4440 issues

[Anonymous-0]

I am looking at a 4440. I have been told they are a real workhorse and with the 540/1000 rpm easily able to change out are quite nice. One probem to look for I was told (by a JD man) was the sleeves will pit after 6k-7k hours and leak coolant into the oil. What experience do you guys know about this and what things should I look for when looking at the 4440's? Should I look for ones that have been overhauled after 5000 hours or so?

 

[larryanderson]

I have seen many with quite a few hours that have never been touched.Maintenance is key for longer life.They may recommend longer intervals on oil changes but 150hrs. is max and 100 is better.Leaving the pump at 10% over or less doesnt hurt either.4440s were and still are one of JDs best.

 

[tim s]

I agree with Larry they are a good tractor, the sleeves in them are no different than any other 466 engine, 9-10,000 hours is the O/H time

 

[Tx Jim]

You could get oil & coolant test kits and send samples to the lab. Dirty coolant with the wrong PH is what causes holes in the liners.

 

[WJD]

All diesel engines with wet sleeves (not cast with the block) will have this problem if the coolant is not properly maintained. Ask for records and check the current coolant, if you don't have a test kit take a sample to your dealer.
Engines that have worked at high speeds/load factors will have pitting worse than engines operated mostly at low speeds load factors will still do it, just takes a little longer.
I've heard some people on a limited budget pull the sleeves (also called cylinder liners) inspect for pitting, if you can see the bottom of the pitting rotate it 1/4 to 1/2 turn reinstall with new seals, gaskets, etc. with properly treated coolant and go back to work. I can't promise this "fix" will be 100% effective but have heard of it and am trying to help you out if funds are limited.

I was a factory Regional Service Manager for Cummins for many years, please rest assured pitting is not a new or uncommon problem.

 

[DEEREMEYER1]

Liner pitting can and does occur on Deeres from time to time that have had no cooling system maintenance for a very long period of time, but I've also seen some tractors that I drained what looked like pond water out of the cooling system and the liners looked fine. Honestly, this is much more of a "red" problem than a Deere problem - thinner liners, less cylinder block rigidity, higher engine speeds and more vibration and cavitation. The guy that told you that it's a common issue at X hours honestly doesn't know what he's talking about. Look for a tractor that you can find some good service history on and honestly you'll probably have better luck finding a really good one at a farm retirement auction than on a dealer lot these days. Guys just don't trade good 4440s very often. The last 4440 I worked on, which was a few weeks ago, was a 12,000+ hour tractor and pretty mechanically sound but it doesn't get worked a heck of a lot. The bottom line is that you'll see 10,000+ hour tractor that have proper care, maintenance and operation that are 100% mechanically sound and may have never been touched beyond minor repair work and wear items, and you can find 5000-hour junk piles with a list of shop tickets a mile long because they haven't been cared for. And they might be cosmetically decent or even nice, but personally, I'll take the 10,000+ hour original over the 5000 hour money pit and wouldn't mind paying the same money for it. There is no excuse for a 4440 to have needed overhauled at 5000 hours beyond lack of maintenance and proper operation. These are Deeres, not Internationals...