FE35 - 23C Engine rebuild

[Vizslaman]

Well always being up for a challenge I bought a 23C short engine knowing it was seized and had been stood minus head for a good few years.

Unfortunately the position the crank was in when it seized meant I could only access No's 2 & 3 big end bolts

I tried to get a drift into bottom of piston to push piston up the Bore and possibly move piston and liner but sadly no success, so I decided to make some plates that could be welded to the liners and with the aid of my liner puller draw piston and liner out as one as
one assembly. Unfortunately the liners broke just above the piston so back to the drawing board.

 

[690 multi-power]

Jeez, I have never seen one that bad before and I have fitted thousands of liners. The worst I had was a IH B275 and i had to do exactly what you have done. Mine did come out after that but there were wet liners and thicker. If you have some oxy/acet try heating the whole area evenly and use a drift underneath. It wont be easy.

 

[chaffcutter]

Friend of mine had this in an Armstrong Siddeley engine on a baler, got cross with it an used a block of wood and a sledgehammer.....it worked and nothing broke!

 

[Blue.]

Friend of mine had this in an Armstrong Siddeley engine on a baler, got cross with it an used a block of wood and a sledgehammer.....it worked and nothing broke!

I did the same with a fordson major,log on top of each piston and swing it with the fencing maul.?

 

[Vizslaman]

Interesting Discovery.

There was an anomaly as the bore was somewhat oversize@ 87.65mm ID and the liners are 91.24 OD
A member of another forum has come up with what I believe is the answer.
The engine is NOT a standard 23C but the OE 160 Leyland version and this had a bore of 3.455 and a stroke of 4.25 and produces 60 bhp net almost double the output (34 bhp) of the standard 23C engine

New Engine and Higher Gross Rating for Leyland 2-tonner | 11th September 1964 | The Commercial Motor Archive

'New Engine and Higher Gross Rating for Leyland 2-tonner' first printed in the 11th September 1964 issue of Commercial Motor

archive.commercialmotor.com

 

[Blue.]

Interesting Discovery.

There was an anomaly as the bore was somewhat oversize@ 87.65mm ID and the liners are 91.24 OD
A member of another forum has come up with what I believe is the answer.
The engine is NOT a standard 23C but the OE 160 Leyland version and this had a bore of 3.455 and a stroke of 4.25 and produces 60 bhp net almost double the output (34 bhp) of the standard 23C engine

New Engine and Higher Gross Rating for Leyland 2-tonner | 11th September 1964 | The Commercial Motor Archive

'New Engine and Higher Gross Rating for Leyland 2-tonner' first printed in the 11th September 1964 issue of Commercial Motor

archive.commercialmotor.com

So where does that leave you regards parts?
Is it basically scrap now?

 

[Vizslaman]

At this point in time I am not sure, until I am able to check the availability of replacement pistons and liners etc for the OE160

 

[Vizslaman]

Doing a google search it appears that replacement pistons and liners are still available

 

[Vizslaman]

Well that is a full house. I just tried pulling No's 1 & 2 liners with pistons still attached to crankshaft and sure enough rather than the liners moving they just snapped just above the piston.

On a positive note, now the release oil should be able to soak down between the liner and the block.

As the broken parts of the liners came away easily I am hoping that once the release oil has had a chance to do it's job and with the main bearing housings free to turn in the block. With a large aluminium drift and sizeable persuader I will be able to get enough movement to remove No's 1 & 2 big end caps

 

[Ley253]

If you have compressed air available, use an air hammer with a large, blunt punch to vibrate the pistons. You could also clean out all the oil, and fill the bores with a strong solution of "Bilt Hamber DE-OX C" this should creep down destroying the rust as it goes. It wont effect the metal work though. (I have used it several times, and it is a "magic" product, do not get the gell though, too hands on.)

 

[Pennine Ploughing]

If you have compressed air available, use an air hammer with a large, blunt punch to vibrate the pistons. You could also clean out all the oil, and fill the bores with a strong solution of "Bilt Hamber DE-OX C" this should creep down destroying the rust as it goes. It wont effect the metal work though. (I have used it several times, and it is a "magic" product, do not get the gell though, too hands on.)

fizzy coke cola is every bit as good

 

[tomlad]

I was thinking that , citric acid me thinks

 

[Mursal]

If you had some way to hold the block solid, the crank might move a bit, now?

 

[Ley253]

If you had some way to hold the block solid, the crank might move a bit, now?

Pain with those engines is the "cassette" crank assembly.

 

[TheTallGuy]

I was thinking that , citric acid me thinks

Nope, it's the phosphoric acid that does the trick & you can buy it neat without the sticky sugary crap mixed in.

 

[tomlad]

Ahhh milk stone remover?

 

[Ley253]

Phosphoric acid just turns the rust blue, used gallons of it trying to keep old ships afloat when I was in the RN! The Bilt hamber stuff dissolves the rust, and is bio degradable when finished with, so no disposal problems

 

[Vizslaman]

Well you cannot always believe what you read on the internet
Though I found a listing for pistons and liners for the EO160 I just had a reply from the company I was going too order them from advising they were no longer available.
If anyone know where apart from engine spares I might be able to source thse please let me know.
I would hate for all this work to have been in vain

 

[Pennine Ploughing]

Try Engine fix UK, they do a wide range,
Google it

 

[Vizslaman]

Try Engine fix UK, they do a wide range,
Google it