Hello all. New to the owning of equipment. I am in the process of buying a 1980 Ford 4550 Backhoe/front end loader. Older machine, and need lots of cosmetic work. I want to fix it up but am wondering what some of the things I should be checking first to ensure it runs good. The water pump is being replaced right now so of course it can't be started. What do I want to look for, and what should I be checking before I start using it on a regular basis? Thanks in advance.
Welcome maddogg you came to the right place
Well, If I get reply's to my messages it will be the right place. LOL. Some websites I don't get any reply's to questions. It's almost like I am bothering them by asking questions. Some places seem to forget that everyone had to start somewhere.
check all your grease fittings and air filter for starters. if they don't take grease or are dry or filter dirty and rusty think twice about machine.if they arnt right most likely nothing else is either.
Welcome Maddogg: I own an older ford backhoe. Knowing what I know now about ford backhoes, I would check on part availability for things like the torque converter and some of the major components. This machine may be running good now, but you may need to do some repairs in the future. I'm telling you this because I bought a backhoe really cheap, but some of the parts for repairing it are from England and really expensive.
Just to clarify do you own it or looking to buy it. I would not buy unless I could run the machine. While the water pump was off I would install new belts and ensure the coupler was in good condition and greased. As far as further advice check condition of fluids. Let us know what you find that doesnt look just right.
What does the coupler look like. I am buying a piece of property and the backhoe is being thrown in as part of the deal.
The coupler is the part that connects the pump to the front of the engine. Im not sure what type it will be. Some are constant velocity U-Joints and others were ruber bushings mounted in a plate where two flanges bolted together. Either way the couplers are a neglected item and can take out the pump and possibly damage the engine if they come apart. Free is always a good price so congrats on the new Hoe. Check for signs of water in the oil. It is not necessarily common but some of the older engines used in those hoes had holes develope in the blocks between the oil and water passages wreaking havoc on the lower end. I have had a few older hoes and never did anything beside keep them going just enough to use. Because they were farm machines if they went down it wasnt a pressing issue to get it up and running to make money. Keep an eye out for any cracks and repair what you find because its always easier to repair when you still have one part opposed to multiple pieces. If you havent replaced the seals in a hydraulic cylinder before read up on that because it is sure to need one sooner or later. Cylinder repair is fairly easy but very costly when you take it to a shop.
Thanks for the info Frogfarmer, and the other guys too. Good information.
HI, welcome to the board. 1st thing to look at is how much are you going to use it. Then what type task you expect of it. I have an older JCB. Parts are a pain but available. For the price I got it for I can deal with it. I basically needed something to dig a few stumps out with, load manure packs and other lite work. I've dug rocks out for several local farmers with it that were 4-5 feet in diameter. Had I known how much I was going to use it I would have gotten something a little newer and with better access to parts. I put more hours on it than I do any other tractor I own. I also feed round bales and do other chores with it. Rick
oldtanker gives good advise above. Your new TLB is a very versatile machine with infinite uses around a property and will prove very valuable if you use if much at all. the 4550 will be very simular to the tractors of the era such as a 4600 and parts are very available for that platform. As far at the hoe and loader pretty much anything you break or wear out can be fixed by a machine shop. Once I figured out how much I used my hoe I chose to upgrade to a newer and much stronger machine but the old ones always got the job done. My current hoe gets used around the farm about 100hrs a yr so it should last my lifetime. My poor skidsteers are the ones that get the beating though they have seen several years over 1000hrs on jobs and around the farm.
ok, I'm not so smart. What is a TLB? Also I have been looking around online and could hardly find any references to my 4550 let alone parts places.
Tractor loader backhoe
The 3550 and 4550 are similar enough they have the same operators manual and the 3550 was much more popular and easier to research. You state the tractor as an 80 model but the 4550 should have been in the 1965-1975 range. They were very popular in europe and several are available for parts under that number. A call to a good New Holland dealer will get you the equivalent model ag tractor and all parts will exchange with the ag line. I suspect the 4550 was a late edition toward the end of the years of production and when the numbers changed in 1975-76 it what changed to a 420 or the like in the industrial line. Anyway dont worry about getting parts they are out there and fairly priced. Ford had a large parrt of the market in the AG tractors from that era that were built with the same engines transmissions and rear ends.