John Deere Revival

[Scheidy]

This is my first time posting on here, so I'm hoping this works. Anyway, a neighbor of mine, who is a farmer and a retired Ag teacher from my high school, has a 1941 John Deere Model "B" that I had asked him if I could borrow it for our FFA Chapter's "Drive A Tractor To School Day". He said that he would've let me use it if it was running, but if I helped him get it going I could use it next year. It was running when it was parked, it has just been sitting for a few years, so we want to go over it to make sure everything is ok before we fire it up. We already know to check the magneto / points, tires, carburetor, fluids, and hydraulics, but is there anything else that we should check? We are in South Central Pennsylvania if the climate affects anything. The only reason that the tractor wasn't run is because it is a hand start and with the cultivators attached and his bad knee, it was fairly awkward to start it. Please, any help or advice / tips / help would be greatly appreciated. Being the kind of guy that bleeds GREEN, I'm not sure if I could face driving my brother-in-law's FARMALL CUB to school for the third year in a row.

 

[RLA]

If it has sat for a long period & the trans
hasn't turned over, Theres a 3/8 square head
plug on or near the bottom of the reduction
cover ( CLUTCH SIDE ).. Remove that plug &
drain the water off. If it's all Oil install
the Plug & Go... Check Radiator too.....

 

[Mike M]

Engine turn over ? wouldn't hurt to check for compression. A valve could be stuck or burnt.

Get the cult. off and hook a flat belt on the pulley from another tractor if you can. This is alot better then pulling with a chain starter.
You could try it by hand ,but until it gets running again it may be really hard to get going by hand.

 

[Tech 7]

When you get it running (I know you will) make sure the brakes are operative before you need them. The result of not doing this would at best be embarrasing,at worst....well lets not talk about that. Have fun,Bob

 

[Scheidy]

Thanks guys for all the advice! Well, the biggest fear I have right now is that the rings may have rusted to the cylinder wall. We have a 1952 White WC22 truck-tractor that sat for about 7 - 8 years and it also was running when it was parked. Just from sitting, the engine seized up, and when I pulled off the head, I saw it was from the rings rusting. Back to the Deere, I tried to spin the flywheel, but it didn"t budge. Now, I may not have had it in neutral or the clutch properly disengaged. It was getting dark and I couldn"t really see what I was doing. I will definitely make sure to check everything that y"all said. Cosmetically, the tractor is almost perfect. Not a spotless, Best-Of-Show piece, but I mean, it has to either be repainted / restored, or a miracle.

 

[CLW]

To start it take one end of the bar that runs in front of the flywheel loose and flip it over and out of the way. Gives lots more room.