I bet you they thought it was a Ford 177 or 200! I would check parts against known 233 parts if you can find them. Personally I would swap in a Ford 250 and go with an automatic.
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THIOKOL 601 RESTORE
- Thread starter weatherby
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weatherby
Member
THANKS Snocat/operations, Grommerguy, Boggie, and Mainer you guys are CORRECT I did drop the cam shaft off at the machine shop along with the valve springs to see if they are the correct ones.The machine shop called today and they found that the springs are correct but the cam is NOT so what happened was the the springs (coil bind) because the lobs on the cam were much taller. So how that cam found It,s way into that motor is anybody's guess but at least we now know what bent the push rods. 
That's kinda what I figured that the cam might be incorrect. Could have also been incorrect lengths of pushrods. Hope you get it figured out! Good luck!
weatherby
Member
We also did check the push rod length which is correct. I see you are located in or near geraldton Ont. I,ve been up to lake O'Sulivan north of Nakina many times nice place.
Cool! I'm right in Geraldton. Been up to O'Sullivan Lake a few times myself. Never fished there though. When I went there, it was on canoe trips. I see you're in the UP. That's where the groomer I operate in the winter came from. Small world!
THANKS Snocat/operations, Grommerguy, Boggie, and Mainer you guys are CORRECT I did drop the cam shaft off at the machine shop along with the valve springs to see if they are the correct ones.The machine shop called today and they found that the springs are correct but the cam is NOT so what happened was the the springs (coil bind) because the lobs on the cam were much taller. So how that cam found It,s way into that motor is anybody's guess but at least we now know what bent the push rods.
Ive seen worse! Also once had some very expensive parts that needed Powder coating. I tagged each piece with the color written on the tag it needed to be powder coated. some parts came back correct but most were switched. Had an argument with the owner that THEY screwed up and not me. Proved it with Polaroids my brother had taken of each part. The tags had the part number (Which is what he was taking a picture of) plus you could read my chicken scratch of what color it was to be! If it wasnt for those I would have been out alot of money. Anyway I bet the engine was disassembled and then someone brought another Ford inline in to be rebuilt. Someone swapped parts. Also just to make sure I would check all the other parts. If they swapped in the wrong cam what else could they have swapped in? The parts will fit as you found out (Or the previous owner did) But will self detruct like a Mission Impossible tape when fired up. I suggest getting another "running" engine to be safe or have each part inspected. Its a pain in the ass I know but nothing will let the air out of your wifes sails for snowcats faster if you fire it up and it grenades on you with some God Awful noises spewing from the engine compartment.
Go with a 250 cid! OR if you want a great running 200 I have two sitting in some nice running snowcats that I want to put 250s in! I will sell them cheap!
Sno-op's right! I'd be looking for something else to put in it just to be sure. THere's always gonna be that big "WHAT IF" every time you go out with it. I'm in the same situation with my boat motor right now. Too many guys had their fingers in it now I don't know what's wrong with it and I'm not prepared to waste any more $$$ on something I can't trust. My advice.........if you're anything less then 100%sure you know what the problem is in that engine, start looking for something else to put in it, but that's just me. (I'm still a little sore about spending a month rebuilding an engine only to have it blow up on me the first trip out!)
How about taking this as an opportunity to convert to a nice beefy diesel?
Maybe changing more variables than would be ideal... but at least worth a few moments of consideration...
A 250 CID inline Ford 6 should pretty much be a straight bolt in. Plus the 250s came with a Ford V8 bolt pattern bell housing alowing you to bolt up any Ford automatic transmission. C-4 C-6 or the AOD. All thats needed is a Ford 300 inline 6 flex plate.
weatherby
Member
Well I do agree with all you guys about switching it out for a 250 or 200 the only reason I,am not is because I,m try to keep this as original as I can or I would like Snocat/Op says, put in a 250 which I agree is a better way to go. But before this motor goes back together I will be 100% sure that everything is right . The only things that will not be replaced will be the pistons, rods, and crank shaft. And also before it goes back between the frame rails I am going to run it on a test stand that I am building for it so I don,t have any problems once I start it for the first time after it,s all done and the wife & all her friends are standing there watching.
Well, Thats the way to do it then! Test stands are pretty easy to fab anyway. Keep us posted.
weatherby
Member
Well I know it's been awhile but between work & trying to spend time up north at our other house and all the upkeep with two homes It's been hard to spend quality time on the cat, but I finally got some time to work on it in the last several days and update my thread. As you can see I got the engine basically back together after making sure all tolerances are correct. It looks like I will be welding the crack in my exhaust manifold I can not find a new one even with the help of a lot of you guys out there. I will be starting on the carburetor next, to get it back in new condition and also I will be switching the 35 amp generator over to a high amp altanator then it will be close to starting it up, but that will be a couple of weeks yet because I have to be out of town all of this up coming week and some of the week of the 23rd for work. So thats all I have for now .
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Very nice! Do still need the Track Jacks?
Good God Man ! Is everything you do have to look so damn good ???? Smear a little grease on something, for cryin out loud . I can only think of one other fella on FF that works at your level . Its that fella up in Canada with that perfect Snow Trac . I think i'll go out a polish my lug nuts that I got from Mntpooper .
Weatherby dont pay any attention to him. (Hes a Kristi owner)
weatherby
Member
I don't think so, at least not yet. First I,am going to see if I can get a fence stretcher from T.S.C. to work but that still is a couple of months away yet, but thanks I may still need them
weatherby
Member
Good God Man ! Is everything you do have to look so damn good ???? Smear a little grease on something, for cryin out loud . I can only think of one other fella on FF that works at your level . Its that fella up in Canada with that perfect Snow Trac . I think i'll go out a polish my lug nuts that I got from Mntpooper .
Well as my two daughters,most of my friends and all my neighbors tell me is that It's starting to happen! (But they didn't think it would take this long) and that is, you guys are starting to wounder what they have known since that day I came home with that WHAT IN THE HELL IS THAT THING (as they put it) on the back of my flat bed trailer, is that he's not normal
But I did think it was nice of them to offer to get me help when ever I want it, GEEEEEEEE I wounder if that means helping work on the snocat??? 
Most likely it means help from little bald men with glasses in white coats. We here at the FF snowcat division are here to assist you in your endeavors to get your snowcat on the snow. We are better than men in white coats since we know what you trully suffer from. Snowcattus syndrome. We also know that there is truly one cure for this little bug. Its getting your snowcat on the snow! Thats it. Some of us who have long term projects just cant stand the idea of not being able to run on the snow so we buy additional snowcats. These individuals are in what we call the terminal stage and must be surrounded by snowcats all year long. Once bitten by that snowcat bug there trully is no going back to life as before. You realize that you really didnt have a life before. Now you do.
Yee Kristi owners are not worthy.:snooty:
Very well said . So lets see here .... I own 3 cats and you have 4 cats ..... hmmmmmm . Should we take the pink pill this morning or the purple one . I feel all giddy .
LOL yes I will be taking the PURPLE pill! Two of them.
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Actually, Mikey has 7 (seven)!!! 3 in the yard, 1 in the circus tent, and 3 awaiting transportation to the yard/circus tent.
Love the Alternator upgrade. Where did you find it?
weatherby
Member
I got it at a local shop that puts in those huge boom-en stereo systems in cars & boats. It ran me $125.00
Good price!! You wont be sorry. This mod will allow you to easliy run all kinds of things that would have strained that little generator (winch, strobes, etc...).
7 CATS?!?!?!?! MIGHT WE BE SEING AND UPGRADE TO THE STORAGE FACILITIES FOR THESE CATS ALSO IN THE NEAR FUTURE? HERE'S ONE OPTION I'VE FOUND THAT MIGHT HOLD ALL THOSE CATS UNDER ONE ROOF.......
Nope these are Thiokols and Snow Masters NOT Kristis!