will £500 be enough to fully overhaul dexta engine and new clutch

Ley253

Member
Location
Bath
Have an early 1960's Dexta here, with an Isopon repaired engine block, among the various other challenges. Looks to me like Perkins engine with an in line pump?
basically, it is, but the block was cast by fords, and there are detail differences.Some I have seen did not have liners, which makes reconditioning much more expensive.
 
One thing you dont say is how many hours, if known, the engine has done. If it is only 2-3,000 and has had its oil changed regularly, you may be lucky. But if it is 10,000 plus and is breathing heavily with a little knock, I would prepare for £1,500 +
the clock stopped at 8462 hrs some years ago and I estimate hours to be about 9 or a bit over
it has always been serviced regularly and it is breathing and knocking .. it cost £385 at a local farm sale in 1965 so I cannot complain about it really!!!
 
basically, it is, but the block was cast by fords, and there are detail differences.Some I have seen did not have liners, which makes reconditioning much more expensive.
I am not arguing when you say the Dexta block was cast by Ford but someone told me that the engine was cast by Qualcast who also made lawnmowers and he did tell me there is a Qualcast emblem at the back of block... the person who told me this advertises his services in the tractor magazine.....
 

Ley253

Member
Location
Bath
I have no idea re Qualcast, so cant comment. I can ,however mention a surprising finding during a friends college days.He had to write a paper on the casting of cylinder blocks and gearbox housings, during his research, he found that the only reason Fords were maintaining there own foundry was that it was the only one in Europe which could make use of the low standard of the raw material, and manage to produce a reasonable casting! As fords did have this facility, it would make sense for them to use it for the F 3 block, and as there were strict instructions regarding no Perkins id anywhere, I cannot see how Qualcast would have escaper a similar restriction.
Having prodded the memory, I realise that Qualcast made the Perkins blocks their emblem is all over the P4 Nuffields in a friends collection! As this is the case, could your man have been looking at a Dexta which had been fitted with a 35 block at some point?
 
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Pennine Ploughing

Member
Mixed Farmer
the clock stopped at 8462 hrs some years ago and I estimate hours to be about 9 or a bit over
it has always been serviced regularly and it is breathing and knocking .. it cost £385 at a local farm sale in 1965 so I cannot complain about it really!!!
there is more coming out about this engine, as i said before no skimping will be £1500
 

Ley253

Member
Location
Bath
the mystery deepens because I have just been talking to someone who said that all dextas have liners and new liners are pressed in then machined to size
Thats how Perkins did it now there are finished liners which save a lot of time and effort. I know some people dont like them but a plant firm here claims to have have fitted hundreds over the years, and has had no problems whatsoever.
 

Tigger

Member
Location
Worcestershire
From the 'official' manual:
"To ensure rigidity, an integrally cast cylinder block and crankcase is employed, and is fitted with full-length, renewable, dry cylinder liners."

and

"Renewable, full-length, unshouldered cast-iron liners are fitted to the 144 cu. in and the 152 cu. in engine. The liner fitted to the 144 cu. in engine is of the thick wall type and that fitted to the 152 cu. in engine the thin wall type. Both types of liners are an interference fit in the cylinder blocks and they are bored out to the required sizes after fitting."

But manuals and reality do vary wildly :D
 

Ley253

Member
Location
Bath
The direct injection 152 has shouldered liners, but yes, thin wall.A well made puller/installer will shift these with ease, though they can be removed with a small "Bull nosed " chisel, and refitted with a block of hard wood and hammer, after being in the fridge overnight! Not the way I changed mine, I must say!
 
I have just remembered going on a road run a few years ago , I was looking around the tractors and I could hear the familiar sound of a dexta but there was no dexta to be seen it turned out to be a Nuffield with a 4 cylinder Perkins
 

Vizslaman

Member
Location
Hampshire
Hope for the best. Plan for the worst.
I bought my FE35 having looked it over and driven it round the field.
But once I started getting into to it the costs started mounting.
Recon Injectors £120 + Vat
Recon Injector Pump £350 + Vat
New leak off rail £17.50 plus vat
New Air Filter £48.00 plus Vat

£500 plus already gone and I have not even got the rocker box off.

You just have to see the state of the filter in my own thread to understand why the whole fuel system needed going through.
 

MrNoo

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Cirencester
Is it actually done by Agriline? I bought a new head for circa £170 or £145 for my 3.152 engine as it was cheaper than getting the old one refurbed, they also sell complete 3.152 engines for just over £2k but the only feedback I can get is from The Ferguson Forum and they seem to poo poo it (but then they are into "originality" and old is always best!!)
They also said the head was "problematic" but I haven't had any issue with fit or function of it.
 

tomlad

Member
Location
nr. preston
Id have a look on the fordson tractor pages forum
Seem to recal threads re. New heads not fitting quite right from the box on dexta
But that may have been resolved now .
Loads of fordson info.
 

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