Farmall H Engine Block Repair - The hard way! 

I have watched a bunch of your more recent videos, and decided to look at some of your older ones. Your camera skills have increased DRAMATICALLY over the years.

Never thought that double sleeving was possible. This was one of your most stressful videos yet...I felt it at the last sleeve going in at the press. Great work!

That is a ton of work for the second most produced tractor of all time. Might as well went to Farmall 350 sleeves. I've got at least 2 H blocks in the barn. They are low RPM low H.P. engine's that will most likely never see the working service duty as when they were used as tractors daily on a farm. I've used blocks with crack parent bores. Run a 3 finger hone down the bore grind out the crack and fill with metal two part epoxy press the sleeve in. Tractor has been bailing hay for 10 year's like that.

Yep mistakes happen when humans get involved. I worked in an engine shop 4 decades ago. I started out sweeping and cleaning parts and eventually having a brand new crank grinder to run. But I digress. We had a huge caustic soda hot tank to clean parts. Cast iron and steel got loaded in the afternoon and pulled the next morning. Aluminum however could not be left in more than 30 minutes as the solution would attack the aluminum aggressively. I had just put in a basket with a handful of aluminum parts when the boss asked me to deliver a block. You always called before you left the customer to see if there were any new stops on the way back. Long story short there were, I got back late and was running late for school and forgot. The next morning I open up and start to pull the tank when I see the handle of the basketjust above the solvent. My stomach dropped! I pulled the basket and I had the nicest pile of VW and Corvair valves, seats,springs and studs! It was all gone. I went to my boss and owned what had happened. He was upset for the ordinary engine parts but there was a set of super-rare valve covers that was to be in that load. My stomach was riding the tops of my boots when I thought......they weren't in that basket! I had held those out to hand dip and clean and never did! The heads were a dime a dozen back then so other than a red face no big. But those valve covers were the true save. Terry from South Carolina

You are one of the best machinist I have ever seen. You have had a good a good teacher, mistakes will happen but you owned up to it and that's all that matters.

Hi, Nice job, If you have Roses in your garden they will love those cast iron chips.

He who doesn't make a mistake, isn't doing a darn thing! Nice job. I enjoy your work and videos.

Owning your mistakes is what separates the men from the boys. Admitting you screwed up instead of making excuses allows you and others to learn and keeps your integrity intact.

I think it’s so cool that y’all have a channel about machining. I have a newfound appreciation and fascination for it now.

Can't even imagine the cost of doing all that to such a block. But the work looks great and attention to the minute detail says it all. Thumbs Up!

Mega props on the transparency of your work! You are inspiring me to vlog my millwright work.

I appreciate your quality machining and technique - The accuracy you insist on is what makes precision and long life.

Nice work, very professional job. For a young man you have great skills. You have been taught by someone who was old school. And had really good skill of their own. Thanks for the great content. I love the bore mill, absolute precision.

Nick, you should have signed/engraved the deck muff. Then it looks like a machine shop badge. Great work. My fav channel.

I like what you want and get out of a block and you can still get part for old engines keep it up 😅

Really glad to have found your channel. I like your old school approach- if a jobs worth doing, it’s worth doing right. My dad was of the same school. He worked for a large automotive engine remanufacturing company. Started out stripping and cleaning the greasy blocks coming in the back and eventually worked his way to general manager. He instilled that philosophy in my brother and me as well. And owning your mistakes - well done. Like you said, we’re human. It happens. We learn and move on. Keep up the great work. I’ll keep watching for new and interesting videos 👍👍

I like that you get to work with your father. I always stop what I'm doing to watch your videos. Machine work is an amazing process.

I'm a tradesman and I always say the only people that don't make mistakes are the ones that do nothing and liars. So I 100% agree. A good tradesman knows what to do when a mistake is made. You guys do great quality work! I wish you were closer so I could be a customer.

I love that Skyhawk in the background!

Nice and quality work. Sleeve removal tip for quick removal . Few welds from top to bottom with mig welder and you can easy tap them out without damaging the original bore

Fubar's happen. Owning them doesn't come as often. Kudos to you for acknowledging your humanity. You two continue to impress me with your skills, humor, and with being real.

Aloha from Hawaii! Dig your content, came here from TikTok so I could see longer content. Keep up the great work, and remember: don't read the RU-vid comments!

I liked your technique with the bore gauge at the bore honing machine.

I'm sure I'm not the only one to say this but I commend you for being honest about mistakes more reason to trust a shop. Like you said mistakes happen if any shop or mechanic says otherwise then they are full of it. Honesty is something that has seemed to be forgotten in some shops

You just made that engine block a collectors edition. One day, it will be rebuilt again, and it will have the unique installation of weight mitigation machining.

Love the honesty in this video. I was always told the person who make mistakes is normally the one doing the most work.

Good work man, the oops happens to everyone, at least you didn't try to blame it on the guy across the street. I would let you machine my block or heads any day, good attention to detail. Your a great Machinist!

Hey it's really nice to meet you. I appreciate what you doing. I glad to learn from you. I don't see these types of jobs everyday. I just want to learn from you. I'm All the way from Belize. I respect you sir. I love to see more videos from you.

That’s definitely a big oof, but shit happens and owning up to it and fixing your mistake is key. Awesome job

Great narrative on your work. I grew up with my dad doing this type of work in the winter. Oh ya, everyone makes a mistake.. Fessing up is tough. I had an instructor walk in to go over lathe operations with the class. He just walked over and flicked the machine on, and the whole tool block casting broke off the machine and fell to the floor. Someone had left the tool engaged in the piece.

I'm impressed by your patience and refusal to do anything less than absolutely correct even when it's difficult and a lot of work. I'm especially impressed by the extra effort you took to put that stress relief chamfer at the end of the block. How many Farmall blocks receive that kind of extra attention?

Just another way of doing things; the engine blocks I worked on that needed sleeves with a ledge at the bottom or had cracking/damage to the parent bore always had sleeves installed through freezing for a shrink fit. Pressing a sleeve up against the small shoulder risks cracking and breaking the shoulder out, even worse, pressing against crack in the parent bore axially will always cause the crack to grow. Freeze the sleeves in dry ice for anything over a .0015 interference fit, anything under a .0005 interference fit can usually shrink down in a standard freezer overnight to the point of effeciently dropping in place. Either way, spray the sleeve with Sunnen PFL before freezing, avoiding the area you will apply Loctite to, the freeze. After freezing wipe off any excess frost and drop in the bore, the sleeve will fall right against the shoulder. Lightly clamp or weigh the sleeve down so it doesn't creep up off the shoulder, but still has the ability to grow vertically. Again, no ragging or bad intentions here, just some advice. 5-10 lbs of dry ice will do the trick and is not expensive, you can typically get it at any welding store or commercial gas distributor.

Glad you snatched a victory from the jaws of defeat. I'm not a fan of double sleeving, but I guess you had to do what you had to do.

This job was very Labor intensive ! I am catching on history ! Thanks for sharing !

You've done a good job there mate👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

Great video and another great project completed!

Attention to Detail.. Great Job.

The mark of a good craftsman is in how well you correct your inevitable mistake!

Your video skills have improved a lot! I went back and watched this one. Good job on the Farmall H block!

Beautiful work!😊

I'm a small engine tech for over 40 years! And yes thinks do happen I been there. We learn from them.

I'd say one of the most important things to do when a mistake is made is to admit that you made a mistake. Recently at our local C&P Machine Shop here in Fort Wayne, Indiana they forgot to put a 30,000 Ship under 1 spring when redoing our head. The man I spoke with about it said that his guy forgets a lot but, when asked he says that he put everything back in. Whatever that means?!? I had to run it to another machine shop to have the shim put in. Would have been nice for him to have said, sorry, shit happens and we're only human..

Nothing about this the average tool guy couldn't learn. BUT! only about 1% of us tool guys have the patience to do the setup, cleanup, setup, cleanup over and over till the job is done correctly. Much admiration for those who do sir.

One heck of a job

Great work for sure

good job. I like how dad came over to supervise

Good job and a good save

I LOVE THIS CHANNEL ,,, PLEASE LET THERE BE MANY MORE OF YOUR INCREDIBLE VIDEOS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

I had that happen using a Van Norman Rotary broach.......I filled it with some JB weld.....was in an area that didn't matter....BB Chevy iron head....In my years working in a performance engine shop I had a few miscues.....it happens....

Great workmanship! Happy new year to you and your families

Good job!

Hi, Nicholas! I love to see your videos, great sharing.

The cleaner really has picked up some skills from around the shop

Working in the jet engine field we would use heat and dry ice to install press fits. Usually the product would assemble much easier.

I've been binge watching all your videos..Glad I Sub'd to your channel

Obviously, I hadn’t seen this video yet. I started watching his videos. I don’t know a couple months ago, but I work in the automotive field as well not the machine part of it but I do appreciate people taking pride in the product that they put out.

Nice job for a young person. Keep it up.

You're a pro. If it was easy anyone could do it. Nice going.

I was working at a Shell Service station, like 50 years ago and some folks brought in a Falcon where they had attempted to drill out a broken bolt in efforts to remove the water pump, well, they had drilled straight through the water channel directly into the number one cylinder! As it happens, the hole was in the piston path. Fix it? Well, stick weld the inside of the cylinder wall, grind to a manageable surface then hone the cylinder until smooth!

Nice save

I remember when an old plumber told me, "The difference between a journeyman and an apprentice is the journeyman knows how to fix his mistakes."

Nice job

Good job 👍 freand

Wow.... Is that a Chevy Monza parking in your garage? 1980 hatchback? Great video. Thanks. 👍😎🇨🇦

A little J B Weld on that deck and it will buff right out.

Well done precision machine work-Great video--Old Cat mechanic.......

Fascinating solution, sleeve in sleeve!😁👍👍 I beg you, please use a tripod.... I got seasick at times! 😁👍🎅🤶🎁🎄🍁

I've fixed many pitted blocks that way that couldn't be milled away and there all still running no issues

Your an honest man to admit your "Damn-it"! The experiance plays into part on how well you correct the boo-boo. Myself, I'd use epoxy putty, just to make myself feel better!

If you have a standard h, you can bore it out and put super h sleeves in it. Normally it's enough to clean up the block.

I hope the double sleeve trick works.How are you sure that the sleeve actually bottoms out? Especially being over length?

Grand effort ! Dad should have done it …! Similar vintage ! … well not really

I like your SkyHawk. I've had a few Monzas and Sunbirds and I still have a 76 Sunbird. I would love to see a video about that project.

I bet that Abom would have made you precision custom sleeves!

I need that Monza. Edit: Skyhawk! Even cooler!

Didn’t get into the deck mating surface, no harm no foul. 😄👍🏻

Now this is getting into the meeting potatoes with stuff is really messed up but you were miracles. A mechanic is like a good cook but every now and then you get a little eggshell on your face from someone else's egg. LOL Feed me more thank you

you do not freeze the liners?

Hey Jim, I notice you use your phone light a lot to give visibility as you go. I was thinking a better source would be to get a USB rechargeable LED bike light! Can get very powerful if you wish (all the way from 200 to 1000 lumens), easier to point and your not getting crap on your phone. I’d probably go about 3-500 lumens for what you would be using it for. John from Brisbane Australia!

It’s like the old saying “We don’t make mistrakes “

Fun to watch!!!👍👍👍👍👍👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Great job!

I'd love to see a vehicle start up at the end of the video.

I went to school for tool and die and I ended up hating it. This stuff is interesting though 👍

Would love to see you guys get a lathe so I can see when you use it. I’ve got a southbend heavy 10 and I’m trying to figure out when to use it

Here’s a quick idea you don’t have to use it but what about a portable bandsaw to cut the tops of the sleeves off As a machinist I know about time plus effort and people want to do everything quick but they don’t know what indicating a part Cool shop keep it up be safe

Thats a lot of work for an old H

His camera work sure has improved since filming this episode. LOL

Enjoy all your videos good job. PS.is the blue Monza for sale

I have seen video's where people will run a line of weld in a few spots in the sleeve and the resultant shrink of the weld will make it easier to press out...

Mistakes can happen and owning up to them is the best policy. I've been pondering how to avoid making such a mistake again, which is my habit when I make mistakes. Is installing the spacer behind the button the only way to disable the Z-axis (plunging)? Is there a way to disable it electrically with a switch? When the switch is set to allow plunging, it could also light a warning light. If that is not possible add a switch to where the spacer is stored. If the spacer is in its storage location the plunging light is on, if the spacer is removed (to install) the light is out. This is not fool proof as you could remove the spacer from its 'dock' and forget to install it. So perhaps a light to show it is docked and a second to show it is not.

One of my favorite things was to put sleeves in freeze the sleeves use the green sleeve loctite compound but if there's a crack in a block we would pin it and then bore the block whether it's up top or down bottom we would automatically pin the block and use the green loctite compound with the pins and then grind the pins close as we can and then finish boring the block for new sleeves, you should have just put oversized sleeves in board it to size double sleep in a block effects heat transfer which is not good ?

Special honing technique I haven't seen before, is it better than using the dwell function on the machine?

if you have never seen a sub sleeve pulled into a rotating crank, it makes a mess of everything. i had one the machine shop machine the ledge out of the block and didn't leave a step. the customer over heated the engine and a piston stuck on the liner and pulled the whole mess into the crank. he said you should have heard the sound it made.🙉🙉🙉🙉

Is that an old Buick Sky Hawk sitting in the shop by the garage door? 1976-78? Awesome job on saving that block! Exceptional work nick!

You need to hold the liners when they hit the bottom under pressure for 4 to5 minutes otherwise they will creep up later that will drop then the problems start good luck Aldos engineering Zimbabwe

With all that going on do you do anything more than tracker blocks with your pocket knife

When I was in my teens I worked part time at a machine shop mostly to pay for my own machine work anyway the shop did a lot of work on tractor engine and industrial engines and as result the shop sleeved a cylinder bores work including the type of job you just did and the shop owner was adamant that when sleeving a hole that each hole was bored to only the size needed so basically each hole was machined to different diameter which in turn required the OD of each sleeve to be machined each hole. Lastly if doing double sleeving like you did we always honed the "overhaul sleeve" to ensure roundness and or piston fit. More times than not we would put the engine block in the oven prior to pressing in the sleeve which means when doing multiple holes you worked fast to avoid having to rewarming the block and the one thing you never wanted to do is have a sleeve seize in the hole not fully installed. Lastly save the blade on your knife and or risking possibly cutting yourself badly and get an old fashion "muffler chisel" or sheet metal ripper chisel that you hit with a hammer and reprofile a little bit and it will make quick work of cutting the old sleeves out, and yes you can use an air chisel to cut the sleeves out if you good and have one like a CP-714 that you really can control the trigger with but personally I think I rather use a hammer and muffler chisel the chisel I am referring to used to be sold in auto parts stores and looked similar to it's air chisel cousin but cut a thinner slit and had a smaller "shoe"

What happens if you have a hole in the bore? Pulled an old sleeve and found a pretty large hole. Is engine toast or can it be repaired

Run 3 to 4 full length beads of 7018 rods down the sleeve. Let the sleeve cool completely and it should easily tap out with a brass punch.

Love your videos wondering where your shop is located