Just bought first tractor and got ripped off

[MossRoad]

You could also try salvage yards. Its worth a shot.

Used 2002 New Holland TC24D tractor parts - EQ-25498 | All States Ag Parts

 

[newbury]

OP -
Let us know how much it is leaking over time when it's not running - is it a slow drip, a drip every 5 seconds? Or is it a stream, a quart an hour?

Also what do you have for facilities? Do you have an empty heated/cooled 40x60 garage or will you have to fix it outside on muddy ground?

It's one thing to have a "project tractor" split inside, quite another to have it outside over the fall and winter.

good luck.

 

[LD1]

I agree that court would be a waste of time and money.

IT does appear to be brazed......and looks like a pretty good repair to me.

It was pretty crappy of the seller to not disclose this information, but after reading the first few pages, I was expecting some backyard hack job of a weld on there that looked like a bunch of bird droppings. But thats not the case here.

First and foremost.....you have to find out where it is leaking at. Is it just a pin hole or is it a crack? Looking at the pictures, Im inclined to think its just a pin hole leak.

And if thats the case....my choice of repair would be simple.....drill the pin hole out and tap for a 1/8" pipe plug.

 

[SimS]

I agree with LD1, that looks like a pretty decent weld/braze job. Since it is a low or no pressure leak I would try the JB/epoxy repair after cleaning the leaking area surgically spotless. Good luck.

SimS

 

[Midniteoyl]

What the seller says now, after you signed the AS IS, NO WARRANTY, BILL OF SALE, is not germane.

It is your tractor now, not his. Whatever he says now, you explicitly accepted tractor condition when you signed the Bill of Sale.


I agree with NEWBURY. Move on. Make it work as well as you are able. JB Weld is good stuff used on clean surfaces.

Every body always tries to say that an 'as is' sale means you, the buyer, are screwed no matter what, but this is not the case. There is such a thing as 'concealment' in the law, as in 'lying about, or failure to disclose, a known problem'.

Under the laws of all states in the country, the seller of a vehicle is required to disclose all material facts known about an item impacting desirability or price paid by a potential buyer. In this matter, if the seller knew of the problems with the tractor that the OP is now writing about and did not disclose such to him, and such problems were not readily visible, he may have a factual and legal basis to cancel the sale based upon said "concealment".

The problem for him is proving that the seller knew of the problems before the "as is" sale and did not disclose such before he took possession of the item and had the intent to defraud the buyer. He has text messages showing that the seller did indeed know about the problem before hand.

Again, selling something 'As Is' does NOT automatically protect you.

 

[Midniteoyl]

What the seller says now, after you signed the AS IS, NO WARRANTY, BILL OF SALE, is not germane.

It is your tractor now, not his. Whatever he says now, you explicitly accepted tractor condition when you signed the Bill of Sale.


I agree with NEWBURY. Move on. Make it work as well as you are able. JB Weld is good stuff used on clean surfaces.

A little fluid loss doesn't look so bad does it? The seller has no legal obligation to do anything since you signed a contract. You're wasting time and money in court.

Again, this is incorrect.. You may not actually get money out of him, but concealing a known defect prior to sale is against the law.

 

[Midniteoyl]

You could always try selling the tractor for the same price you paid or a loss equal to the cost to fix it.

He has to disclose the problem, so would take a loss..

 

[Midniteoyl]

Then I'm just passing the problem to someone else and putting someone else in the situation as me. My conscious won't allow me to do that.

Good for you..

 

[Midniteoyl]

Another thought is that the weld might be OK structurally and merely leaking at a place where only flux was present, that being the case cleaning and JB could be all that is needed.
From the pics I see it looks to me that it was brazed by torch and rod method indicating that it is cast iron and that a leak was only discovered after re assembled.
It is kinda hard to pressure test for leaks in something like a sump or case, a vessel is easy but not that part.
Possible the leak only showed up many hours after it was re assembled after vibration shook loose a flux blocked pocket.
Also how bad is the leak? maybe it is manageable.
Heck if it is small you could always do like with a hot water tank leak, (leather washer and screw, but I'd prefer drill and tapping) the advantage here being that no cleaning would be necessary.
Castings being porous by nature are extremely hard to clean thoroughly enough for JB weld or epoxies to bond.
In fact lack of thorough cleaning prior to welding (brazing I really think here) is probably what is causing leakage.

This right here.. The weld doesnt look like it was damaged. I would do as suggested before and thoroughly clean the entire area and chalk the entire weld and look for the leak. Could be a simple re-braze over that particular area(s) will do the trick. Doesnt have to be structural, just fill in the holes.

 

[fidowanttobe]

My brand of tractor has had issues with the bell housing breaking with FEL and/or BH use or abuse which prompted me to fab braces which carry some stress back to the rear axle rather than hanging all off the bell. While the weld repair does look good, if only to ease your mind, this might also be an option too after the leak fix. While I agree it's a sh**** deal, I have seen some awful looking repairs on old farm equipment that amazingly worked!
Don't give up hope.