new (to me) diesel tractor - any tips & tricks?

[MitchellB]

Good news for me. I found some wiring diagrams online and rewired the charging circuit to specs and using a temporary gen light I taped together, low and behold the generator burns the light until it revs up some, then goes out as it is supposed to. That made me smile today. I also got the manifold heater circuit wired for my new parts when they arrive, so hopefully it will also work. The heaters were directly wired to the starter solenoid, so when the engine turns over, the heaters were turned on. Now I need to run a wire to light up my new temp gauge when it arrives.

The hour meter/rpm gauge light seems to be burned out. Can that be taken apart easily to change the bulb, and how does it come apart? Looks like a sealed unit.

 

[Soundguy]

new gauges have a lamp in the back.

run the glow before turning over.. not just during turning over..

 

[MitchellB]

Yea I watched a couple videos where it takes about 30 seconds holding the glow switch engaged in cold weather before they heat up enough to begin cranking on the starter. That's why I want to get mine wired correctly, although right now she fires right up very quickly in this warm weather without the plugs (quicker than my '49 8N does).

The gauge that needs a bulb is the OLD tac/hour gauge. I can see the light wire attached under it, but can't see how it comes apart for bulb replacement?

I just changed the transmission oil as it was real low and the rear end oil. While both were low, neither one was very dirty, but just those two took an entire 5 gallon bucket of oil. (8.5 qts in tranny & 11.5 qts in rear), and I still need another 8.5 qts for the hydraulics.

Any idea where the glow solenoid is supposed to mount? I can't find any pre-drilled mounting holes any where. I did find the hole for the push switch switch above the key though, but not the solenoid. Thanks.

 

[newbury]

Tip -
Make a bright colored sign and hang it on the fuel cap - DIESEL FUEL ONLY

 

[Soundguy]

i's suspect glow was somewhere near the bat tryy/steering column area.

the new gauges just have the lamp element come out the rear.. check that one.. might be the same... i doubt you would be prying a bezel up to change a bulb!

 

[MitchellB]

Took the 861 out finish mowing yesterday afternoon. Seemed to do good for about an hour. I wasn't even running at full PTO speed on the tach, but about 3/4 (needle straight up) mowing in third gear. I had just finished one small field and had moved to the other portion. Grass was about two weeks since I had mowed last, so thick in places, but nothing that shouldn't strain it much. I heard something clank and thought at first the mower had hit something as the engine seemed to bog down. I quickly hit the clutch and took the PTO lever out of engagement and noticed the RPM/Tach had stopped working. The engine seemed to be out of time struggling to run. I limped her back to the shed, although I wasn't sure she'd make or if I should even try. She was beginning to run hot when I shut her down and would occasionally spit out flecks of red hot carbon specks from the exhaust stack just before I got under the shed. My guess is the (I think governor) that the RPM cable connects to, but I'm new to diesels, so I'm not sure really what happened. I hope this new 55 year old tractor didn't just die a major death on me. Any advice on where to start or what happened?

 

[MitchellB]

My guess is the (I think governor) that the RPM cable connects to, but I'm new to diesels, so I'm not sure really what happened.

OK, now I know that is not a "governor", but an external hydraulic pump for the lift that the tach attaches to. Tried cranking the engine today, but would not fire up. I tried engaging lift (lever up) to see if spinning the engine with the starter would raise my mower up, but it did not move either. So maybe I have two problems that began at the same instance? I think I need to start a new thread with these new problems.

 

[aginn]

I love old tractors and was really enjoying your discoveries on this tractor. That is until your last post. I hope whatever is going on is something simple and not something that dooms the old girl. I'll be watching your posts and pulling for you. It sure looks like it has potential to be a nice machine.

 

[Soundguy]

the hyd pump is run off the cam.. if the cam snapped, she would have quit immediately, as you'd have no valve train.

hmm.. diesel.. no start.. any smoke?

fuel on?

i with stuff coming out the stack.. i think maybee i'd pull the pushrod cover and roll her over and see if all the pushrods move and non are bent or off their lifters.

make sure fan spins when cranking.

I HAVE heard of broke cranks. some of them engines had no ballancers.. but lets not jump to conclusions yet. still lotsa possibilities. assuming no windows in the block yet too.