is my tractor now scrap metal?

[pejepscot]

Wolf-
No smoke, idles fine, revs up fine, good power. It just sounds like it is hammering! If it were a gas engine I'd say the timing was set way too far in advance. Thing is it starts and runs great, just sounds like an unhealthy amount of pinging and hammering. This is not an exhaust noise either...

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

The service manual should walk you through how to check or set the timing.
On the older models it usually involves a port on the clutch housing to read the TDC mark.

 

[pejepscot]

The manual has me "spill time" it. To do this I must remove one of the delivery valves PPP holders from my freshly rebuilt and sealed injector pump, pull out a spring and delivery valve, attach a " spill pipe" ( whatever that is ) and rotate the engine while a helper actuates the feed valve all the while watching for when the spill flow stops and being sure it coincides with the alignment of the flywheel marks. FORGET IT! There is no way I'm disassembling anything on my sealed $1000 injector pump!
I guess I'll just get some headphones. ***128533;

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

The manual has me "spill time" it. To do this I must remove one of the delivery valves PPP holders from my freshly rebuilt and sealed injector pump, pull out a spring and delivery valve, attach a " spill pipe" ( whatever that is ) and rotate the engine while a helper actuates the feed valve all the while watching for when the spill flow stops and being sure it coincides with the alignment of the flywheel marks. FORGET IT! There is no way I'm disassembling anything on my sealed $1000 injector pump!
I guess I'll just get some headphones. ***128533;

Ok how about this, take an injector out and outside of the engine reconnect it to the feed line and spin the motor looking at the mark compared to the injection time?
Should tell you if it's close.

 

[pejepscot]

That's a pretty good idea!

 

[MagKarl]

If your flywheel is like mine, you may have injection timing marks as well as cylinder TDC marks. Should help determine if the timing has shifted.

 

[Apogee]

Glad she's back running!

You definitely need to time the pump. Based on your description, it sounds like it may be advanced too much. That hammering you're hearing isn't your imagination and needs to be dealt with otherwise it could end up costing you bearings in the bottom end.

 

[Tomcat]

Some good info for all on this thread!

 

[Daren Todd]

Duetz has a similar set up for timing there injection pumps. After making sure all the alignment marks are lined up. One person runs a sqeeze bulb supplying fuel, the other watches the number one injection line. They have to rotate the shaft on the injection pump till it pressures up and almost sprays from the number one injector. Then they install the pulley on the injection pump. It's a little more involved then that though. I don't mess with it myself and had just got the short explanation from the deutz mechanic.

 

[pejepscot]

I just was in the shop. I figured I'd try rotating the pump a bit and listen for an effect on the engine sound. Easier said than done! Between the injector lines and the feed lines all tightly secured I could barely move the pump at all. I did put a bar behind it and managed to pry on it. Got it to rotate about 3 degrees in one direction ( from the driver seat I turned it clockwise, the pump is on the RH side of the engine). She fired right up idled smooth and revved up perfectly... Pretty much sounds the same though, but it is hard to judge inside the shop. I tightened the pump in place and will work her a bit tomorrow to see if I like the sound better. I'm unsure if that direction advances or retards the injection.

 

[Apogee]

You marked the original starting pump location I hope?

I would strongly recommend marking the pump location, taking the time to loosen the lines, then moving the pump. You'd hate to either crack an injection line or break one of the delivery valves free on your newly sealed injection pump. It only takes a minute to bleed the injection lines once you've moved the pump and tightened everything back up...

Or, you could just do what the manual says and time it correctly without guessing.

Not trying to be snippy, just don't want to see you encounter any setbacks.

Best,

Steve

 

[pejepscot]

Yes, I did mark the original location of the pump and that is where I had it set. It is just that it sounds bad there. No, I cannot "just do what it says in the manual" because I have no flippin' idea what the manual is talking about. This thing was built 40 years ago, the manual is pretty cryptic and I am learning as I go here. For all I know, the timing is perfect and the engine is normally very loud. Very few readers on this board have experience with this L260 tractor and its Z1300 engine. Hell, it is a 2 cylinder 1200 cc engine ( that is 600 cc per cylinder) and probably sounds very very different from a little three banger in a BX series machine....

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

How about a video?
I would like to hear it running.
It might for the first time since you got it be running right.

 

[pejepscot]

Yay! I think I got it. (BTW I apologize for the tone of my last post, the frustration was getting to me) I shut the door to the shop and took a couple days off from thinking about the L260. Last night I dug out the manual and the parts diagrams and thought about it for a while and realized that I had indeed turned the pump the wrong way thereby advancing the timing even more! Tonight I removed all the lines from the pump with the intention of retarding the timing a bit. I rotated the pump CCW and found that I was only able to bring it a degree or two after the stamp mark on the casting. Hmm, so be it! I tightened up all the lines, bled her out and started her up and behold, she sounds just like she did a month ago! I am fairly confidant she is OK now. One thing is certain, I am becoming more and more comfortable around diesels with my wrench now...
Thank you all for your input and patience, I will move some snowbanks in the next week and see how she works.
Cheers, Ren

 

[wakula]

Hi Wolfman!
Thanks for the ray of hope. I saw those downloadable manuals before, but was hesitant because I thought they were those crappy I&T "manuals" which are all but useless.
Thanks, Ren

Well based on this recommendation I just purchased this manual, and it is in fact the very
same I&T manual that I have with the addition of a fake copyright notice saying it is copyright of Penton Media Inc.