The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

Having finally dismantled the Dexta and finished cleaning up all the bits, it's now time to start refurbishing each bit and putting her back together.

Having been unhappy with the repairs to the cracked engine block, I managed to source a replacement original. It is in good nick and has liners in. Putting the engine back together is my first operation before slowly putting the rest of it back together.

So, first question. What is the best method of putting the engine back together? Can I put the pistons into the 'new block' with the old liners still in place, or do I need to replace the liners/piston rings?.......Can I just change the piston rings?

Should everything just fit back into the 'new block' i.e were all blocks cast and machined exactly the same or will I have problems trying to fit components from one tractor into the block of another? Were these things specifically 'fitted' when the tractors were built, or are they like modern motors where one part/component will fit any?

Thanks in advance.

Hi.

I'm not saying that you can't mix and match from one engine to another, but I would advise against it.

Things like main bearing caps and con-rods are machined exactly to one engine, so swapping those is a no-no.

If you have the engine in bits you need to carefully measure pistons, piston ring gaps, liners to see if they are within spec.

If not then you will end up with an engine which is not working to 100% efficiency, or possibly not working at all!

To be honest, unless you are on a super tight budget, I would advise replacement of pistons/piners/piston rings, main bearing's, con rod bearings, and careful checking of the valves on any engine rebuild, unless you are willing to run the risk of ripping it to bits again to cure any problems which failed used components may cause...

That's my view, anyway

And as an aside, is your tractor a Dexta or Super Dexta?

If it's a Super Dexta, and you are looking to offload your cracked block, then I am interested....