John Deere 4300 complete rebuild

[dfkrug]

Sometimes experiments do not work out. I cut apart and re-made
my AUX valve lever, this time with a pivoting end piece so there is very
little slop in the movement. It works great. Clearer pix below.

As I said earlier, the push/pull forces required are large. The threaded
end of the cable is 5/16-24.....I am glad I got a big one.

 

[dfkrug]

I drove my tractor over to the neighbor's place a quarter mile from here
so I could get some sunlight. (I live in the forest with a mountain and
trees blocking my winter sun.)

By letting the sun shine on the new body panels, I could get the temp
up to a safe range for the label glue to stick. These new labels were
about $17 each and really give the tractor that finished look. I also
applied a few dabs of touchup paint to gouges in the rear fenders. Here
is the result.

Alas, I was not able to apply the left side label as some clouds obscured
my sun.

 

[dcyrilc]

Dave,
You really have done a remarkable job of bringing life back to that machine. Nicely done!

 

[Brahmus]

I call BS, I think you just bought another JD in much better shape!!!

Great job on the project!!! Perhaps one day I can use my retirement to do something similar, you are an inspiration!!!!

 

[Johndeere3720]

wow, it looks great. Great job.

 

[brin]

Took a lot of work and I followed your progress with awe and interest...you have done a great job and should be real proud, I wish I was that talented a mechanic.

 

[kebo]

AWESOME!! Great job with it, Dave! I wish I were as mechanically talented as you. When you gonna put the loader on it? I guess you're still working on the subframe for the BH?

 

[arrabil]

Very nice job! I can't wait to see the subframe mount...

 

[dfkrug]

Thanks, guys.

I do have to work on the loader, which will be soon, and I have a few
gremlins to exterminate. The new hour meter does not work. The
water temp sending unit may not be working.

Meanwhile, I have been working oh the new hoe subframe. Perhaps I
need to start a new thread for that.

These two pix show the brackets I made, which are securely welded to the
lower ROPS bracket, I will not be using any of the troublesome bolts
that go thru the aluminum axle housings. Here I have used some 1/2x6x7"
A36 steel plate and a 1/2" buttress.

When I installed the finished bracket, I can see that the clearances
are just too tight to allow use of some 3x1.5x1/4" channel for the
rest of the frame. Those huge tires extend inboard so much, the hoe is a
tighter fit than even on my old 955, a MUCH smaller tractor.

So I went out today and bought some more 1/2" plate, this time a stick of
1/2x4" for the frame rails. (It was $5.80/ft, BTW.)

 

[arrabil]

My instrument panel didn't work when I got the 4200... the temp gauge shoots off the chart almost immediately and the fuel gauge shakes like a duck crapping razor blades. I replaced a bunch of stuff thinking there is no way its the panel. Of course, its the panel. I got a replacement wired up in the workshop running hours right now. Only two more weeks until it reaches 1060 hours! But if you need a coolant sensor, send me a PM as I got one...

BTW, there was some question about it earlier in the thread... the hour meter lights up when you turn on the tractor, but it doesn't count hours until you start the engine.