Case-David Brown broken crank

fuzzy31 · Aug 20, 2006

I have a 1978 Case-David Brown that 2 years ago broke crank at 45 degree angle in # 1 rod it was running 900 RPM's at the time.I had it rebuilt with new crank ,pistons all valves and seats,now 2 years later and 206 hours while brushhoging last night at 1400 rpms the new crank broke at the back edge of # 1 rod again .Any ideas,could the balancer be bad somehow and be the cause.thanks for your time

Renze · Aug 21, 2006

Dont blame a balancer shaft, dont blame yourself (the mechanic who installed the new crank i suppose ?) just sell that piece of **** and, if you inist om something Case-IH, get a German built IHC-Case, those will run forever. English built IHC have fine motors too but the build quality is lower than the German ones. D-B is just a mistake, the breaking crankshafts is a very well known problem with Case DB engines.

Woodbeef · Aug 31, 2006

Try getting ahold of Elmer the DB Guru over at his site. David Brown Home

Big_Cajun · Sep 8, 2006

I'd have to agree with Renze on this one (even though English built engines either leak or don't run, haha). I've always been told by everyone to stay away from DB tractors. If the tractor's sale is feasible for you, by all means pitch it. If not, I wish you luck with it.

BC

Renze · Sep 10, 2006

I have a cousin in Canada who had a white painted DB, which had the same problem. The crankshaft of 4 cylinder DB engines has only 3 main bearings, which causes heavy vibrations and elastic deformation of the crank, causing crank break due to fatigue. The diff lock was crappy as well, when ploughing snow, you had to stop both wheels fully before engaging the diff lock or the claw splattered apart.

The last 3 bearing 4 cyl crankshaft i've seen was the Standard motor 4 cyl diesel of a MF 35, which didnt have a very good reputation either. The 3 cyl. engine sold by Frank Perkins as a replacement for existing gas fergies, outlived the factory mounted Standard diesel engine a decade or 2....

DB is like a French automobile: you either swear AT them or you swear BY them...

BigCrzyRdNeck · Dec 1, 2007

i have a david brown 880a and beside the three point stop working one day cant blame it 30yrs old i would put her up against a jd or any thing her size maybe even bigger. its one the thoughest 45hp ive seen. i love mine and cant wiat to fix her might sale the mf when i get her fixed.

Robert_in_NY · Dec 1, 2007

David Brown doesn't have a great reputation but I always thought that was because of the water the engineers were drinking when they designed these tractors.

My ex's family has a 990 diesel on their dairy farm, it was the primary tractor there and has been very beat and abused. Yet it starts up every day regardless of temp and runs forever. The 3pt hitch doesn't work but that isn't anything new. I ended up servicing the tractor for them and I think it was the first time that tractor has had any fluids changed in 10 years

The engine had a slight oil leak which is what helped it. They would add a quart of oil every so often so that is how it had its oil change.

I hated to run that tractor as it was very crude and foreign but it was reliable.

BigCrzyRdNeck · Dec 1, 2007

yea when i first got mine it ws weird things were a little backwards. she does always start. shes the hardest diesel to reprime ive ever seen. i guess itss the age but in the winter she needa a little help firing up or you will never start her. ive never seen a 3 cyclinder need a 1000 ca battery before. if i dont have one it will spin twice and if no start hang it up and pull her. we used to always just pull her in the winter instead of using the key.

Slacker · Dec 2, 2007

Here are a few pics of my neighbors DB990. As you can see, the PTO output shaft broke in two. I blame the operator, as he bushhogged things that I wouldn't cut with a chainsaw. He's having a hard time finding a replacement output shaft for it. Other than the pto stub busting, the old girl runs like a swiss watch.

JESSE1 · Dec 2, 2007

We bought a new 990 DB in '76. Never had any problems with it. It was a good, heavy tractor. Kept it 12 years, wish I still had it.

After changing the fuel filter, open the bleed valve at the fuel filters and operate the manual pump until fuel comes out. Close that bleed and open the bleed on the injector pump and operate the manual pump. Close the injector pump bleed and loosen the fuel line connections going to each injector. Open the throttle WIDE OPEN and crank the engine (it won't start) until fuel comes out the connections. Tighten the fittings and the injection system should be free of air.

BigCrzyRdNeck · Dec 2, 2007

i wish i could of got her when new. i used to bush hog with and old bush mower our theary was if the front end pushed it over shed eat it and it alwas work till the lift stop working. the only real problem was the fuel shutoff valve it leaked non stop i by passd it with a comercial stainless one and the fuel pump started leaking two years ago dealer said if they can get one might not fit and it would be $150 i just put a electric $45 one from the auto parts.

D7E · Jan 7, 2008

David brown..(3 bearing crank),Terrible engines.Fine as a hobby tractor but don't work em..?

Robert_in_NY · Jan 7, 2008

D7E said:
David brown..(3 bearing crank),Terrible engines.Fine as a hobby tractor but don't work em..?

Don't say this on the European boards. A lot of people in England and around that area are very passionate about these tractors.

I like them as they are different, but the first and only DB I operated was a 990 and it was covered in grease, dirt and manure so trying to figure out what was what in order to get in to move was interesting. I started out by trial and error and eventually got things figured out as to what gear was what. The motor ran strong but the 3pt's was a problem.

bobmisi · Jan 8, 2008

I had a DB990 and one day while idling hooking up my plow the crank let go. Couldn't find a new crank anywhere in the entire world. Spent many hours an the phone with Case and myself and a couple of dealers convinced them that if they made a batch of cranks they would sell. It took about a year before the cranks became available, and when they did the price was 1100 dollars. Luckily I found a buyer for mine, and never had to buy the crank, but believe me if you look up David Brown in the encyclopedia or the internet there will be a picture of a broken crank next to it. Other than that it was a nice tractor.

D7E · Jan 10, 2008

Robert_in_NY said:
Don't say this on the European boards. A lot of people in England and around that area are very passionate about these tractors.

I like them as they are different, but the first and only DB I operated was a 990 and it was covered in grease, dirt and manure so trying to figure out what was what in order to get in to move was interesting. I started out by trial and error and eventually got things figured out as to what gear was what. The motor ran strong but the 3pt's was a problem.

I am british ..I came to canada 10 years ago . You would be surprized they really don't like them there either ,They are worth nothing ,Rated with belarus and Zetor and the like ,It was always a ford,MF or deere that sell best .Even a good old leyland is better .
The name for DB's in england was .."Gutless plonkers"...?

Robert_in_NY · Jan 10, 2008

D7E said:
I am british ..I came to canada 10 years ago . You would be surprized they really don't like them there either ,They are worth nothing ,Rated with belarus and Zetor and the like ,It was always a ford,MF or deere that sell best .Even a good old leyland is better .
The name for DB's in england was .."Gutless plonkers"...?

lately the David Brown line has become more of a collectors thing and the guys that like them are very passionate. A kid on another board wanted a old MF or something similar but said he didn't want a DB and he was still being told to get a DB by the DB faithful. It didn't end pretty.

D7E · Jan 12, 2008

Robert_in_NY said:
lately the David Brown line has become more of a collectors thing and the guys that like them are very passionate. A kid on another board wanted a old MF or something similar but said he didn't want a DB and he was still being told to get a DB by the DB faithful. It didn't end pretty.

Being an ex "brit" i think the british have always been proud of good engineering ,JCB,JAGUAR,LEYLAND,LANDROVER,TVR,ROLLS ROYCE,and so on.
David brown is one of the few that did not get bought by a european company (CASE) and hold on to that idea,But what did they do with the DB engine..."Scrap it"........."Cummins".....? and rightly so?
Like so many other marques ..We sold out? .But at least it was not to a german ...?And the older genertion has a short memory (WW2) so don't like too much german..?
But in the day of the DB 990 the oppositions were much better ,Leyland 270,IH674,Ford 5000,MF165.All better tractors but after all it's british..LOL...
Weak cranks , poor hyd's,poor resale...."Junk"...?

luv2safari · Apr 11, 2008

I have a Case 970 Agri King David Brown that has been a wonder-tractor for years. It has an aftermarket turbo and a gang of power...I use all of it, as I have a lot of contouring with a Towner to do.

Except for the draft lever push-pull cable breaking recently, I've never had a problem with it. It broke only because the lever pivot connector rusted and twisted the cable end.

As its getting older, where can I find parts...new and recycled?

Diamondpilot · Mar 12, 2009

luv2safari said:
I have a Case 970 Agri King David Brown that has been a wonder-tractor for years. It has an aftermarket turbo and a gang of power...I use all of it, as I have a lot of contouring with a Towner to do.

Except for the draft lever push-pull cable breaking recently, I've never had a problem with it. It broke only because the lever pivot connector rusted and twisted the cable end.

As its getting older, where can I find parts...new and recycled?

The only way to keep a David Brown running is buy 4 or 5 of them. You should be able too keep one going.

Chris

RickB · Mar 12, 2009

luv2safari said:
I have a Case 970 Agri King David Brown that has been a wonder-tractor for years. It has an aftermarket turbo and a gang of power...I use all of it, as I have a lot of contouring with a Towner to do.

Except for the draft lever push-pull cable breaking recently, I've never had a problem with it. It broke only because the lever pivot connector rusted and twisted the cable end.

As its getting older, where can I find parts...new and recycled?

There is absolutely nothing David Brown about a Case 970 Agri-King. Not even built on the same continent. DB didn't build a tractor as big as a Case 970 at the time, and they didn't have anything to do with the engineering of the Case 70 series. Your 970 is all Case.