Barn find ?990? - What is it? Upgrade Options, High Clearance and power steering?

[kiwi_db]

Greetings from down under, what an awesome resource this is!

I've come across a disused David Brown in a shed. If everything works out it will become a boat launching tractor. Step one was getting it to run, which only required a battery, some fresh diesel and a small dose of ether.

Now I'm trying to work out what it is. This is complicated by it having a front end loader that appears to have the mounts welded over the frame number.

So, identifying traits:
White bonnet with twin headlight grill, air cleaner out through the top.

Engine number, as far as I can make out, is:
AVD4 47A
72550
This has an alternator rather than a dynamo, and relevant to my upgrade hopes it does not have the blanking plate under the alternator, rather it has one on the left side above the injector pump.

6 speed gearbox, Selectamatic hydraulics (at least, I think it's Selectamatic? All the decals/writing are gone from the quadrant and it has some slightly weird hydraulic plumbing for the FEL)

As best I can tell it's a roughly 1964-1968 990 Selectamatic though the engine is a little odd.

I want to do a high clearance upgrade by rotating the final drives - can this be done if the tractor wasn't factory specced for HC? The front will probably get lengthened with a tig welder, if that's not a really bad idea - the OEM high clearance spindles and beams seem to be virtually non-existent nowadays.

For power steer, is it just a matter of finding the somewhat rare pump that fits on the left side, and then a ram setup off a 990/880 of this era? Or can I go to full hydrostatic by mixing that pump with a hydrostatic steering box/column and ram?

Appreciate any advice! I'm fairly mechanical but this is my first foray into tractoring.... looking forward to it.

 

[joestewart]

See if the pictures in this instruction book match up to your tractor:

David Brown 850, 880 and 990 Implematic Tractors Instruction Book

 

[kiwi_db]

Thanks for the info - Yes and no. The tractor is very different. Some parts of the engine pictures match, like the location of the engine coolant drain, but other things like the fuel lift pump and air cleaner don't.

 

[DRussell]

Thanks for the info - Yes and no. The tractor is very different. Some parts of the engine pictures match, like the location of the engine coolant drain, but other things like the fuel lift pump and air cleaner don't.

Please post a picture of the tractor.

 

[Destroked 450]

Does it look like this one
A friend has one like this that his dad purchased new

 

[kiwi_db]

Yes, it looks just like that one.

 

[kiwi_db]

In all of its slightly neglected glory....

 

[RGMartin]

Looks like a run of the mill 66 to 71ish 990. If the serial number plate is missing, it will also be stamped into the top of the frame. right side, just forward of the engine, near where the radiator attaches.

Looks to be a factory DB loader as well, A Lh9? maybe.

 

[Joe (Wa)]

Like this pic RGM?

 

[RGMartin]

Like this pic RGM?

exactly, unless the front frame section has been replaced.

 

[Winston001]

Does it look like this one
A friend has one like this that his dad purchased new
View attachment 101994

Dad bought our 990 new in 1971 and it looks like this. The only exception is ours has power steering which was handy because Dad had a Begg loader put on the tractor shortly after buying it.

This 990 is sitting in my garage today in Central Otago.