I juat bought a case 480e with a stuck 4-390 diesel. I have serched the fourm to find out if you can remove the oil pan and do an inframe rebuild with not too much effort. I have yet to find the answers ?? Ed
I honestly can't recall removing an oil pan from a 480E. You usually can figure if it can happen or not by laying under the machine..... If the pistons have seized, the block will likely need boring for oversize pistons?? So the engine will need to come out anyway....
The oil pan looks like it will come off but the front bolts look a little tight. This is a farm tractor so it does not need to be perfact. Thanks for the reply Ed
You could have other issues to cause the engine to be seized like a bad main bearing. As far as doing an in frame rebuild it can be done.
Thanks for the reply. I may not get to that point , Im just looking at my options . Its good to know that if I need to loosen up a piston or two I can do it in the frame . The previous owner said it ran 6 months ago when he parked it ?? I have yet to take out the injectors to look inside. Gona be a project for next weekend. I have heard that a dowel pin under the timing cover can come loos and cause a problem ? Ill find out this weekend. Thx Ed
Some production runs of the 4-390 did indeed have a loose dowel pin problem. Catastrophic results because of it.
I've heard of the "killer dowel pin" on the 5.9 and assumed the 4B suffers the same flaw on at least some models. There are quite a few different manufacturers of a kit to hold the dowel pin in there. You'd think that, assuming the KDP exists on all 3.9, that it would be more vulnerable to it with how much these things vibrate and jump around. Is there any information on which serial numbers of the 3.9 have the flaw? Op, if you are going this far into the engine for replacing the mains, pistons/rings, and doing the timing cover to review the KDP, it might be easier to just pull the engine out and put it on a stand to work on it. Atleast on a 580, it doesn't look like it would take more than a few hours to pull it. It might save that much time being out in the open plus possibly being easier to do.
Water down the exhaust filling a cylinder ?
I will respond when I find the culprit. Thx Ed
Bad News: Pistons rusted and stuck. Had to pound one out with sledge hammer . Good news: After cleaning pistons ,They are all good and very little if any wear on them. I will reuse them. Rod bearings also show no wear. This Engine has had very little use. The case 480-e is very easy to work on . In frame rebuild is no problem at all. Moral of story : If your exhaust exits vertically ,make sure water has no way to get into it. the previous owner installed an aftermarket muffler , poorly installed ,allowing water to get in. This tractor sat for only 6 months. It did not take long to stick the engine. Ed