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International BD144 Engine

The International Harvester BD144 is a 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder, naturally aspirated inline diesel engine widely deployed in vintage agricultural and industrial machinery, such as the International B-275, B-414, and 354 tractors. Part of IH’s British-built engine family, it features a heavy-duty cast iron block paired with replaceable wet cylinder liners. This wet-liner configuration simplifies field rebuilding but requires strict maintenance of the liner seals to prevent cooling fluid from contaminating the oil pan. Renowned for its reliability and low-end torque in utility operations, the BD144 relies heavily on an indirect injection system that necessitates functional glow plugs for dependable cold starts.

The cylinder head utilizes an Overhead Valve (OHV) configuration featuring two valves per cylinder (one intake and one exhaust) aligned in a straight line. The valves are actuated via a traditional pushrod and rocker arm assembly driven by a gear-driven, block-mounted camshaft. Valve lash adjustments are handled manually at the rocker adjustment screws, following standard factory clearance intervals. The engine features a cylinder bore of 85.73 mm (3.375 inches) and a piston stroke of 101.60 mm (4.000 inches).

The fuel system operates on an Indirect Injection (IDI) design utilizing a dedicated pre-combustion chamber setup for each cylinder. A mechanical fuel transfer pump draws diesel from the fuel tank and passes it through primary and secondary fuel filters. The pressurized fuel is then routed into a mechanical injection pump (typically a CAV inline or rotary unit) which times and meters high-pressure fuel directly to the DN4SD187-style injector nozzles. These nozzles atomize the fuel spray inside the pre-combustion chambers. Because indirect injection distributes heat quickly, electric glow plugs are threaded directly into the pre-chambers to preheat the air charge for cold starting operations.

Lubrication is managed via a full-pressure, wet-sump system driven by a gear-type oil pump. Oil is drawn from the oil pan through a pickup screen and forced through a full-flow oil filter before feeding into the main oil gallery. This pressurized gallery directly lubricates the main bearings, connecting rod journals, and camshaft bearings, while an auxiliary line channels metered oil upward to lubricate the rocker arm assembly and overhead valves.

Engine temperature is regulated by a pressurized, liquid-cooling system utilizing a centrifugal water pump. A belt-driven pump circulates coolant through the cylinder block jackets (directly surrounding the wet liners) and forces it upward into the cylinder head. The flow is managed by a pellet-type thermostat that restricts circulation to the radiator during warmup, opening at standard operating temperatures to divert coolant through the radiator core for heat dissipation.

General Technical Data

Engine Specifications

Engine Model ............... International Harvester BD144
Engine Type ............... 4-cycle inline 4-cylinder indirect injection liquid-cooled diesel
Number of Cylinders ............... 4
Cylinder Arrangement ............... In-line
Engine Bore, in (mm) ............... 3.38 (85.7)
Engine Stroke, in (mm) ............... 4.00 (101.6)
Displacement, cu.in (L) ............... 144 (2.35)
Rated Engine Power, hp (kW) ............... 35-38 (26.1-28.3)
Rated Engine Speed, rpm ............... 1875-2000
Peak Torque ............... 110 lb-ft (149.2 Nm) at 1400 rpm
Idle Speed ............... 500-2200 rpm
Aspiration Type ............... Naturally Aspirated
Operating Speed ............... 1875 rpm
Compression Ratio ............... 19.3:1-21.1:1
Firing Order ............... 1-3-4-2
Combustion Chamber Type ............... Indirect injection
Cylinder Block Type ............... Cast iron
Cylinder Head Type ............... Cast iron
Lubrication System ............... Full-pressure
Oil Pump Type ............... Gear-driven
Oil Filter Type ............... Full-flow spin-on
Cooling System ............... Liquid-cooled
Water Pump Type ............... Belt-driven centrifugal
Air Cleaner Type ............... Oil bath or dry dual-stage
Starting System ............... Electric Starter
Electrical System ............... 12V negative or positive ground

Fuel System

Injection Pump Model ............... CAV BPE 4A 70R or CAV DPA
Injection Pump Type ............... Inline or Rotary mechanical
Governor Type ............... Mechanical centrifugal or pneumatic
Injector Opening Pressure, psi (bar) ............... 2150-2200 (148-151)
Fuel Transfer Pump Type ............... Mechanical plunger
Fuel Filter Type ............... Primary and secondary paper element
Glow Plug Type ............... In-chamber heating element
Fuel Injection Timing ............... Spill-timed to flywheel marks

Dimensions and Weight

Overall Length, in (mm) ............... 31.5 (800)
Overall Width, in (mm) ............... 22.0 (560)
Overall Height, in (mm) ............... 34.2 (870)
Dry Weight, lbs (kg) ............... 515 (235)
Wet Weight, lbs (kg) ............... 560 (255)

Maintenance Data

Service Information

Compression Pressure, psi (bar) ............... 475-525 (32.7-36.2)
Oil Pressure at Rated Speed, psi (bar) ............... 35-45 (2.4-3.1)
Oil Pressure at Low Idle, psi (bar) ............... 15 (1.0)
Thermostat Opening Temperature, F (C) ............... 165 (74)
Thermostat Full Open Temperature, F (C) ............... 190 (88)
Intake Valve Clearance Cold, in (mm) ............... 0.015 (0.38)
Exhaust Valve Clearance Cold, in (mm) ............... 0.015 (0.38)

Engine Oil and Coolant

Engine Oil Type .................. SAE 30, 20W-20, or 10W-30
API Service Classifications ......................... CC or CD
Engine Oil Capacity with Filter, qt (L) ............... 5.5 (5.2)
Cooling System Capacity, qt (L) ............... 9.0 (8.5)

Service Intervals

Change oil and filter ............... Every 200 hours
Fuel filter replacement ............... Every 250 hours
Inspect air filter ............... Every 50 hours
Valve clearance adjustment ............... Every 500 hours
Fuel system inspection ............... Every 1000 hours
Change coolant ............... Every 1000 hours
Check injection timing ............... Every 1000 hours

Service Specifications

Cylinder Liner Bore Diameter, in (mm) ............... 3.375-3.377 (85.725-85.776)
Cylinder Liner Out of Round Limit, in (mm) ............... 0.003 (0.076)
Cylinder Liner Taper Limit, in (mm) ............... 0.004 (0.102)
Piston to Cylinder Liner Clearance, in (mm) ............... 0.0035-0.0045 (0.089-0.114)
Main Journal Standard Diameter, in (mm) ............... 2.124-2.125 (53.950-53.975)
Main Journal Bearing Clearance, in (mm) ............... 0.0020-0.0035 (0.051-0.089)
Main Journal Undersizes Available, in (mm) ............... 0.010, 0.020, 0.030 (0.25, 0.51, 0.76)
Connecting Rod Journal Standard Diameter, in (mm) ............... 1.7495-1.7500 (44.437-44.450)
Connecting Rod Bearing Clearance, in (mm) ............... 0.0015-0.0030 (0.038-0.076)
Connecting Rod Undersizes Available, in (mm) ............... 0.010, 0.020, 0.030 (0.25, 0.51, 0.76)
Crankshaft End Play, in (mm) ............... 0.004-0.008 (0.102-0.203)
Camshaft Journal Diameter, in (mm) ............... 1.873-1.874 (47.574-47.600)
Camshaft Bearing Clearance, in (mm) ............... 0.0015-0.0035 (0.038-0.089)
Camshaft End Play, in (mm) ............... 0.003-0.006 (0.076-0.152)
Top Ring Grooves Width, in (mm) ............... 0.095-0.096 (2.413-2.438)
Second Ring Grooves Width, in (mm) ............... 0.095-0.096 (2.413-2.438)
Oil Ring Grooves Width, in (mm) ............... 0.189-0.190 (4.801-4.826)
Compression Ring End Gap, in (mm) ............... 0.011-0.016 (0.279-0.406)
Oil Ring End Gap, in (mm) ............... 0.011-0.016 (0.279-0.406)
Intake Valve Stem Diameter, in (mm) ............... 0.311-0.312 (7.899-7.925)
Exhaust Valve Stem Diameter, in (mm) ............... 0.310-0.311 (7.874-7.899)
Valve Guide Inside Diameter, in (mm) ............... 0.313-0.314 (7.950-7.976)
Intake Valve Stem to Guide Clearance, in (mm) ............... 0.001-0.003 (0.025-0.076)
Exhaust Valve Stem to Guide Clearance, in (mm) ............... 0.002-0.004 (0.051-0.102)
Cylinder Head Flatness Limit, in (mm) ............... 0.003 (0.076)
Piston Pin Diameter, in (mm) ............... 1.000-1.001 (25.400-25.425)
Piston Pin Bushing Clearance, in (mm) ............... 0.0005-0.0010 (0.013-0.025)
Connecting Rod Side Clearance, in (mm) ............... 0.007-0.011 (0.178-0.279)

Tightening Torque Specs

Cylinder Head Bolts, lb-ft (Nm) ............... 80 (108)
Main Bearing Bolts, lb-ft (Nm) ............... 70 (95)
Connecting Rod Bolts, lb-ft (Nm) ............... 45 (61)
Flywheel Bolts, lb-ft (Nm) ............... 80 (108)
Crankshaft Damper Bolt, lb-ft (Nm) ............... 130 (176)
Camshaft Thrust Plate Bolts, lb-ft (Nm) ............... 25 (34)
Timing Gear Cover Bolts, lb-ft (Nm) ............... 18 (24)
Rocker Arm Shaft Bracket Bolts, lb-ft (Nm) ............... 25 (34)
Oil Pan Drain Plug, lb-ft (Nm) ............... 35 (47)
Oil Pan Mounting Bolts, lb-ft (Nm) ............... 15 (20)
Intake Manifold Bolts, lb-ft (Nm) ............... 25 (34)
Exhaust Manifold Bolts, lb-ft (Nm) ............... 25 (34)
Water Pump Mounting Bolts, lb-ft (Nm) ............... 18 (24)
Fuel Injector Retaining Nuts, lb-ft (Nm) ............... 15 (20)
Injection Pump Drive Gear Nut, lb-ft (Nm) ............... 45 (61)
Glow Plugs, lb-ft (Nm) ............... 15 (20)
Flywheel Housing Bolts, lb-ft (Nm) ............... 40 (54)
Oil Pump Mounting Bolts, lb-ft (Nm) ............... 18 (24)
Thermostat Housing Bolts, lb-ft (Nm) ............... 18 (24)
Valve Cover Fasteners, lb-ft (Nm) ............... 8 (11)

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