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I too have a 144 diesel in a 641D. I know it has lots of hours on it and have considered the prospect of rebuilding. However, since it starts well, has good power, is quite economical, has decent oil pressure and does not have any expensive, catastrophic sounds, like knocks, I have decided to keep running it. I put up with some blowby, especially when I am working it hard. I have fixed most of the oil leakage problems. I change the oil and filter often, sometimes after only 40 or 50 hours. The oil gets black and dirty almost immediately. I have been using 20W50 for a little better hot oil pressure and use an engine heater for most starts below about 45 degrees. So far it has been working good for me. Others on this board have talked about the higher cost of rebuilding a 144 compared with a 172 diesel. In the catalogs I have looked at, they offered rebuild kits for 172's, but not for 144's. I have also read that the 144 and 172 are very similar engines and that except for the pistons, rings and block, the parts would interchange. The majority opinion has been that it is not possible to bore a 144 block out to 172 size as this would make the cylinder walls too thin. In the case of my engine, I know that the injectors and pump have been renewed, as my Dad had them rebuilt before I got the tractor from him. What I had planned to do was to get a 172D block and whatever else I could from that diesel engine, and use the best parts from my engine and the 172 to build a 172 for my tractor, using one of the kits. A bit more displacement would give more power and this might be the cheapest way to get a rebuilt engine in my tractor. I get the impression that 144's are rarer that 172D's, and this is why the aftermarket companies don't offer kits for 144's. I have heard that 144D pistons and ring sets are available from New Holland, but they might be expensive. But until I have to, I will just keep running my 641D as is. One last thought: I found that my tractor runs better if I occasionally work it very hard, like a day of plowing. I don't know why, just that it seems like it runs better after. Good luck!
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