64 years young

[avachava]

Thanks, all. Shows you how much my local
dealer knows. Can you imagine the gall to
tell me it's not worth rebuilding? I was
insulted and disgusted. The tractor is perfect
for my small spread and what I use it for.
No telling how many foolish four-wheeling
fools I've rescued, not to mention a 14x70
house trailer that was about to be lost to
flood waters! (It did a wheelie when we
dropped it onto the drawbar but I had two
stout boys lay over the hood to keep it
down until I got it out onto the road).

Is there a source for engine parts other
than the dealer? I really hate to give them
my money after they dissed my JD so bad.

I apologize if that info is already here. Haven't
had time to peruse the site completely yet...

 

[Tx Jim]

You can get engine parts from several different places. A&I is one of the places but JD does own about 1/2 interest in them but there are independent A&I dealers.

 

[avachava]

I'll check it out. Thanks.

I had to dig some holes last weekend
for new clothes poles. By hand. Man,
I sure miss that tractor!

 

[CliffordK]

What the dealer is correct about is that if you pay $100+ an hour for them to poke around on the machine, it can get very expensive very quickly.

You can have a good replacement engine for under $3K, perhaps quite a bit less if you find the right source.
And a complete rebuild kit is around $500. Although, I'd try throwing in a new head gasket before spending a gob of time and money on a complete rebuild.

Obviously inspecting everything as you have it apart.

E-Bay is a good resource.
John Deere 3179DF Diesel Engine | eBay
John Deere 2040 2240 2150 2255 179 CID Overhaul Kit | eBay
3179D John Deere Head Gasket Set HS3506W | eBay

 

[joshuabardwell]

Welcome to TBN!

Just a small tip: you don't have to hit Enter/Carriage Return after every line. Just keep typing and it will wrap automatically at the appropriate place. As-is, it looks like you are hitting Enter at the end of each line, and your screen is way more narrow than mine, so it ends up looking like this:



And in case I forgot to say it, Welcome!

 

[avachava]

Long lines are more difficult for the eye to follow,
which is why newspapers don't run copy all the
way across. I also follow the older convention of
having two spaces between sentences.

As to the other, thanks so much for the links.
The dealer did not quote me a shop rate as
they flat out said my tractor wasn't worth
messing with! Too old/obsolete...

They did tell me a rebuild kit would run me
about $2500, but that was three years ago.

My new shop is not quite ready but as soon as
I get the mechanical area finished the JD may
well be the first project. I've never done a diesel
before but I take a lot of pictures and work slow.
Plus I have the complete shop manual on the 2240
("Early Model").

 

[TomSeller]

I think you will do well and you have a great tractor to work on. Good luck.

 

[CliffordK]

They obviously want to sell you a new tractor.

There are a LOT of 30 year old tractors working strong on farms, especially farms with less than 50 acres.

Even a few 60 year old tractors.

That sounds a little high for the rebuild kit... did it include installation?
It looks like the kit that I found above didn't include bearings. I think this one does.
Engine Kit for John Deere 1040 2040 2150 2155 2240 | eBay

Still, the question would be whether the tractor is worth more than the repairs.

Do you have a front end loader?

Anyway, if you put $3000 into it, is the final product worth more than $3K?
What about $500?

 

[avachava]

Hmm, missed the missing bearings. I take good care
of all my equipment and don't necessarily consider
the market value. The dealer kit was for parts only.
I was disappointed and that's probably the main
reason it's been sitting idle three years. My pasture
is in dire need of 'bush hogging' to knock the weeds
down!

Those prices (on either kit) sound WAY better and
doable. I've just been hoping I could find a pro
who has done these engines before but looks like
I'll have to do it myself.

Like jumping across that frozen-over stream
when I was a kid, the dread seems overwhelming
until you finally stick the pole through the ice
and launch across. Then it's fun and a great
afternoon!

I've been on a number of forums over the years
but seldom one as immediately friendly and
resourceful. Thanks much. I have some ideas
I'd like to share/bounce off the members but
it will have to wait some...

 

[TomSeller]

I like to look at it this way. What replacement 50 HP quality tractor (that would now have another 30 years of life in it) can be bought for $500 or $3000? Not many where I live.