Perkins Engine Failure

[Mulchin Larry]

The Perkins 1104 in my ASV RC-100 started making a god awful knocking sound last week while we were mulching a tract for one of the local timber companies. We loaded it up and took it to the shop. After pulling the motor and breaking it down, we found out that it had the #3 rod sticking thru both sides of the engine block:confused:. Looks like the bearing failed, causing the piston to get more clearance, causing it to knock into the head until it broke the rod and sent it thru the block. So now the engine is shot and is going to need to be replaced.

Luckily it is still under warranty, just waiting on Perkins to say whether they will cover it or not. :dizzy: At the time of the failure, and through all of the other 600 hours, the motor has had plenty of fresh oil in it. I have babied it as much as you can for the work it has done and kept up with all the maintenance. Has anyone ever dealt with Perkins warranty department or had any other similar problems out of there motors?

This down time is taking a big ole bite out of my backside:cry:

[rutwad]

Buy a motor and get back to work. Perkins should reimburse you. It took 3 months for me to get a starter warrantied through Perkins.

[Gravel Rat]

That is surprising because Perkins is a decent engine or you can call them Perkapillar now that Clatterpillar owns Perkins.

It sounds like a factory defect there is no way you could stuff a rod through the side with that little hours.

Good Luck :laugh:

[john_bud]

Was looking at Rayco equipment with the oil cooled Duetz. There is a LOT a lot A LOT of them with new engines between 400 and 1200 hours.

Makes me wonder if mulching is that hard on the engine? Or is it poor cooling leading to overheating and SED (Sudden Engine Death).

j

[wanabe]

How many hours are on it? Did any coolant ever get in the oil(headgasket, sleeve, ect). Something had to cause this......

[BIGBEN2004]

My buddies Cat 257B with about 900 Hrs on it blew a rod though the side of the block on his also. It did the same thing, started a slight knock sound that got worse in about 1hour of continued use. The Cat dealer said it was still under warranty and to bring it in. He unloaded it in their parking lot and began driving it around to the back of the shop and BANG. He walked in and told them it stopped. They came out with a forklift and picked it up and carried it in the shop. They had it back to him in about a week. It was used easy from day one and still blew up. Good thing it was under warranty since they said it would of cost him around $14,000 for the engine and labor to replace it. Usually those engines are known as hard starters in the winter but now they are starting to get a rape sheet of blowing up. Not good for Cat.

[bobcat_ron]

That's why Cat has the SOS programs in place, it saved my brother from thousands of dollars in downtime and repairs, no biggie either, take the sample kit and follow the directions, I'm getting everything on my Cat done at 100 hours.

[ksss]

How many hours are on it? Did any coolant ever get in the oil(headgasket, sleeve, ect). Something had to cause this......

The engine is making 100 or so hp and over 300 foot/pounds of torque. I suspect that it is tuned higher than what it can reliably put out. That said the 257 that is mentioned in this thread is not a high hp engine. It may have just let go. I have heard of a lot of turbo problems with these engines.

[Digdeep]

The engine is making 100 or so hp and over 300 foot/pounds of torque. I suspect that it is tuned higher than what it can reliably put out. That said the 257 that is mentioned in this thread is not a high hp engine. It may have just let go. I have heard of a lot of turbo problems with these engines.

That 4.4L engine is rated for up to 115hp and is in thousands of CATs Backhoes and telehandlers not to mention thousands of other manufacturers machines. I don't think it would be sold in that configuration of hp and torque if Perkins didn't think it would handle it. If it was why would they offer a 2 year 2000 hour warranty.

[Construct'O]

That 4.4L engine is rated for up to 115hp and is in thousands of CATs Backhoes and telehandlers not to mention thousands of other manufacturers machines. I don't think it would be sold in that configuration of hp and torque if Perkins didn't think it would handle it. If it was why would they offer a 2 year 2000 hour warranty.

Too me there is a lot of difference in the same engine running in a backhoe and a telehandler!!!!!!!

Compared to a ASV with the muchler attachment on it.The grinding away at trees and brush is way tuffer conditon then you would ever see on the two machines above.

It is like day and night ,no comparison :rolleyes: !!!!!!!:usflag:

[Digdeep]

Too me there is a lot of difference in the same engine running in a backhoe and a telehandler!!!!!!!

Compared to a ASV with the muchler attachment on it.The grinding away at trees and brush is way tuffer conditon then you would ever see on the two machines above.

It is like day and night ,no comparison :rolleyes: !!!!!!!:usflag:

I agree with you. My main point was to state that the 4.4L engine used in the ASV machine is not at the edge of its hp and torque limits.

I think that brush mulching is a very demanding application for both the engine and the pump. One only needs to look at the issues faced by Rayco and Fecon with the Duetz oil cooled engine to prove that point. The duetz engines were pretty reliable in the Bobcats I sold in a dirt digging environment, but in really hot and dusty conditions they did not fare too well.

[Mulchin Larry]

Looks like Perkins is going to warranty the motor for me:clapping: They concluded their investigation and determined it was the bearing that went out and caused all the damage, and it did not have anythng to do with lack of lubrication. So write that down fellas, reason #506 to stay on top of your maintenance.

FYI..Turns out that Perkins has discontinued the 1104. So gotta wait an extra day for them to find one.

It looks like it is gonna end up putting me down for about two weeks total. Which sucks since I was already backed up into April, but at least I am not buying a new motor or a new machine. However that 140 horse Rayco is starting to look a hell of a lot better.