1973 Ford 5550 backhoe-front loader

[lwillett]

I've had this backhoe for about 20 years. It has worked well and I use it as if it were an excavator digging a large pond and moving a lot of large rocks. Last summer I had to take the front end off, radiators etc to have the radiator and transmission cooler reworked which worked out fine. It took about two and a half days to do all of the work. The day after the tractor went back to work the water pump went out. An old farmer told me that I should have replaced the water pump and timing-chain while I had the front end off. He should have told me this when I had the front end off, but that is another story. My question is this. Is it possible to repair the water pump and timing chain without taking the front end off?

 

[LD1]

I am sure its possible. But if it is anything like my 5500, it isn't that hard to get the radiator and other stuff out of the way. An will make the job easier.