47A Engine Locked Up

[oldmanandakid]

I have an A that has not been started in about 20 years. When I bought the tractor the engine turned freely, perhaps a bit too freely for my thinking. It was towed home about 6 miles and has sat several months since with the stacks covered. Now the engine will not turn at all. Any thought about what I should be looking for?
 

[Husker44A]

Its not in gear and the clutch engaged is it ? Assuming not.
Remove the spark plugs and make sure its not locked up
from a leaking headgasket. Crank it over to check. If still no
go. You can remove plugs and pull it with another tractor or
vehicle engaging the clutch lightly to break it free. If still no
go you'll have to remove the head, block. I've never seen or
heard of one sticking over a few months time. Good luck.
 

[Ben.So.Tex]

Spray alittle oil in the cylinders-leave plugs out
put in about 5th gear and try rocking the rear wheel and it might just come loose. I would not pull it with a tractor, you could bend a rod. Do the eazy stuff 1st. Good Luck.
 

[Greenday]

How is he supposed to "crank it to check" if the engine is stuck????????????
 

[Mike N Mo]

Husker, I bought a "B" that stuck over a weeks time. I looked at the tractor, it turned over easy, but didn't run. I went back a week later to get it, and it would NOT turn over. We put it in high gear and rocked it some to pop it loose. It was stored inside as well. So outside with the stacks uncovered is just a stuck engine waiting to happen. Mike
 

[JohnDeereJimOhio]

Let it soak in ATF and diesel and try rocking it as
mentioned. Then if that doesn't work rig up a pole
on the flywheel and hang some wait on it. Keep
spraying and checking it. One day you will come out
and the weights will be on the floor and it will be
loose.. If you plan on redoing it the easiest safest
way is pull the motor and push the pistons out...
 

[Harvey 2]

I have unstuck a lot of John Deeres; One way I do
is take the valve cover off and see if any of the
valves are stuck shut, if any are stuck shut
loosen the rocker arm so you won't break a tappet
when the engine does turn. Next step is get a long
pry bar and hook it to the fly wheel and put
pressure on it,soak the cylinders with your
favorite panther pee and leave for several days,
every now and then put more pressure on pry bar
till it begins to turn and then rock flying wheel
back and forth. One other way is if you aren't in
a hurry back tractor up to a tree and jack front
end up and hook chain around tree to tractor and
leave in high gear, the weight of tractor some
times will turn engine. And then sometimes I have
had to take engine appart to get it loose
 

[old]

#1 make sure it does not have any water in the cylinders. Then #2 jack the front of it up about 18 inches. #3 fill the cylinders full of ATF and put the plugs back in. Let it sit a week.set a good 12 volt Battery in it with the plugs out give it a try. Almost bet it will spin over but watch out the ATF will shoot out making a mess. My B sat a long time and locked up and that is how I freed it up plus a good number of other tractors with the ATF treatment. The reason on the JDs to jack it up is so the ATF gets where it needs to go and flows down all around the pistons
 

[BushogPapa]

If you had not covered the area over the Exhaust manifold..the Exhaust manifold gaskets were likely blown out and water got into the engine from there..
Very common place for water to get in..

Ron.
 

[oldmanandakid]

Success! Thanks guys. Nine days of pressure pulling against the flywheel did nothing. The front was elevated about 2 feet and the cylinders filled with ATF. Next rocking failed but today a six foot pry bar on the flywheel did the trick. And yes despite the warning I got an ATF bath. It was worth to see that engine turn. Now the real work will start and I am sure I will return here with many more questions.