1961 JD 4010 Diesel

[Bill Becker]

I recently bought a 4010 and it has a 24volt system with the batteries relocated on the side of the tractor. I want to put it back to original and put each battery back under the foot platform on each side. The way it is hooked up now I believe is a not right (see picture) and has no ground wire to the frame anywhere. Can someone tell me how to hook them up correctly or have pictures so I can reference when I relocate them back under the foot platform? Also, the clutch pedal is sticky. Is there anything I can do to free it up? Thanks for any advice.

 

[ADB-Ia]

I recently bought a 4010 and it has a 24volt system with the batteries relocated on the side of the tractor. I want to put it back to original and put each battery back under the foot platform on each side. The way it is hooked up now I believe is a not right (see picture) and has no ground wire to the frame anywhere. Can someone tell me how to hook them up correctly or have pictures so I can reference when I relocate them back under the foot platform? Also, the clutch pedal is sticky. Is there anything I can do to free it up? Thanks for any advice.View attachment 75102

JD parts catalog for 4010 shows right hand battery - positive post to starter and negative post to ground strap. Left hand battery - positive post to ground strap and negative post to starter. For 4020 they went to right hand battery - positive to starter and a second lead from the positive that I don't remember where it attaches. The negative post connects to the positive post of the left battery. Then left hand battery has negative post to ground strap.
Edit - That's what the book shows but that can't be right. My mistake. The left hand battery negative has to go to the starter solenoid.

 

[wore out]

JD parts catalog for 4010 shows right hand battery - positive post to starter and negative post to ground strap. Left hand battery - positive post to ground strap and negative post to starter. For 4020 they went to right hand battery - positive to starter and a second lead from the positive that I don't remember where it attaches. The negative post connects to the positive post of the left battery. Then left hand battery has negative post to ground strap.

Should be "left hand battery (-) post goes to upper large terminal stud on starter solenoid".

RH battery (+) post goes to terminal stud on engine side of starter "belly".

That being said, 4010's and early 4020's originally had the individual battery ground straps connected to the chassis, (-) at the RH battery and (+) at the LH battery.

Many were changed over for safety to the system used by the later 24 Volt 4020's, with a crossover cable between the batteries and an connection from the crossover cable to the chassis though a fusible link or slo-blo 20 Amp fuse. Also, there was a kit to install two circuit breakers to a bracket on the starter to protect both the (+) and (-) side of the electrical system.

This is the safer later version, but without the circuit breakers that were added still later.

 

[JD Dave]

Your best bet is to get a John Deere technical manual for the tractor within your serial number series. The 24 volt system works alright but you don't want to screw it up. That book gives you a specific schematic for the wiring for 24 volt diesels. All original publications are available at John Deere Publications. Credit John Deere for making all of this history available, albeit at a price. Parts images can be found online but technical manuals they make you pay for.

 

[Tx Jim]

The batteries in your photo have a very unique appearance. It appears wore out has provided you a very good wiring schematic. I highly recommend adding circuit breakers on main supply wires to wiring harness. If it was my tractor I'd change it over to a simpler 12 volt electrical system.

 

[Texasmark]

The batteries in your photo have a very unique appearance. It appears wore out has provided you a very good wiring schematic. I highly recommend adding circuit breakers on main supply wires to wiring harness. If it was my tractor I'd change it over to a simpler 12 volt electrical system.

"If it was my tractor I'd change it over to a simpler 12 volt electrical system."

Me too. I had a 4010 I bought used and it had one size 27 (size of trolling motor batteries for boats) 12v 900ish CCA battery in that location. Nice in that the lead to the starter solenoid is short and you can easily get a ground cable to attach on the starter housing under the mounting bolt....with the surface cleared of paint and nice and shiny.....another short cable.........and current didn't have to run through the frame/housing/main casting to get to the starter from a rusty bolt on a painted surface on the other side of the tractor. Worked extremely well and never used a starting aid in the winter here in N. Tx..

 

[wore out]

The batteries in your photo have a very unique appearance. It appears wore out has provided you a very good wiring schematic. I highly recommend adding circuit breakers on main supply wires to wiring harness. If it was my tractor I'd change it over to a simpler 12 volt electrical system.

"The batteries in your photo have a very unique appearance."

Jim, take another look, there's two 3ET batteries side-by-side in the battery "box".

I didn't notice that at first, either.

 

[Tx Jim]

Thanks I overlooked that they were the slim 12 volt batteries