John Deere A with a water pump.

An old friend of mine has a 1952 John Deere A I've been kicking the tires on. The tractor has sat outside for years and is ruff. He is getting up in age and is starting to realize that he will most likely not be able to restore it himself. This "A" has a water pump. I was wondering how many were produced with a waterpump? Does anyone know the serial number the John Deere A ended with??? Years ago I remember looking and it seems to me that the water pump began with serial number 700200. Thanks, Dave!

Dave. The 1952 A started putting on water pumps @ SN 700200. The last A was SN 703384 I believe. I have owned one 1952 water pump A . Another one I should have kept.

Thanks for Conferming what I remember and the ending Serial number. Looks like 3185 had waterpumps. The serial on this tractor is 700208. That makes it the 9th tractor off of the line with a water pump. Looks like I have a rescue mission as I was there a little while ago and was told to come and get it. I'll post some pictures when I get back there and have a camera in hand. The old gent that has had it for so many years is a good friend of mine and I would sure like to see him drive it again someday so he could relive a little of his younger years.

If you could restore it and let him drive it that would be worth all the money in the world to him.

Agreed. This will not be the first ruff tractor I have saved from the junkman and brought it back to life. Water ran out of the cylinders when I pulled the plugs out of of my 1939 A 25 or so years ago and it was missing a pile of parts. It looks and runs like new now. Also, my 37 BO was in tough shape. One cylinder had to be bored and sleeved. I think that may be why he told me to come and get it. I have a good track record of getting the real ugly ones back in A#1 shape. I found out more interesting info yesterday. The tractor was puchased new at Burtnett Implement who was located in Hudson NY, and also in Chatham NY at the time. The purchaser was Helen Highland who's farm is a stones throw from where I now live so you might just as well say that the tractor is comming home. Richie, who is in his eightys, drove the tractor when it was new as they were neighboring farmers. He bought the tractor when Helen Highland's farm was sold back in the late 50's or 60's. He ran it on his wifes family farm for a number of years and parked it when a tire and rim needed replacing. He removed the wheel and it is still sitting on the ground waiting. The tractor has sat for 35 or 40 years that I know of waiting to be repaired. The poor old A has really gone backward in that time. I can't wait to see what the cylinders look like when I pull the head. Hopefully they wont be too bad.

Rescued! I pick it up yesterday and it is out sitting on my trailer waiting to be unloaded. For anyone who has never done this, planks and pipe pieces cut off about two foot long really help in loading an old tractor with stuck rear wheels. And in this case. Under the draw bar for the rear wheel that is off. Also, After it was on the trailor deck, A floor jack worked out well under the axle with the missing wheel.

I pulled the engine oil plug out yesterday. Got about 3 or 4 gallons of water and no oil to speak of. Managed to get the spark plugs out of the cylinders. and I see nothing but rust. She is going to be a challange, but then, I like a challange. Pulled the brake drums so it would roll on the wheel still attached, and the trans does not look that bad. Dandy Dave!

I pull the top crank cover today and considering the amount of water that was in it, the crank case was not that bad. The rear of the right cylinder has some light rust but not as bad as I imagined with the amount of water that came out. The right piston is all the way forward, and the left all the way back. Also pulled the head and the rustiest cylinder was on the right and with the piston all the way forward the cylinder should clean up. The left cylinder had some oil in it that helped save it. It also has some rust but I have cleaned up worse. I'll have to do a valve job on the head. Critters had the air intake full of dirt, trash, and nuts all the way to the carburetor. Thankfully the throttle was all the way closed so they could not get farther in the engine. Looks like we are on our way to being restorable.

Here is a photo of the factory water pump for those of you who have never seen one on an A. After 35 or 40 years of sitting, the block and radiator still had 5 gallons of antifreeze in it.

Thanks for the photos, Dave. That is interesting to see what you found.

I like to save old machinery with local history. Glad you enjoy looking at the photos, and hopfully others will too, and also gain a little knowledge about the last of the A's produced. I'll post more photos as I progess if there is interest. Thanks, Dandy Dave!

Thanks for the pics. I like stories like this.

Good thing you didn't take the advice of those that would say, just dump some ATF in there and pull start it to see if it will start...

Nice find, will make a fun project.

:shock: Oooouuuuccchhhhh.... Even the thought makes me kringe. I have about 40 years of experience in the field repairing and restoring stuff. Rarely does pulling and popping the clutch break an engine free. And never on one rusted like this. Slow and careful work will save valuable parts and time in the long run. Cursed be those who ram their way though. :evil:

This tractor is getting a total engine teardown and everything checked and then reassembled like my other two JD's. Not that it would be any more valuable, but it deserves a proper restoration as it historically significant that it rolled off of the line on the first, or second day that waterpumps were installed. Dandy Dave!

I have the old A home and have the engine stripped. Two of the oil lines are rusted thru. The crank is good and will be fine with a little polishing. The cam bearings are shot as the rollers fell out like chicklets but the cam is good. Over all she is decent and will live again. Dandy Dave!

I had a bit of a set back yesterday as I was able to removed the pistons and the cylinder that had the piston all the way forward has a crack in the top of the block running most of its length. Never had such a tough job as this one. The rings were really packed with rust. Now debating weather to have it bored and sleeved, or try to locate another block.

Great Crusty Critters! What a load full this head has... Suprisingly, the exhaust valves came out reletively easy. The intakes were tough comming out. This old tractor has a lot of hours on it as the valves are well worn.