Re: JD B info (long rambling email)
Well I kinda have one.....inherited my dad's last year after he headed on to the next world....it's about the same year as yours...but still at my mom's place....does that count? :-o
Some interesting operational features-
- There is no water pump - it has a "gravity" cooling system -water in the engine is heated and rises up and out and goes through top of radiator, cools on the way down. Cold water is drawn into bottom of engine from the radiator through simple fluid hydraulics. I remember Dad explaining this to me as a young kid and it didn't make much sense then, and I still marvel at it's simplicity today.
- The pwr-trowl lift (rockshaft....think 3 pt) only operates when the PTO is engaged. And the PTO only runs when the clutch is engaged. So if you want to raise an implement or use the rear hydraulic outlet, but not be moving, you need to shift out of gear first. Operating this tractor makes you think, nothing automatic about it and one of the reasons it's so much fun.
- Manual start - my memory is a little fuzzy on this one - but I remember the owners manual showing how to start the tractor if the battery is dead, you can remove a cover on the end of the flywheel, and, USING THE STEERING WHEEL, start the engine by hand. Of course you have to remove the steering wheel to do this but I recall it's held on by one big bolt. The whole concept is pretty scary but that's how they did it 50 years ago. When our B's battery was dead, we used these things called jumper cables....a lot safer than the Deere method, I think!
