Break in for a JD 4440

[Le9102011]

Hello all, I have a JD4440 that just got a long block engine replacement from Abilene Machine, and i was looking for some pointers on how to break in the new engine, The guys at Deere told me that I will need to hook up a disc or renovator and run the snot out of it for a few hours, which is contradictory to what i tell people when they purchase a New Diesel truck. I know a lot of people on here have farmed with Iron Horse Tractors, and it will only really be used to farm our tractor club field of 8 acres go to various shows and pull a hay wagon.



Tractor only has 3500 Original hours, and was told it lived a non abused life to cultivate cotton in Peoria Arizona. Tractor was parked due to a liner seal leaking and engine was ran hot a few times, with ditch water as coolant so that is the need for the long block. Block was toast due to corrosion head had a crack but crankshaft was fine.
 

[matthies]

Whenever I overhaul one in my little shop it goes to the dealer or an independent shop I know well, and gets ran on a dyno for 8 hours or close to it.
 

[craigco]

Last 2 engines replaced at work came with break in instructions. One was a 6 cylinder cat motor the other a 4 cylinder Cummins in a skid. Both said run at 3/4 load for 8 hours with minimal idle time.
 

[tim s]

Make sure that you use a Zinc additive in the oil,, and run it like you did before..I rebuild 15 or so each year,,sent them home to work and they break in fine...
 

[Tx Jim]

I had pistons/liners installed in my 4255 year before last. It had ""JD break in oil"" in it when I picked it up at JD dealership. I drove it home & attached it to my JD 467 rd baler. I started using it to bale hay. Rings must have seated because it uses no oil between oil changes
 

[WTW]

Use it, Don't abuse it.
Don't baby it and Don't beat it.
The more variation in load the better.
If you had a short field to plow and had to turn around in short passes would be perfect. The most important thing is to make sure engine is up to normal operating temperature before you work it. If it was mine I would run the first 100 hrs with break-in oil. Do not let it set and idle.
 

[620 John]

Last fall I installed a reman engine in a JD 7830 which is a 6.8 engine. What WTW posted is pretty much what JD's instructions are that come with reman engines. I'll have to see if I can find those instructions again.
 

[dwag]

Whats zinc additive? Where do you get it? Doesn't Deere break in oil contain it?
 

[shanker]

[DR. EVIL]

Yes, according to JD dealer service techs on another forum, Deere Break-In oil has ZDDP, not sure about how strong a dose but enough.
The Neighbor I did fieldwork for years ago, early 1970's, traded two '64 4020's for a 4320 and a 4020. I had NO idea a 4320 even was, but it was hooked to his 5-14 F-145 plow when I got to his place after school. We looked it over, tach showed something like 3.10 hours, I started it up, was supposed to finish plowing the 80 acres, drove out to a land in 7th gear, stopped, shifted to 4th, dropped the plow in the ground and headed across the half mile field. Temp Guage was at operating temp at the other end, shifted to 5th and and away I went, was about 10-11 PM I finish the 80, was supposed to plow down a 40 acre field of sorgum-sudan, field had been started plowing around the outside working in. The sorghum was as all as the roof of the cab. The WFE laying the sorghum down in the dark highlited by the lights started making me nautious, Plowed till about 3 AM, was running the air conditioning in the cab, the temp Guage started creeping up a bit, I stopped and made sure all the grills were clean, made a couple more rounds and called it a day. The A/C was supposed to be so I could chop haylage with all the windows closed, keep the cab nice & clean. I got back there about 7-7:30, and the plow was sitting and 4320 was gone to the other farm to knife in anhydrous. Not sure what the new 4020 was doing. But when to feed 250 to 300 feeder cattle there's ALWAYS manure to haul, which is how I spent the rest of the day. Month later when I got back into the 4320 again the AC didn't work, so had all the windows open and a nice layer of dust in the cab. I suggested putting the new 4020 on the chopper, at least any breeze blew the dust off.
Anyhow, that 4320 was the big prime mover in that operation and I never remember ever having to add engine oil. Last day I ran it was pulling a 2 or 3 shank too big of chisel plow, it really struggled in 4th gear. The following year I pulled the exact same chisel with his new to him slightly turned up 2470 CASE 4wd, and I was running about 2-3 mph faster than the 4320 could have pulled that chisel.
Dad had our 4010 overhauled in the late winter the spring before he quit farming, new M&W 4020 kit sleeves & pistons, replacing a Deere 4020 engine kit that always burned lots & lots of oil, 5 quarts per tank of fuel.light work like cultivating, or combining oats with our JD #30 combine it would only burn 2-3 quarts per tank of fuel. With the M&W engine kit it never burned any oil. Started better too I think.
Lady that owned our farm was auctioning off the place in August, couple weeks before I left for college, WE mowed every blade of grass or weed we could get to. DAD hooked our 6 ft Brillian bush-hog to the 4010, only tractor we had with live pto, first day mowing twisted output shaft on mower off, 3+ ft tall grass in 5th gear on a 100 hp 4010 caused that, Local Brillion dealer had parts, 2nd day the pto on 4010 decides the shift from 540 to 1000 rpm while mowing. 4010 went back to local repair shop and had the double split to repair. Little story about that Brillion mower, I'd pulled it over HUNDREDS of acres every year with my Super H mowing hay, chopping corn stalks, 35 hp would not tear it up, but would shear the cheap shearbolts Dad bought. He had 3/8 grade 8's in it.