TW 35 FWA Engine Rebuld

This is the first in many post on rebuilding the 401 in this tractor. As stated before, water is getting into the oil. We all know what that means. Can you find hole in the block after you tear the motor down? I've been told to remove the pan and pressurize the system and see where its leaking. With the FWA, is this possible? I have made up my mind to rebuild the motor anyway. The cost is not extremely high to do this. Machine work will be around $2600.00. Parts are estimated at $7000.00. This includes new pistons, sleeves, and all new valves. Maybe it won't need some of these parts but I'm including them in the budget. My overhaul manual does not cover removing the FWA. Is this a straight forward procedure? I have a skid steer and plenty of jack and wood blocks! Thanks for any advice.
 
I did one of those several years ago, I didn't even try to find the leak, I took the block to a machine shop and had it bored and new liners put in, the leak I think was right at the bottom of the bore in the water jacket
 
That's my thoughts exactly. This tractor is in very good condition. Good tires, paint is excellent, injection pump has 50 hours on rebuild, new clutch, pressure plate, throw out bearing, pilot bearing and dual power rebuilt with clutch job. All she does is pull a planter and grain buggy.
 
You can drop the pan and pressurize the cooling system, but the pinhole will usually be obscured by the piston. All you will really be able to do is tell which cylinder it's coming from.

What I have done in the past, once I've got that far, is to pull the head and pistons, and then set the head back on with a few bolts and re-fill and pressurize the cooling system. I've had a hole so small that it plugged up on me, and the only way I could find it was to blow the hole open with an air gun first. I've also had a stream so small that I could not see it without using a piece of paper to get wet.

Doesn't matter whether you have 2WD or FWA, the front bolster needs to be moved forward about 3-4" to drop the pan. I usually use some extra long 3/4" bolts so that I can slide the bolster forward without losing control. That way you can leave the cooling system hooked up for pressurizing.
 
I am not trying to change your mind at all and realize this tractor isn?t going to have a tough life but before I even thought about fixing that 401 for near $10k I would be on a serious hunt for a 456 genesis motor with a p pump. A neighbor put one in his 9700 and said it was the best thing he ever done to a tractor.
 
You might check around for a machine shop that will bore and sleeve it in the tractor. I have done it with my Kwikway bar.
 
I hope he turned that thing down or else he will turn those final drives into a pile of metal shavings eventually. That is if the PTO drive shaft doesn't bust first.
 
Two years ago I replaced a Genesis engine with 11,000 hr and burned thru piston with a reman from Farmland Tractor for about your machine and parts estimate.
 
I would disassemble it first and see what you have to work with. The pistons are most likely re-usable. If all you need are rings, gaskets, and sleeve work, you'd come out a lot cheaper, and more importantly, you'd know what you have. I don't trust aftermarket long blocks after what I've seen in the past.
 

Premium kits include pistons, rings, bearings, gaskets and valves, no sleeves.
Last Ford block I have sleeved the machine shop charged me $50 per sleeve plus another $50 per hole to install.
I like the thick sleeves so usually have the machine shop get them to make sure we get the correct ones.
For his 401 the sleeves will add a few hundred to the cost but will still be less than $2000 for the parts.
 
My machine shop quoted $150/hole to bore the block. That's $300 to bore the block to put the sleeve in and then bore the sleeve back to standard.
 
$150/hole x 6 holes = $900 using my math.

I paid $1250 to have all 6 holes sleeved 2 years ago on a 401 block. That cost included the price of the sleeves at $50/hole. This operation was a "double bore", meaning the block was bored once for the installation of thick wall sleeves, and then bored and honed a second time to fit the standard pistons. My machinist does very good work, and I thought that price was fair.
 

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