broken piston skirt

Anonymous-0 · Jul 7, 2012

While working on my Farmall M I pulled the oil pan off to check for sludge in the pan. While cleaning the pan I found a skirt off one of the pistons. After looking closer I found that two of the pistons have broken skirts #1 & #3. What could have caused this? Will it hurt the engine to run it this way. It has fire crater pistons .

Janicholson · Jul 7, 2012

It could do radical damage if the piston cocks crooked in the bore and bends a rod or breaks off a rod and stuffs it through the block. I would not run it. Putting in a kit right now is best, at least 4 matched pistons and rings. Light honing of the sleeves is also best practice. Jim

robgIN · Jul 7, 2012

I have heard that the firecraters are known for breaking skirts. Our SMTA had them and did the same thing. Just seems they fatigue and skirts break. Not based on any scientific data, just observation.

rustred · Jul 7, 2012

way back in about 1982 i was putting rings in a 900 case. had the pistons sitting on a bench and one fell on the floor and broke the skirt off. could not find that particular used piston so the guy at the tractor wreckers said just to use that one. so i just chamfered the broken edge and put it together. that tractor did a pile of field work for about the next 20 yrs. and that piston is still in it. and more to this story is that the old rings were 1/8" undersize . the guy we bought it from said he always had to pull start it. once i saw the rings on those pistons i knew why it wouldnt start. this was a diesel also and had a lot of blow by. but anyway put it together with proper rings and the broken skirt and it started on its own.
not telling you what to do just an example that it could hold out with no harm.

Anonymous-0 · Jul 7, 2012

When things are made from unobtaniym, running them broken may be OK. But pistons are not hard to find. A broken skirt such that there is substance to the remaining skirt is likely to operate for the remainder of its life. If basically cracked off to the oil ring, it will possibly fail catistrophically. WE have not seen it. My advice still puts new or good used pistons in it. Jim

rustred · Jul 7, 2012

oohh ya for sure. replace it. but in my case , hey now thats a pun, there was nothing to replace it with as they were some oddball pistons. it was like about 1" of the skirt broke off and no other cracks. the tractor was not worth new parts. as with these farmalls no problem to find used or new stuff.

NoNewParts · Jul 8, 2012

replace them
if money is too tight for a kit, just replacing those two
with new or good used,
is better than running it like it is.

Super H I worked on had two with broken skirts.
When I pulled them, I found they both had
no piston pin bushings at all.
not worn....they were not there
fixed that when I put in 2 new pistons and rings.
honed the sleeves and used a cast iron top ring set
(checked the other two and the pins/bushings were ok)
works fine

sflem849 · Jul 8, 2012

On an M, replace it. On a WD-9 you might be stuck with running it.

El Toro · Jul 8, 2012

I would pull the engine and have the crankshaft measured for wear and buy your new bearings from your machine shop. Install a new sleeve kit with new pistons. Have the head reworked. Your engine will last a long time. If the oil pressure was low I would have new cam bearings install. This would be a good time to inspect the cam lobes for wear. Hal

randy hall · Jul 8, 2012

that's why ih went to the small sized wrist pin in their later kits and sold you the high priced bushing package to use your old rods.

John G. Hasler · Jul 8, 2012

> ...withthese farmalls no problem to find used or
> new stuff.

Heh. Try to find a correct manifold for a 544 gas utility.

WVFarmall · Jul 8, 2012

Hey Guys,
Thanks for the info. I was thinking about doing an overhaul this winter but it looks like it will be sooner than later. What a great place to talk to folks that enjoy old iron and get their opinion on problems.

broken piston skirt

Anonymous-0

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Janicholson

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robgIN

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rustred

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Anonymous-0

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rustred

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NoNewParts

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sflem849

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El Toro

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randy hall

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John G. Hasler

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WVFarmall

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