Resurrecting a boat diesel engine - Ford Lehman

[Tony]

Sump oil has been drained, refilled with old diesel from the fuel tank, pots filled with WD40.

Will take photos if we can get her to turn over

[therecklessengineer]

Interesting. Any clues on the age of the engine? Photos please!

[Tony]

Not sure.  He thinks it's a "Ford D series" which doesn't mean much to me.

Some news on the starter, he had the commutator end off it, four brushes with plenty of meat on them, no rust all nice and clean, but one of the 12V cables had worn insulation touching a rotating part.  He's taped it up and greased the bearing, we've just put it across my car battery and she spins up, bit slowly though (my jump leads are a bit feeble in all fairness).  Tried through the solenoid and the gear is thrown out and she spins up but even slower.  Now she doesn't click or anything - I think my jump leads are knackered though TBH.

Will try again later with some chunkier leads and if it spins up take it to the boatyard and see if we can't turn the engine over with it.

[photoman290]

d series ford engines are well known for blowing themselves up due to something to do with the vacuum and the injector pump. cant remember the details but i would check on an old tractor forum before you try to start it.

[Tony]

Well starter is fine now, it was my jump leads.  Sadly not enough juice in the battery to crank the engine over.



Looks like 703F 6015 AAA (block)
Code on other side is 683 F 6090 AAB (head) as far as we can tell under the many layers of paint.



The starter is propped at the back in that photo.





(Injectors out, the spill of rail is just resting to the right of the valves, that's not where it lives )

Managed to see big end on #4 piston through the lift pump hole in the side of the block, it looks in good condition.

Water pump impeller was a bit torn, will need replacing.  Removed for now.

[Tony]

Believe it to be one of these (Ford Lehman Diesel Marine)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnhMmtmSHLc

Oh what a lovely noise!

So yes, could be as old as that '62 one potentially.

[1958steveflying]

Sump oil has been drained, refilled with old diesel from the fuel tank, pots filled with WD40.

Will take photos if we can get her to turn over

IMHO it would not be a good idea to try to turn her over or fire her up with only derv in the sump.

[1958steveflying]

Believe it to be one of these (Ford Lehman Diesel Marine)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnhMmtmSHLc

Oh what a lovely noise!

So yes, could be as old as that '62 one potentially.

You can tell it is of a later series than that by the later type tappet adjusters, that type I believe were fitted to the D series Dorset and Dover engines.

[Soft top]

If you want to get an idea of how old it is look on the block and head for a small row of numbers/letters that are cast in.
They will give you the date the castings were made.
There will be one or two numbers (day) then a letter ( a= Jan, b= Feb ect) then two numbers (year, ie 72 would be 1972)then there might be another letter a or b (day or night shift).
Fords used this system on all of their castings.

Oops, just thinking that it might read year - month - day, rather than day - month - year as above.
Its about 40 years since I used to change them dates on the patterns every night in Fords foundry and the 'ole memory aint so good now.

[Tony]

Sump oil has been drained, refilled with old diesel from the fuel tank, pots filled with WD40.

Will take photos if we can get her to turn over

IMHO it would not be a good idea to try to turn her over or fire her up with only derv in the sump.

Plan is:

Turn over with derv in sump but no injectors fitted, this will blow the muck out of the cylinders and pump some derv through the engine's lube system as a flush.

Repeat this a few times, each time filling the pots with WD40 through the injector holes to flush them out too.

Then drain the derv, fit new filter with new (cheap) oil.  Possibly change the injection pump oil too (supposed to be done every 50 hours) but that's my mate's call really.

Then lift pump refit, prime the fuel system, run it without injectors (make sure fuel comes through clean).

Then finally reconnect injectors, get a feel for compression on each pot by turning by hand, and then see if she starts.

After getting the engine warm, drain the warm oil, replace with expensive oil and new filter again.

All assuming she starts, of course!

Sound sensible?

[therecklessengineer]

Yes, but don't bother with the expensive oil. Old style mineral lube oil is plenty good enough for an engine of this vintage.

[therecklessengineer]

If you want to get an idea of how old it is look on the block and head for a small row of numbers/letters that are cast in.
They will give you the date the castings were made.
There will be one or two numbers (day) then a letter ( a= Jan, b= Feb ect) then two numbers (year, ie 72 would be 1972)then there might be another letter a or b (day or night shift).
Fords used this system on all of their castings.

Oops, just thinking that it might read year - month - day, rather than day - month - year as above.
Its about 40 years since I used to change them dates on the patterns every night in Fords foundry and the 'ole memory aint so good now.

So 703F from Tony's photos above would be 3rd Jun, 1970?

[Tony]

And 683F from the head 3rd Jun 1968?

Bit of a coincidence if block and head made two years apart but on the same month/day?  Perhaps that's not the number Soft Top means.

[Soft top]

And 683F from the head 3rd Jun 1968?

Bit of a coincidence if block and head made two years apart but on the same month/day?  Perhaps that's not the number Soft Top means.

No no no. Thats the part numbers you are looking at. There is a seperate smaller group of numbers. (each digit is 1/4" high). You might have to take rocker cover off to find it on the head.
The part numbers- 683f and 703f are the engine model nos. I cant remember all them now because there was so many, but 6015 means its a block and 6090 means its a head.
The date numbers will be there somewhere. All Fords blocks, heads and diff casings had them. All castings were usualy machined and used within a couple of weeks of being cast.
Oh boy, this post is bringing back some distant memories. 

[knighty]

if I were you... I'd just get a new startermotor for it... not worth being out at see and not being able to start it... coast guard doesn't take kindly to being called out for something like that :-o