ready to split tractor 3020

[Robert23239]

Ok I am getting to split my 3020.
I have a front lift made my Cofer Mfg.
Looks like it will work well.
But I now I am getting concerned about the rear once it is split. Was going to use a 12 ton bottle jack.
I have read that the rear my flip back but o this tractor most of the weight is in front of the axel.
At least it looks that way.
So what is best to use on the rear. I plan to roll the front forward and leave the back in position.
Any input, I sure would appreciate.

Thanks robert

 

[Shawn]

use another bottle jack under the back end of the drawbar as well as the jack on the front

 

[usetob]

or floor jack

 

[Farmer Devin]

I used a really heavy duty creeper-like dolly to roll the front half away. A jack stand shimmed with wood under the end of the drawbar and a floor jack under the transmission case. Try not to let the jack down while you are putting it back together, its better to start low and jack up. (You wont have the sudden drop when the jack's lowering valve opens.)

 

[Tx Jim]

When I was JD service manager the technicians always rolled back part and left frt end sitting still. IMHO large rear wheels are easier to handle/steer than the frt end.

The OTC stands were built to accommodate this way with no caster wheels on frt stand

 

[JDemaris]

We had the OTC splitting stands in all our Deere shops. But, I had to split many 3020s and 4020s out in the field, by myself. All I used was a few bottle jacks, one floor jack, some wood shims, wood blocks, guide-studs and two come-alongs. I put many a new clutch in working on someone's driveway or barn floor.

If you don't have the proper OTC stands (or home-made) - easiest way that works for me is this.

Leave the rear half stationary. Jack the front and back at the drawbar and stack up some wood blocks for safety reasons.

Take some wood wedges and hammer them into the front on each side so the engine and front-end become rigid and cannot rock back and forth. This is VERY important.

Put a good roller floor jack under the oil-pan. If on dirt, put a good piece of 3/4" plywood underneath it.

Then unbolt and pull the front away. While pushing on the engine, also use a prybar to nudge the jack - just to make sure it follows the engine.

When putting back together - when by myself - I hook a come-alongs on each side. Then slowly crank the two halves back together and make sure NOT to force anything. Also, make sure you install some temporary guide-studs. Easy to make buy cutting some heads off bolts. When the trans input shaft makes contact with the cluth - crank the engine over (preferably with a battery) and also - put a pipe wrench on the PTO shaft and rotate it back and forth (assumimg it's engaged). Some of this depends on what type of clutch setup you have (SynchroRange or Powershift). If Synchro, hopefully you've put wood shims in the PTO clutch plate fingers to hold the PTO disk in place. With just slight tension on the come-alongs, let it pop back together on it's own - do NOT force it.

I used to split many a 4020 out in someone's barnyard - on dirt. I'm not quite that energetic or brave anymore. A 2520 or 3020 - I'd still do it of necessary. 4020 is a little scary.

 

[rustyfarmall]

(quoted from post at 05:19:58 02/09/10)
When I was JD service manager the technicians always rolled back part and left frt end sitting still. IMHO large rear wheels are easier to handle/steer than the frt end.

The OTC stands were built to accommodate this way with no caster wheels on frt stand

Yes. I split several 3020s and 4020s using those OTC stands, and I more or less copied that idea when I built my own splitting stands for my Farmalls.

 

[tim s]

I have wheels on my front stands and roll the front away, I use a big floor jack under the rear..

 

[Tx Jim]

(quoted from post at 18:22:49 02/09/10) I have wheels on my front stands and roll the front away, I use a big floor jack under the rear..

I'm curious why would you elect to split a tractor in the field rather than take it to your shop with a concrete floor?

 

[JDemaris]

I don't know what the guy you quoted (Tim S) said about splitting in the field, but I did it often. Why? Because I was a field mechanic for several Deere dealerships. Trucking a tractor 25-75 miles back to the shop, and then again back to the farm is not only expensive, it leaves the farmer minus one tractor.

The whole idea of us having "field" mechanics with service trucks - was to try to fix a farmer's tractor on-site and get it going again - as quickly and cheaply as possible. I put in many a clutch, rebuilt many an engine, and rebuilt many hydraulic and injection pumps - on site. At the farm, in the field, and in the woods.
It worked out well for us, and also for the farmers, loggers, and diggers and saved them a lot of money and down-time.

 

[Tx Jim]

JDemaris
I wasn't implying that it couldn't be accomplished it the field or hadn't been done by several technicians.

My question would be how do you keep dirt from blowing on a engine/trans overhaul in the field. Concrete is much easier/cleaner to work on than DIRT. How many trips back to dealership did this overhaul take to get over looked parts.

The service truck mileage plus the technicians time to/from field will pay for a machine to be hauled to dealer if several trips are required.