D17 Issues

I currently have my grandparents original '58 D17 at a restoration shop to be brought back to life. Got a text yesterday saying he rebuilt the carb and got fire but still won't start. Thinks it has a couple stuck valves and thinks clutch is stuck also. He gave me list of parts to basically rebuild engine and clutch and it is around $1,000. I told him to go ahead and do it as it has always been in my family and I had the tractor given to me since I said I would have it restored. Guess my question is how do I know even after rebuild it is going to run and run right and is it worth the money to do? Obviously to me it is and that is all that matters, just looking for opinions. Oh its a gasser.

Rebuilding the clutch and engine for $1000 is VERY cheap. As mentioned I dont know if you know these folks or not? But I would have them give you a purchased parts list for all parts and then their labor hours separate. These can be a little more pricey if done right. Just don't want you to get ripped off.

Rebuilding can meet a lot of different things. He could just be pulling the head and replacing valves or doing a full out of frame overhaul and grinding the crank, machining the head, and replacing sleeves, pistons, and bearing.

why spend money on an engine rebuild without checking the timing, valve clearance, ignition system, compression, etc,etc, etc.... FIRST?

I have been sitting here reading this post and that parts number is way to low, plus I'd handle the customer way different with little things like a phone call (not just a veg text) after I have made the right tests so I know what I'm talking about first. Now this is just me talking but if you go look at the engine with the valve cover off and ask for the list of checks he did and then ask for compression test as you are standing there and if you are not up on engines ask questions before you just say fit it up right. You are welcome to list what he had to say here and get some feedback.          

Is it a place or is it a shade tree mechanic? It sounds like the plug wires are incorrectly installed. It could also be the timing or any number of other ignition problems. If you're truly going to overhaul it plan on spending twice what he proposes and have it done right. As others have said, you don't even know if it needs an overhaul.

I never just re-ring one of those engines. They always get a new "motor kit" which is NEW pistons, sleeves and piston rings. When you get done, it will never use any oil or smoke blue out the exhaust. Re-ring might still smoke blue.

Doc beat me to it. If the pistons and sleeves are going to be reused, at least the sleeves should be pulled and then put back with new o rings.

Hmm, 30 years experience and has his work in magazines? Frankly I think the guy deserves more credit than he's getting here. Pretty hard to evaluate what an engine needs without ever seeing it.

Where in Iowa are you, Bingo?

My Series 1 had days like that.  There's about a dozen things that would cause an engine to fire but not start.  Carb rebuild for an engine that's been sitting for a long time is a $30.00 no-brainer... but rebuild engine and clutch?  No.

I've had an overheated spring on the ignition points do that... or a bad condenser... or a sticky valve.

Matter of fact... my neighbor's Oliver 88 (Waukesha inline six) was that way about four weeks ago.  $121.00 for a Pertronix ignition kit solved it.

I would not be the least bit surprised to lift the lid off the top end and find that a valve or two isn't opening and closing all the way.  It wouldn't surprise me to see that the exhaust manifold gaskets, especially around cylinder #1, were totally gone.  Wouldn't be surprised to find a crack in the intake manifold right where it mates to the exhaust manifold (heat transfer from one to the other promotes better combustion, until it cracks there).

I wouldn't be suprised to find the muffler plugged full of debris... or the clutch housing with a mouse-nest in it.

If it were mine, I'd drain the coolant, pull the hoods, intake/exhaust manifold, lift off the head and wire-brush the combustion chambers clean, then remove each valve, chuck it in a cordless drill, and visit the wire wheel for a few seconds to clean off the crap off the heads and stems, then scrub out the ports, blow all the debris away, drop the valves back in with some lapping compound and spin 'em with the lapping stick a few times... check the springs in a spring-pressure-tester, put it all back together, put in a new head gasket, refill the cooling system, then set the ignition timing (with new ignition kit), plane the manifold good and flat, and put new manifold gasket set on... then try it.

I'd bet that you'd have a good runner... even IF it had lots of piston/cyl/ring wear.  They're just that way.

If this is what the guy is proposing for $1000, then that's not out of reach... but it ISN'T an engine rebuild.  It's a top-end freshening and ignition update exercise.

But before you go crazy, do this:

Take a piece of wire, connect it to the IGN + terminal of the ignition coil.  Connect the OTHER end to the BATTERY + terminal, and try to start it.

IF the engine starts and runs, replace the IGNITION SWITCH.

Don't mess with the clutch 'till after you have the engine running.  Once it is, operate the clutch a bit.  If mouse-droppings and pieces of nest come out, you found your clutch problem.  I wouldn't be surprised for it to go another two decades before actually 'needing' a clutch...