Yanmar 2000BD Not started for 2 years

[bookman51]

Thank you for helping the lady.

Thanks. Just passing along some of the help I have gotten over the years.

 

[California]

That's good to hear you got it running! :thumbsup:


The brakes on these are simple. Two shoes expand into an 8 ? inch drum, same as old cars. This drum is on an intermediate shaft forward of the rear axle. Follow the brake linkage back, pull the cover, everything is obvious. The common problem on these is the shaft won't turn freely where it goes through that cover. Dis-assemble, clean, re-install. It is a good idea also to swap the leading/trailing brake shoes to equalize wear. Oil leaking past the seal behind that drum is less common, but more work to remedy.

With inconsistent hydraulic service I would clean the 'strainer' in the bottom of the transmission, and replace the fluid - slightly under 5 gallons.

See Hoye's parts diagrams related to these projects.

 

[mercdv]

Good deal, glad you got it running. If you decide to tackle the brake issue and it gets to the point where you need to start removing pads and springs, since it is drum brakes you might need to borrow a brake service kit. It makes things simple if you have to start removing the pads. Now that you have it running, I'll tap out and let California take over since he is more familiar with the specifics on the older Yanmars. I could help you if I was standing in front of it but I don't know the layout of them to mentally walk you through it like he does. bookman51 you certainly seem like good folk. I know she appreciates you working on that tractor for her and frankly so do some of us. Good luck with anything else you try to take on with regards to that machine. :drink:

 

[bookman51]

That's good to hear you got it running! :thumbsup:


The brakes on these are simple. Two shoes expand into an 8 ? inch drum, same as old cars. This drum is on an intermediate shaft forward of the rear axle. Follow the brake linkage back, pull the cover, everything is obvious. The common problem on these is the shaft won't turn freely where it goes through that cover. Dis-assemble, clean, re-install. It is a good idea also to swap the leading/trailing brake shoes to equalize wear. Oil leaking past the seal behind that drum is less common, but more work to remedy.

With inconsistent hydraulic service I would clean the 'strainer' in the bottom of the transmission, and replace the fluid - slightly under 5 gallons.

See Hoye's parts diagrams related to these projects.

Thanks. she does have a parts and service manual. I will have to take a look. Right now I am in the midst of changing a clutch in one of my tractors (Cub 154), and I do not know how much more I want to tackle right now. I appreciate the good information. P.S. I just looked at the parts diagram at Hoye. Does not look too bad to replace the brake pads. Of course, it depends on what is frozen up with rust and what kind of springs suddenly go sprong when I open up the cover. And eyeballing the tractor, it does look a little like tight working conditions getting to the brakes. I just changed out a headlight bulb on my Honda Fourtrax 300. One would think that a simple job, but then a previous owner had installed a wench, and I had to get it loose and moved around and then feel my way to removing and reinstalling screws. What should have been a 5 minute job was more like an hour and a half job. Thanks again.

 

[bookman51]

Good deal, glad you got it running. If you decide to tackle the brake issue and it gets to the point where you need to start removing pads and springs, since it is drum brakes you might need to borrow a brake service kit. It makes things simple if you have to start removing the pads. Now that you have it running, I'll tap out and let California take over since he is more familiar with the specifics on the older Yanmars. I could help you if I was standing in front of it but I don't know the layout of them to mentally walk you through it like he does. bookman51 you certainly seem like good folk. I know she appreciates you working on that tractor for her and frankly so do some of us. Good luck with anything else you try to take on with regards to that machine. :drink:

Thanks and see my response to California.

 

[California]

I wish I had those special brake spring pliers. As a substitute I grasp the hook part of the spring with small vise-grips, then use a long screwdriver as a lever against that.

Bookman, Yanmar used a thin paper gasket for a watertight seal between that brake cover and its housing. It isn't needed when you put the cover back on, because we don't run our Yanmars half submerged in a rice paddy like they were designed for.

Photo from Yanmar-Japan's 'Export' page:

 

[bookman51]

I wish I had those special brake spring pliers. As a substitute I grasp the hook part of the spring with small vise-grips, then use a long screwdriver as a lever against that.

Bookman, Yanmar used a thin paper gasket for a watertight seal between that brake cover and its housing. It isn't needed when you put the cover back on, because we don't run our Yanmars half submerged in a rice paddy like they were designed for.

Photo from Yanmar-Japan's 'Export' page:

Oh yes, now I recall working on the brakes on a Ford 850 a few years ago and using vise grips and a screw driver to get springs back on. I am kind of tempted to let the new owner do that, but I will tell him about the need for brakes. But who knows, maybe I will get a fresh wind and tackle it. If I do, I think I will bring it to my shop where my tools are, adn I can work inside. I suppose it is in the manual, but is there hydraulic fluid anything special or can I just use what I find at a local farm store? Thanks again.

 

[California]

The simplest fluid is sufficient. 'JD-303' equivalent is what Yanmar specified in their US manuals.

If you live in a cold climate - use the tractor for pushing snow etc - or have a Yanmar with PowerShift (A/T with hydraulic-activated controls) then later multigrade fluid is preferable.

I've found Autozone sometimes beats TSC's price on JD303. I think both come from the same Williams refinery.

 

[mercdv]

I wish I had those special brake spring pliers. As a substitute I grasp the hook part of the spring with small vise-grips, then use a long screwdriver as a lever against that.

That's old school....well...old school as in I stopped doing that once I found a friend who had the kit I could borrow. :laughing:

 

[California]

That's old school....well...old school as in I stopped doing that once I found a friend who had the kit I could borrow. :laughing:

Old school- yep! First car I opened the brakes to inspect was my '49 Chev. Swapped the identical leading/trailing shoes as I described above to get another year or two. And soon bought the brake spring pliers etc as needed because I did all my own work. Learned enough doing my own maintenance on old cars, out of necessity, to pass the tech part of a state teaching credential in automechanics.

Later I was no longer poor and had brakes etc done by a shop so I didn't keep tools that I thought I would never use again. But now, retired and playing with two elderly Yanmars - I'm back to hands-on. Neither Yanmar has needed a pro mechanic in the 15 years since I bought the first one. Its a combination of equipment designed to be owner-maintained, and remembrance of stuff I learned long ago. And as illustrated in my longwinded posts, my interest in sharing and encouraging others to do their own work continues.

These Yanmars are excellent quality and extremely simple. So long as one isn't killed by gross neglect, reasonable maintenance should provide good service for many years to come.