Backhoe Keep & repair or sell for parts or scrap yard

[Bynedue]

My late husband left his 74 ford 4500 backhoe in the woods. Since then it has seen 2 hurricanes. The boom shafts are slightly pitted, the battery dead, I have a new ignition, and starter, one outrigger down, front loader and rear hoe down. I know it will start with fresh battery as it sits bcuz it always has. My dilemma is the minute I engage hydraulics I am certain one or more hoses will pop. I cannot move it without lifting boom and the rest. If it pops how do I stop it from losing fluid? Clamp it or drain into bucket? Do I need to be concerned over booms pitted? My husband knew the secret jiggle on the key to start it but I got new and of course way to many wires. So my logic says just provide only the new wires to old wires and leave what's left alone on starter and ignition, right? If water seeped into one open cylinder wouldn't it also evap out, over a year ago? What would I look for it I suspected water inside? How long is diesel good to sit in tank, years? Now with all of that being the hard part, but worth it bcuz of sentimental reasons. However there's still good parts and it's a lot of heavy thick steel. Is it advantageous to part it, or scrap it. Bcuz I see work as parts, pulling, packing & shipping if not local. Scraping would be work taking apart piece by piece no way to haul it or load it. Then each piece in truck to yard. So really a lot of work and I will use it once a year maybe. I do have some extensive work on property needing to be done now. The reason I am trying to decide which way to approach it. Backhoe makes work load easier. Pulling up new growth trees 8-10 yrs. old around pond, pushing back over growth 30 ft., Moving 2 ton boulders, grading driveway, and whatever else. So any advice for this country girl widow would sure help me decide to spend my money and hard work for sentimental and occasionally use, or parts or scrap???

 

[Mikefromcny]

Where are you located? You might find someone local to give you a hand getting it running and out of the woods. As long as the exhaust is covered, it will likely start right up and run. I wouldn't scrap it or part it out. They are worth $3500-4500 running and working, even sloppy with small leaks.
I wouldn't worry about the hoses until they actually burst. They might hold long enough to get it out of the woods, and would likely hold enough to pick up the loader or hoe.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

We bought a worn out 1983 JD 310B 11 years ago and can't imagine living without it. I was avised to replace hoses as they blow. That has worked out well. I did replace the 2 OEM hoses running under to bottom side to the hoe because much of rubber was missing but mainly because I wanted to control the site and weather for the change out for that once in a lifetime job. When I blew the first of the 8 very short OEM hoses at the hoe controls while I had full access all of them and it was just a matter of time before the other 7 failed and I am not getting any younger plus it's becoming the son's by default.

Best of success getting it out of the woods.

 

[Spanner]

Well, first of all, Condolences on the loss of your husband.

I think the conditional history of the tractor makes it a mission for you and you'd be best to advertise it "As-is, Where-is" and get it gone.
I'm sure there will be many other items around the property of more 'sentimental' value than a weathered Backhoe which has multiple corrosion-related issues built-in.

If you really need a Backhoe then buy a new/used one with a warranty and add your late husbands name to the cowl as a tribute.

Best wishes and welcome to the TBN family.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I wouldn't worry about the "pitting" on the cylinder shafts. It's probably not as serious as it looks, may just come of with some fine steel wool. I think the other concerns are more serious, water in the engine? Do you think there is water in the engine? No, it will not evaporate out over time, but it can rust the pistons into a solid mass in the cylinders, effectively "sticking" the engine (term is usually "stuck motor"). Plus if there really is any water in the cylinder, it will not compress as the engine cranks to start and can cause serious engine damage.

It does sound like you've started and ran this engine since it's been parked? If this was after the hurricane, then I'd say you've proven there's no water in it.

If you do get it running, is there a clear path through the woods to get it up to a barn or shop? Or are you doing all of this work while it's buried in the woods and then have to dig your way out using the backhoe to clear a path? Would be much easier if you can just get it running and then move it up to barn/shed for rest of work.

Unless you see an obvious broken or split hyd hose now, I think I'd worry about hose replacements after you get it relocated somewhere you can more easily work on it. Once you can get at it more easily, that's when I would take stock on what leaks, what doesn't and the overall condition of the machine. Get it to run, lift the hoe, front end loader, and stabilizers and drive it out of there.

If you're going to get it up to working condition, you're looking at changing fluids and filters anyway, so if a hose needs replacing, do that before replacing hydro fluid or it's just wasting more of your time and money. Same goes for they hydraulic cylinders, they very likely may need rebuilt with new seals as it's quite possible some or all of them leak. If they're bad enough to need rebuilt, I would do all of that before I changed fluids and filters.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

One thing I find helpful in our case is to loosen the drain plug of hydraulic fluid sump (bottom side of transmission on our JD) just enough so I can turn it by hand so I can drain out the clear water.

If the hydraulic oil is milky in color it contains water. There may be 2 oz or 2 quarts of clear water in sump after it sets for some time.

How l Do It. I get a drain pan and a roll of paper towels and a short sleeve shirt or have sleeve rolled up. Key is the water and globs of oil/water mix flows down your arm and off the elbow into the pan.

You are controlling the flow rate by at All times being ready to screw plug back in enough to stop the flow.

I have never lost control of plug or flow rate. Last spring my son successfully did the water only Delete.

Keep in mind there's most likely clear water in the hydraulic cylinders as well plus the hydraulic fluid filters. In time the actual water will make it back to the sump.

The first time it took about 5 cycles to get the clear water to stop coming out when doing this technic. Using the Backhoe for .5 to 1 hour then cycling all cylinders twice before shutting it down to cool seemed helpful in our case.

Milky color hydraulic fluid is almost normal in old backhoes, dump trucks, etc that are not worked hard on a regular bases. Most hydraulic oil is rated to handle a certain % of water in the fluid. Draining out the clear water doesn't cost any cash.

 

[Smokeydog]

Sorry for your loss.

We kept a 4500 for over twenty years. Used a lot at first and less as the years went by and always sat outside. One of the best and cleanest engine oil diesels I’ve ever owned. If it turned over it always started with regular truck battery.
If it has done and continue to meet your needs the old iron horses are hard to beat.
Required little maintenance compared to my newer stock. Reliable heavy machine. Sold it for the same as I bought it for but needed some maintenance.

Get a battery and work thru the issues till they prove too much. It’s not going to change much in value. Changing fluids and filters. Hopefully it will prove capable again doing what you need.

 

[the old grind]

Anything but fixing it up would leave you without one and the mention of tasks to be considered suggests you'd have the tool. Suppose it'd get you $2500 'as is' and $5k fixed up. IMO that could be a $2500 budget to build on what you have vs replace it.

Difference between being pelted by 'canes and being submerged as to what precautions must be taken before starting & whether the engine or hydraulics might contain a bit much water to be able to just fired it up and drive it to the barn from where it sits.

 

[dirttoys]

Also sorry for your loss. Certainly if you can get some local help, even just another set of hands would be a blessing.

Check all the fluids, and correct as needed, if you find water in oil or hydraulic, probably get a local mech that can go onsite, or sell where/how it is.

If you have oil and fluid, toss in the battery and give it a swing. If it starts have the trailer or path to the house open. Never park it in front of the garage

Best,

ed

 

[the old grind]

.. 'country girl' ..

'Nuff said ..