[N2 Tractors]

I got a call last monday just as we walking to the car to leave a funeral of a family member. The caller was a guy that sold me my very first JD 1969 140 H3 w/Johnson workhorse 12 FEL, 3point hitch and Earthcavator.

He has a neighbor that has a dead JD 445. Motor was pulled after catching on fire. It caught on fire from using some kind of catch can or something like that because it was blowing oil, assuming through exhaust but not sure. The oil caught on fire and he was able to put it out before the hood and side engine covers caught on fire & went up in smoke.

It has a 3pt for the mechanical 450 tiller "big tiller" and a 48" mower deck that’s shaft driven. I was thinking that mower might work on the 420 but not sure. I have no idea what the tractor ran and drove like prior to it going down but was told it was way nicer than his craftsman lawn tractor he bought to replace it for mowing his small field/yard in the back.

The motor was pulled and he wanted to repower it with a new motor but he said califoria jd could not or would not supply him an engine. He'd have to go out of state to get a motor and he was not willing to do that. I forgot to get the hours while I was there looking at it.

The guy that owns it seemed very nice, likable and sincere so I lean more towards believing the history he told me it is a family owned tractor.

Anyway here are a couple pics of the mower with power flow and tiller as well as 3pt and tractor. He gave me a ball park idea what he'd like to get out of it. I don't have that kind of money to just sit on it until i get around to it or can find the right buyers for it as a package deal or as a part out. I told him I’d put some feelers out. not sure how much shipping could be on a package like this and what kind of shipping options are even available but I can help facilitate the purchase if some one is seriouse about buying it. He basically told me in so many words to sell it for him if I’m not interested in it for myself.

So what's it worth as it sits in these pics either as a package deal or as sepatate parts parted out? Oh and how desirable are these parts? It is not listed for sale atm in any media form.

 

[N2 Tractors]

Nothing? Almost 150 views yet not a peep.

 

[lt230s]

I'm not into those machines, but figuring $500 each for tiller and deck. The tractor without an engine about the same since it has 3 point.
Problem is if engine is available elsewhere most likely used and taking a chance. Thinking not available in California due to them outlawing gas engines. I may be wrong.

 

[N2 Tractors]

Yeah I have not even looked into the issue of finding a replacement engine. Finding a suitable repower should not be too difficult. I forgot about some of these being 4 wheel steer as well so did not check if it had that option as well.

Then I don’t know if the rear PTO is compatible with the earlier 3xx/4xx tractors or if that PTO female part is just built into the tractors transaxle. It has several things of value as a package but with out a running tractor they can be too pricey to just buy it and sit on it.

I still have the 420 and 318tractors to get around to :/. Ideally I could use the mower and tiller on the 420 as I like that one more but the 445 has a pretty big engine area since it’s a water cooled tractor-but the two cylinder Kawasaki looked pretty small.

 

[vbosch]

About the only thing from the 445 that will work on the 318/420 is the rear tires, everything else is completely different. The deck is shaft driven from the rear diff on the 445. The tiller is 540 rpm will the 318/420 is 2000 rpm.

 

[N2 Tractors]

Ok thank you vbosch So part it out or find a good repower option. Not even the front wheels would work on the earlier tractors? Are the front wheels and axle meant for carrying heavier loads than the earlier tractors? The frame looked to be made pretty stout.

 

[DEERE317]

If it’s like our 345 or LX188 basically any fuel or valvecover leak goes straight onto the exhaust pipes and muffler. When we got the 188 the first time we turned it over it pumped fuel straight onto the muffler and looked like it had been on fire in the past. Both of them also had leaky valve cover gaskets that would make them smoke whenever it would hit the muffler.

I'm not into those machines, but figuring $500 each for tiller and deck. The tractor without an engine about the same since it has 3 point.
Problem is if engine is available elsewhere most likely used and taking a chance. Thinking not available in California due to them outlawing gas engines. I may be wrong.

Pretty sure it’s the CARB (California Air Resource Board) emissions standards which are a bit more stringent than the national EPA ones, and I believe this would be above the HP cutoff for the new small engine sales ban whenever that is implemented.

 

[N2 Tractors]

It has the Kawasaki gas powered engine.

I believe 25hp and under falls in the Cali ban But it’s not in effect as of yet as far as I know.

 

[N2 Tractors]

I gave the owner a price I could afford atm and he said to come and get it. Now I have to make room for the tractor mower and tiller.

Ideally I will be able to sell all this by parting it out to fund other projects but I really don’t like junking tractors like that.

Although the other 420 build thread I saw recently has some interesting ideas that I could duplicate with the parts from this tractor to make the 420 have a rear 540 PTO. I’ll keep y’all updated as to if/when I get it home

 

[TempletonJDguy]

I mean getting 540 pto straight out of the rear end is an incredible advantage. I haven’t heard of this conversion but if it works your going to raise the bar on ‘80s l&g tractor conversions.

 

[LukeL]

I mean getting 540 pto straight out of the rear end is an incredible advantage. I haven’t heard of this conversion but if it works your going to raise the bar on ‘80s l&g tractor conversions.

You haven’t seen a 4x5 series machine with a rear PTO kit? I’m surprised, with all the machines you acquire. They’re not incredibly uncommon.

 

[N2 Tractors]

Owner told me it was blowing the oil out through the carburetor and that he had the engine previously rebuilt and bored 1 size over. It ran great with no blow by for a while then it started getting bad blow by so he routed a hose from the carburetor to a catch can and was recycling the oil from the catch can back into the motor. This line or catch can is what caught on fire and he was close to a garden hose when it happened so he put the fire out ASAP.

 

[TempletonJDguy]

Wow 👆 🤣🤣 Luke what I was trying to say was I haven’t seen someone pull a 420 rear end and replace it with a 4x5 rear. Of course everyone wants a 420 rearend in thier 300 series. Now I’m am not familiar with the 4x5 lineup and have seen the the rear 540 pto on some. Not sure if it was standard equipment or not. You won’t find a 4x5 in my collection as I try not to collect tractors made past the year 1990 (plastic hoods on up). Again I’m fairly new to the John Deere world and still wet behind the ears. By the time I figure this all out I’ll forget it anyway 🤣🤣

 

[LukeL]

Wow Luke what I was trying to say was I haven’t seen someone pull a 420 rear end and replace it with a 4x5 rear. Of course everyone wants a 420 rearend in thier 300 series. Now I’m am not familiar with the 4x5 lineup and have seen the the rear 540 pto on some. Not sure if it was standard equipment or not. You won’t find a 4x5 in my collection as I try not to collect tractors made past the year 1990 (plastic hoods on up). Again I’m fairly new to the John Deere world and still wet behind the ears. By the time I figure this all out I’ll forget it anyway

Oh you’re talking about the other thread! That’s a great build going on. Yeah the plastics are annoying but the 4x5’s aren’t terribly bad since they’re in such small pieces.

 

[N2 Tractors]

OK I have arranged to go get this tomorrow

 

[N2 Tractors]

In line atm ordering a burrito at chipotle. I'll upload images probably tomorrow. Got a decent deal, some might say call the cops but it was his to let go so who am I to turn down a deal like this. $500

 

[N2 Tractors]

I had just enough time to do a quick walk around before the sun set then get the trailer parked in the back yard. He had spent a lot on this thing. Has reciepts and loose paper manuals etc. Had just got a new radiator as well.

 

[N2 Tractors]

I forgot to mention it has less than 900 hours on the meter and he said the meter works.

 

[N2 Tractors]

Cylinder under the oil fill cap I believe it’s the left cylinder has about 145+ psi and the other one has about 190+ psi.

The left cylinder also was pushing out a little bit of rusty water. Both spark plugs were not showing any rust. Either it has a blown head gasket or the water got in there from being left out in the rain exposed with no air cleaner or muffler on the engine. I’m going to guess it’s rain in that cylinder.

What is the go to for treating rusted frozen rings on a piston while still in a long block engine? PB blaster, wd40, marvel mystery oil, sea foam etc etc?

I want fo see if I can get the rings to loosen up to see if it’ll improve the compression and try to run the engine. Well that is unless y’all think I should just pull the head and inspect it prior to trying to put it back together and starting it.

Pics of the hood, grill and side tins on the tractor. The side covers and hood are a little bit warped from the fire and probably from laying out in the sun stacked on top of each other in a radio flyer red wagon.

You can see in this pic below where I circled the side cover in yellow. It is dented inward. Additionallythat tin suffered some fire damage nthe top under the hood and on the back side. The grill got a little toasted as well.

 

[TempletonJDguy]

I’d fill the cylinders with marvel mystery oil. It’s old school.