My 1992 Ingersoll 3118 Garden Tractor

[OldCarGuy]

This was my uncle's tractor that was left to me by my Aunt. His pride and joy. He cut several acres of grass and plowed a garden that covered another acre. In the winter he'd use the 48" snow blower for the his and nearby neighborhood driveways. It had 15 years of heavy use and didn't run when I picked it up. Needing some work along with a paint job to get it back on line.
 
The 1992 invoice price was $9,200.00, that's $20,600.00 today. This wasn't your average tractor and weighs 700 pounds. Compared to today's John Deere 48" weighting 250 pounds less with a price tag of $2,800.00. What do you get for the extra bucks other than 250 extra pounds? First off the Ingersoll is a garden tractor and not simply a lawn tractor. It has an 18HP Onan twin cylinder air cooled engine that drives a hydraulic pump. Everything is powered by hydraulic oil. The 48" 3-blade deck, lowering deck movement, the 3-point hitch,  power steering, along with attachments 48" snow blower, chipper, log splitter, tiller, and hydravac.

The Ingersoll is an amazing tractor. None of my riding mover come close. Having power steering, it's a cinch to cut the lawn. It cuts at idle speed, sips gasoline, and nearly as quiet as an electric model. More like driving a Cadillac compared to a tank...






48" snow blower spiffed up


Single bottom plow, most likely I'll never use..



Last fall the 35 year old tractor had a major mechanical failure. The engine started to bog down and eventually quit. Now barely turns over. Put it on my lift to get it running for this season... Having it waist high makes it easier on my back and easy to get under.



I disconnected the hydraulic pump from the engine. Diagnosing if it's the pump or the engine. Extremely close quarters.Took several hours just to remove four bolts.


Picture at another angle..


Still turns over slow.. Most likely the pump is okay. So the problem must be in the engine. Hope it's not all busted up inside!

Took another two hours to remove air filter and sheet metal shrouds.Then five minutes to remove the two heads...


Spread out parts on a workbench..


The cylinder walls look great.


With out compression the engine turns over a tad better using the starter motor. But I could hardly turn it over by hand. The piston go up and down. And valve action is good. I'll have to tear it down more to find the issue..

[OldCarGuy]

Having the 3118 on my lift made it easier to reach both the top and bottom side. Started by removing the oil exchange cooler. Then removing wires. Cables, starter, etc. I needed the remove the mowing deck to reach some bolts on the underside. A nylon strap and my bridge crane facilitated removing the engine. The set it on my elevated table, drained the oil, and started the tear down.


Setting the engine on my lift table. Letting the oil drain..


Removing the oil pan and see what's inside.. Looking GOOD so far..

 




Using good quality oil and frequent oil changes pays off! Even the oil is clean....


After half a day, it was time for dinner and relax. Another day I'll dive into removing the fan shroud and disassembly.

[Uncle Buck]

Wow, super clean!

[Muddy]

Those were good tractors. Looks like your uncle maintained it well.

[OldCarGuy]

Wow, super clean!

Those were good tractors. Looks like your uncle maintained it well.

I'm amazed that this 35 year old tractor engine is so clean too. The type of oil and frequency of oil changes was the secret. Most of the engines that I rebuilt are 75 years old or older before detergent oil was introduced. It was common to see sludge buildup throughout the engine. So thick a putty knife was needed to move it.

[OldCarGuy]

Once I removed the PTO end bearing cap. The crank turned freely along with the pistons and valve movements. The lower side of crank shaft journal is to size 1.999 to 2.000 diameter. The outer end picked up some babbitt off the bearing. That I should be able to polish off.


I'd say the bearing is toast and needs replaced. If bearings weren't readily available, as some of my antique cars. I would re-babbit the shell then machine... However the cost of a replacement doesn't justify...


While I was ad it I removed the connecting rod end caps.. That looked new as the crank journals.





I have to wonder why the bearing was damaged. My inclination then was to look for the root of the problem... Removed the flywheel and cam gear cover. Once again it was clean as a whistle!




I noticed a small section of the gasket protruding between the halves of the pump flanges. Now why would that happen after 30 years? Removed and examined the oil pump components. No noticeable wear. The small gear key was intact. Could the missing section of the gasket cause loss of oil flow?  Since the damaged bearing was the farthermost from the pump...




In any event it was good thing that I didn't continue operating the tractor. Rather delving into the issue. I have the main bearing and all the gaskets on order. With any luck the old gal will be up and running i a week...