Loading a dead 977h

1) you should not have to pull the axles, its older and has application brakes.
2) is there any buddy near it with a dozer or loader that you could pay a few bucks to push it, figure out how much time and fuel it will take you to haul a machine there and back and pay them most of that amount ( and buy beer with the rest )

3 ) it will run on 5 cylinders, a contractor near me had an D8k for sale and it had put a rod thru the block and they said it would run ok enough to move and load its self

I plan on rebuilding it anyway, so I might go with option 3. I was just hoping to load it and get it the hell out of there. It’s a lot easier to work on at home with all my tools

Hi Jdz,
be VERY Aware you have a turbo charged engine so if you do not pull the push rods or back the valve lash adjustment all the way off the gas pressure in turbo exhaust manifold and inlet manifold pressure will push the piston and conrod down into the spinning crank with catastrophic results.

Cannot recall if on those engines as to whether the piston will come out the bottom of the bore and past the crank webs for that cylinder, with the crank positioned in the exact right spot, try either side of Bottom Dead centre, about 1/4 to 1/2 way up--might depend on the forging shape of the individual crank--
other thing may be to pull the piston down just far enough so as the wrist pin only can be removed and then the connecting rod--push the piston back up the bore and devise some way of gluing/locking it in place with silicon or some goo, a thin wedge, a bolt--with rounded head to fit contour of the bore, and nut arrangement placed in the lower bore and tightened to stop the piston rattling down--still with valves disabled. Failing that maybe try and cut the piston skirt up with a sawzall or such and reduce it enough to get it out--been too long to recall but all is a close fit.

You will also need to at least put a wide hose clamp over the lube oil drilling in the crank journal to save running with low oil pressure/flow.
You will also need to run the failed cylinders' injection line--undo at injector end also any line clamps, to minimally bend the line to catch the injected fuel into a can or such or the injected fuel will contaminate the sump oil.

Mate drove some 2200 miles on 7 cylinders with his 8 cylinder straight eight turbo charged 8LXB Gardner engine on 7 cylinders after doing a big end bearing--pulled piston and rod, push rods, latched out the injection pump lifter--feature on Gardner injection pumps-- for the dead cyl. and clamped off the crank oil drilling after dropping the sump all on the side of the Nullabor Highway in the sand.

A suitable sized Winch and snatch block sounds like what I would try and borrow/hire to haul it on. Google what may be available in your locality from hire companies or marine service people--if near the sea or lakes.

Cheers,
Eddie B.

...wow..some feat with the Gardner Ed...must have been some years ago tho as they were once common in trucks and buses before American engines became more popular/powerful options.

I've seen a few 8s and many 6s in boats some with over 100 000 hours on them. Still one of the most fuel efficient engines ever built. Wonderful engines...

Sorry to hijack 😎

Wouldn’t pulling the injector eliminate any pressure on the top of the piston? I’m just driving it straight up onto the trailer at this point so I’m not too worried about the small amount of fuel that will spill, maybe a minute of run time or so.

Take a few sheaves and a cable along and load it with the D4. If using a detachable, dead end the cable on the trailer, attach a sheave on the Cat center, hook to the Cat and tow in on. You will double your pull. If not enough pull add more sheaves to compound your leverage. If loading up the back attach the dead end the cable on one side of the front of the trailer, attach to dead machine with a sheave and pull from the opposite side driving up past the tractor. It will roll up straight. If you need more power and more parts in your line. Easy Peasy. Your D4 should have no issues with a 2 part line.

Edit: Seen you got a tilt deck. Dead end the tow cable in the middle of the front of the tilt, attached to the dead machine with a sheave, add a second sheave by the dead end at the front of the tilt, attach the other dead end to your D4 and pull back driving past the dead machine doubling your pull. If not enough add a third sheave at the dead machine and pull forward driving along the trailer. This will triple your pull.

Hi Jdz,
Rope pulley systems explained.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Block_and_tackle

Removing the injector will not relieve the exhaust and inlet manifold pressures generated by the turbo operation--exhaust restriction pressure derived from driving the turbo and inlet pressure delivered by the turbo--these pressures are delivered each time either an Inlet or an exhaust valve opens by removing the valve rocker push rods will stop the valves opening and so cause no pressure to the piston top to push it down.
Certainly you should remove the injector and stop any pressurization, from heat expansion or pressure rise in the trapped air in the cylinder--the pre-combustion chamber that the injector connects to the cylinder has an orifice that is only about 3/16" or so diameter so no real pressure relief can occur thru there.

Mate blew the top off a piston, thru the wrist pin bore, in his 4/53T GM 2 Stroke powered Dodge Weapons Carrier, out in the middle of Australian outback desert miles from any where--it had likely run for several hours like this.
Problem was noted when he went to start it later in the day and had no turbo boost to push the piston top back down.

Working thru the Flying Doctor emergency radio he talked to a Detroit Dealer and got a new piston dropped in by air mail, by parachute courtesy of a local station owner, only to find he had a Brazilian or such engine that had smaller wrist pins and there were no such pistons in the GM system--found some sheet metal in the inner front guard that filled the bigger wrist pin bore in the new piston nicely, fitted it up and drove home several thousands miles successfully.


Hope this helps,
Cheers,
Eddie B.

With one rod unhooked your oil pressure will be 0 not good for the rest of the engine. Right now you still have a good block, unhook one more rod you might not have....WA7OPY