hey guys. we have a JD crawler loader in the barn, first off I am not sure if it is a B or a C. it has B decals on it but it has a turbo which I thought only the C's had. I'm not sure how to tell what kind of steering clutches it has I know B=dry and C=wet. someone built a really heavy duty roll cage for it, and it did have a backhoe on it at one time-long before we owned it. quite a few years ago I ran it a lot. I cleared a lot of trees with it, even dug a foundation. it ran really good, pushed/dug good, shifted good. But it would have a hard time backing up hill, the steeper the hill the worse it was. when put in reverse it would hesitate for a few seconds then eventually go. It had plenty of fluid if I remember correctly. correct me if I'm wrong but was there some sort of adjustment for the tranny pressure? If so I think we adjusted that, it would kinda snap your neck in forward when it took off/shifted I think. However, one day it simply stopped moving, forward or reverse. I moved away for a few years and in the meantime the machine was partially disassembled in the barn. the radiator, engine and top of transmission were removed. It has sat that way for quite a while now. it looks like a piece of metal tubing was found in the bottom of the tranny case, maybe an oil pickup tube? I'm thinking maybe that was the reason it wouldn't go in reverse, on that angle the tube was partially broken and not picking up enough fluid for it to move? then the tube broke. It looks chewed up like maybe it was rubbing on something for a while before it wore through. now that I am back around I'd like to get this machine going again, maybe to sell it, or actually maybe to sell it as is, it may be a project over my head that I don't want to get involved in. so first, I know it's a hard diagnosis being all apart, but is there anything else to look for in there? any common issues it might be? then, what is the machine worth as it sits? I know not as much as if it were together, but like I said it might be too big of a project for me at this point. thanks in advance for any help, direction, or interest in this project. I can get pics of the machine if that would help.
Considering the extent to which it is disassembled, I would take one of two paths depending on your abilities. 1. Completely remove and take the trans apart and check through everything, replacing worn or damaged plates and all seals, Orings etc. 2. Rig up a temporary oil pump to supply flow to the necessary ports to check for excessive leakage (clutch piston seals and porting leakage). Also keep an eye on the suction side (using the tractors own pickup circuit to supply oil for pump) for evidence of air entering the suction side. With any machine that has been apart for an extended period of time and open to outside air, a thorough cleaning will be needed.
thanks for the reply. as far as rigging up a temp oil supply, that's above my knowledge to do I think!! I suggested removing the trans out and having it looked at/rebuild, I think I was told there was some issue of difficulty getting the bellhousing out? I know some of the bellhousing bolts/studs are broke and need replacing, but I think actually removing the bellhousing was the next step where they stopped the disassembly for one reason or another. I've heard working on these machines is difficult, now I can actually see why! I guess to get the tranny out now the tracks need to come off, then the sprockets and final drives removed. It looks like the whole machine was built around the trans case!
I guess then in my opinion, add up what you think it will cost to put the machine back in operating condition (John Deere or after market can provide prices). You can answer this better than myself or others on HEF, and put it for sale 'as is, where is" and see what you get for offers. It sounds to me when one considers time and labor plus parts it may not be cost effective or economical to reassemble it. Maybe another owner looking for parts or a collector may have more interest in it.
yes, thanks. it's too nice of a machine to send to the scrap yard, a lot of steel there though but too much potential to run again. However, if I do fix it, I don't have much if any use for it. so the cost of fixing it (something I have no idea but I'm guessing a lot of money), the machine might not be worth it, to me anyways. I like the idea of selling it as is where is, maybe someone else has a spare machine and can use this for parts or maybe they have one with a good trans, etc. I just have no idea what to even ask for it. So many options, thats why I asked for advice. I need to think about this some more, so any other opinions are appreciated!
dondiesel444. Where in Ny is the machine located? I would possibly be interested in buying it as is, OR I'd be glad to get it going for you. We've done many of these transmissions in the past. Give me a shout sometime if any of this interests you. Steve. www.pdmechanical.com .