Steering clutches are bad, and the seller is asking for $2800 for the machine as is. He says the undercarraige and bucket are "new", and that the engine starts up almost by looking at it. It looks like a decent tractor from the pics. How much heck is replacing steering clutches? Will I need a crane, or can I rig up some kind of frame to use with a come-along to lift parts in and out? Pics:
If the clutches aer bad I'm going to assume that they are the dry clutches and and they went out with the "b" model. That would make the machine a early to mid 70's. Look around the fift towers for the boom i believe for a serial plate, so be a metal tag about 2"x2". Also its got alot of oil showing over the rear and and belly pan area. Try to determine the type of oil, to my untrained eye it apears to be motor oil... And if the b is built like the c model, to get the motor out the entire front end has to be removed. Lift arms, bull nose at least flipped. All that good stuff. Also the cluches are not mush handier, I think you have to pull the tracks and get to them from the side after you get the finals out of the way. How well do you like to wrench?
The 450 was built between 1965 and 1970.Replacing those clutches is definitely no walk in the park.If you were to bring it in to a Deere dealer,they would scare you away with the estimate because most of the time there's no old hands there that even know how to repair these old girls.That model,with those dry clutches and no power assist were a BEAR to steer.
I dont think its a 450 straight, the loader towers were higher in a straight and rops had not came out yet I di not believe. I'm guessing its a "b" model, sometimes either in re-paints or whatever the letter never carried over.
I don't think the ROPS is original unless it is a very early design. JD used bigger tubing with longer curves in the corners from front to back, which was the typical design for years, at least up to the 450E.
Good eye norite. That ROPS is definitely home made.
I own a JD450C that is a 1978. My 450C has a turbo some 450 Bs do some don't. Mine looks identical to yours except the ROPS. My ROPS is factory and has a more swept back look. I have done quite a bit of wrenching on my machine. I pulled the steering clutches out of mine approx 15 years ago. It is a big job and you need some special tools and some type of lift. I took the wet-type clutch packs to dealer for rebuild and they charged me over $1000 for rebuilding! With regards to the oil leak either rear main seal or transmission seal the engine has to be removed which is a real tight fit on these loaders. I would look for a machine that doesn't need near this amount of work.