The "B". She Runs! She Runs!

NoDakInMN

Member
OK, a while back I posted asking questions about a Wico XB Distributor that was on a new to me late model B. The long and short of that was that I ditched the distributor in favor of a mag in the interests of getting the thing running. The tractor had some other issues so I said I would post back and update everyone when I got it running.

First issue was that the tractor had sat of nearly 2 decades and all the issues that went along with that. The carb was a DLTX 34 instead of a 67. The threads were eroded away so someone peened in a piece of metal under the nozzle and threaded it, then drilled a hole in the nut for a piece of all thread to come through so that a nut and a couple of washers held the big nut on. Carb was full of rust and the sediment bowl was too. I took the carb apart and drilled all the passages and BTW, I'm always astounded how easy the drill plugs some out when you use heat. The bowl was over filling so I ordered a new needle and seat and that cured that problem. Some new gaskets in other places on the carb and it was ready to go. We found that the gas supply wasn't good enough due to the sediment bowl assembly being totally rusted and gooed up. A quick trip to town to get a new one and then install it and it was time to try and start it.

We opted to pull start it because there is an issue with the battery. If fired up instantly, ran for a moment and then died. We put in new plugs and tried again. This time it started instantly too and with a few adjustments we had it running smoothly.

Since this tractor is co-owned with my son, we both hopped on for the maiden voyage. We went for a 3 mile ride and put it through its paces. We found some things that need some attention but SHE RUNS! And not too badly.

Next up is changing all the fluids, then to get the starter going and then get the charging system and lights working. But tonight we rest the rest of those who know we brought a tractor back to life that hadn't run since sometime in the 90's.

I love this hobby!
 
6+ years ago dummy me felt sorry for a 1944 John Deere A that last ran May 30th 1985.
Next day a Twister picked it up rolled it around & spit it back out.. In that time from
1985 to 2011 it sat outside at another buyer's house in hopes that someday he'd save it.
He lost interest, & told me about it, said I could get it CHEAP. My 1st mistake was I went
to see it. 2nd was I had it hauled to my place.. 3rd was I unloaded it. 4th was I started
tearing all the parts off that were destroyed in the twister. & the list goes on & on & ON..

After search for parts, pieces & changing / update from original when produced I had enough
pieces rounded up to put most of it back together.

Last fall I started it & moved it 3 feet under it own power, 1st time since 1985.

But last Saturday I drove that OLD POS John Deere A up to the top of hill in the
valley I live in, never missed a beat, has parts for at least 12 different A's &
a couple model 60's & a 3010 Generator. Still no where near Done & needs 2 Rear tires
Very bad.. Got lost in this thing, but very rewarding hearing it run & trying out all
the gears, PTO & Hydraulic system & my updated Slower transmission gears to have everything
Work as it should. Haven't decided on 12.4 or 13.6 tires I have no funds left for either.
Begger's can't be choosey ... I call it a Passion & ends results are rewarding.
 
Agreed. I have a 44 A hand start, no lights war tractor with the cast iron frame that originally had a steel radiator. It sat (by the new land owner's admission) in the woods where I spied it rusting away for all the years he owned the place which he bought 12 year earlier. Holes in the hood, no seat (stolen), orchard muffler, carb from a B, governor from an un-styled A, air stack sawed off, bald tires (the traction bars are just shadows on the carcass but they held air), a tow bar attachment, nice dark green antifreeze in it and it was not stuck though it had a 3" tree behind the belt pulley & inside the right rear wheel! It also had an active wasp nest inside the orchard style muffler.

With a couple hours, new oil & filter, hand cranking (plugs removed) until oil showed up at the disconnected pressure gauge line (proving the oil pump was connected & working), some mag work (and mosquito spray) all done back in the woods where I could not go with the truck. The wasps started grumbling as I began to try to start it. The began buzzing more with each of the exhaust cycles. The A then suddenly served an eviction notice and it started! It did not stall but it ran absolutely terrible! No idle circuit fuel at all. Bark, Bark, Bark, coast, coast ,coast, bark, bark. I'm sure you can hear it! He made his way outta the woods on his own feet spraying oil out the bad seal behind the flywheel all the way and I didn't have to cut down the tree! Hitched it to the truck & it followed me home. He's still ugly but now doesn't leak, has the right governor on it. With some drill bits & some work on that same B carb it starts easily & runs well.
 
"Bark, Bark, Bark, coast, coast,coast, bark, bark" ROTFLMAO! You're right, I could hear it even as I read it!

Yeah, it aint all pretty automotive paint and perfectly placed decals. Sometimes it is loud, crude and gawd awful but when they run for the first time in years it is a sweet music like none other. It isn't the money you won't get back out of it, its just that sense of satisfaction of knowing that time and the scrapper isn't going to claim this one. Knowing that is what would have happened if it wasn't for stupid guys like us doing what sensible people would never do.
 
Forgot to mention, one rear was bigger than the other so he wouldn't sit level if he was up on a machinists plate and the hood was hammered down over & around the LARGE radiator filler neck because it originally had the small pressure cap!

Glad ya liked the post.

Later.
 

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