Ford 555

Adam bomb · May 4, 2020

hello just recently purchased a 79 model ford 555 backhoe with the 3 cylinder 201 cid engine. Hours are unknown and the machine has been running. Recently while running in third gear the machine started to lose power. I shifted into a lower gear. Still not usual power. Then the machine pulls itself down and dies. After about 5 mins I try to restart and the starter just clicks on the fly wheel. Battery is new starter is newer. Oil was about 2 quarts low and the engine had fuel and coolant. I have tried to turn the engine over with a pipe and breaker bar and was unsuccessful. I was curious how can I be 100 % the engine is seized and it?s not a transmission or hydraulic pump issue. The hydraulic pump is ran off the crank so I was trying to turn both. Also undid the four hydraulic lines to the loader arms trying to get the boom to come up. The bucket is down and I tried lifting with my tractor and it was picking the front of the backhoe up. Even with the lines undone??? My next question is does the engine have sleeves and how bad would it be to rebuild in frame.

mmfan55 · May 4, 2020

Sounds like gaulded piston or spun bering. Try pulling the injectors and see if it will turn no compression. Hydraulic issues seldom will lock one that tightly.

Steve@Advance · May 4, 2020

One way to tell if the engine is seized, remove the starter so it is out of the equation.

Sometimes a starter can jamb and lock the engine, but since it lost power running that is unlikely.

But once the starter is out of the way, reach in to the flywheel with a prybar and try turning the engine both ways. If it will turn just a little each way, good chance the engine is not seized.

If it will not turn at all with reasonable pressure, there is an engine problem, and it is a serious problem.

Any time an engine seizes to a stop under power, there will be considerable damage. Trying to do an inframe is recipe for disaster. Diesels are very unforgiving of shortcuts and are money devouring monsters if disrespected!

But... At this point, if it is seized, nothing to loose by tearing into it. Just take nothing for granted. Shrapnel is your enemy, getting it all out without a complete tear down is near impossible.

A shop manual would be a valuable investment.

rlp in Co. · May 5, 2020

The engine doesn't have sleeves. I bored mine 30 over put in new pistons and a new camshaft and ported and polished the head. My crank showed almost no wear but you will probably have to have yours turned. Sounds like a rod seized up from lack of oil on yours. Put a 20 ton Jack under the bucket, it will come up. I made some spacers out of 2X4s to hold the loader up. Nail a short piece of 2X2 on the end to keep it from splitting. Take the engine out and do it right. Take the transmission out and rebuild it at the same time. Pull the axles and change the seals and reset the end play. You will have a tractor that will last for another 20,000 hours! Good luck!

Ultradog MN · May 5, 2020

Went through the same thing here on a 545.
Bought it knowing it had upper engine problems. Probably from too much ether.
It started right up though and was idling while we got the trailer ready to haul it home.
It sat and idled okay then started to labor.
Then it quit. Rod bearing froze to the crank.
Had plenty of oil and no coolant in the oil.
We had a fresh 201 from another tractor so put that in it. Tore the stuck engine down and never did figure out why it seized.
You do not bore and use oversized pistons on those engines. You bore and sleave back to standard. Always.
It's a nice tractor now.
Very powerful loader for its size.

Ford 555

Adam bomb

New User

mmfan55

Member

Steve@Advance

Well-known Member

rlp in Co.

Well-known Member

Ultradog MN

Well-known Member

Similar threads