I got a diesel cam.........finally!

I bought a "Good" used cam for my '63 4000 172 diesel. It arrived today. I mic'd it out today, and it is right on. No wear on it at all. It also came with steel timing gear on it, which is in good shape also. It also came with the hdy pump gear, and rear gear cover, and lifters. And a set of rim to wheel bolts. I don't need them, but since I have them, I'll never need them. lol

I have not checked the lifters out yet. I'm going to polish them before re-using them any ways.

I have to finish up some other things I'm doing around the house, before I can start to reassemble the engine. Plus get some gaskets for it.

I hope all my timing problems are gone now. I have fixed all my other engine problems already, was just waiting to get a replacement cam.

I hope!

Pat

Good deal Pat. I like that thinking, since I have them, I'll never need them. All things are time relative.

Good for you.
I followed your search here.
Asked my buddy if he still had a cam from a
172D that he parted out but it was gone so
didn't have much to offer and didn't reply.
I hope you get it running now.
Let us know how it works.

Ultradog,

I will post how everything goes. I can't wait to get it running. I bought it a year ago, not running. But was suppose to run, just was sitting for 15 years. Ya, right. I knew I had to do some work on it to get it running, but I was not ready for the problems I've had figuring out, it was the cam.

What part of the twin cities are you in? I lived in Hutchinson, till '65, then we moved, to White Bear Lake, I lived near the Maplewood mall, before moving to east TN in 2008.

Pat

Do you expect to identify & quantify the exact difference in the gas/diesel cams by comparing? It would be nice to see this well documented.

To the best of my knowledge, the only thing that should be different between the two is the clocking of the distributor drive gear.

That is correct. For some reason, they don't want to do both cams. So they picked the gas. It doesn't have to be right on location, and the diesel does.

I have searched every place that I could find that sell them by part number, they both have the same part number, old & new part number, and every one of them say "not for use in a diesel" The only difference is that the diesel has "DIESEL" cast into them. You can hardly read it on the cam I just bought, but it's there.

I have called places that grind them, and the ones I called, tell me, they just don't grind, the diesel grind. They tell me that I am right, The "diesel" cam has to have 'DIESEL" cast into it.

Pat

(quoted from post at 19:26:36 10/10/18) To the best of my knowledge, the only thing that should be different between the two is the clocking of the distributor drive gear.

Click to expand...

ut , how is it different & by how much & in what direction? It is all in the details.

There is only two ways to find that out, that I know of is :

- find a cam company that want's to look it up, and tell you the difference in the timing gear clocking, if they know. Unless they are also making diesel cams.

I'm sure they only go off the keyway in the cam, to time it for grinding, and not care where the gear is, as long as it is close. It does not matter with a distributor, because you can just adjust it out.

2- is to install a diesel cam, set to TDC, using a dial indicator finding true TDC, then us a degree wheel to make a mark on the front cover that matches "O" (TDC)

Then you need to install a distributor into the diesel cam, and mark where the rotor points, and make a mark for that.

Then remove the diesel cam, and don't move the degree wheel on the crank hub. Then install a gas cam & timing gears, and slide the crank hub with the already installed degree wheel back on, making sure of TDC again, and install the distributor rotor close as you can to the first rotor mark you made. Notice of any difference in the both marks.

That's the only two way's that I can think of right now.

Disclaimer: Been up all night without any sleep, and it's 5:45am.

Pat

Hey River! I finally put the cam in, & lifters in, hydraulic drive gear & cover on, the front cover, and parts under it, and the oil pan on. Actually looks like a engine again, instead of a block with a head on.

Hopefully I'll get it outside, (after a little finish painting on the house trim. Mama needs to be happy) Then I'll get it put back on the tractor.

I still need to order a pin & bushing for the front axle, spindle thrust bearings, seal & wheel bearings yet. So I can't put all that back on yet.

But Hey! It's going the right direction at least now!

Pat