[SEL] Fairbanks Morse ZD Frustrations

[FRM8198 at aol.com]

Hi List,
What week of being frustrated working on a Fairbanks Morse  ZD!  This is the 
engine which originally had a crooked home made  flywheel.  I was able to 
obtain another flywheel crankshaft assembly from  another engine man.  The 
replacement assembly was used to replace the  original assembly.
When the replacement flywheel assembly was installed, the original  
connecting rod bearing would not fit the crankshaft journal.  After  measuring the 
original journal and comparing the measurements against the  replacement journal 
size, I found that the original journal was smaller than the  replacement 
journal.  Fortunately, I had another rod that came with the  replacement assembly.  
Of course, to replace the rod assembly, the  crankshaft and camshaft assembly 
had to be removed.  Apparently, some  previous owner had the journal turned, 
the rod bearing poured and  fitted. 
The next surprise was how the wrist pin is locked in place on this  engine.  
This engine uses a screw to hold the wrist pin in place.  A  cotter key is 
used on the screw to prevent it from unscrewing by hitting the  inside of the 
piston skirt.  It is not a hard cotter key connection.  
For some reason, the replacement flywheel assembly didn't have a  notched 
tooth on the crankshaft gear.  I was able to count the number of  teeth from the 
center of rod journal on the original assembly and determined  which tooth had 
to be notched on the replacement assembly.  It is  identified now.
Now the fun began.  The magneto was timed to the timing mark  on the 
flywheel.  I tried starting the engine with no success.  I was  frustrated as this 
engine ran before the flywheel/crankshaft/connecting was  changed out.  I hooked 
up an electric motor and got it to fire more or  less.  Then I blew a head 
gasket.  This was evident by the blue smoke  that came out of the hopper.  
Needless to say, it took me a couple of hours  to find my gasket material and 
fabricate a new one.  After replacing this  gasket, I tried again to start the 
engine with the electric motor.  Again,  the engine failed to run.
After this failure to start the engine, it was time to get back to  basics.  
First of all, I decided to find TDC and then determine where the  flywheel 
magneto timing mark should be.  Luckily, I have  another running engine and I was 
able to get the correct  dimensions.
Yes, the flywheel magneto timing mark on the replacement flywheel  was off by 
90 degrees clockwise.  After establishing correct  flywheel timing mark and 
re-timing the magneto to this mark, I was able  start the engine with the 
crank.  

Francis  Maciel
Santa Maria, CA