Need JD A Piston Rings...

Bryce Frazier · Jan 21, 2015

We started looking into this 1940 JD A, and someone has been inside it before! Valves and guides are SUPER nice, however, the right side needs all new rings,

4x 3/16 compression rings
1x 5/16 oil ring

Here is the catch, it is bored 40 Over.....

So, either I need to find these rings to fix the right side, or I can bore it 90 over and put different pistons in it all together!

Does anyone have some nice rings, or know where I can get some?

A buddy suggested:

Hastings, Martin Tractor, and H & J Machine. I have bought stuff from H & J, like them, any other good ones??

The cheapest I can find for normal rings is about $120 for a all 10 rings... Bryce

bill mart · Jan 21, 2015

Bryce, try these guys. Bill
otto engine rings

teddy52food · Jan 21, 2015

Mike that again. Chances are it is .045 over.

DeltaRed · Jan 21, 2015

Hey Bryce! Here is what I would do. Just fix the one side.That slow reving engine will handle the 'imbalance' just fine.If you 'bore' then you will need pistons,too and more parts.....by then you will have a "hidollar" overhaul.Ask your self how hours am I going to put on this thing?It will be less than you think.What kind of use? Are you keeping or selling?You will NEVER get your money back if you go the hidollar/rebore route.That is NOT cost efective for your needs.I know of atleast 2 M farmalls that have one 4" piston and three 3 7/8" pistons. Been that way for years.One is an everyday user.My 'old' 706 has one oddball sleeve(used from a cotton picker)Been there for 27 years and 5000 hrs.My friend's 1916 Emerson-Brantingham Big 4/20 has 2 aluminum and two cast iron pistons.A lot of 'shortcuts'/ remedys/less than perfect repairs have been done whit very satisfactory results.Just to show those kind of things can and DO work.Good luck Steve

37chief · Jan 21, 2015

A few years ago I needed rings for my AC model M. I called Hastings ring company, and ordered them directly from the factory. The person was very helpful. You will need all the ring dimension. They may have a list of tractor rings, but have ring info ready. Stan

Patsdeere · Jan 21, 2015

I second otto. Good group.

Mike M · Jan 21, 2015

What happened that only the RH side rings are bad ?
May want to put in the set for both sides maybe the LH ones are worn ? Have you checked the end gap ?
Once had a 720 D that was .125 oversized and someone put standard oil rings in it. At least we found the cause of the excessive oil consumption !

Bryce Frazier · Jan 21, 2015

Yep that is currently the plan!

The left side, #1 is awesome! #2 however has clearly been stuck, and has taken its toll. I have a wrecker looking to see if he has the rings first, because he will just about give them to me, if not then I will look into these places and see about just buying the 5 I need...

Really don't want to spend all the time and money on trying to rebore it and beef it up. My old man thinks I should bore it out 125 and put domed pistons in it (but then he is a power freak).

I figure:

I bought the tractor for $500
I have probably another $100 into it for misc stuff
and I still need a set of 11.2 x 38 tires!

The plan behind this one was to have it be my next working tractor, because I am wanting to restore the Super C that I have been using. Plus, this year when I am breaking ground at the neighbors, I think that this A would handle my 2 x 14 MUCH better than any of my other machines.

All in all it is in very good shape.. I managed to get the clutch all freed up and working good, and the carb looked very good, and other than that there isn't really anything much else wrong with it... Can't wait to hear it run!

Bryce

Bryce Frazier · Jan 21, 2015

Well, we aren't exactly sure, but the manifold has something to do with it. On this tractor, and BOTH of my dads G's (GM and G) #2, the right piston has been froze up, or show signs of being froze up at one time. However #1 on all three tractors looks great?!?!

This one I am working on is a 1940 John Deere A, Hand start, Narrow front, 4 speed. #493376

Mike M · Jan 21, 2015

Water must of ran down the exhaust and into them.

Bryce Frazier · Jan 21, 2015

I guess, but kind of odd that it gets to the right one first though huh??

We were pleasantly surprised when we saw inside his GM. The right side was locked up lightly, just took a block of wood and a hammer and knocked it loose, and it needs a little love, but then the left side looks great! No rust, pitting, scoring, nothing...

DeltaRed · Jan 21, 2015

Good thinkin'! you are on the right track. Yes,that 'A' shoild pull 2x14 no problem.But you may be in low gear if you are plowing grass sod.I pull 2x14(IH#39 twoway 'tumblebug' plow) with my '44 A.It's a 'hoot'!

Bryce Frazier · Jan 21, 2015

I think that it will be a good tractor.. I forgot you had a hybrid JD! Seems like it was crossed with an IH wasn't it?

It is #2 in the row of convicts here. Drug it out of 3 feet of snow about a week ago and up to the shop...

I would be happy plowing in 1st, would be nice in 2nd, but this place is going to be rocky, and it hasn't been turned over in 25+ years, so it will be fun! At 5 acres though, I could still probably do it in a day in 1st gear...

I do wish it had the 6 speed tranny, but that is only because I have about a mile to drive to get to the field.. . Won't take too long in 4th though!

Mike M · Jan 21, 2015

Well you got a 50/50 chance ? LOL.

Water will even get into them thru the air intake stack too. So cover up BOTH stacks if they ever sit outside.

Bryce Frazier · Jan 21, 2015

I suppose you are right! Had never thought about the air stack... I go out to the meadow today and throw another can on the G for Pops.

Buddy has the same kind of problem with an AC WD, he left it out in a rain storm one night, and ALL the water was in one piston? Don't remember which one, but we though it was rather weird!

Bryce

Hayrack · Jan 21, 2015

Bryce, the standard overbore sizes for those old 2 cylinders are .045, .090, and .125 over. You should be able to buy a set of .045 over rings pretty reasonably. I would just clean up and hone the cylinders and put some new rings in and go!! Good luck buddy!

James Borders · Jan 21, 2015

Bryce, I made me an oak block and freed up rings on several I have and cleaned them up and they run fine but be careful tapping on them as they break easily. Just use plenty of penetrants and take your time. Once they start freeing up you may be surprised.

mmidlam · Jan 21, 2015

Hastings can make a none standard ring set for you. They put together a ring set for my air compressor.
Hastings rings for JD

Bryce Frazier · Jan 21, 2015

So those were John Deere Options? Makes sense... It clearly has JD on the pistons, but we haven't been able to find anything else on it?

I will have to look into a set of 45 over... Thanks for the info! Bryce

Bryce Frazier · Jan 21, 2015

Ya, we did that on my dads GM, but these ones came out in a handful of pieces.....

old popper · Jan 21, 2015

Bryce, I know what you mean about wishing it had road gear. Back in the early 60s I was working for some neighbors, and had to take the elevator to another (rented) farm 6 miles away. Pulled it with an unstyled A. I was about 17 at the time and I didn't think I'd ever get there.

Bryce Frazier · Jan 21, 2015

I imagine!

I have this unstyled B, and I think that it goes faster in reverse than it does forwards!

Tractor Data says that the JD A Speeds are:

2.3
3.0
4.8
6.3

R 3.5

However, my A and the Unstyled B have 2 reverse speeds, so I wonder if this is the fast one or the slow one?

For example, I can get to this field in about 10 minutes on my Farmall SC, and I think it probably does somewhere around 12 MPH... My Early JD B will do about 40 MPH in road gear! It is a 6 speed!!!

Jason S. · Jan 21, 2015

(quoted from post at 15:30:12 01/21/15) We started looking into this 1940 JD A, and someone has been inside it before! Valves and guides are SUPER nice, however, the right side needs all new rings,

4x 3/16 compression rings
1x 5/16 oil ring

Here is the catch, it is bored 40 Over.....

So, either I need to find these rings to fix the right side, or I can bore it 90 over and put different pistons in it all together!

Does anyone have some nice rings, or know where I can get some?

A buddy suggested:

Hastings, Martin Tractor, and H & J Machine. I have bought stuff from H & J, like them, any other good ones??

The cheapest I can find for normal rings is about $120 for a all 10 rings... Bryce

My A isn't too far from yours. Mine is serial 495461. I bought new rings for mine about two years ago and at that time Deere was the cheapest place to buy the rings. I bought .045 rings from them.

B2361E12-A84D-44F3-9689-23E71F0BCE21-20349-000015CCD483FACE_zps2706f40f.jpg

Leroy · Jan 21, 2015

Bryce, The tractors are NOT supposed to have 2 reverce speeds. There is a pin of some type (no I do not know what things looks like) that if you are in high range are supposed to automatically put it into low range. That is supposed to make them safer to operate. I had a 38 A and a 46 B both with the 2 lever shifter and neither would stay in high range when you went to reverce. Neighbor that passed in 57 had a 41 B that must have had that pin either broken or removed as he said it had 2 speeds in reverce. Check things out and you will find something is not correct in those transmissions.

Bryce Frazier · Jan 21, 2015

Actually, you are right in some ways. My 1947 Early Styled B has the 6 speed, with the High and Low lever, it will not go into High Reverse, it pushes it out like you said. However I have never heard of anything like that on the older 4 speed tractors?

I have the 1935 JD B and the 1940 JD A and they both have a 4 forward and 2 reverse. Then there is a buddy with a few unstyled tractors, and he said that all of his have 2 reverses??

Who knows! If there is supposed to be something in there, it has either worn out, been taken out, or been broke out....

Bryce

Leroy · Jan 22, 2015

Either wore or broke OR the owner wanted that high speed for some specific reason. If you study the parts books for those tractors you can find the parts I am talking about in there. Just go to the JD parts lookup site, you can do it. Bryce, I don't know if you know what a hay fork in barn is or not but with them you pulled a rope to get the hay into the mow. That neighbor liked to use the high speed in his tractor to pull that rope but to me and I was only 13 at the time I thought he was trying to go way to fast on pulling up the hay fork to be able to control it. He passed that fall from a heart attack at age 69. So only got to know him part of a year as we baled hay for him. Then we ended up renting that farm for 20+ years.

Need JD A Piston Rings...

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