Thoughts on a stuck old JD60

UncleCarl

Member
Okay folks. I've purchased a frozen up John Deere 60. I elevated the tractor about 18 inches or so off the ground. I pulled the plugs and put about 8 ounces of
Automatic Tranny Fluid in each cylinder and then topped it off with Diesel to let it sit a while. While it's sitting to soak, is there any pros or cons to taking
some of the same mix of ATF and diesel fuel and pouring it into the intake and exhaust manifold? I am thinking of trying it just to loosen up and free up any
valves etc while the other stuff sits in the cylinders. Should I? Would it help or cause problems? Thanks
 

Pull the head off and look at the situation before beating a stuck engine and breaking something. It's an opportunity to measure bore wear, do a valve job , measure valve spring pressure and replace the guides.
Too many people look for the quickest cheapest and easiest which too often takes the longest, costs the most and is a lot of work.
 
ATF and acetone is a better mix. I'd make sure that's why it's stuck though. Dad bought an Oliver 66 one time that was stuck. Had sat in a fence row for 7 years. Turns out they had towed it with water in a cylinder and bent a rod so bad that when the piston came down,the oil ring expanded under the sleeve and wouldn't come back up.
Not saying it's a probablilty,but you could have something like a spun bearing.
 
I have a 49 A that my dad purchased new. It got rainwater in it as the exhaust pipe under the hood was rusted out,and the muffler always had a can over it. I jacked up the front of the tractor higher than the back, as I thought the penetrant would seep under the Pistons that way. After soaking a couple weeks it still would not turn. I took the head off because I thought a valve might be stuck and adding to the problem. I kept oiling the cylinders, and after taking the flywheel cover off I was able to get it loose by putting a chain through the flywheel and using a pry bar. While the head was off I had the valves ground. When I got it back together it ran great and did not smoke or use oil. I went very gently when I got it to move back and forth a little at a time.
 
Thanks rrlund I'll remember that. I don't think it's a bent rod. I took the crankcase cover off and look down inside. The right to. Okay and the bearings showed no obvious signs of wear. I also reach way down and pulled out some of the sediment sitting at the bottom of the crankcase and there appeared to be no metal pieces. I even waved a magnet over all that just to be sure. I was a little curious about the oil level though. I'm not sure where it's supposed to be but I wondered if it might be way low on oil. As hard as it is to looking from that aspect I think it's okay though. But I'll still pull the head off just to be safe. Personally I'm wondering if it has a cracked piston. Thanks for the advice on the ATF and acetone.
 
Thanks old weldor. I'm actually having a guide make a wrench to fit the two holes in the flywheel. It's been sitting for about two weeks already with the ATF and diesel fuel in it. Although I don't want to do it I think pulling the head off is the best bet that way I can get a good look at what's there. Really glad to hear you had good luck with unstick in your dad's Model A.
 
I'm the guy who came up with using ATF years ago but I NEVER use anything else with it. When I get a tractor in that is locked up I first make sure the cylinder are not full of water because if they are it need to be removed and even then not likely to free up. I then fill the cylinder as full as I can and I also pour in as much as I can down the exhaust so as to get the cylinder or cylinder with exhaust valve open full. Out of over 30 tractor that where locked up all but one or 2 did not free up
 
Thanks Old. I know someone mixed it with Diesel, but not sure--so many opinions out there used Diesel I just did it that way. I plan on trying to pump it out this weekend. I'm wondering if I could just ignite it and burn it out safely? Advice? Also I'm thinking of pouring some in the intake in case some of those valves are opened up. Thoughts on all this?
 
I have in the past with one that is stuck real bad lite a mixture up but that was with the head off. Not sure how safe it would be to light it up with the head on you could end up with one heck of a blow torch coming out the spark plug hole since as things heat up they expand faster and as it would keep on it could end up with say 5 foot or more of a flame out of the plug hole
 
I know old has had luck getting tractors unstuck by soaking them. I never have. I have found it is quicker to just pull the cylinder head off and see what is going on. You usually need to do work inside after they are stuck anyway. Usually on a JD two cylinder I remove the head and them the jug with the pistons still in it. Then carefully press them out. Most of the time they will need bored to remove any rust pits as those will hold oil and make it use oil.
 
Yeah I was a little scared of doing that. I'll just let it sit and soak then put my homemade ranch on it and see how it goes. Thanks old.
 
On the ones I have messed with that where electric start I just set a good 12 volt battery on them and used short fast taps of the starter while watching the crank shaft for movement. About the only thing a starter will harm is the push rods all other parts where made to take the stress of the starter . And in all the engines I have messed with I have only bent one push rod
 
Awesome, good call Old. Is a 1952 JD 60 12 volt or 6? Would putting a 12 volt in hurt if it's 6V originally?
 
Most likely a 6 volt when new but using a 12 volt battery will not hurt a thing as long as to do not hold the starter button in the start position for long periods of time. Al my tractor have 6 volt starters on them but have been converted to 12 volt systems
 
Experiences with freeing stuck engines varies due to local weather and what the owner considers "running good enough" My experience pretty much matches what JD seller and B&D have already said, pull it apart unless it is very lightly stuck. After seeing what was inside I have never been sorry I pulled one down. Many times I have helped others fix the damage caused when stuck engines were drug loose and run. Stuck pistons bend connecting rods if drug hard enough. Then when you get it turning the rust plus oil = grinding compound grinding the pistons and bores and everything else that moves. Then you have the stuck valves that bend, or bend the push rods, or break timing gears. All in all it makes the cost of a gasket set pretty trivial. Its up to you, take your chances or take it down.
 
#1 you should NEVER try pulling a tractor to pop it free if the engine is locked up that will cause major damage.

As for why one is stuck I have found that as long as it does not have water or coolant in the cylinders most will free up when left soaking with ATF in the cylinders. Out of over 30 I have only had one or 2 tha tdid not free up and once freed up they ran just fine and compression number where close to in not right up where they should have been. I have also only had one or 2 that bent the push rods. I use the starter to pop them free with short fast taps on the starter
 
All the gas A's and allfuel A's from late 47 and up, all 60's, 620 & 630 were 12 volt from factory. The earlier A's from 41 to early 47 were only all fuel tractors with the low compression and they did have 6 volt systems as on that low compression engine 6 volt had enough power to start them. The B's were the only ones at that time on 6 volt as smaller engine did not need the power of 12 volts to crank them over. I don't know if the 50 made when the 60 was made was a 6 volt or 12 volt. Any of the A & G with the battery under the seat were 12 volts.
 

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