Found Grandpa's 400

scarl · Sep 7, 2021

I got Grandpa's 1955 400 gas from the second owner over the weekend. It was the only tractor he ever bought brand new and it is back in the family again! Problem is that it was left outside for a year and the motor got stuck. Was told they filled cylinders with ATF and diesel and pushed it in the shed where it has been for the last 3 years. I left the chains loose and left it in 5th gear on the trailer ride home with no avail. I have a bore scope but ran out of time to mess with it. Just looking for any opinions or secret brew to get it freed up. Thanks in advance.

BarnyardEngineering · Sep 7, 2021

The best secret brew is a set of deep well 1/2" drive sockets. In other words, pulling the head is the quickest way to finding out what you have to work with.

If the tractor was sitting inside this whole time and you could be reasonably sure the engine didn't get any water inside, any of the 100's of concoctions has as good of a chance of working as any other. When there's water in the cylinder, nothing will get where it needs to go, and if it's been outside, it's very likely that there is standing water in at least one cylinder.

fastfarmall · Sep 7, 2021

I never worked on that was froze up..but they rust up above the top ring at first, so maybe your's is in that stage, I think it's old, is a expert on the concoction he use to get them loose, maybe he will chime in this evening! And congratulation on your find!

kossuth · Sep 7, 2021

(quoted from post at 06:24:06 09/07/21) I got Grandpa's 1955 400 gas from the second owner over the weekend. It was the only tractor he ever bought brand new and it is back in the family again! Problem is that it was left outside for a year and the motor got stuck. Was told they filled cylinders with ATF and diesel and pushed it in the shed where it has been for the last 3 years. I left the chains loose and left it in 5th gear on the trailer ride home with no avail. I have a bore scope but ran out of time to mess with it. Just looking for any opinions or secret brew to get it freed up. Thanks in advance.

ongrats on getting your Granddads tractor back. I think pulling the head is the way to go. They said it only sat a year, but the fact its that stuck says otherwise. Pull the head and know what your working with.

Plan on a full rebuild. Hopefully youll get lucky.

wilson ind · Sep 8, 2021

Vibrate the crank via the crank sticking out front.. This has workrf erll for me in the past,

khouse6 · Sep 8, 2021

a pply penetrant to spark plugs and after a day or so, remove them. take compressed air and blow out the cylinders. get as much out as you can. put atf etc , into cylinders and wait.

Farmall450man · Sep 10, 2021

Congrats on finding your Pa's 400. My 450 got stuck setting in a garage. If the head has a crack/s it will leak coolant and you know what will happen. And cracked heads are not uncommon. I
couldn't get it loose after several concoctions down the spark plug holes. Finally pushed the stuck piston and sleeve up and out after taking all the rod caps off and rotating the crank out of the
way. Good luck with your project!

Found Grandpa's 400

scarl

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BarnyardEngineering

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fastfarmall

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kossuth

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wilson ind

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khouse6

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Farmall450man

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