Ok so i bought a 89 western star with a 3306b engine that has a blown head gasket as most of you already know feom a prior thread. I am preparing to tear into it when i get back from vacation and am going through the process of trying to treeage the job and get all the special tools needed before I open it up. I did get a manual off of ebay and looks like the tools needed to check liner height is what I am in need of. There are some things that are real confusing in the manual. First being that it calls for bolt number 3 in the picture to be used with two copper washers. Does that mean you use two copper washers per bolt in the procedure? Then in another section it lists what's in the liner installation tool group as seen in the other picture. It shows the bolts and washers used to hold the spacer plate to be a quantity of 12 each. So this is real confusing as I count it up that it would take 14 of each. And then if you are supposed to use 2 washers per bolt requiring 28 copper washers total, then why does the tool group listing only show 12 bolts and 12 washers? I think cat has gotten away from using the puller cross bar and adapter plate in the procedure and now uses just the bolts with a fiber washer. I have a 7k1977 part number for the fiber washers but I think that's for a 3406 and not the 3306. I think the head bolts on a 3406 are larger diameter than the 3306 head bolts. Does anyone know if they offer a fiber washer for the 3306 head bolt?
I've used a strong back on engines where I can't find large enough washers to use. Always used steel washers to hold down the liners to check protrusion. They have to be big enough to breach from the block to the ridge on top of the liner. I would torque the washers or the bar to 50 foot pounds. I have and always used a bar type protrusion gauge and not the special tool from Cat. Central tool used to sell a pretty decent unit.
Pardon my ignorance but what is a strong back?
It's the bar shown in the photos of the book page you posted.
Oh I see. I have never heard it called that lol!
The short bolts and washers are to hold the spacer plate down the bar holds the liner down, What's hard to come up with is the liner puller plate that goes under the puller cross bar. Bad Bob
Nice to know but I'm too old to have ever worked on a spacer plate 3306.
This is my first one. I'm used to the 3304s that did not have them. To be honest I'm not even sure this engine has one. It was made in 89. Don't know what year they went to spacer plate.
Yes it will have a spacer plate. Don't get too hung up on the copper and/or fiber washer thing. They are just to prevent damage to the spacer plate and spread the load, and you can substitute anything suitable. Either way of holding the liners down is OK. If you use the strongback though it gets in the way a bit when you're measuring the liner protrusion. I personally prefer the big washer method. This is what the genuine Cat ones look like. These are for 3400 series though.
What size bolts are those? The 3300 is calling for 5/8" 11 tpi
They will be a ¾"
Actually that's a lie. They are 5/8. They must be for a 3300. It's years since I last used them.
Adept ape on you tube has some random videos on cat engines
I like the large washer method as Cmark suggests. I’ll toss out another variation I use when I’m trying to be super accurate, such as when machining counterbores. I use liner plate and a large ball bearing to distribute the force equally to the liner from the H-bar. The old timers taught me that. But, damn! Where is my H-bar?
I actually have watched a bunch of them. All his are on 3406 engines but I think it's the same procedure for the 3306
That's a good idea. I think I'm going to have to make a liner plate on my lathe. If you can find one it's rediculous the price fir no more than what it is!
Ya, easy to make your own on a lathe although i had to start writing on all the tools i made as to what they were. Some i haven’t used for years and someday when i sell them or give them away, somebody will have to figure out what they are for, otherwise they will be just scrap
Well it should be easy to tell just by looking at the engine, might need to clean a bit of dirt off the area where head and block meets. Well checked with SIS for the 63Z16263 S/N on your tag and see this: # 6 is the spacer plate and this shows for everything from 63Z897 to 99999!
I have a bunch I made for Cummins and Detroit engines. I stamp them if I can otherwise the paint markers work great. Harbor freight has the ammo boxes for cheap and I will separate it all in those and write on the lid Cummins tools or Detroit tools. Guess I will have to start one for Caterpillar tools lol! When my wife has the big auction when I go hopefully it does not go for cheap lol!
Found a good ebay deal on the h bar puller set so I decided to buy that rather than take the time to fab one. Also ordered the central tools sled gauge and copper washers of of Amazon. Probably just get the bolts grade 8 at the farm store. Can't see why I'd need to pay the extra$$$$ to buy them by the cat part number. The adaptor plate I should be able to make. That should get me where I need to be once I get it tore down.