641-diesel workmaster, value and engine rebuild questions

Hey everybody, my name's Alex, I'm a welder, blacksmith, and pumpkin grower living in eastern Connecticut.

I've got an opportunity to trade a few days of work to a neighbor for a 1959 641-D workmaster tractor, with a square frame loader and a shot engine.

I'm looking for advice on how much it's worth, especially relating to my hope of rebuilding the engine. My neighbor mostly just wants to get rid of it, but I hope to give him a friendly offer on it, translated into work hours.

It was running and working until one year ago, when it was run out of oil due to leaks (and some degree of carelessness of course, but I'm not here to judge). It was shut down about 60 seconds after it started "making noise". I don't know if it was a screeching or knocking or what. The tach reads about 2600 hours. The rear tires and front wheels are alright, the front tires and rear wheels are shot rotten. The fenders are pretty good, just a few drilled holes and light bends. The hood has cracks at many corners and creases, but only small ones, and it's fairly straight and not very rusty. Gauges are cracked, some dead, emblem is cracked up, some broken studs and bolts are present all around, lights and seat etc etc are a bit bent, things are worn, a bit lopsided, but enough of it was functional that it was recently in regular use. The loader and bucket look alright. There's no obvious rot, but I can't tell how loose the bushings and pins are, or how much things creep.

I haven't been able to find a large rebuild kit for the diesel online, but there do seem to be lots of different components available. Obviously the question is what exactly got damaged or destroyed when it was oil starved, but I won't be able to take it apart until after I make my offer.

Is there enough parts availability for me to bring this tractor back to life? What should I offer my neighbor for it?

Thankyou for any input! Alex
 

Sounds like he ought to pay you to take it off his hands. :lol:

Seriously, with all that unknown, no more than $500.00 for the tractor. Maybe a bit more for the loader if it's in any kind of shape.

If they ran that engine sans oil, be prepared to basically replace it. Block, head, water pump and maybe crank could be salvageable. The rest of the engine is toast.
 
Oh really? I'm a little surprised the value is that low. I figured the loader would be worth that alone, the sheet metal a few hundred, and then the iron a few more.

I know what I'm probably getting into with the engine, I've been through it before. What I need to know though is about parts availability.

Any more opinions on the money? And how about the rebuild parts?
 
Parts are pretty easily found for that model in gas, not sure about diesel, but I suspect so?

If it needs an engine, I generally wouldn't pay more then scrap value. Bye the time you have the cost of a rebuild and good wheels, Will that all have been worth the
cost if you pay say $1500 for it? $500 sounds about right to me, maybe $600.

Just my 2 cents.
 
It will be a good learning experience for you. If you feel you can sell parts to cover your cost, you aren't risking a lot. I bought a 54 NAA (gas) with a broken rod at the front crank. Unfortunately, it chipped away at the piston and eventually went out the side of the block. In it's path was the camshaft and the oil pump. I got the block patched. The sleeves were okay. Got a different piston and rod, camshaft and oil pump. Crank was checked and Number One was ground .010 undersize. So I'm ready to reassemble. I bought the whole tractor for the value of the Sherman Brothers Over-and-Under auxiliary transmission. If yours was stopped before catastrophic damage, you probably have a bad rod bearing and maybe scoring on the crank pin. On the diesel, you are so close to the ragged edge, I don't think they recommend regrinding the crank. Your easy way out is to swap in a gas engine.
 

Research your parts first. It has come up here before that some parts for that engine are not available anywhere.
 
Yes, I'm interested in the learning experience, and I enjoy the work. I'm not phased by that side. I'm just not sure I can get every part I'll need. It sounds like I probably will though, from what you guys are saying, just not in a single box.

I'm hoping not to have to sell parts to cover my costs. The only part the tractor could go without is the loader, and the loader is half the reason I could use this tractor.

Good to know as far as the crank already fighting over it's weight class..

And ya, I figure I'm probably looking at rod bearings, crank scoring, maybe cam bearings, maybe an oil pump, hopefully not rings.

I guess we'll find out! Thankyou for the input guys, helps alot.
 
I also live in eastern CT. I have a 640 parts tractor with a good gas engine and a bad transmission, I have already taken the power steering off it so if your engine is gone too far and you want to make it gas we could make a deal.
 
Hey, well that's some good news! I'll definitely be in touch when I start getting into it! I'm sure I'll need some parts, if not the whole engine. Thanks
 

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