JD 550 nightmare!!!

[john_bud]

As you probably know by now oil samples are very common and a good idea to perform. Everything is hinging on the oil samples. If they come back
with good results, I'm the proud new owner of 1983 JD550 dozer, if it comes back bad results I will see to it that the machine is brought back to its original tube free state...........whatever that may entail.

I was paying the mechanic for the tests, but I am not the type of person make him suffer just bc he made a mistake after all we are all human. He will be compensated. He wont make as much as he would normally, but I'll definitely take care of him.

Just wanted to say that it is a breath of fresh air to hear a person actually take responsibility for their actions and do the right thing. And do it because it's "right" and not because they were caught and forced to!

It sounds like you are the type of person that I could shake hands on a deal with and sleep well knowing that was better than ink on paper!

You are becoming a rare find...sad to say


Hopefully, the mechanic can get a scope in there and fish it out.
jb

 

[Scooby074]

Hey scooby, is that an l35 your on in your avatar?

Nope, i wish it was a L35 but its just a little B21.

Glad your going to work it out with the mechanic. I wasnt saying you should stiff him or anything like that, just that it changes things abit when ones getting paid. Good luck with your purchase, sounds like you have my luck, im terrified whats going to go wrong when i find a "good" deal.

 

[archeryantny]

Hey john thank you very much for the nice complement. When it comes down to it the only thing you really have is your word. A lawyer will tell you that a verbal agreement is only as good as the paper its written on. I say if it wasn't for lawyers you wouldn't need lawyers Thanks again.

Scoob
B21 is an awesome machine, all the public utility companies around me use them.

I got an update on the situation. So today I took of work and met up with the owner of the dozer. I got a mirror and small LED snake light, I was able to probe around but I wasn't able to see where the tube was stuck......strike 2. After i tried for a half hour with that, I gave up but i was still determined to at least try and get a location on the tube. I was able to get my hands on a brand new "snap on" bore scope. Technology is truly amazing.
The transmission is very tight so it was very hard to get the right angles to get a good look around but I did like what I saw. Although I didn't see the tube I did notice that the gears, bearings and splines that I did see looked to be in great shape. All the splines looked sharp and I didn't see an overwhelming amount of wear. If there is a silver lining I guess that was it.
The owner seems to be in good spirits and appreciates my efforts. I made sure he knew that I would see this matter resolved whether or not I purchased the machine.

 

[WilliamBos]

Keep us posted. People like you are a private sellers dream. Hope this cloud does have a silver lining for you.

 

[archeryantny]

For those of you that are interested I snapped a few pictures of the JD 550 for your viewing pleasure, enjoy. I will keep you all posted as this all gets sorted out.

 

[JoelD]

Super sorry for your situation.

As a former dozer owner I understand the interest.

They are strong, fun machines to operate.

However, they are not for the faint of wallet.

Good that you are doing your homework.

Good luck with sorting this all out, a great story to tell the youngins one day.

Joel

 

[Scooby074]

I dont think you'll have any problem getting $9K worth of work out of it. If everything checks out, it looks like a good one.

 

[AKfish]

Interesting read... Glad to hear that you're on firm ground - ethically.

The machine looks to be in good shape. Track wear/drive gear - good to go; lot's of hours left.

One thought - if you have to split the machine and fish out that nasty, plastic worm - and you decide to buy the machine; have your mechanic buddy replace the steering clutch packs and the main drive clutch, etc.

(You're in the neighborhood... and maybe your mechanic will do you a favor after watching his back!)

Best of luck.

AKfish

 

[archeryantny]

I dont think you'll have any problem getting $9K worth of work out of it. If everything checks out, it looks like a good one.

I'm pretty confident in it as well. For a homeowner machine, I cant imagine why, (with the right maintenance and adjustments) this machine wont serve me for the years to come.
I appreciate your input, but this situation still stinks, I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Its hanging over me like a black cloud. These days feel like weeks I just can't wait till its all over. I wish I was a tad more mechanically inclined because the problem would already have been resolved, I feel like my hands are tied waiting on the mechanic. If it was only me in the scenario I wouldn't mind the wait because its not my trade, but the problem is that the seller is most affected. He can't show the machine, he's turning away potential buyers; what a mess.

One thought - if you have to split the machine and fish out that nasty, plastic worm - and you decide to buy the machine; have your mechanic buddy replace the steering clutch packs and the main drive clutch, etc.

Very good advice!!!! I will definitely mention that to him, I appreciate the help.

 

[john_bud]

Actually, It's a great way to "hold" a machine until your oil results come back!


(sorry - thought some humor was needed!)

jb