Allis Chalmers 170 gas

Hi everyone, first post here. We have an Allis Chalmers 170 gas tractor that we got with the property 5 years ago. We have kept her running despite our lack of knowledge.
She has had electrical problems this whole time and it's been a pain to keep her going.
It seems the whole electrical wiring is a hack job by one or more individuals over the years. All the gauges are disconnected. She's covered in oil on the engine block. Oozes out cooling liquid from the block and radiator, making her prone to overheating every other time. The front loader piston got bent..

Edited by ElementalEarth - 07 Mar 2024 at 6:56am

Hey there, it's been a while. I was able to pull the tractor into the barn for the winter and have been able to get a closer look.
There is no blue smoke coming out of engine.

I did notice where the coolant leak originates. It appears at the middle of the engine block somewhere at the back between the block and the plate between the engine and the fuel tank. If I fidget with the shield plate, the coolant runs quicker.
I could not seem to access the method of removal of the plate, so my guess would be, do I drain the fuel tank and remove fuel tank to establish where the leak is at the back of the engine block?

Thanks, that helped alot! I was able to locate the plug and indeed, the rubber had been damaged and so it was oozing a lot of coolant out. I went down to the AGCO store to get this special bolt for $82 CAD.. ouch, that's one expensive bolt. I am not familiar with big machinery repairs, but was shocked. Anyways, couldn't find it online anywhere so went ahead and bought that bolt. 
The engine block was extremely dirty with half an inch of grease and grime. I tried cleaning lots off but it's a work in progress. I wonder how so much oil got allover the block, my guess is the breather oil cap is clogged and so it just spits it out from above, but I could be wrong, it could be the head gasket ? And do I feel lucky enough to attempt replacement of said gasket? :)



This may be a beginner question, but after looking through an operating manual I cannot seem to locate where to refill the engine oil after draining.
Forgive the grime, would this cap be where I fill the oil? The distributor bolts into this assembly it seems.

 
I'm in Canada, it gets very cold here, so should I get the lowest temp oil possible?
The other fluids will probably also need to be changed, new filters.

I checked the fuel system while dismantling the tank, it seems like there was some debris in the sediment bowl, but not too bad.

I believe my goal will be to change all the fluids, get the engine block cleaned up as best as possible and start replacing all the gauges and wiring according to the schematic.

That's a great list of tips. I think I can definitely replace the valve cover gasket, seems simple enough. I have not had to fill oil as for the most part the tractor had been sitting because it just wouldn't start due to electrical problems. She has seen minimal use, but enough to need it and would be used more if properly maintained. Luckily, the oil level is just below the lower line on the dipstick, but is pretty black so I will definitely change the oil on her.

Just wasn't sure where to fill it and which kind of oil to use.  
I'm also not sure how old the oil and grease was that was covering the entire engine block.. could've been there for decades to be honest. It will be indeed good to replace the gasket and clean the oil breather cap and keep a better eye on any spills/leaks coming out of the block (hopefully not) but it will be better to see the location now that I have degreased the block a lot more.

Thanks Dr. Allis. I will get some parts ordered and get to work and updated this post when I can. Some of the terminology I am not familiar with but I can look it up; valve tappets, rocker arm, cylinder head plug? I am scratching my head a bit about where to find these haha. Seems like quite the project, but hey gotta do it sometime and learn..
I suppose these are underneath the valve cover? 



Edited by ElementalEarth - 15 Dec 2023 at 5:25pm

Just curious, but where in Canada are you? Canada is a pretty big country.

WF owner wrote: Just curious, but where in Canada are you? Canada is a pretty big country.

3-M brand 8001 yellow weather strip glue.  Glue gasket to the valve cover FIRST. I always use a cork gasket. You can RTV the rubber gaskets on top if you like.

Money spent on a new wiring harness will repay you ten-fold in the long run. Call Steve in New Jersey.

Edited by Steve in NJ - 14 Feb 2024 at 10:14am

Well, i got the wiring done, very simple just focused on ignition. It has spark. It turns over, slowly, but no fire yet.

I took the hose off to carburetor, nada.
Charged battery, turns over a bit quicker but still slow. No fire.

I do see some light smoke or vapor coming out of exhaust, so I feel like I'm getting closer.

But she doesn't seem to want to start back up.
Spark is blue and bright.

So I am starting to clean carburetor and have ordered a gasket set, it's not too dirty, but hasn't been cleaned since we are the new owners of the tractor.

I'm also suspecting the battery, to be 15 years old, so due for renewal.

Fingers crossed she will fire up after cleaning the carb and installing a new battery.

Any other tips? Feel free to add, really hoping she fires back up. Have spent a lot of time on it so far. I feel like I'm close though, thanks for reading!

I have been progressing slowly, waiting for some gauges to come in and she's hard to start in the freezing cold barn with a weak battery that's due to be replaced as well.
I ran her for a few minutes, then checked the plugs, they were fouled with oil.

Could this be because I'm having a hard time starting her, there's no combustion happening, and keeps just cranking without the ability to burn off the oil?
Or is there something larger at play here that I'm missing ?

That tractor uses AC Delco R-45 XL or R-45 XLS LONG reach plugs !!!!!!!!!!!!!  Gapped at .025" .

Edited by DrAllis - 21 Feb 2024 at 6:31am

Yep, new air filter and new battery are in the works and on the list already.

Les Kerf wrote: ElementalEarth wrote: ... I ran her for a few minutes, then checked the plugs... ElementalEarth wrote: Cleaned out the air filter, but it's so nasty that might need to be replaced... That engine needs to be warmed up fully and worked hard, but first, do whatever is needed to ensure a properly functioning air cleaner. Then you will be able to get a better idea as to what you need for spark plugs (heat range, etc.).

The new plugs, the autolite 405, didn't seem to properly fit either. The acdelco I pulled were fit snug and tight, but the autolites, there's a lot more resistance when threading them in, I am worried over tightening and stripping something out on the threads.
I can crank them in harder with probably a couple more turns, I'm just concerned I'm damaging the holes if I do.. 
Not sure why that is, they should be the right ones for this tractor no ?

Les Kerf wrote: ElementalEarth wrote: The new plugs, the autolite 405, didn't seem to properly fit either. The acdelco I pulled were fit snug and tight, but the autolites, there's a lot more resistance when threading them in, I am worried over tightening and stripping something out on the threads. I can crank them in harder with probably a couple more turns, I'm just concerned I'm damaging the holes if I do..  Not sure why that is, they should be the right ones for this tractor no ? As Dr. Allis pointed out above, the plugs need to be LONG reach; if short reach plugs were used then the threads are contaminated with carbon deposits and need to be cleaned out with an appropriate tap to prevent further damage.