2240 with Issues - Fix or Get rid of it?

Hotflashjr

Well-known Member
Location
Western MA
First off thanks to everyone who has helped me put some TLC into the equipment at the orchard I am running this year. Got the 2555, 2550, 2440 and Ford 8N all running great. Now it is time for herbicide strips between the trees. There is a 2240 sitting in the back of the shop. Rumor is it hasn't run in 7 years. However it is set up with a liquid tank and spring loaded spray boom for applying Paraquat between the trees. No one seems to know why the tractor was parked. At this point I cannot find the key for the ignition to even try and start it up. Is there a way to start this without a key to just begin the process of investigating or do I just order a new ignition? The tractor is in good shape from the outside. Metal is nice, rear tires are 90%, full 3 pt, no real leaks and of course the spray set up. Is this thing even worth my limited time messing with it or should I just reccomend it go to a new home? I have plenty of offset mowing equipment to get under the trees and would just back pack spray small strips as I had time with Round Up as the alternative to the tractor.
 

If 2240 has factory ign switch then a key from the other JD tractors you listed should fit. For 2240 to be parked that long I'll guess something serious is wrong with it but if I were you I'd try to start it.
 
Like Jim stated the keys are the same,, and start by checking "all" fluid levels since you have no idea of any history. I get tractors like this in here a lot,, a roll back shows up and sets them in the parking lot with a Big "? Mark" on the note taped to the steer wheel. Common problems are ,running out of fuel, putting water/antifreeze in the fuel tank (since it's in the front?),Gasoline in the Diesel tank, hydraulic leak,,clutch out..things in this order,,it can make the old High school tractor trouble shooting team go to a whole new level....best to see what you have..and what you don't have...
 
the coolant may still provide freeze protection however the corrosion inhibitor has been depleted for years. There may have been pin holes cavitated through the sleeves before it was parked.
There is also a possibility that either the wrong transmission oil has been added or there is water contaminating the transmission oil. This will crumble the friction material off the brakes and clutches.
 
Thanks. I will start with the fuel system and go from there. The fuel filter is black as night on it so I'll toss a new one on, drain the system, put in some fresh fuel and bleed it and see where that gets me. It is a two stick transmission with the high low on the dash and all those levers move freely and feel as though they are engaging. Clutch pedal feels the same as in the 2440 so I am hoping it isn't clutch or transmission. Maybe it is something simple and they just decided heck with herbicide strips since there are multiple options to mow with instead of fixing the tractor for a single use. It has been years since there were any herbicide strips done and the last two years they barely even made an effort to mow between/under the trees. Lots of brambles and vines to clean out during pruning this year.
 
I checked for all those things when I did the oil on the 2440, 2555 and 2550 like you said. All three of those tractors had clean sump screens and no signs of any metal or material in them. I did find a shop manual for the 2240 in the desk so I will take a look at that and find the sump screen and check this one out.

I think you said when you replied on the 2555 question there is no way to check the corrosion inhibitor and that the coolant may still test "good" on a test strip. If there are pin holes I would see some sign of coolant in the oil correct? If it needs a rebuild of that nature I know the powers that control the check book will say to send it down the road.
 
If there is no water in the engine oil chances are the liners are good,,black looking fuel filters "could" be a sign of algae in the fuel,this can be a very real problem that can and will spread to the other tractors,, I don't mean to worry you with this idea, but if there are old fuel tanks being used and the orchard probably didn't go through a lot of fuel per year this would be a good place for the problem to start and grow, you can get a fungicide to treat it with but all the "dead Body's" will still be floating around clogging filters.
 
Check how difficult it would be to remove and reinstall the sprayer, and how often that would have to be done in a crop year. If removal is a real pain, it's possible the tractor might have been dedicated to the sprayer, parked at the end of a season and then no longer needed the next season.

Crack the fluid drains to drain out any condensation. I agree, if the coolant, engine oil, hydraulic oil and hydraulic filter all look good, I would add fresh fuel and try to start it.
 
Good to know about the algae. The 2555 and 2550 came from the larger orchard and were used frequently up until the end of 2014. The 2440 has always lived at the small orchard but being the spray tractor is used every 7-10 days. We changed all the fuel filters on those tractors before we started anything this year and most of them were 1/4 of a tank of fuel or less. There is a 275 diesel tank outside and I will change the filter on that and inquire about a fungicide from the fuel company. We have been brining fuel in with 5 gallon cans so far this year and it is time to fill the tank now that we are mowing and spraying a few days a week. Minimum delivery is 100 gallons and I was figuring on only getting 100 gallons at a time to keep the fuel fresh.
 
The sprayer is currently off the tractor and next to it on the floor. It does not look like it is a 5 minute job to take it on and off since it is basically a custom made job. I do know the tractor was usually used just for the sprayer unless something else broke or it was a huge crop and they needed an extra tractor to run bins or a fork lift on the 3 pt.

Sounds like I've got a plan on the process! Thanks for the help.
 
(quoted from post at 09:03:00 05/20/15) so I will take a look at that and find the sump screen and check this one out.

I think you said when you replied on the 2555 question there is no way to check the corrosion inhibitor and that the coolant may still test "good" on a test strip.

I sure thought coolant test strips could check the coolant's corrosive inhibitors.

Sump screen is parts key 15 which is in the same location of all the JD utility tractors of this era.
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I have to go to JD Friday for some parts for one of the mowers and I will double check on the strips. It took me a while to find a big enough and the right size allen wrench to get the plug out that holds in the sump screen for the 2555 and 2550. That answered my question if the screen had ever been checked before when the shop tool box did not contain anything near the size I needed. Thanks for the help Jim.
 
all Deere tractors that age use the same key. A 2240 has a manual fuel shut off so make sure it is in park or neutral add a good battery and cross the terminals at the starter with a screw driver to see if she spins over no key needed. Tom
 
think the corrosion inhibitors can be checked, here is something from the web:

Supplemental Coolant Additives (SCA)
Supplemental Coolant Additives are vital for the health and longevity of any diesel engine. Diesels, particularly the Ford Powerstroke, are prone to a problem called cavitation (or liner pitting). Both cavitation and corrosion can result in shorter engine life if the SCA level of your coolant is not monitored and maintained. The proper level of a chemical concentration of 1.5 - 3.0 UPG (Units Per Gallon) should be maintained in your cooling system at all times. For maximum protection be sure you begin with high quality make-up water (test with the ACU5050 CTS-5 Cool Check water test) and then check your SCA level every four months using Acustrip CTS-3 or CTS-4 test strips.
 
I'll bet you can get that little tractor running just fine. Change the antifreeze, engine and trans oil and fuel and all the filters. It's a very simple design and overall user friendly tractor. Read the Deere owner's and tech manual and you're good to go.
 
Thanks Bill that is great information. If Deere doesn't have the strips I'll stop by the diesel truck shop on my way home and see if they have them tomorrow.
 
I really like the design of the tractor and if I can get it going I would like to part with the 8N that has a NH 451 5 foot sickle bar mower on it. I know this could easily run a 6 foot bar and would put the tractor in the middle of the rows of trees. With the herbicide strips I could make two passes in each row instead of the 6 I am making now with the 8N and no herbicide strips. Hard to explain the savings down the road to the owners at this time who are kind of tight with cash!
 
Good ol' Amazon sells Fleet Guard (Cummins) Coolant Analysis Test kits for $10.95 (4 test strips). It says these are for DCA-4 Type coolant and can measure freezepoint, molybdate and nitrite levels. I believe this is what I am looking for to test the coolant.
 

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