Case 188 engine removal

Thanks,

Bill

A complete rebuild is a good idea if you are experiencing lower oil pressures at hot idle or if you otherwise suspect that the mains need attention. An out-of-frame will also allow you acess to the rear main seal. In theory you could unbolt the torque converter and get to the rear main seal but if you have to unbolt the TC you might as well pull the engine to get easier access.

I'm rebuilding a 188 in my 450 and so I can't tell you for sure how easy it is to pull the engine but I'd imagine your machine is similar. There are 3 motor mounts (one front center and two on either side in the back). These unbolt easily.

If weight is a problem you might consider removing the head first. You will undo the fuel injection lines, radiator hoses, wires to the starter and generator, and you will have to undo the lines running to the charge pump and "accessory hydraulic" pump.

The 188 is not a difficult engine to rebuild. I'm in the early stages of re-assembly with the new sleeves and pistons just installed. As I mentioned in an earlier post the hot oil pressure was very good and so I've left the mains alone. The con rod bearings looked good too but I'm installing new ones for the heck of it. It appears that the crank has never been turned. Had it not been for a broken top compression ring in the #2 cylinder it might have run for a long time yet.

I made my own cylinder sleeve puller. I ment to bring in a picture of it to post. I was able to work the injectors out with a slide hammer type puller and a little tool that is used with my air cutting wheel. I was lucky in that my injectors came out fairly easily. I'm told that they sometimes can really stick and can be difficult to remove even with a "factory" tool.

In regards to working on the engine, I found it much easier once I removed the radiator and front cowling from the machine. Again I don't know if your machine is similar but I'll bet it is.

I also had the foresight to run the machine up on two big 6x6 square sections of wood to allow a little more clearance under the machine. It's nice to be able to use a creeper.

Drop me an email if there is anything I can answer for you.

John
1968 Case 450

Thanks for the informative reply. I just replaced the radiator and was amazed at how much the front of the engine was accessible with the grill and radiator out, which should make for disconnecting that stuff rather easy. The other end is what concerned me. I am guessing that the torque converter must be loosened from underneath? You mentioned pulling the injectors. Do you have to remove them? I wasn't planning on doing any head work, unless it looks necessary when it's apart.

Thanks,
Bill

I just got home and checked the service manual for my 450. It calls for removing the Torque Converter and engine in one piece. Apparently this is because the TC has no means of support without the engine.

I still wonder if the TC could not be removed underneath with the aid of a good stout transmission jack.

Best of luck,
John
1968 Case 450

I don't know much about the different models of case tractors as I have 530CK backhoe. It sounds like pulling the engines from your tractors is a LOT easier than pulling one from a backhoe. Check out my link below and you'll see what all I had to go through to pull my 188. LOTS of work!

I had to replace the crank, rod, sleeves, pistons and do a rebuild on the fuel injector pump. The total cost is WAY over my original budget. Fortunately my wife is sympothetic enough that she understands what needs to be done!

Brad

• 1963 530CK backhoe

I have not done it but I'm pretty sure the TC is usually undone from underneath the machine. Having said that, off the top of my head I don't see why you could not simply remove the driveshaft, remove the hoses running to the TC, loosen all 3 engine mounts and pull the engine with the TC still attached. I'd guess that it would be pretty heavy but I don't know just how heavy. My first thought would be to put a tranny jack under the TC and remove the bolts around the housing. You would probably have to pull the driveshaft and remove the hoses running to the TC first. I'll have to crawl under and have a look and then consult the service manual. I'm sure other guys on the board have been through this before though.

In regards to the injectors. No, technically you don't have to pull them. There were two styles of injectors on the 188. The very early ones were rather large and are rebuildable. The later ones are the "pencil" type like mine. The pencil injectors are not rebuildable per se. "rebuilt" pencil injectors have been cleaned up and tested only. For me this was okay. My old injectors were still working but they were carboned up a bit, so what I really did was to pay to get cleaned up and tested injectors. New injectors from Case are something like $85 each.

There may be a good reason to pull the injectors though. The tips of the injectors stick out past the bottom of the head. I generally like to have the head "surfaced" to insure that it is smooth and flat before I re-install it. You would have to remove the injectors before having it surfaced. In your case you may also want the block surfaced and checked for flatness. They will also sometimes relieve the area around the head bolt holes as these sometimes tend to lift a bit over the years.

The pistons, rings, con-rods, bearings are just what you'd expect to see. No surprises there. The cylinders are sleeved however and you will likely want to pull the old sleeves and replace them. Most rebuild kits I've seen come with new pistons and sleeves. The sleeves in my 188 were pretty well stuck but as I said earlier, I made a good sleeve puller (which you are welcome to borrow by the way). If you pull the engine and crank you may be able to drive the old sleeves out from underneath. In my case the crankshaft was in the way so I had no other choice but to make a puller.

If I get home before dark I'll try and get underneath my 450 and look at the TC housing to see how it comes out. Again I'm assuming your machine is put together like the 450.

Best of luck,
John
1968 Case 450