Replacement for Ford 3 Cyl diesel

Well,  think my forklift has finally given up the ghost.  It's a Warner Swayze with a Ford 3 Cyl industrial Diesel.  Engine model is 333 per label.

Those 3 cylinder Fords are well built engines.  They don't have sleeves so they can be bored and sleeved or just bored.  Lots of those engines around, the gas and diesel use the same block and crank.  Different pistons and head.

JimD, Ford built many different displacements from a single block and depending on the bore and stroke, it can cost your first born to rebuild it. I rebuilt one in a Ford Backhoe that had a scored piston that cost over $300 for one piston, "yes" for one piston(20 years ago), without rings and it was only available through Ford, very, very expensive, but, other bore and stroke combinations were not nearly that costly. As was mentioned, they are not a sleeved engine, but in my opinion, a very durable and tough motor. The major problem that I have encountered with the Ford engine is rotten soft plugs, almost every problem inside the engine was caused by leaking soft plugs in the head under the rocker assembly, and there are two big ones behind the flywheel you have to pull the engine to get to. The other thing with the Ford 3 cylinder is with my feet on the floorboards, it always felt like there was cylinder missing( insert smiley face here)  Tad

It is funny that the 3-71 runs smooth and so does the 2-71 GM, must be because they are 2 stroke.  I have heard the 3 cy Ford ran good but any one i have run seem to be out of tune or I should have run it a few days back as right now it needs some work, or tune up

If that's a 201 engine, I believe it is just a 3 cylinder version of the 401 or 268 engine, both of which are great enines, in my opinion.  The 4 and 6 cylinder counterparts will run forever with maintenance.  If that's the case, rebuilding it would be pretty inexpensive compared to many engines.  I would recommend boring it out and resleeving it, as those engines, like many diesels, can have a problem with cavitation if the cooling system wasn't maintained, and it wouldn't be much fun to bore it out, rebuild it oversized, only to have a small leak pop up on one of the cylinder walls where you bored out at a weak spot in the casting.  

Mac, Miller used the first generation 3 cylinder Deutz, same problem, Lincoln finally got smart and used the second generation Deutz in their "Classics" what a phenomenal welder. As I recall there was one that used a 5 cylinder Deutz and one cylinder was used for an air compressor, great idea. I am not a big fan of CAV injection, well the pump is OK, the filters and filter bases really suck as well as the grommented fuel lines. Miller is now using the tiny Kubota water cooled diesels and boy are they smooth and efficient and they are no bigger than a lunch box, I wish that I had bought my Trailblazer with one. Tad

Just rebuilt my 555 bakhoe w/ the 3 cyl. engine. Only reason for breaking it down was the block leaked water into the oil. These engines had weak webbing in the block casting around the lower cylinders. IF you do rebuild it, mix up some industrial epoxy and poor it into the block up to the bleed hole in the water jacket. This seals up the webbing. It still doesn't run as smooth as a 4 cyl. and I totally agree with the oddity of a 3 cyl. 4 stroke engine. But it's an incredibly dependable engine, cranks perfect in most any temp. and handles the backhoe very well. I've got close to 2000.00 in the rebuild, but that included all new belts, hoses, sending units, water pump, alt, complete engine kit, machine work, and filter and seals for the torque converter while I was in there and inj. pump rebuild, fuel tank boiled out and coated. Basicly have a new tractor as far as the power end of it. 4x4 w/ 4in1 bucket, Cat953 teeth on cutting edge. I use this thing like it's a track loader. Really more than I should. I'm very pleased with how the engine runs out now. A rebuild done right on this engine you won't regret.

Edited by D-17_Dave - 06 Oct 2011 at 11:05pm