakes a little to get it good and warm, then let it run some more. After it had 2 1/2 hours or so I decided to put it on the grinder/mixer to see how it did. The video is below. It handled it great and seems to be running fine. I mostly just ran it under light load, but hit high gear to make it work some a couple times. Seems to run great. Hope this is the last time I have to take it apart.
Grinding feed

Sound great!!! It's always nice to be able to get one of the long term projects done!

Sounds good, That should help seat those rings.

I'm puzzled by the filter-like looking canister mounted high in the front. I see two stage fuel filters, and I assume the oil filter is there on the left side of the block.

Always good to get one together. I am glad things worked out after some work and thinking on your part. I have several similar projects that things keep getting in the way of me doing , Maybe someday lol.

Good job! And you don't have the old PSB pump to worry about anymore..

Sounds really smooth. Nice job.

The 30 series cases had a third or final fuel filter. This engine is a 30 series engine. They eliminated it with the last of the 30 series when they went to spin on filters rather than canister type.

Jon, excellent job, sounds really good. Good to see your photos, I don't know anything about Case tractors there were none in our area. The local dealer was more interested in the Case construction equipment, lots of Case BLT and crawlers around.

good work jon! glad you got it all figured out. now if you are looking for two more of them but with gas engines, my neighbor has a couple fermenting in his barn. if you are interested, i can check on what he wants for them. one was running a couple years ago, both motors are loose.

Depends on where they are and what he wants. Wouldn't mind a gas version

by dwight illinois. i will ask him what he wants for them. i will get some pictures too.

Our local Case dealer was a nasty old coot who only sold equipment to farmers who were even nastier old coots than he was. I guess that's what it took to get along with him. Not a problem for us because we had every other tractor brand in the country within about 5 miles of us due to all the dairy farms. Looking back on it, I suppose some or maybe all of his nastiness was caused by health issues. He died in his late 50s.

nice,

i miss my 800 but am glad its getting real (but small) farm use now grinding feed and mowing/baling hay.

I took the PS pump bracket on mine and flipped it over and mounted it on the Right side so those darned PS hoses were not in the way of the generator/alternator like the 30 series were set up. makes it not "stock" but it just works better on the right side.

Great job bringing that one to life!

She sounds good Jon. Hopefully she's a good work horse now and lasts a long time. RB