John Deere R

[2 Fingers]

Mr. Thinker,
I have two questions: #1 I have a 1954 R, it has a strange bracket on the right side of the driver's seat that I can't identify, it looks to be a factory bracket and fits too good not to belong there, see attached picture. It bolts on where the cylinder hanger bracket would normally go.

Question #2. On my 1954 R, my flywheel (R341R) cracked past the holes at the end of the expansion joints. I found a flywheel from an 80 (R1304) to replace it. When I slid it on the crankshaft and it bottoms out on the shoulder, the crankshaft wouldn't turn, I couldn't see anything that would cause it to bind. The other issue is that with the flywheel bottomed out on the crankshaft, the ring gear stays meshed with the starter gear. I slid the flywheel back out .240" to gain clearance from the starter gear with the thought of building a shim behind the flywheel to hold it out. The downfall to this theory is that it doesn't allow the safety nut (R345R) to fully seat on the threads. The parts catalog shows that both R341R and R1304R are acceptable for the R, am I missing something?

 

[flying belgian]

Mr. Thinker,
I have two questions: #1 I have a 1954 R, it has a strange bracket on the right side of the driver's seat that I can't identify, it looks to be a factory bracket and fits too good not to belong there, see attached picture. It bolts on where the cylinder hanger bracket would normally go.

Question #2. On my 1954 R, my flywheel (R341R) cracked past the holes at the end of the expansion joints. I found a flywheel from an 80 (R1304) to replace it. When I slid it on the crankshaft and it bottoms out on the shoulder, the crankshaft wouldn't turn, I couldn't see anything that would cause it to bind. The other issue is that with the flywheel bottomed out on the crankshaft, the ring gear stays meshed with the starter gear. I slid the flywheel back out .240" to gain clearance from the starter gear with the thought of building a shim behind the flywheel to hold it out. The downfall to this theory is that it doesn't allow the safety nut (R345R) to fully seat on the threads. The parts catalog shows that both R341R and R1304R are acceptable for the R, am I missing something?

I'm wondering if the bracket isn't for an umbrella.

 

[2 Fingers]

That was my first thought as well, I just can find anything in the parts book to support it.

 

[wore out]

That was my first thought as well, I just can find anything in the parts book to support it.

There were dozens of places that peddled aftermarket accessories and gadgets for tractors which obviously wouldn't show up in the John Deere partsbook, whatever it may be it was probably for some sort of aftermarket accessory.

 

[2 Fingers]

There were dozens of places that peddled aftermarket accessories and gadgets for tractors which obviously wouldn't show up in the John Deere partsbook, whatever it may be it was probably for some sort of aftermarket accessory.

That's very possible and even likely. It's definitely factory made, not home made.