Farm Equipment - D17 engine in WD45

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D17 engine in WD45

Printed From: Unofficial Allis
Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Farm Equipment
Forum Description: everything about Allis-Chalmers farm equipment
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=48251
Printed Date: 12 Aug 2025 at 2:01pm
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Topic: D17 engine in WD45

Posted By: 79fordblake
Subject: D17 engine in WD45
Date Posted: 31 Mar 2012 at 11:31am

This is a little long winded but I eventually get to my question......I got a new 0-30psi oil gauge for the WD45 from work and installed it today. I didn't really like what I saw.....it has walmart 30 weight oil and Fram filter. Started it up and it held about 12 psi. I went to disk the neighbors garden and the pressure started falling off as it warmed up. Shows nothing at idle and about 5 psi at half throttle.

The tractor has probably been like this for years....it makes no more noise than any other 55 year old engine.....no smoke...no blowby...and runs great. Engine oil stays clean between oil changes and there is no metal.

Its time to change the oil and I'm going to put 30 weight Shell Rotella oil in it with a quart of lucas oil stabilizer.

Unless it starts making noise I guess I will continue to run it. Now to my question...this tractor doesn't have the original engine...it has a WD with WD45 internals. So when this engine tires or when I'm ready to restore the tractor I want to put a D17 engine in it and have a full flow oil system. Now my question is will this bolt right in? Or do I need to change clutch/flywheel...and timing cover? Thanks for any help...sorry for being long.

Replies:

Posted By: Longmeadow Farm
Date Posted: 31 Mar 2012 at 3:59pm

Had a WD-45 many years ago with a worn engine and little to no oil pressure...like yours. I took the oil pressure relief valve out and shimmed the spring with washers..just like the service manual indicates. I ran 15-40 in the tractor and had "adequate" oil pressure when warm. Ran it that way for a number of years.

Posted By: TedBuiskerN.IL.
Date Posted: 31 Mar 2012 at 8:45pm

If it shows oil pressure at all when hot it's better than most.

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Most problems can be solved with the proper application of high explosives.

Posted By: omahagreg
Date Posted: 31 Mar 2012 at 9:23pm

Dad tells me of a WD45 they had that needed a long block. They ordered one from their local Allis dealer. When it came, it was labeled as a D17 engine-bolted right in! Dad really wishes he had that one back!

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Greg Kroeker
1950 WD with wide front and Freeman trip loader

Posted By: Brian Jasper co. Ia
Date Posted: 01 Apr 2012 at 1:17am

Your pressures sound about right for the bypass style oil filter engines. Leave the Lucas out when you change the oil. All that stuff does is make the oil harder to pump and take longer to get to the moving parts on start up.

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"Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the government take care of him better take a closer look at the American Indian." Henry Ford

Posted By: 79fordblake
Date Posted: 01 Apr 2012 at 11:44am

Thanks that makes me feel better..I use Lucas in alot of my stuff and have been for years with no problems...I may leave it out of the AC though.

Still wondering what needs to be changed to drop in a D17 engine with full flow oil system. I know it should fit but I didn't know if I needed to change some things from one engine to the other like clutch... flywheel....timing cover. I still think I want to do this to it later since it doesn't have the original engine anyway.

Posted By: Brian Jasper co. Ia
Date Posted: 01 Apr 2012 at 2:12pm

I'm about 98 44/100th % sure a D17 226 engine is a drop in as removed fromthe D17 tractor. I'm not a believer in Lucas Oil stuff. We have a regular customer at my work who likes it. They have a fleet of about 20 F series Fords. Most of them have over 100K and they sound like coffee grinders on cold start. The sooner the oil pressure rises the better. Lucas delays that.

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"Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the government take care of him better take a closer look at the American Indian." Henry Ford