Been out doing a little digging with my 340 utility the last few days. I know this wasn't meant to be a excavating tractor, but I have a corner of a field I want to clean up, so I can put it to better use. This property used to have a railroad depot, stock yard, lumber yard, and creamery on it. All that is gone now except some of the old RR road bed, which was laid with mine tailings for the base. Nothing grows in these tailings, so they have to be removed. Anyway, I dug out about a fifteen yard dump truck load of tailings out of one spot. The little 340 held up fairly well for what I have been putting it through. Every time I jammed the front wheels against something I kind of expected the steering gear box to blow up on me. So far so good though. I have also been keeping an eye on the oil pressure. After it drops to around 20psi I shut it down for awhile to let the engine cool down. When I start it up again the oil pressure improves some for a while. I'm thinking that if I install a cooler than 180 degree thermostat and use 50w oil in it for the summer I should be okay. Then switch to a multi grade oil for the winter. I know, I know, you guy's told me to drop the oil pan and fix the oil pump cover, but I'm just trying to avoid that for now. I'm also trying to avoid switching the steering gear box for now too. The thought of lifting that heavy S.O.B off the tractor when it's full of grease just doesn't appeal to my ruined spine right now. I'll suc......talk some young fellow into helping me with that project.
