4440 Update

[Anonymous-0]

Well I got my 4440 back yesterday, ended up taking it to JD dealer because I was getting confusing info presssure checking it. Turns out the hydro pump was screwed up to 2800+ psi. And I had not one but 2 bad SCV's, they rebuilt one and put the blank plate over the other, thanks to you guys for that cost saving idea.

So for one day I had a warm fuzzy feeling about my 2 owner, both previous owners had it until they retired, 5000 hour original, never been on a farm over 250 acres 4440. Today I was looking it over real good contemplating some smaller stuff I was gonna fix myself. Found the head off a head bolt sitting behind the exhaust manifold. Its rusty so its been broke a long time, but I'll be taking it back 30 miles to John Deere, this time on a trailer.

 

[tim s]

I have found a head off a head bolt several times on 404/466 engines, and I know this sounds reckless, but they are normally loose so I run them out and put in a new one re-torque it and go on, some have been running for several years like this...

 

[Tx Jim]

It surprises me that with the stand-by at 2800 psi your tractor didn't have several gushing hyd oil leaks.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I had one return line leak earlier this year, and I doubt it helped the SCV issue any, but other than that no leaks.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Hey Tim, what all would you have JD do in a situation like this? I'm definately going to have them replace the gasket and install new head bolts. Any other thoughts while they have the head off? I doubt this tractor has had much cooling system maintenance. I can keep implements working, weld and service, but I'm far from a diesel engine mechanic.

 

[Tx Jim]

With just 5000 hrs on the engine,no apparent coolant leakage then I agree with Tim in that if the broken head bolt would unscrew out then I'd insert new H bolt,torque and use tractor.

 

[Anonymous-0]

It does have some coolant leakage. Very small leak at first and I thought it was from the thermostat housing area up until I found that bolt broke. Now I assume it is from the head. It also has seemed to get worse lately. However when I changed the oil and coolant recently both looked good with no apparent mixing.

 

[tim s]

I would try to make sure you know where to leakage is coming from, with low hours and running good just replacing the bolt will save you a lot of money. If you opt to have the head removed, you can have the valves checked and mill the head "just" enough to make sure it"s true, new head bolts, thermostat"s, belts and hoses,,may as well do the water pump while it"s off,,,it can go on and on if you let it...or one bolt and check it over...

 

[Anonymous-0]

Sounds good, I will get it all cleaned up and try to find my leak. It runs perfect so...

 

[tim s]

This will be a "hard to believe" story,but it's true.about the bolt in the picture. I pulled a late model 4430 into the shop for a clutch job, I ran it for maybe 15 minutes as I parked it in the spot to work on it, I pulled the hood and walked across the shop to get the splitting stands and I heard a "Pop" sound and some thing hit the ceiling and rolled across the floor, I picked it up and seen it was the top off a head bolt,,looking the 4430 over I found a bolt missing it's head in behind the turbo, a fresh break,,this all happened right there and then, the bolt was loose so I screwed it out with my fingers,,I couldn't believe what I just saw happen,,I screwed a new bolt in and that was 5 years ago, that tractor has been running fine ever since. I was hesitant to tell the owner not wanting him to worry but I did..I kept that bolt for "show and tell",,that is why I had it handy to show you...

 

[DEEREMEYER1]

Chase the hole out, slap in a new bolt and torque to specs and put it back to work.

 

[DEEREMEYER1]

If a bolt head pops off and no one is around to hear it, does it still make noise? Lol.

 

[tim s]

I had a 4440 in here a few years ago that dropped a valve seat, the owners hired hands had been pulling it a a local fair, had the pump screw all the way in,,this tractor always had the snot worked out of it..when I removed the head it had a head bolt broke off flush with the block,,and rusted/cruded up "tight" been that way for a long time, but even with all the abuse it had received it still didn't blow a head gasket, I was amazed with that,, "But" I had a heck of a time getting that broken bolt out, it was also getting an O/H so I had the liners out letting me warm the bolt Boss up,,I spent a lot of time on that one...

 

[T-Rev]

You won't believe this either but its got 4 broken bolts, all in the middle portion on the cab door side. I took a half day and spent the afternoon taking the hood off and degreasing it. I found 3 more washers stuck in crud, and 4 holes total. They are all broken lower than the "deck" except for 1 which is somewhat flush. Runs great. The 1 bolt head I found was rusted where it was broken, so this must have been going on for awhile. I pulled all my corn to town this fall and disked stalks with it.

 

[Anonymous-0]

You won't believe this either but its got 4 broken bolts, all in the middle portion on the cab door side. I took a half day and spent the afternoon taking the hood off and degreasing it. I found 3 more washers stuck in crud, and 4 holes total. They are all broken lower than the "deck" except for 1 which is somewhat flush. Runs great. The 1 bolt head I found was rusted where it was broken, so this must have been going on for awhile. I pulled all my corn to town this fall and disked stalks with it.

 

[buickanddeere]

Has the engine ever been apart or has anybody ever re-torqued the bolts?

 

[buickanddeere]

Amazing how many people want to re-use fasteners in critical areas . In particular if somebody preciously had the fasteners out before wasn't worried about accurate torque specs.

 

[tim s]

I agree B&D it is a good argument for new hardware, on at least 2 of the ones I was talking about they were never torn down before or re-torqued...the one failed right at the top of the bolt head the other at the thread end...some things are hard to make sense of....

 

[tim s]

I agree B&D it is a good argument for new hardware, on at least 2 of the ones I was talking about they were never torn down before or re-torqued...the one failed right at the top of the bolt head the other at the thread end...some things are hard to make sense of....

 

[Anonymous-0]

I'm not sure, my older neighbor I bought it from had it since the late 90's, he's not real sharp memory wise anymore. He was the second owner and had talked with the original owner when he bought it from a Deere dealer, but I doubt he'd remember.

 

[Bob Harvey]

Yep! But it might be later with an "oh crap!"