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JD 318 p218

1126 Views 6 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  woodpecker41
I have a 318 with the Onan p218. I have compression of 95 lbs on the left side (sitting on tractor) and 125 lbs on the right side. Has blow by out the breather, out the cam shaft Welch plug which is loose and rattling and the dipstick tube. Has a slight tick on the right side of engine. Engine runs great with a little smoke.Is this engine completely wore out? Is there anything I can do? The hour meter has 1177, not sure if it's accurate or not
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When was the last time the heads were off to de-carbon and the valves were adjusted? That would be a decent place to start. Recommendation on valves and cleaning I think is 200 hours. Onan parts has a gasket kit just for this job which is handy.
From past experience if the welch plug is loose it was caused by the cam bearings being worn and the cam itself moving around. Something else to check when you have it apart
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Minisub and others following this thread:

According to the operators manual OM-M79598, the service period is dependent upon the fuel used...note that Ethanol fuels are not mentioned here...but elsewhere in the manual it states a max of 10 % alcohol.

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Chuck
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From past experience if the welch plug is loose it was caused by the cam bearings being worn and the cam itself moving around. Something else to check when you have it apart
Yep, Boomer says some of those cam bearings start peeling apart in layers. He won’t touch anything in the engine without doing the cam bearings.
Do you think the blow by could be caused by the valves or more likely the rings?
Rings would cause oil burning. Valves would cause poor performance. Roger
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