FPT’s Cursor family of engines has a wide range of uses internationally, powering everything from mining machinery to European tour buses for world-famous musicians to commercial fishing boats off the shores of Australia, but how does it stack up in the USA’s off-road division?
FPT Industrial
Incorporated in 1975, Iveco [FPT’s parent company] is a multi-national manufacturer of commercial vehicles currently for sale in over 160 countries. Iveco sold medium-duty trucks in North America from 1978 through 1990, when they announced their intended departure from the US market due to intense competition. Skipping ahead to 2005, Iveco established Fiat Powertrain Technologies Industrial [FPT Industrial] to manufacture transmissions, axles, and, most importantly, engines. Iveco later merged FPT Industrial with CNH under the Fiat Industrial brand. You may find references to FPT Cursor, Iveco Cursor, or CNH Cursor, but the most common designation is FPT.
Cursor Engine Family
As mentioned above, Cursor engines have a much wider range of applications worldwide than they do here in the States. The Cursor engine family ranges from 8.9L to 15.9L in size, with many variations and options to choose from based on the equipment it is powering.
Cursor 9
The 8.9L Cursor 9 is found in tractors and combines, such as the New Holland CR9.90 and the Claas Axion 950, as well as construction equipment. The marine version is used in commercial and large personal vessels.
Cursor 10
FPT’s Cursor 10 is custom-built for various applications such as irrigation pumps, cable reel units, wood chippers, airline ground support equipment, conveyors, rock crushers, and concrete pumps.
Cursor 11
The Cursor 11 is found primarily in commercial transport vehicles outside the United States.
Cursor 13
This high-powered engine is used in large agricultural machines such as the New Holland FR600 chopper, Case IH 8230, Case IH RowTrac 470 T4B, Steiger 540 Quadtrac, and New Holland CR10 combine. The Cursor 13 is also found in construction equipment, excavators, large power generators, and heavy-haul trucks.
Cursor 16
Currently the largest Cursor, this 15.9L version is found in large agricultural and construction equipment such as the Case 1121G wheel loader, New Holland E485 excavator, and New Holland CR11 combine. The 1000-hp marine version is recommended for commercial vessels, yachts, and sport-fishing boats up to 59’.
Cursor 13 Specs
2007-2014: Tier 3 [F3A, F3B, F3C]
2014-2018: Tier 4 [F3D]
- 6 in-line cylinders with a single overhead cam
- Supercharged
- Intercooled – closed-circuit, forced circulation
- High-pressure common rail (direct injection)
- 16.5:1 compression ratio [Tier 3] or 15.5:1 compression ratio [Tier 4]
- Rated Power: 330-825 HP (varies by configuration)
- Max Torque: 1483-1964 lb-ft (varies by configuration)
Potential Issues
While the Cursor 13 is a dependable workhorse utilized worldwide, like any engine, it has known issues that, left unattended, will lead to major failure.
- Valve guide failure, allowing the valves to eat grooves in the cylinder liners
- Wrist pin failure – if this is not caught in time, it will lead to a thrown rod and possibly a window in your block
- Piston failure
- Failures resulting from a cold start going into full throttle usage without warmup time or from turning the engine off before it reaches a low idle
- Worn bearings
- Turbo bolts breaking
Baril Engine’s Complete Engine Packages
Significant differences exist in what one engine rebuilder includes in a “Short Block” or “Long Block” from another engine builder. If you’re comparing quotes for your Cursor 13, please look at the details, as Baril Engine includes more in our packages than many other engine builders.
Baril Engine offers three levels of engine rebuild packages:
- Short Block (SB): Includes rebuilding the engine’s rotating assembly (block, crankshaft, connecting rods) and installing liners with O-rings, pistons, piston ring sets, piston pins & retainers, rod pin bushings, lower gasket set, main bearing set, rod bearing set, and thrust washer set.
- Long Block (LB): Includes all the work in the SB level and adds a complete rebuild of the cylinder head, installation of the cylinder head, cam bushings, camshaft, lifters, rocker arms, upper gasket set, oil cooler, oil pump, water pump, and thermostat and adjusting of the valves.
- Ready-to-Run (RTR): Includes all the work in the SB and LB levels and adds many or all of the components and parts required for the engine to be ready to run, including the fuel injectors, fuel pump, and turbo(s).
Baril Engine is a custom engine builder, so our engine packages are customized to reflect each engine’s application and specific needs. Therefore, there can be considerable variation in the processes performed, the parts included, and the total cost from one engine project to the next. It is essential that we discuss and document within your estimate your engine’s history, any known issues, previous repairs, and your specific needs and goals. The more information you provide, the better positioned we are to meet your needs and exceed your goals. Please always refer to your written estimate to know what is and is not included in your engine package.
Baril Engine’s Machining, Rebuilding, and Assembly Services
Disassembly and Cleaning
A thorough and quality cleaning the engine components is a time-consuming and labor-intensive job. However, we firmly believe that it is the foundation of our entire process.
Disassembly and Cleaning details
- Disassembly of the engine and all its components.
- Initial cleaning of the components with a high temp spray wash process.
- Remove any remaining carbon or material from the parts using a variety of hand and pneumatic cleaning tools and processes.
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Cylinder Head
[Available individually or as part of the LB & RTR packages.]
Cylinder Head Inspection details
- Magnaflux the cylinder head to identify any previously undetected cracks. Magnaflux Testing, also known as magnetic particle inspection, uses a magnetic field and an iron oxide powder or solution to identify surface cracks in metals. It is a time-proven and reliable method of identifying external cracks.
- Pressure testing the cylinder head, as the name suggests, uses air or hot water pressure to test the integrity of the internal coolant passages. With this test, we can find cracks in the head’s coolant passages, leaking frost plugs, and other defects that need to be addressed as a part of our rebuild process.
- Inspect the valves for stem wear, straightness, and if they have sufficient margin to allow grinding.
- Inspect the valve guides for wear and proper clearance.
- Inspect valve seats for wear and defects.
- Remove cam bearings from the head.
Cylinder Head Rebuilding Process details
- Resurface (mill) the cylinder head’s deck to ensure it is straight, flat, and has the proper finish.
- Grind the valves or replace as needed.
- Install new valve seats as needed and cut to produce three-angle valve seats.
- Remove & replace valve guides as needed.
- Replace valve springs with new.
- Replace injector tubes.
- Install new cam bearings in the head.
- Assemble the cylinder head and complete the final inspection of the finished head to verify it meets all specifications.
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Engine Block
[Available individually or as part of a complete engine rebuild package.]
Engine Block Inspection details
- Magnaflux the block to identify any previously undetected cracks.
- Inspect and measure each main journal bore with a dial bore gauge after torquing the main caps on to specification. This inspection allows us to see if any of the main journal bores need to be resized.
- The Cursor 13 typically has a wet-sleeve cylinder liner sealed with an upper deck counterbore. We inspect the block’s counterbore to determine if it needs to be reconditioned.
- Inspect the main housing bores to ensure they are round and true and determine the main bearing grade required.
Engine Block Reconditioning Process details
- Resurface (mill) the block’s top deck to ensure it is straight, flat, and has the proper finish.
- If the main housing bores are out of spec, align bore the block to correct.
- If our inspection revealed that the deck counterbore area needs work, we machine the counterbores and clean up the sealing surface. Generally, the Cursor 13 liner protrusion is on the low end of FPT specifications from the factory. So, typically, we cut the counterbores and, if necessary, install liner shims to achieve the correct liner protrusion.
- Inspect the main housing bores to ensure they are round and true and to determine the main bearing grade required.
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Connecting Rods
[Available individually or as part of a complete engine rebuild package.]
Connecting Rod Inspection details
- Liquid Magnaflux each of the connecting rods to identify any previously undetected cracks. Any rod found to have a crack or defect is replaced.
Connecting Rod Reconditioning Process details
- Connecting rod piston pin housing bore (small end): The piston pin bushing on the small end of the connecting rod is subject to wear over time. We recondition the piston pin end on each connecting rod by removing and replacing the pin bushing and honing it to fit the new piston pin to achieve the specified clearance.
- Connecting rod crankpin housing bore (big end): If during our inspection a rod’s crankpin housing bore is found to be deformed or worn, we resize the bore by cutting the cap, torquing the cap on to specification, and bore and hone the crankpin bore to specified size and finish. Rod bearings also come in different grades—the size of the crankpin and housing bore determines the grade.
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Crankshaft and Camshaft
[Available individually or as part of a complete engine rebuild package.]
Crankshaft and Camshaft Inspection details
- Liquid Magnaflux the crankshaft to identify any previously undetected cracks. Any crankshaft found to have a crack or defect is replaced.
- Inspect and test the journals to verify they meet or exceed the required hardness specification.
- Inspect the crankshaft for straightness and measure the size and profile of each journal to verify they are as specified.
- Inspect the camshaft and determine if it can be reused or needs to be replaced.
Crankshaft Reconditioning Process details
- If required, we grind the crankshaft after we have verified that oversized bearings are available.
- Polish all the crankshaft’s rod and main journals to their required finish.
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Engine Assembly
[Available as part of a complete engine rebuild package.]
Pre-Assembly Engine Inspection details
- It is the assembling technician’s responsibility to inspect all parts and verify that each meets specification. We trust but verify!
Engine Assembly details
- Our highly experienced engine builders assemble all our engines in our assembly department, which is sealed off from the remainder of our shop.
- Our engine assembly is a process that involves many detailed procedures that are executed in a specific order by our engine builders so that the completed engine meets our performance and reliability standards.
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Baril Engine’s In-Chassis Services
The Cursor 13 uses wet-sleeve cylinder liners, allowing in-chassis counterbore service at your location. Baril Engine provides deck counterbore cutting with our portable precision equipment throughout Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Contact us to learn how we can combine onsite counterbore services with pickup/delivery for your cylinder head rebuild.