Tight CA engine
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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=54316
Printed Date: 11 Sep 2025 at 5:25am
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Topic: Tight CA engine
Posted By: Larry in Ill
Subject: Tight CA engine
Date Posted: 28 Jul 2012 at 11:44am
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I'm on the fence whether to fix up or sell the CA I bought this spring and curious about starting. After it sits for about a week, I'll try starting and the starter has a real hard time at first. Then the engine seems to loosen up and it turns and starts reasonably well. I can shut it off and the same day the starter turns the engine good. It smokes some at start up, but runs ok. Would there be something that would make the engine try to seize?
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Replies:
Posted By: Dick L
Date Posted: 28 Jul 2012 at 11:57am
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I would guess that one of the rod or main bearings are out of round and shimmed tight then does not retain enough lube after setting. After running and fresh oil is forced in it is free. Probly a rod. Could also be dry rings in a smooth cylinder. Not as likely but something to look for.
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Posted By: CTuckerNWIL
Date Posted: 28 Jul 2012 at 6:46pm
Do you have the hand crank for it? If so, try cranking it by hand when it is "free" and then after letting it set, try it again and see if it actually turns harder. Could be you have a bad connection in the electrical system.
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Posted By: Dave H
Date Posted: 28 Jul 2012 at 7:51pm
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I am with CTucker. I have a JD 420 that cranks just like that.
I think "tight" is not the issue.
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Posted By: DaveKamp
Date Posted: 28 Jul 2012 at 11:25pm
Or... there's a little oil, coolant, or rainwater that's somehow accumulating in one of the cylinders? It would also correspond to the 'smokes at startup' a bit...
I say... try hand-cranking it through a full series of EVERY cylinder (meaning, two complete turns, so four compression cycles) and see if one of the compression cycles seems very high... if so, stop pushing, pull each plug, one at a time, and after each plug, see if force against the crank is much less (essentially gone)... and if so, you've found an offending cylinder... one that's getting filled with a 'non-compressible volume'.
Pull the dipstick... I'll bet the level is a little bit 'high'... if so, put a 5-gal bucket under the pan, and pull the drain plug... just for a second or two... put it back in as soon as you see oil. you may find water or coolant coming first, because it's heavier... it will be followed by oil.
If that's the case, it'll either be coolant, or rainwater/condensation. Typically, in the case of exhaust, black smoke = oil, while white smoke = coolant.
Pull the radiator cap, check coolant level. If it's low, suspect a coolant leak... if it's getting in the cylinders, it's either head gasket, or a head... perhaps a rotted-out frost plug.
None of these are deal-breaking tractor-condemning conditions... they're VERY easy to work on, and not expensive to repair.
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Posted By: Larry in Ill
Date Posted: 29 Jul 2012 at 6:34am
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I do have a hand crank for my C, but this CA has a flat crank pulley. I'll try to check compression and the rods this week. Thanks for the help.
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