The Restoration starts!- '80 Eagle Turbo Diesel

[rollguy]

I got the heads all installed today, as well as the intake manifold:

Photo of the new turbo oil hose and ready for the exhaust manifold and turbo:

Exhaust, turbo, oil filters, and heater hoses hooked up/installed:

I had to have the radiator cap fitting welded and machined, as it was pitted and would not seal:

Photo of repaired radiator cap fitting:

Coolant manifold, injectors, glow plugs, and misc hoses installed:

I just need to install the rockers and push rods (and adjust), rocker boxes, throttle linkage, coolant, and oil and it should be ready to test.  I am still in need of the rear wire harness.  I went to 5 wrecking yards on Friday, and no Eagles!  I may have to bug Mavericke for one from one of his scrappers.

[IowaEagle]

A lot of progress made today.  I thought you had a line on a rear harness?

[rollguy]

A lot of progress made today.  I thought you had a line on a rear harness?

I sorta do, but not really sure.   I was hoping to find one locally so I did not have to deal with sending $ and waiting for one to arrive in the mail.

[rollguy]

I have run into a roadblock!   I assembled everything and tried to start the engine yesterday.   About an hour later, it still would not start!  I checked and rechecked most everything (fuel delivery good, glow plugs working, good strong battery (charging the entire time)etc). The only thing I did not check was the compression.  Well today, I pulled the glow plugs and screwed in the adapters, and checked each cyl.  I came up with the following numbers:
Cyl 1)  250
"     2)  150
"     3)  280
"     4)  300
"     5)  300
"     6)  280
Before doing the head job, the lowest number was 250 with most being around 300.  Thinking about the job,  I have a suspicion what might be causing the low numbers.   I hope I am wrong, but either way, it involves pulling the heads again.  When I got the gasket kit, it was packaged with all the gaskets, seals, o rings, etc mingled together on a cardboard wrapped in cellophane.  There were supposed to be 12 small (very thin) copper washers (I could only find 10) for the oil feed banjo bolts.   The head gaskets (2 sets of 3 cyls) are MLS (multi layer steel), and it is possible that the 2 remaining washers got stuck between the layers.  However, I was very careful to check between all the layers before installing the gaskets (found only 8 at first, 2 were hiding between layers). It is very possible that I missed the remaining 2 washers.  I hope this is not the case, but like I said, the only way to know is to pull the heads again.  If I don't find any washers between the layers, I don't know what to do.  I suppose I will try to find another reason for the low compression.

[Mechanic]

Do you know if the heads themselves are warped?? A buddy of mine did the head gaskets on his gravel truck and the head was perfect when he took it off, and warped when he put it back on. He has no idea why it warped considering it sat on a bench the whole time.

[68AMXGOPAC]

I think he covered any warp issues with the sanding of the surface before reinstalled.I still would think that even with low compression in a couple it would fire and try to run.I just got my Molines engine back in and it would't fire,( not that it is the same as yours) and found the  new points were somehow bad....cleaned up the old ones, put them in, gapped, and it fired up.My issue  now is the compression is increased so much with engine mods, it is going to take 2 batteries in series to turn it over enough to start.
   I hope you figure this out, it is amazing the job you have done, and to even own one of these rare ones !!

[rollguy]

Do you know if the heads themselves are warped?? A buddy of mine did the head gaskets on his gravel truck and the head was perfect when he took it off, and warped when he put it back on. He has no idea why it warped considering it sat on a bench the whole time.

Like I said in the previous post, I will check to see if I find any copper washers between the layers of the head gasket.  I should know by Thursday evening.

[rollguy]

Like I said in the previous post, I will check to see if I find any copper washers between the layers of the head gasket.  I should know by Thursday evening.

Well,  I started to remove some parts today and when I removed the turbo oil feed hose and the rocker oil hose, there was no oil present.  I got concerned and decided to crank the engine and see if there was any oil squirting out.  I cranked for 10 seconds or so, and nothing.  I cranked a little longer and NO OIL PRESSURE!   I now have a bigger problem.  I suppose that if it did start, the lack of oil pressure would have ceased the engine.  I suspect that the lack of oil pressure is responsible for the compression loss as well.   I found that there is an inspection plate on the bottom of the oil pan, so I will see if the oil pump is accessible from there.  If so, there is a chance that I could repair it without removing the engine.
I removed the heads, and could find no problem with the gaskets (no copper washers between the layers).  I have heard of using Marvel Mystery Oil in the cylinder bores to loosen up carbon.  I think I will try that.  Cyl #2 had the lowest compression, so I suspect that the oil will seep through sooner than the rest.  All that to say that I probably won't make it to the meet next week unless a MIRACLE happens.  I have a few days available, so I am going to press on......Rich

[Pat]

Good luck on it. Would be better NOT to bring it to the meet than blow it up by rushing to get there with it. Too rare to rush on, 1 of only 2 known to still exist.

[rollguy]

Good luck on it. Would be better NOT to bring it to the meet than blow it up by rushing to get there with it. Too rare to rush on, 1 of only 2 known to still exist.

Yes, I may end up pulling the engine and rebuilding it.  I will have time to finish it and bring it to next years meet.

[68AMXGOPAC]

I cranked the 4 cyl. Tractor over with no plugs in it for at least a minute in short spurts, and it didn't build pressure, even with the plugs installed and again for short spurts for about a minute.I didn't get pressure till it actually fired off,and now it is actually too high and I have to adjust it down.( I know it's not the same engine) or scenerio,but it took what I thought was alot to get pressure,I did coat everything with assmeby lube when I put it back together,wich seemed to still be there when I closed it up to fill with fluids,and it had sat for a month or two.

[rollguy]

I cranked the 4 cyl. Tractor over with no plugs in it for at least a minute in short spurts, and it didn't build pressure, even with the plugs installed and again for short spurts for about a minute.I didn't get pressure till it actually fired off,and now it is actually too high and I have to adjust it down.( I know it's not the same engine) or scenerio,but it took what I thought was alot to get pressure,I did coat everything with assmeby lube when I put it back together,wich seemed to still be there when I closed it up to fill with fluids,and it had sat for a month or two.

The engine ran just a few weeks before starting the head job.  Thinking about it now, it may not have had oil pressure then.  That might explain why it smoked really bad.  I just read last night that the oil pump can be accessed from the front by removing the front cover.  I may not need to remove the engine unless I decide to rebuild it.  Parts would be very hard to get, so I need to think about the best thing to do before removing the engine for rebuild.

[mick]

Better to make it right and have it live, than to thrash it together and have a serious failure that would destroy such a rare bird.  Bummer you can't make it, but totally understandable.

[68AMXGOPAC]

I agree, I spent allmost a year doing this old tractor,sometimes taking months to track down a part , or a lead on one.I am glad I was getting paid to do it though.I wish you the best of luck with this new issue,take your time, you have done great work,and will be rewarded when it rolls along on it's own.

[IowaEagle]

Yes, to rare of a bird to not do it right.