Cummins HBI-600 specs

[Frankhaddad]

I have to replace the head gaskets on this engine, I have gone to the dealer and was told anyone with knowledge of these engines are either dead or retired. I am just looking for torque specs for this engine to get the job done. I believe it came out of a road truck from the 40's or 50's, no s/n that I can find. Any input on this would be great.

 

[Tenwheeler]

I have no information on those but have rebuilt several engines without a book. Just was not going to buy a book for a one time deal. If you look at a bolt torque chart, measure your bolts diameter, look at the grade markings, and torque it to 95% of the high spec you should be good.
That is just my experience and opinion. There were no torque to yield bolts back then. They will not work that way.

 

[DoyleX]

Did some searching on the web. Looks like HBI looks identical to a 672 only industrial. More or less a 220hp truck engine.
Is is supercharged?

 

[Frankhaddad]

I have no information on those but have rebuilt several engines without a book. Just was not going to buy a book for a one time deal. If you look at a bolt torque chart, measure your bolts diameter, look at the grade markings, and torque it to 95% of the high spec you should be good.
That is just my experience and opinion. There were no torque to yield bolts back then. They will not work that way.

Thank you for the info, I never would have thought that. Now one more question, do you know the valve specs?

 

[Frankhaddad]

Did some searching on the web. Looks like HBI looks identical to a 672 only industrial. More or less a 220hp truck engine.
Is is supercharged?

No, it is naturally aspirated.

 

[kshansen]

I have an old shop manual dated 1965. It doesn't show the HBI but does have a few 672 engines in it. There are some naturally aspirated versions and some supercharged versions as well as 2 and 4 valve versions.

Also have another manual that shows some of the information on the disk type fuel pump, that the one from be for the days of the PT pump. If anything out of those might help let me know.

One interesting thing I see in the second book mentioned above in the section on periodical service is the recommendation that valves and injectors be adjusted ever 5,000 road miles or for an industrial engine ever 300 working hours! Now days just an oil change that often would be out of the question for most engines.

 

[Frankhaddad]

I have an old shop manual dated 1965. It doesn't show the HBI but does have a few 672 engines in it. There are some naturally aspirated versions and some supercharged versions as well as 2 and 4 valve versions.

Also have another manual that shows some of the information on the disk type fuel pump, that the one from be for the days of the PT pump. If anything out of those might help let me know.

One interesting thing I see in the second book mentioned above in the section on periodical service is the recommendation that valves and injectors be adjusted ever 5,000 road miles or for an industrial engine ever 300 working hours! Now days just an oil change that often would be out of the question for most engines.

A lot of work, for monthly service! This engine is currently in a small locomotive, I am helping to restore it, the fuel pump is PTO driven, I am removing the air compressor between it and the PTO, it is not needed. Sometime several years ago, some one replaced the engine with the one in it and hastily installed it. If you have the adjustment specs on it, that would super helpful!

 

[kshansen]

A lot of work, for monthly service! This engine is currently in a small locomotive, I am helping to restore it, the fuel pump is PTO driven, I am removing the air compressor between it and the PTO, it is not needed. Sometime several years ago, some one replaced the engine with the one in it and hastily installed it. If you have the adjustment specs on it, that would super helpful!

I did some work years ago on a small switcher engine a Plymouth Locomotive. It had two small Cummins six cylinder engine in it one at the front and one at the rear with the cab in the middle.

Go to the "Start a Conversation" link and click on that and send me an email address and I try to scan in a few pages for you. Might not get to it today as we have company coming for the weekend.

 

[Tenwheeler]

The oldest Cummins I worked on were in P&H or Manitowoc cranes. They had external fuel lines. Adjustment interval I recall was first service, then every 3,000 hours. Who,s recommendation?
I hope kshansen has some good info for you! I will throw in some pointers but just take them into consideration. If you have all the belts off the front of that drive pulley does it have a lot of side or end play? Now is the time to address that.
That pulley is timed to the engine and the timing marks for overhead adjustment are on it. Adjusting these engines is not quit like any other manufacturers so clear your mind. Throw away the phone and run everyone off. Mark every rocker you adjust with a tire crayon or something. Make a chart and record amount each adjuster is turned in which direction. If it gets really hard to turn stop and back up. You are out of place or the accessory drive pulley is out of time.

 

[kshansen]

Yes one can get into a problem if someone has replaced the air compressor on certain of those old Cummins engine. See on some models the crankshaft for the compressor is one piece with the shaft that the accessory pulley in mounted on. That pulley as Tenwheeler mentions has the marks used to adjust valves and injectors. Thing is having that gear and the connected pulley will not cause a problem with the way the engine runs as the Cummins PT pump is only supplying fuel at pressure to the injectors and the camshaft controls the timing of injection.


On most if not all front covers there is a pipe plug located where the timing marks for the compressor/Fuel pup gear meshes with the cam gear so it is possible to see the marks to confirm they are lined up. A little bit of a job to see in that small hole in some applications but with a small mirror and good light it is possible!

I'm hoping Frank can post some pictures of his project engine to give us a better idea of what he has gotten himself into!

 

[Adam Krause]

So these engine were manufactured specifically for small locomotives in the 40's and 50's. They only have 150 horsepower but the torque is outrageous. You can pull a 50 car train at low speed. You could probably fit it into a very large truck but I kind of doubt it. To stay on topic though, look up torquing specs for the thread size you have and that should do you well.

 

[Tenwheeler]

Thanks for getting us up to speed. One of my grandfathers retired from Illinois Central Gulf. He hated those diesel burners. Said they were weak and worthless.
If I recall the story correct he said a steam locomotive could pull a hundred cars over Mt Vernon. A diesel loco could pull a hundred cars but three more were on a side track at Mt. Vernon. They were sent out to hook up and get a run as it took four to make the pull. I was just a kid and the best I remember.
I would like to see some pictures of that from Frankhaddad. When I was a kid we could ride the train for free. Remember some of those steamers still out there and I was in awe.

 

[Adam Krause]

Well that is very true. The thing about diesel locos is that the engines are monsters but they loose all of there power through transmission. You may know that the engine spins a generator and powers motors. The motors tend to be weak on high end torque. They also overheat easily. Generally, steam is better but nobody knows how to maintain them these days. We dropped out last steam loco around 2000 because nobody could fix it after it started having problems.

 

[Tenwheeler]

I became very interested in steam power as a teen ager and read big thick boring books. Horse power is theoretically unlimited. However they are mechanically limited, even the turbines, and are fuel hogs. The diesel electrics improved in time. That is my understanding.
They are still impressive to my and there are some interesting you tubes on steam tractor pulls.