nlastovi
Member
- Location
- central Colorado
I’m going to try to keep something of a record here of my journey along the meandering—and occasionally fuel-soaked—path of owning a 1964 John Deere 4020 diesel with loader. I expect that you’ll be able to find some enjoyment in my follies and perhaps someone in the future will be able to learn from my experience.
An elderly gentleman had purchased the tractor about six years earlier with high hopes and every intention of restoring it. As the years drifted by, however, his enthusiasm gradually dwindled to the point of sale. He had invested a fair amount in it, including a new radiator, front tires, seat, starter, batteries, a 12-volt conversion, and assorted other improvements.
When I went to look at it, the tractor would start and run, although it displayed the usual symptoms of a disintegrated governor ring in the injection pump. The lift pump was not working particularly well, either. The rear tires were mismatched, heavily weather-cracked, and slowly leaking air. The steering wheel consisted mainly of random globs of Bakelite clinging determinedly to a rusty steel ring. Several hydraulic lines on the loader were nearly new; many others had apparently been installed during the Eisenhower administration and were now oozing fluid.
We bartered for a while and eventually settled on a number that neither of us was entirely happy with—the traditional sign of a successful negotiation.
Then the fun began.
The steel fuel line from the tank to the lift pump was filled with a substance best described as black goo. Repeated attempts to push a wire through it accomplished nothing. The tank drain and petcock were likewise completely plugged. From this evidence, I concluded that the tank might contain a little dirt.
I installed a new lift pump and connected an auxiliary fuel tank so the tractor could run. The injection pump clearly needed to be rebuilt, so I removed it and sent it to Indiana.
While the pump was away, I tackled a number of other projects. I removed approximately 60 years’ worth of grime, straw, dirt, nests, rust, crud, and dust. I resealed the loader lift cylinders and changed the engine oil and filter. I also changed the hydraulic oil, cleaned the screen, and replaced the filter. I tightened every nut and bolt I could find, replaced several grease fittings, and applied grease everywhere that appeared willing to accept it. I ordered modern-sized rear rims and tires to replace the original 13.6-38’s that were looking rather dismal behind the 11L15s now on the front.
When the rebuilt injection pump returned, I reinstalled it, and the tractor fired right up. I then moved it closer to the shop—not so much as a test drive, but as an important step toward reducing the distance between the tractor and my toolbox.
Next, I decided to replace the petcock and tank drain. Fortunately, my predecessor had thoughtfully filled the tank, so I first had to siphon 33½ gallons of diesel into every available fuel container I owned. By the end, several containers that had never expected to hold diesel were reconsidering their life choices.
Peering into the emptied tank revealed a thick coating of nasty black grime and tar. I successfully engineered a cleaning device and managed to expose something resembling metal in the portions of the tank I could see. That was followed by hot, high-pressure washing.
I installed the new drain and petcock and was delighted to add some fuel. My delight was short-lived. Fuel immediately began raining from the bottom of the tank through a constellation of pinholes that had previously been sealed—and apparently structurally supported—by the sludge I had so proudly removed.
Out came the tank.
After additional cleaning in the shop, the number of visible holes made it clear that a little brazing was not going to accomplish as much as I had hoped. The tank was less a fuel container and more an unusually heavy sieve.
A new nonmetallic tank is now on the way. Installing it will be a joy —and, if experience is any guide, it will undoubtedly reveal the chore after that.
The story will continue as parts keep arriving.
An elderly gentleman had purchased the tractor about six years earlier with high hopes and every intention of restoring it. As the years drifted by, however, his enthusiasm gradually dwindled to the point of sale. He had invested a fair amount in it, including a new radiator, front tires, seat, starter, batteries, a 12-volt conversion, and assorted other improvements.
When I went to look at it, the tractor would start and run, although it displayed the usual symptoms of a disintegrated governor ring in the injection pump. The lift pump was not working particularly well, either. The rear tires were mismatched, heavily weather-cracked, and slowly leaking air. The steering wheel consisted mainly of random globs of Bakelite clinging determinedly to a rusty steel ring. Several hydraulic lines on the loader were nearly new; many others had apparently been installed during the Eisenhower administration and were now oozing fluid.
We bartered for a while and eventually settled on a number that neither of us was entirely happy with—the traditional sign of a successful negotiation.
Then the fun began.
The steel fuel line from the tank to the lift pump was filled with a substance best described as black goo. Repeated attempts to push a wire through it accomplished nothing. The tank drain and petcock were likewise completely plugged. From this evidence, I concluded that the tank might contain a little dirt.
I installed a new lift pump and connected an auxiliary fuel tank so the tractor could run. The injection pump clearly needed to be rebuilt, so I removed it and sent it to Indiana.
While the pump was away, I tackled a number of other projects. I removed approximately 60 years’ worth of grime, straw, dirt, nests, rust, crud, and dust. I resealed the loader lift cylinders and changed the engine oil and filter. I also changed the hydraulic oil, cleaned the screen, and replaced the filter. I tightened every nut and bolt I could find, replaced several grease fittings, and applied grease everywhere that appeared willing to accept it. I ordered modern-sized rear rims and tires to replace the original 13.6-38’s that were looking rather dismal behind the 11L15s now on the front.
When the rebuilt injection pump returned, I reinstalled it, and the tractor fired right up. I then moved it closer to the shop—not so much as a test drive, but as an important step toward reducing the distance between the tractor and my toolbox.
Next, I decided to replace the petcock and tank drain. Fortunately, my predecessor had thoughtfully filled the tank, so I first had to siphon 33½ gallons of diesel into every available fuel container I owned. By the end, several containers that had never expected to hold diesel were reconsidering their life choices.
Peering into the emptied tank revealed a thick coating of nasty black grime and tar. I successfully engineered a cleaning device and managed to expose something resembling metal in the portions of the tank I could see. That was followed by hot, high-pressure washing.
I installed the new drain and petcock and was delighted to add some fuel. My delight was short-lived. Fuel immediately began raining from the bottom of the tank through a constellation of pinholes that had previously been sealed—and apparently structurally supported—by the sludge I had so proudly removed.
Out came the tank.
After additional cleaning in the shop, the number of visible holes made it clear that a little brazing was not going to accomplish as much as I had hoped. The tank was less a fuel container and more an unusually heavy sieve.
A new nonmetallic tank is now on the way. Installing it will be a joy —and, if experience is any guide, it will undoubtedly reveal the chore after that.
The story will continue as parts keep arriving.
