• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

Runaway

Golddigger

New member
2
0
1
Location
Texas
I rebuilt my hh and didnt get the fuel shutoff back lever together correct. I starred the truck and it ranaway, i didnt have the intake tubes off so i couldnt shut it down. I killed the electric pump and it finally ran out of fuel. I have 6 bent pushrods and 2 lifters broke and are in the oilpan. The valves look ok. Would it be obscene of me to rebuild the top end and trust the bottom end? I cant tell if there is any connecting rod damage or crank damage. I really dont want to swap the engine if i dont have to.
 

frank8003

In Memorial
In Memorial
6,426
4,985
113
Location
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Your engine is dead now and useful for parts.
Get another engine.
There is many stories about all this here in SS for you to
read to make your decision, but that engine is now dead,
She now has the cancer of circulating little tiny metal parts.
Money = time = success
 

NDT

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
10,458
6,530
113
Location
Camp Wood/LC, TX
What harm can come from replacing the bent and busted parts and hoping for the best? I would.
 

cucvmule

collector of stuff
1,155
591
113
Location
Crystal City Mo
I have to be in both camps. Runaways are very stressed once it happens. Just look on utube and see what happens. If you are cash depleted and want to throw the dice and money to repair, then after you look at all parts that are left then you may change your mind. If you have GOOD mechanical ability and really Know the unit to be repaired will increase your chances.

I have done both and depending on the damage and economics at the moment, and how big of a gambler you are will determine your fate. I have done the minimum and got lucky, and have failed.

If you can find a good replacement unit for the cost and effort of a repair then I would replace, but then you are buying an unknown and rolling the dice again and have extra parts anyway. There is no wrong answer really, unless you should not be on the inside of the unit anyway.

Then IF you have the knowledge to teardown and major the unit then you will know for sure that you have a unit that will outlast your lifetime and can be used in any tractor that you choose, but will cost CASH.

Welcome and Good Luck in your Endeavors.
 

rustystud

Well-known member
9,280
2,987
113
Location
Woodinville, Washington
I agree with all comments here. Your really just "rolling the dice" on an engine that has redlined like that. Bent push-rods come from valves hitting the pistons. Period. So we know you hit all six pistons, two severely enough to brake the lifters ! That means you can have severe damage not only to the pistons but also the rods and possibly the crank too. Not to mention all the damaged valves and lifters possibly the cam too. Of course you could be lucky and the pistons are Ok as are the rods. I had a Chevy 235cid that lost it's cam gear and all the valves hit the pistons. About half of the pistons where OK. The other half were damaged severely.
You just never know unless you tear down the engine and look.
Sorry we cannot give you better news.
 
Last edited:

cattlerepairman

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
3,256
3,354
113
Location
NORTH (Canada)
Your truck's way of saying "I want an LDS for my birthday!"

When life hands you lemons, etcetera.

Having rebuilt a multi, there is quite some money in doing "just" the top end (a couple hundred for gaskets alone, plus valvetrain etc. unless you have spares sitting around), so hunting for a good used takeout that won't break the bank is probably a safer option.
You could choose which engine to put in (if you want an LDS, you already have the runaway to donate the oil pickup and other spares).
You get to paint the engine compartment while the engine is out
You get to service the steering box with easy access.
You get to put a brand new clutch, resurfaced flywheel and rear main into the new takeout engine without "extra" work, if you want.

Trying to see the bright side here!
 
Last edited:

FloridaAKM

Well-known member
2,699
392
83
Location
Gainesville, Florida
Well, that is one thing I have to be thankful of since my deuce's engine won't start, it didn't run away. James did stand in front of the intake with a flat piece of metal in case it did take off. Sorry to hear about your engine destroying itself, if it were mine I would drop in a rebuilt or pulled engine in good shape and call it a day. Cattlerepairman has a good take on the bright side.
 

davidb56

Well-known member
1,020
1,237
113
Location
Bonners Ferry Idaho
You need to pull it at a minimum. then you can tear it All down and mic everything. BTW, the cost of a machine shop, magnufluxing and hot tanking, plus head work, can exceed a good used one if you want to do it proper.
 

rustystud

Well-known member
9,280
2,987
113
Location
Woodinville, Washington
Your truck's way of saying "I want an LDS for my birthday!"

When life hands you lemons, etcetera.

Having rebuilt a multi, there is quite some money in doing "just" the top end (a couple hundred for gaskets alone, plus valvetrain etc. unless you have spares sitting around), so hunting for a good used takeout that won't break the bank is probably a safer option.
You could choose which engine to put in (if you want an LDS, you already have the runaway to donate the oil pickup and other spares).
You get to paint the engine compartment while the engine is out
You get to service the steering box with easy access.
You get to put a brand new clutch, resurfaced flywheel and rear main into the new takeout engine without "extra" work, if you want.

Trying to see the bright side here!
Actually that is pretty good news ! Sometimes it takes something like this to motivate me into actions that I've been meaning to do for years sometimes !
I've been meaning to remove and rebuild that steering gear, but what a pain in the butt job !
I've been meaning to paint that engine compartment, but all the stuff that is in the way. What a pain in the butt !
I've been meaning to fix that leaking radiator, but what a pain in the butt !
I've been meaning to replace those crappy wires on the engine, but what a pain in the butt !
I see a pattern forming here.
 

gimpyrobb

dumpsterlandingfromorbit!
27,786
755
113
Location
Cincy Ohio
I have a motor I know is good. I sold all the bolt on parts like starter, turbo, IP, alt, etc.

It is complete from valve cover to oilpan, sounds like what you need. PM me if interested, shipping shoud be reasonable.
 

dmetalmiki

Well-known member
5,523
2,028
113
Location
London England
I know it is after the 'horse has bolted', But to all others (Before, not) In this situation.
KEEP A C02 fire extinguisher near the intake when carrying out this sort of work.
we have foam and fire extinguishers on the trucks and co2 always.
 

swbradley1

Modertator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
14,258
1,759
113
Location
Dayton, OH
I have a 55 gallon oil drum with oil from two destroyed multi-fuels. I would not suggest trying a rebuild. Just too many itty bitty pieces running around inside to destroy it again.

Mine still ran with a two piece crankshaft and the block webbing destroyed. (Yes, I have a witness.)
 

Karl kostman

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
2,308
893
113
Location
Fargo ND
Sorry to hear about your runaway I have not had that happen but can only imagine the feeling of watching your engine destroy itself right in front of you, OUCH!!!! Here is my 2 cents on this subject. You dont want to do a tear down and rebuild unless you KNOW that you going to stand a VERY GOOD chance on ending up with a GOOD engine. I understand the part about your rolling the dice and I do NOT agree with that statement, its NOT 1935 you know. To get this done correctly and done in a way that your going to get the best opportunity to end up with a great engine (97%) is to document everything you see wrong when you do the tear down, any broken or shredded parts what are they and where in the engine did they come from? The Cam is it whole of is it broken? The pistons did they all have valve contact? You get the idea, OK now you take the block and heads (If they look OK) to a machine shop for cleaning and checking very carefully for cracks in ALL the stressed/over stressed areas, I would magna flux the rods and mains including the caps to make sure that you dont have cracks in any of these areas. Automatically rods, valve train cam? cam bearing. crank (very carefully checked if good ok) and main bearings I would replace all of that stuff, if the crank is good I would reuse that. OK now you have replaced with new a pretty fair share of this engine BUT if you did everything right and used some of our technology that has been available since the 50s looking for any weak areas you will VERY likely have a very GOOD reliable engine in the end!! SUCCESS!! I do not know what its going to cost you to replace all the parts that need to be replaced? I dont know what crack testing is going to run you? Are you going to do the tear down and rebuild yourself? Lots of answers I dont have for you. I would guess you can take your chances buying somebodies used engine for around 2500.00 and as they say ROLL THE DICE? All that Golddigger is a call that only YOU can make!
GOOD LUCK
Karl
 

rustystud

Well-known member
9,280
2,987
113
Location
Woodinville, Washington
Sorry to hear about your runaway I have not had that happen but can only imagine the feeling of watching your engine destroy itself right in front of you, OUCH!!!! Here is my 2 cents on this subject. You dont want to do a tear down and rebuild unless you KNOW that you going to stand a VERY GOOD chance on ending up with a GOOD engine. I understand the part about your rolling the dice and I do NOT agree with that statement, its NOT 1935 you know. To get this done correctly and done in a way that your going to get the best opportunity to end up with a great engine (97%) is to document everything you see wrong when you do the tear down, any broken or shredded parts what are they and where in the engine did they come from? The Cam is it whole of is it broken? The pistons did they all have valve contact? You get the idea, OK now you take the block and heads (If they look OK) to a machine shop for cleaning and checking very carefully for cracks in ALL the stressed/over stressed areas, I would magna flux the rods and mains including the caps to make sure that you dont have cracks in any of these areas. Automatically rods, valve train cam? cam bearing. crank (very carefully checked if good ok) and main bearings I would replace all of that stuff, if the crank is good I would reuse that. OK now you have replaced with new a pretty fair share of this engine BUT if you did everything right and used some of our technology that has been available since the 50s looking for any weak areas you will VERY likely have a very GOOD reliable engine in the end!! SUCCESS!! I do not know what its going to cost you to replace all the parts that need to be replaced? I dont know what crack testing is going to run you? Are you going to do the tear down and rebuild yourself? Lots of answers I dont have for you. I would guess you can take your chances buying somebodies used engine for around 2500.00 and as they say ROLL THE DICE? All that Golddigger is a call that only YOU can make!
GOOD LUCK
Karl
I don't feel buying a good running "used" engine is rolling the dice. These engines are pretty strong and can be expected to last years. So finding a used engine that has been giving good service would be a pretty safe bet to give you pretty good service too. Trying to get your over-revved engine running on the cheap is "rolling the dice".
 

cattlerepairman

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
3,256
3,354
113
Location
NORTH (Canada)
I can tell you that for the parts cost of a rebuild (and that is with re-using the pistons) I could *almost* have bought one of the new-in-crate military rebuilt multifuels that someone was selling on eBay for about 3 Grand.

I did not magnaflux anything and I did replace the heads. New rings, mains, rods of course, but crank and cam were good.

Just to give you an idea of parts cost (and I am a thrifty shopper).

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk
 
Top