Bern, how is the 6000 project coming?

How is the 6000 coming along?

It's timely of you to ask - I had been meaning to send out an update recently, and your post gives me the added incentive to get that done.

When I bought the tractor the owner told me the engine was "running well when it was parked". He said the main reason it was decommissioned was because of tranny issues. Well, turns out the engine was locked up, so rather than force it with a prybar, I decided to remove the injectors and send a borescope down the holes. I found some rust in one hole, and something truly amazing in another - about a hundred dead bees.

After removing the head, I took the attached picture. How all those little bzzz-turds got down there, I'll never know. The exhaust valve on that cylinder was wide open, but there was a well-fitting rain cap on top of the stack, and no other openings in the exhaust system. Even if the exhaust system was open, what in the world would possess those little buggers to work their way through all the baffles in the muffler, into the dark exhaust manifold and then enter a valve open maybe 1/4"? Truly amazing if you ask me. There were a similar number of bees packed inside of the generator (I believe I put that pic in my last post). Tractor came from Eastern Washington state.

The heavy rust in one cylinder convinced me to do a complete teardown. After letting some PB Blaster sit in the cylinders for about a week, I finally got it freed up and torn down. I was able to clean up that one cylinder wall pretty good with a hone. There will still be some rust pits in the cylinder wall, but it's not bad enough to require sleeveing.

I ordered all new rings, bearings, and gaskets. It was big $$ because of the rarity of the engine model, but at least I can still get them via the aftermarket through my local machine shop. About the only parts I could ever hope to get through NH might be an oil filter and a radiator cap, if I was lucky. Not that I'd want to pay their prices anyway.

The injection pump also required attention. It was very hard to turn over - it was VERY gummy inside because of the stale fuel that was laying in the bottom. It would have ran away on me if I had tried to start the engine with the injection pump as it was. The governor assembly was completely seized - I had to remove it with a puller. The pump has been completely disassembled, cleaned up, and will be re-assembled here soon. I will then run it on my pump stand and calibrate.

I hope to have it running and fully operational by next summer so that I can take it to a friend's farm down the road and maybe do some hay raking with it.

My advice - don't buy something that's been sitting outside for 20 years, no matter how much the owner says how good a shape it was in when it was parked. That said, it's all good, I enjoy the challenge.

My 961 sat for two days without the manifolds while I was putting it back together when I went to test turn it it would come to a soft stop at the same point, turning in either direction. I found about a 1/4 cup of mouse bait in there.

My pal Kenny bought an industrial 172
diesel a few years back that had a soft
stop like you called it.
We pulled the head and found one cylinder
with a bunch of corn in it. Manifold was
packed full too.
Bern,
Good update. Thanks.

Purchased a winter project, NAA with a 172, I thought was stuck. Turned out enough carbon and etc laid on top of a piston to stop it. Really never did figure out how this all happened

Great update. FYI- When I bought mine the seller told me that that engine was used in Ford trucks with only a few changes. He said to check with Ford if I ever needed engine parts.