The Rebuild begins!

[Lifer]

Just a word of caution...lifting the engine with the chain pulling on the head bolts like that is a good way to bend the head bolts! Far better to use a shorter bolt and save the long ones for when they are needed. "Just sayin'..."

(Oh! Don't ask me how I know this! )

[Master Yota]

Just a word of caution...lifting the engine with the chain pulling on the head bolts like that is a good way to bend the head bolts! Far better to use a shorter bolt and save the long ones for when they are needed. "Just sayin'..."

(Oh! Don't ask me how I know this! )

Did the US engines not come with a lifting ring on the top of the head? Both my Cdn. 251's have it.

Looks like good progress so far!

[Gerry]

Yes the US engines did have the lifting ring

[98taco3]

well i took a night or two off but i have the engine torn down and ready to go to the machine shop. I didnt find much alarming except for a bunch of broken piston rings. At least one per hole. and all the bearings were completely down to coppers. No ridge in the cylinder walls so it must have been rebuilt at some point not to long ago. Looks like i caught it at the exact right time, no damage to speak of and looks like i might just get away with a dip, honing and reassembly.

[MSeriesRebuild]

The residue you found in the intake runners looks like the beginning stages of the stale gas syndrone. Be glad you found it when you did. The later stages are not at all easy to remove.

I'd think twice about the dip and honing fix, besides the fact that we just don't do that type of short cut here; I can't ever remember that fix turning out well for anyone I recall talking too over many years that did it. We had a 230 sent here for a rebuild less than a year ago that the owner had done exactly that; the outcome was a disaster. He never got it to crank after honing and installing new pistons and rings. He felt the short cut was the way too go after having a look at the cylinders. When we got it disassembled and checked the bores, they were some of the worst I had ever seen; resembled the shape of an ice cream cone, even though they didn't look half bad just at first glance. You said you were a diesel mechanic, thus I assume you are on top of your game. The fact it had broken rings in every hole and no wall scoring is near impossible to believe; my recommendation based on your analysis is you might better look closer; a lot closer at some details before you make a final decision on what does or doesn't need to be done.

You also mentioned the fact of the yellow paint job. While someone may have had left over yellow on the shelf; it is also a fairly good indication that this engine may have come from a YALE forklift or some other industrial equipment application. 230's were widely used back in the day in all sorts of industrial equipment; some of which had the flange type oil fill tubes like the military M37 application engines did. They were also used in other military (and civilian) equipment of old, (pumps, generators, welders, tractors, etc). Many of these other military application engines didn't have the waterproof ignition or the other military type accessories that the truck engines did. The point I'm getting at is this; regardless of how it is equipped doesn't point a direct finger to it was or was not in a military application at the onset. As this various equipment got sold off as surplus, it went into all sorts of construction and other industry applications. Yellow is a WIDELY used paint color in these types of applications. Bottom line with that, who knows, many possibilities could exist.

[98taco3]

thanks for the word charles! I measured it out a bit last night just quickly to see if they were egg shaped or coned out and it appears to not be so. It is going to the machine shop regardless of what i see by eye, ive learned my lesson with short cutting engine work. Had a bad experience with a service manager not allowing me to mic everything out i wanted to. Said we didnt have enough time and to just throw it together. I did as he said and low and behold it dropped a thrust bearing after they laid me off It wont happen on this engine. Would the engine block be stamped 245 if it is a run of the mill 230? or was that a military designation?

[Lifer]

245, or more accurately T-245, is the engine model number for the 230 cu in Dodge engine installed in all US M37s.

[98taco3]

so that would or would not confirm military engine block? Were the civilian 230s also stamped t245?

[Lifer]

No. A T245 engine is an M37 engine. Nothing else.

[MSeriesRebuild]

Tecnnically Lifer is answering correctly.

However, you may see these engines anywhere in a 230 application, military or otherwise. Many trucks were scrapped after engines and other mechanicals were salvaged. Engines cores were sold to large rebuilders and were rebuilt and distributed to industry users all over the place. You may see one that is stamped T-245 literally in any application or vice-versa. We've seen more than 1 truck that had an engine with another #; also seen other equipment (not military) with the T-245 stamp. Possibilities are simply endless.

[Lifer]

Charles makes a valid point. Let me restate myself by saying that the T245 engine was originally a military engine. What happened after it left government service is anyone's guess.

[98taco3]

thanks for the answer guys! That was what i was thinking but wasnt sure. I got the engine off to the machine shop today and should hear in a day or so what it needs.

[98taco3]

Heard back from the machine shop today. The engine is bored .040 over and the cylinders do not need to be bored any farther. They are straight and well within tolerance. Crank journals are .020 down and will be fine with just a polish. Looks like i was loosing all my compression through the valves, it needs new valves, seats and guides. Im gonna go up there and talk to the machinist, i got quoted $900 bucks for the job which seems awful steep to me. Ive had 3 times the work done for the same price recently. That is also at least double what other shops quoted when i described what it needed. Its possible they quoted to reassemble the engine which i want to do myself, gonna have to go find out! Figured id try out another local machine shop and maybe it might have bit me in the behind this go around...

[Lifer]

That sounds pretty much like the "going rate" if they reassemble the short block for you.

I had to have a bit more work done on mine, and it set me back $1,400 plus change, which included reassembly.

When they do the valves, request hardened seats (if they don't automatically recommend them). That way, you can run unleaded regular and not have to worry about valve issues.

[98taco3]

well figured out why the bill will be much more than i was expecting after i was told what it needed. The counter guy did not tell me everything that the engine needed. I went in and talked to the machinist himself today and got the real scoop! It was $900 without reassembly but they are doing MUCH more than just a hone and crank polishing like i was told initially. The guy who called me just neglected to clue me in on the whole story. Gave them the go ahead today, with the work they will be doing its a decent deal. The cylinder walls were .004" cone shaped which would have ran alright but its best to do it right the first time. Its gonna add quite a bit of $$$ but will be worth it in the end.