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Daves's 1935 John Deere...

Started by Crazydave, November 05, 2017, 05:45:41 PM

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Crazydave

Had a busy summer, got the Plymouth rewired worked through some bugs and failed at fixing my radiator leak. At that point I was growing tired of working on her, and switched gears. Late summer and into fall the threshing shows start and I get tractor fever. (some of the reason I've been gone for a while, maybe no noticed lol)

I know this is a car forum, but you guys may get a kick out of the story and the early engineering of the equipment. Similar to the cars of the era, its interesting to see how it evolved. And like the car, I like to get things mechanically accurate and working the way they were intended when new. 

Tractor Story - My Grandpa grew in north central MN. Nice area, not a lot to do for money but farm. That is what his dad did and what he did for while before and after some time spent in the tail end of WWII. In the early 70's he decided to move down to the Twin Cities metro and get a descent paying job. (which he did) He had one tractor left (maybe the only one) when he moved and had no reason to bring it to a neighborhood in a Twin Cities suburb. So it was sold to a family friend / neighbor up north. This was a 1935 B John Deere that was on the farm since he was a kid. (My Great Grandpas) He would bring it up once in while, kinda wishing he still had it. I bought an old Minneapolis Moline to restore, when he was still around, and my dad still farms and we members of tractor clubs. The interest never leaves, but when there are reminders it helps.

A number of years back I asked one of my great uncles if know the guy who bought it. He said he did and would ask if he had any interest in parting with it. He said no. Kind of put it out of mind and did not give another thought. So September this year, I get a message out of the blue. My great uncle ran into him (they live in the same area, small towns) and he was wondering if that fella was still interested in that old tractor. Indeed I was. So I contacted him and actually met up with at a tractor show in September and made arrangements to pick it up. He is 90 years old (same age as my grandpa would be) and just starting to get ready to part with some of his collection.

So roughly 44 years later, my Great Grandpas tractor is back in the family. After some light mechanical touch ups, I put it work! I buy stuff to use!




chetbrz

http://www.1948Plymouth.info           Web Master - Forum Administrator - AACA member

Crazydave

#2
Interesting things about the JD. Hand start. No battery. Two wires go to a mag. Manually set the choke and throttle, grab the fly wheel and pull through the compression stroke. Note the 2 fuel tanks in the picture below.



This is what is considered an "All Fuel" tractor. The little tank is the starting tank, and is gasoline only. The main tank is for distillate, kerosene, fuel oil etc. You always start it on gasoline, and once warmed up (about 180 degrees water temperature) you can change to the main tank to burn tractor fuel. Shutters on the face of the radiator are used as a means to warm it up or warm it more quickly. See pictures of the 3 way valve and shutter below. I believe those fuels were more readily available and cheaper in the 30's. Of course for the last 50 years it has ran only gasoline. I am in the process of getting the starting tank back in useable shape, and have made new fuel lines out of 5/16''s brake lines.




Also use of a "hot manifold" allowed these tractors to burn those heavy fuels and they used one carburetor for the different fuels. The intake and exhaust manifold are one piece. The intake gets hot, and preheats the incoming fuel charge to help burn it.

This tractor also came on steel wheels. Think about the simplicity and low maintenance. Not fussy about what it drinks, no battery to maintain, no flat tires etc. 

frankp

Cool, Dave.  Yes, you've been missed and your absence has been noted.  The 2 fuel tanks pic didn't attach.   frank
frank p

Crazydave

I'm struggling with the new picture host solution. Its strange, when I post with chrome (logged into) it shows the pictures embedded, but they weren't showing up for others. Figured out it was a sharing setting. Thought I fixed them all, but now they are showing up larger in size on the forum. Even when I re-link one that is showing up. Fixed to on this thread.


chetbrz

The pictures of the tracker motor look fine.

I'll check into some photo sharing software and see what the costs might be.
http://www.1948Plymouth.info           Web Master - Forum Administrator - AACA member

Crazydave

Having some strange results. Pictures show on certain browsers but not others.

I just re linked them in this thread.

Should be 2 in the first post and 4 in the 2nd.

Curious as to which ones you see and what browsers you are using.  I tested it in Chrome, Edge and Firefox. As of now 6:40 they appear on all 3.

chetbrz

I see them all A-OK on my iPhone 5 & windows explorer.
http://www.1948Plymouth.info           Web Master - Forum Administrator - AACA member

frankp

Dave, have them all now, too.  using google chrome.
frank p

racertb

Thanks for sharing!  Also looking for a better way to share pics since Photobucket is now charging $$$.

Crazydave

Figured I would test the picture host again. I added new unconverted images.
Visited the John Deere manufacturing plant in Waterloo Iowa Friday, 15 acre plant. Quite an operation. No cameras allowed. I''l post a few from the museum. Check out the size of this piston.




Original Spoker D First models produced under the John Deere name after it bought Waterloo boy. A high end restoration of a similar tractor, the 250th one made, brought $210,000 at an auction a few years back.

chetbrz

Quote from: racertb on November 09, 2017, 09:54:56 AM
Thanks for sharing!  Also looking for a better way to share pics since Photobucket is now charging $$$.

Ted,

Do you want to play with the Photo Gallery I put up ?  Let me know.  You can't beat the price.

Chet...
http://www.1948Plymouth.info           Web Master - Forum Administrator - AACA member

racertb