John Deere project week 2

Carol Reed

In Memoriam
Messages
5,533
Location
Coolidge, AZ
Busy week. Engine is ready to pull. Maybe Saturday. Gonna use a forklift as the engine lift.

Tranny is definitely leaking. Called today for price on rebuild. $1100 plus shipping back and forth to MN. Talked to the JD dealer here. Learned a new definition for R&R. Remove and replace. Service manager says their techs are not trained to repair anything. No wonder their color is green, as in money - lots of it for parts. No replacement parts available for my 40 year old machine from them either.

Watched a few YouTubes on hydrostatic tranny rebuilds. Might be way above my pay grade. Hence the consideration of shipping it to MN. At least there is a warranty with that. We'll see after the engine is out.

So the tranny will be removed from the rear axle and shipped via FedEx (~$70) next week.

There is gonna be more than a few bucks in this project. But I still would not even be able to buy the basic tractor new without the FEL or BH. Three to four times as much for a small tractor with those accessories that can do the job. The baby lawn tractor are made of pressed sheet metal and plastic and not up to the task at hand. So moving on. Penciled out renting. Would spend nearly as much renting when building the house and only helped someone else pay off their tractor. At least this way, I'll still have my dirt toy to schlep stuff I can't any longer.

And will there be a market to sell it when that day comes. Yup. In over populated areas like this one, yards are small and landscapers would love one. Ordinary tractors cannot begin to get down side yards to get into a back yard or turn around once in there!

Here are some pix.

Under battery tray mess.jpg

hyraulic oil cooler.jpg

top of old engine.jpg

Now that the robotics people are out of the lab, I can get back to the CNC cabinet. I'll work on that while I wait on the tranny to get back and the new engine to arrive. Then entice my neighbor who is a mechanic and intrigued by this whole thing to help me marry the two back into the frame.
 
WoW Carol you scaring the wits out of me.
I am currently looking like crazy for a tractor have settled I thought on a small Kubota have come across a few and got cold feet each time.
I find it so against my own economic logic to pay what is being asked for something that in my case is at least 18 years old on average. Then to fool myself that although running its "not" going to be a project. And I don't want a project in my case.
Good luck with your project, I had a look at a couple of hat tranny rebuild videos some time back and cannot agree with u that they above your pay grade. More like something where refurb by JD would be a more predictable outcome given the part availability.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 
One thing that amazed me about my old JD was that all the original nuts, all covered in dirt and grime, were always easy to get off. Hope you're having that kind of luck with yours.
 
So far the only two bolts that needed extra persuasion were the two under the muffler. Heat probably had something to do with that. Otherwise it has been pretty straight forward.

Rob, parts will be an issue. JD no longer carries anything for this 40 year old sweetie. Even the decals are now different! I think the tranny is a Sundstrand and they may have parts. Will get the serial number off the tranny tomorrow and look it up. The rear axle also has its own serial number.

If you want a tractor, it will cost you. The newer, flimsier tractors are bringing obscene prices. The price point models at the borgs are glorified lawn mowers barely able to handle that task. Go directly to Deere and price them. Much higher, but also much more substantial. My brother has a Kabota. Bought it used and paid almost double what I will have in mine when it is done. Kubota is even more proud of its orange than Deere is of its green! His is beefy though as it needs to be. He lives in the mountains of Arizona and deals with decomposed granite for dirt and mega rocks. No grass. Years ago I had a Japanese Ford diesel 4-wheel drive with FEL & BH. Also mowed 1.25 acres with it. Worth every penny in money saved from going to the chiropractor alone and brought back nearly dollar for dollar what I paid for it when I sold it in 2004. Bought it new in 1979. Not a bad investment. When I got back to Arizona in 2004, I found a JD 318 with only a mower deck which I removed. Added a wagon from HF and hauled stuff all over the neighborhood. Sold it for what I paid for it. They just keep their value for me.

You are a marketing guy. You have to know your market. Right?

This is a fun project. but hard on the hands. Have trouble working with gloves on. Good old Dawn dish-washing detergent works the best for getting grease and grime out of the skin pores. Hand cleaner gets the worst of it, but Dawn adds the final touch.
 
Last edited:
Carol what size is it? In case you don't know there are a couple of web sites that deal in old tractors. http://www.mytractorforum.com/ The other one here deals in just old John Deere garden tractors only. They are a bunch of really good guys that uses them every day for something...........http://www.wfmachines.com/forums/forum.php Stop in sometime and have a look around. I have had John Deere garden tractors for well over 40 years now. My first one was a 1976 John Deere 300 with a 16 HP Kohler engine. I could not kill it and trust me I tried.... Took care of 3 little league ball fields with it for over 10 years in a row. Mowing them at least once a week and dragging the infields every single day during the summer so the kids had a smooth dirt infield to play-ball!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I now have a 1988 John Deere 318 with the 18 HP owen motor in it....
 
Thanks, Gary. I have been on mytractorforum.com for several years. The guys there are very civil and have been very helpful. I will check out the other link.

My tractor is a 1976 400 with the 19 hp Kohler motor. Replacing it with a 23 hp Vanguard. No mower deck (and no grass!). Gonna hang a FEL on the front and a BH on the back.
 
Mechanics gloves tend to be fine for dry work IMHE, however, from my wrenching days, Microflex diamond grip, powder free latex, were the best gloves I experienced. (lasted well enough, I know mechanics that pull their hands out, and reuse, as it stays in one piece)
I still won't use gloves a lot of time. Baking soda is a good mild abrasive to help with the dawn, and don't forget the nail brush.
 
Ahh the Black Sheep of the John Deere garden tractor family............... There was one for sale over at wfm site not to long ago in Watkinsville GA. for $6500 dollars. Here is a picture of it for you to drool over..........
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2169.jpg
    IMG_2169.jpg
    134.3 KB · Views: 47
Black sheep, Gary? Never heard it called that before. :) I like the 1/4" steel frame and cast iron axles. Why I chose this model for this project.

One of the tractor forums yielded me the service manual for the tranny and a Google search yielded a YouTube of replacing the seals. Though that was not a 2 speed transmission as is mine. So we will see what we will see. Haven't ruled out sending it out, but it is good to know what is all involved.

$6500, huh. Wish I could hold my total cost to that but not likely. But then I will have a new engine and a rebuilt tranny and charge pump.
 
The guy that bought my shop (and house) collects these. He also does a lot of part sales. When he got possession of the shop he moved numerous trailer loads of tractors and parts in. Told me he planned to put up another building in a year or two as well but last time I was by there he hadn't yet. Let me know if you want me to get you in contact with him.
 
One thing that can be said for sure, Carol. You ain't afraid to take on a project of any size! Congratulations. Looks like it's all going your way. I guess I'm too chicken. Or smart enough to know I'm not much of an engineer. I just buy the thing already designed and built. I think all concerned is better off if that is what I do. Go Girl!!!
 
Top