Interesting facts about JD 2.9 3cyl...so how much power can I get????

LReiff said:
Yes.

Does it also have balance shafts?
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Sorry, didn't read that question correctly. No...this engine doesn't have a balance shaft (3cyls just use one). The 4045 4cyl that comes in the 5500 (which I have considered swapping into this tractor) does have balance shafts as an optional add-on, but I have heard they have a pretty high failure rate due to bearing/bushing issues.

Of course, I'm not looking to do any more than 3500rpm with this engine, so I doubt it will cause any issue.

-Phillip
 
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I would swap a 4045 into it. More rotating weight is going to net higher low rpm torque which in your situation will be more desirable than horsepower. To combat balance shaft bearing failure you may need to add something like ZDDPlus to the oil.
 
LReiff said:
I would swap a 4045 into it. More rotating weight is going to net higher low rpm torque which in your situation will be more desirable than horsepower. To combat balance shaft bearing failure you may need to add something like ZDDPlus to the oil.
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My thought was to go ahead and see how much power I can get out of this little 3cyl (since I think I can get all I would need on the cheap) then swap engines if it doesn't pan out.

-Phillip
 
You know, if you really want more power, I know a guy who will let a 340hp/100% duty cycle, powertech go for real cheap! Only needs a bottom end job :lolly:
 
kentuckydiesel said:
Thats actually a Yanmar 4TN84 in your tractor. Should be a fair difference between the inherent strength of the 400lb yanmar 1.9 liter and the 700lb deere 2.9 litre engine. Top factory hp rating on the yanmar was about 43...top factory HP rating on the deere was around 79
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sounds like you got the better deal going there, good luck with it.
 
IHCbigjohn said:
You know, if you really want more power, I know a guy who will let a 340hp/100% duty cycle, powertech go for real cheap! Only needs a bottom end job :lolly:
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Haha....you know how it goes in the diesel world...there is always somebody who gets the laughs, then gets the power. Hell, there was a time when nobody could get a forged rod 7.3 stroker to handle more than 500hp. I pleaded with the tuners of the day to back off on the timing advance, and no one heard me. Whaddya know...less advance and the 7.3 does infact handle well over 500hp. I'm not worried about making 150hp on this little crapper.

-Phillip
 
So my fuel pump is turned almost all the way up and it sure doesn't smoke much. Need to get more fuel going in before I can even utilize a turbo. I called Diesel Injection in Louisville and was able to get some info from a guy there.

Looking at the injectors,
The 5200 and 5300 (both N/A) have .0106" nozzles and are set at 3320psi.
The 5400 (turbo) has .0116" nozzles and are set at 3820psi.

That basically equates to a 23hp jump with a .0010 larger nozzle size. If I shoot for 100hp, I think around .0025-.0030 larger should be sufficient. I know this is kinda crude thinking but it's what I have to work off of with as little injector info as I have found.

I have a pack of #80 (.0135") bits back in the machine shop, so I'm considering drilling the nozzles to .0135" and possibly dropping the pressure to 3000psi or so. Anyone have any input on this nozzle size? Am I making too big a jump here?

Thanks,
Phillip
 
LReiff said:
Drill bits!!! :hehe:
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It's actually done quite a bit to enlarge holes on non-diesel applications...using a watchmaker's lathe. Please tell me if you know of a reason why it wouldn't work in this case.
I'm obviously not trying to set up production or make new holes in a nozzle.

Here is a perfect example:

http://youtu.be/RKCaper5Q5k

-Phillip
 
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That example is not even remotely comparable to what you want to do! The description - "The drill is just thicker than a human hair, video is 50 + X magnification"
 
LReiff said:
That example is not even remotely comparable to what you want to do! The description - "The drill is just thicker than a human hair, video is 50 + X magnification"
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How is that? If a 100 micron hole (about .004") can be drilled in an injector using a watchmaker's lathe, a .0106" hole can definitely be enlarged by .003" using the same. I have a full tool and die shop in the factory that I run...not talking about using "my cousin's drill press".

-Phillip
 
The interesting thing will be to find out how hard the nozzles are. Not sure yet if the HSS #80 bits I have will handle the material, but I could always order some solid carbide #80s.

I think I'll do a test run with a spare set of injectors out of our old 4020.

-Phillip
 
subscribed....

The motor looks stout, what about the oil and cooling system? Can they handle the heat?
 
You may want to look into having the nozzles EDM'd. Electronic Discharge Machined. Its the process that the nozzle makers use. Hole angle can be controlled.
 
kentuckydiesel said:
The interesting thing will be to find out how hard the nozzles are. Not sure yet if the HSS #80 bits I have will handle the material, but I could always order some solid carbide #80s.

I think I'll do a test run with a spare set of injectors out of our old 4020.

-Phillip
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I would NOT drill them with carbide. Carbide has no forgiveness for flex. EX. you existing orifice holes. If you must try drilling them, I would recommend cobalt. But EDMing them would be best like Lee said.
 
AH64ID said:
subscribed....

The motor looks stout, what about the oil and cooling system? Can they handle the heat?
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They have an oil cooler that was used on the 5400s which had turbos. I will either get one of them, or a different type. I would think radiator will be fine, but it's no big deal to add a core or two if need be...there's plenty of room for that. I'm gonna watch pretty closely with gauges.


LReiff said:
You may want to look into having the nozzles EDM'd. Electronic Discharge Machined. Its the process that the nozzle makers use. Hole angle can be controlled.
Click to expand...
KXTRAP06 said:
I would NOT drill them with carbide. Carbide has no forgiveness for flex. EX. you existing orifice holes. If you must try drilling them, I would recommend cobalt. But EDMing them would be best like Lee said.
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I know about EDM as an option...but with 3 injectors at $60/ea, I really want to see what I can do on my own machines. That little Levin Lathe we have was set up with some special parts to be their "micro drilling machine" which their 1960s brochure said was good for holes down to .005.

From the little bit of info I have been able to find, the nozzle tips might be up to 60 HRC (about the same hardness as an HSS bit), so they would require a nice carbide bit to do anything at all. I can set things up to hold a certain angle and allow me to spin the injector on that angle in order to make the holes. Depending on the thickness of the nozzle, I could also use an end mill to take care of the holes.

On a side note, I've heard guys talk about spray pattern/angle/atomization for years...but a while back I read some lab testing data that basically said that stuff had very little effect on turbocharged diesel engines. I have to say I feel less concerned than I used to be about injector orifice angles and such. Just so long as each injector drops the same amount of fuel in each cylinder.

-Phillip
 
This has the possibility of a catastrophic ending. If spray angle were not a big deal, direct injected diesels would have flat top pistons and the cylinder heads would be of hemispherical design.
 
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LReiff said:
This has the possibility of a catastrophic ending. If spray angle were not a big deal, direct injected diesels would have flat top pistons and the cylinder heads would be of hemispherical design.
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I'm not talking about washing the cylinders...just saying that perfection is not an issue when it comes to the exact pattern on a turbocharged diesel engine.

-Phillip
 
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