Mowing I can use a bit of advice

   / I can use a bit of advice #1  

epictx

New member
Joined
Feb 20, 2011
Messages
6
Location
Bishop, Texas
Tractor
CASE/IH 240A Diesel
I set the topic as "Mowing" as there wasn't a selection labelled "What was I thinking?"

I have this tractor... - how many whiners start off with similar comments?

It's apparently a '78 IH/Case 240PT, and it has a 6 foot mower or shredder or brush cutter - too rusty to make out who made it - and I have a few questions about both.

Any way to manually disengage the differential lock? I can move it maybe 1/4 inch down against the spring, but it don't come up at all. Squirted about a half can of wd40 on everything I can see that can move, drove forward and backward on grass and concrete and in all gears while straight and turning and - no boowayno, it won't disengage.

Any suggestions about sharpening mower blades? Do ya' just lay down under it and go to town with a file and a six-pack? Looks like it'll be a mutha' to actually take them off, but I guess that'd keep all the filings out of the beer.

She'll mow firly well for about 15 minutes, then start losing power & I have to shut down for an hour or so. Probably overheating. None of the gages are functioning, so This is probably not one I can get help with till I do some repairs.

If I get 1 and 2 figured out, 3 will probably go away.

I've got a Case dealer about 15 miles away, but so far, I haven't gotten any indications of intelligence, ambition, or customer service from anyone there.
 
   / I can use a bit of advice #2  
My 1910 Ford had been used like a bulldozer by the previous owner. The second time i used the differential lock it refused to release. I ended up removing the axle housings from the transmission case as well as the top casting. Found that the differential lock consists of a disk with four holes in it, and a sliding disk with dowels welded to it. Pushing the pedal down engages the sliding disk dowels in the holes locking the two axles together. Bulldozing with the tractor had led to breaking the dowel welds beyond repair. I pulled the differential, removed the dowels and sent them to Crapa (China). I hope you don't have to go to this extreme.

DO NOT engage differential lock if one wheel is spinning.

Both rear tires must be stopped or rotating at the same speed when engaging
D-lock. Otherwise, you will get to harvest dowels for Crapa :laughing:
 
   / I can use a bit of advice #3  
Are you sure that is the model number..?? I went to Case IH, and the only 240 model they show is like mine, back in the late 50's, and they did not have a diff. lock. Guess my mind is going blank, as to what the PT stands for... It will probably come to me a nano second, after I hit the submit button.

On the Case/IH site, you can search for parts, and find an exploded view of a tractor, part for part. I just wanted to see where the diff. lock is located.

On my Case 480C, the diff. lock attaches to the outside of the right brake housing. Mine was frozen, due to rust. etc. There are about 6 or 7, 5/16" bolts holding it on. After taking it off, and a lot of soaking with PB Blaster, where the shaft goes through the housing, with a little tapping, and working it back and forth, it slowly broke loose. To disassemble, there are a couple roll pins that need to be driven out. Again with a good soaking of Blaster over night, they drove out a lot easier than I imagined.

I cleaned, and buffed everything, then reassembled, and gave where the shaft goes through the housing, and roll pins, a liberal coat of Never-Seize. There is a return spring on that shaft on mine, and it is pretty stiff.

It works great now, just needed a little TLC. Hopefully, that may be all that is wrong with yours...

Overheating may be due to "stuff" on the exterior of the radiator. If it has oil coolers, and possibly a slight leak, the oil will attract dirt, and chaff, and collect in between. Sounds like it may be worth the time to pull the grill, and check it out. If it's getting hot enough to start losing power, in my mind, I'm thinking it won't be long, if not already, it will start using oil, due to the piston rings losing their temper, and get soft, losing their spring.

A little preventative maintenance now, could save some serious bucks down the road...
 
   / I can use a bit of advice
  • Thread Starter
#4  
I'm not at all sure about the model number. The tag that's riveted on the left side of the transmission (as I'm sitting on the seat) says "1-240PT on the top line and 2230151B100478-X on the bottom. No other markings.

I finally got frustrated and pulled up on the pedal, and it came up. Only problem - all I did was bend the connecting doodad. Guess I don't know my own strength. Jacked the whole mess of the ground to see if it'd release if there was no bind at all on the wheels, but no go.

Finally I got my claw hammer and beat on the lever that the doodad conncts to till it rotated & now it works fine - the tractor turns in considerably less than a 50 yard radius.

I cleaned the 30 year accumulation of dirt off the radiator but that didn't make any difference. I also pulled out the thermostat. Seems to help, and it's not going to matter much here in South Texas.

It still, however, blows a lot of smoke under load. Any suggestions about oil additives?
 
   / I can use a bit of advice #5  
If possible, a picture may help identify the tractor.

Glad to hear you got the diff. lock freed. WD-40 is OK for some things, but I believe I'd find something a little better. If you've never tried "Fluid Film", you ought to try it.., that is great stuff..!! You can do a forum search on here, and look for it. They were sending little free sample cans. Luckily most of our local AG dealers carry it on the shelf.

Sounds like the radiator may be plugged internally. You may get lucky, and a flush may clean it out, or take it to a shop, and have it rodded out, if it's still decent shape, and the core isn't rotten.

Does the hour meter work..?? Just wondering how many hours are on it. This is just my personal opinion, but if it's getting in the neighborhood of 4-5000 hrs., it's probably due for an overhaul anyway. So putting the oil additive in it, would probably be a waste of money.

Or..., possibly running that long, getting hot may have taken the temper out of the rings, as mentioned before, or just possibly stuck somewhat.
 
   / I can use a bit of advice
  • Thread Starter
#6  
I've now been able to make two circuits (about a mile each) around the property with the mower pretty close to the ground. I figure at this rate I'll have it knocked down in about a month.

How do I put photos up? The "insert image" icon is asking for an "http" tag
 
   / I can use a bit of advice #7  
Scroll down to to where it says "manage attachments" and click on it. Click on "browse", and you should be able to go to a saved file on your compiuter, and select a pic, then download.
 
   / I can use a bit of advice
  • Thread Starter
#8  
Okay, how's this? Look familiar?
 

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   / I can use a bit of advice #9  
There ya' go...!! As near as I can figure, just looking at pictures, it appears to be a 240A Industrial version. The front axle gave it away... If you look on the ID tag, I'm guessing it may possibly say "Made in England."

Here is a link to Tractor Data: TractorData.com International Harvester 240A industrial tractor information

Click on the picture to enlarge. The grill looks the same, and does have the side frame like yours.

I was curious as to what chassis it is the same as, in the AG line, and found this, so am copying, and pasting...

■454(D179 3 cyl eng)/474(D206 4 cyl)/475 (Perkins eng)/574(D239 4 cyl eng)/674(D239 4 cyl eng) - all 2 wheel drive except for approx 25 built in 1977 with Kimco axle. Trans options - Torque Amplifier. Hydrostatic Drive offered on 454/574 models. First Doncaster tractors offered with factory fitted cabs. Later cab versions were isomounted to reduce noise. No heater available.
Industrial version of 454 was 2400 & 574 was 2500 (painted yellow with outboard drum handbrakes). Industrial trans option was Hydraulic Forward/Reverse or Hydro.

The 454 has the same engine, but was used in several larger models.

454 Tractor Date link:http://www.tractordata.com/farm-tractors/000/3/3/333-international-harvester-454.html

I've also attached an exploded view of the diff. lock on a 454. I checked several other models, and they all appear to be the same, although I didn't check the part numbers.

All it shows iis the pedal, linkage and yoke. What it activates, or where it goes I did a quick look, but did not find. Just assuming it is on the bull pinion shaft, along with the brake housing.

There is a fellow on here that goes by the username of "Art", and is pretty up on the IH stuff. Bet he could tell you more about it, and what parts would interchange, if ever needed.

Oh..., and as for the other original question..., about sharpening the blades. I use my 4" angle grinder on mine. I block it up securely, letting it set down on the blocks. ( chunks of RR ties) Tractor in gear, brakes set, and block the wheels... Rotate the blade to where I can reach it, from the outside, towards the open front, and grind away. The initial grinding may take a while, if the cutting edge looks like, as we here describe as, "looking like a butter knife handle". It doesn't take much to dress it up, if you do it every time you mow, or every other time. Depends on how many acres you mow, and what may have been hit.

I like mine pretty sharp, but I'm just cutting heavy grass, and is my backup, in case the haybine goes down. My older Bush-Hog brand cutter has a detachable side, that allows you to mow hay.

If your mowing where there a small saplings/water sprouts coming up, you may want a little blunter edge to shatter the stubs, so as not to puncture a tire when you mow again.

Hope all this rambling on helped a little...
 

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   / I can use a bit of advice
  • Thread Starter
#10  
Dave, thank you for your research - I appreciate it.

It does have quite a few "Lucas" parts.

I'm going to try and remove the blades the first time. Too many bugs around here.

Any thoughts about adding a loader to this type/size unit?
 
 
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