Worth Repairing?

MichiganMH · Mar 2, 2012

Rebuilding the Z134 in my MH50. Sometime in it's past life it must have busted a rod. The block has a piece missing at the bottom of one sleeve, exposing the lower o-ring. I never had a problem with water in the oil, but had low compression, that's why it is being rebuilt. I am considering trying to get it welded, then get it on a CNC and re cut the bore and o-ring groove, but it may just be cheaper to find another block as I will have to pay a weld shop, and probably for CNC time as well. Anyone else try to repair something like this? Is there another way to repair this? Anyone have a Z134 block for sale near Michigan :lol:

old · Mar 2, 2012

Not sure what size it is but I have a block that came out of a MH 30 it blew out #2 piston but other wise in good shape. When I say blew it out I mean there is the rod and wrist pin but no piston it just blew up but did not hurt the sleeve but I am way to far from you down here in Missouri

greygoat · Mar 2, 2012

Ah, a road trip!, nothing is prettier than
Missouri in the spring! Lets go visit "Old"!

Billy Shafer · Mar 2, 2012

Not saying do it. But I wonder how JB weld would hold up on a repair like that.

Dick L · Mar 2, 2012

There is no pressure at that point. If it were mine I would get some JB Weld steel and fill it back in with a sleeve in place without the O ring. You can put waxed paper where the JB Weld Steel makes contact. After it has set over night you can pull the sleeve out, sand the hole to the correct size and put the sleeve with O rings back in and be good to go.

wisbaker · Mar 2, 2012

JB weld or DEVCON or similar epoxies might work well
in this application. You have been running it that
way for how long? I know you didn't know about it
and your saying that the problem you are now
addressing is unrelated, I would think that
indicates although it's not right it wore out a set
of rings running that way and you were none the
wiser, I'd go the epoxy route. It's a MF 50 I'm
guessing if you had real heavy work to do you'd have
a bigger tractor.

Cliff Nelson · Mar 2, 2012

Check with your machine shop and see if there is a repair insert for the o-ring grooves. I have had them installed on Deere blocks where the o-ring area has eroded away. They bore out deeper than the o-rings then install an insert with new o-ring grooves in it. The last one I had done was around $100 per hole.

KF · Mar 2, 2012

It is a little hard to tell from the photo just how big the hole is,
but I have a suggestion about fixing it. I assume you will be
removing the sleeves. Take out a sleeve and leave that one in
place. Using the removed sleeve as a pattern, grind or machine
a piece of metal that will fit in the hole and butt up against the
sleeve. If you are good enough you may even get the O-ring
groove started. The idea here is while the sleeve is in, get a
piece of metal as a patch to fit and then just lightly tack it in or
braze it in enough to hold it in place. Then remove the sleeve
and take a look at what you have. If good enough then start to
carefully weld or braze the piece in. On the cylinder side I think I
would just braze as it can fill in the cavities and then be ground
down with a Dremel tool. The O-ring groove would be the
critical issue in the whole endeavor. This is just a thought and it
is hard to see just how difficult it would be from the one photo.
This is something you could do on your own as taking it to a
machine shop would cost a lot just for the setup and getting
another block would probably be no less expensive.

old · Mar 2, 2012

Ah but the spring time here can also the time one gets blown away by the tornado's we get in the spring Plus the flood that are common also LOL But yep come on down and get it LOL

rrlund · Mar 2, 2012

Lots and lots of Permatex.

Have you checked with Taylor Equipment up by Sears Mi?

MichiganMH · Mar 2, 2012

I would assume that if I am right and it was a busted rod, they would have put new rod bearings in with the new rod. The rod bearings are all wore down into copper some so I think its been running like this for quite a while.

All I use it for is brush hogging, driveway grading, snow plowing, etc. Thinking about picking up a 2 bottom plow and a disc to use it to work up a small area (1 acre)

I have access to a small lathe and a Bridgeport, I may just try fabbing a piece on my own as suggested and see if I can make something work. Haven't had a lot of success finding a block yet, there's a "refurbished" block on E bay, if I felt like paying $850 + freight...

Heat Houser · Mar 2, 2012

Consult with a machine shop and see if the bottom end of the block can be bored oversize, they make a sleeve with oring grooves, and then press it in. If they can do it, it should take you back to std size for your piston sleeve

Janicholson · Mar 2, 2012

Have the Oring groove remade higher in the block.
Easy to machine with a Sunnen Boring Bar. The engine ran well as it was, so massive effort is not needed. Jim

Joe Hynes · Mar 2, 2012

What are you doing in Sears MI? That is pretty close to where I live, and I used to date a girl that lived in that massive town. Dang that brings back some memories.

Joe Hynes

rrlund · Mar 2, 2012

I'm about an hour from there,but I've done a little bit of business with Taylors. They generally have a fair assortment of older used parts.

crotchity · Mar 2, 2012

Altogether different engines!!!!!!

Bill Krosnicki · Mar 2, 2012

If it has another "O" ring making contact it's probably okay, I'd just put some silicone around it and put it back in.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 2, 2012

If you find a good fix let me know as I have a Z129 block in the same condition and sure would like to save it. Thanks Jim in FL --No-Advertising-in-Forums

MichiganMH · Mar 2, 2012

Thanks for all the replys. I was talking to a relative who farms a few hundred acre just down the road a ways and who happens to be a certified welder. He is concerned with the possibility of warping the block by welding or brazing that area. We are both going to check around and see if there are any blocks available for a decent price locally before deciding to attempt a repair on this one.

Worth Repairing?

MichiganMH

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old

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greygoat

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Billy Shafer

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Dick L

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wisbaker

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Cliff Nelson

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KF

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old

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rrlund

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MichiganMH

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Heat Houser

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Janicholson

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Joe Hynes

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rrlund

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crotchity

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Bill Krosnicki

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Anonymous-0

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MichiganMH

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