53 series coolant leaking

[Ken thorall]

I am seeking help on what to check next on my 2-53 John deere engine. I put new liners kits in it due to previous owners use of starting fluid and prolonged idle times. I should add the machine in is a remote site in the wrangle st. elias park. No roads, so it is a fly in only project. Now it runs and starts great but when I try to top up the coolant it runs out the air box drain!! I thought it was a torn liner seal or I didn't get the groove clean enough. Tore it down again and very carefully cleaned the grooves, installed new O rings with parker O ring lube on them. Back together again and it still pours coolant out the air box drain. No coolant in the oil. Tore it down again and brought the liners home with me for inspection. All the above work has been done in the field at - 20 f. I do not want to go back up there till I find out what I am doing wrong!! It did not leak coolant before I worked on it so I must be missing some obvious thing. I have several other machines that have diesel engines that I have overhauled so I do not mess up every thing I touch. This is the only 53 series , the others are 4-71,8-71and perkins 432. It leaks really fast, not like a oring that is not quite sealing.Ken The tops of the pistons are dry when I pull the head. Is there some other place the coolant could be getting in the air box? Ken

[timberjack]

I'm not as familiar with the 2-53, but have rebuilt many 3 and 4-53's.

Quite possible the block is cracked somewhere in the airbox. That's probably the worst case. Let's hope it's not that.

You used a new top end head gasket kit right? Kind of a misnomer, since the gasket is that squared oring that runs around the groove in the deck. There are also several square cut o-rings sealing the water and oil passages. Maybe one of those is not sealing, or you missed one.

The heads usually crack in between the valves, and so would only let water into the piston where the crack was. Sound like this is not your problem.

Those liner o-rings are usually pretty easy to install. Biggest thing is not to roll them, and lube them on install. I use coolant, noting excessive, just a smear with my hand right before i push it into the block. I've never had a problem. Could it be you have the wrong o rings?

How about the fire ring at the very top of each cylinder? If you forgot, or didn't have them, your liner will rise a little when turning over, and maybe that's got the liner seals out of place. Though i'd think the liner would be lifting up and down with each revolution, so you'd notice other problems.

Hmm, will go have a look at a 3-53 i have torn down tomorrow and see if i can think of anything else.