Proud new owner...

[Chuck U&R]

...of an old beat up tractor !

[/IMG]

I'm not a farmer.
I've got a little 6 acre patch of land in NC that needs mowing regularly and a dirt driveway that needs occasional fixin'.

I got this little tractor from my neighbor that got beat up by the economy and had to bail out on his property. He headed back home to CA and pretty much gave me the tractor and bush hog.

Now the bad news -
I knew it wasn't running, I had to have another neighbor drag it home for me.
I pulled the air cleaner and everything inside was full of water.
I don't think it was there a long time but it was plenty full !

This is the first tractor I've ever owned and a diesel to boot !
Can anyone point me to a site or a book to get this thing back in shape ?
I can troubleshoot a gas engine but I'm not familiar with diesels.

Any help would be appreciated

 

[Chuck U&R]

 

[jmf7112001]

The first thing I would do is put a pressure test on the radiator. This will tell you if there is a cracked block or a cracked head. That would start all the trouble shooting from that point. Lots of the parts houses rent the test for peanuts.

 

[deepNdirt]

First of all ( Welcome ) this is not a bad looking tractor you have scored, and from what i can see it's most likely a direct import, it doesn't have the signs of being a Korean refurb.<-- Correction )))
" The signs of being a VN tractor " ... like having new paint, seat cover,etc, looks very original and this is good.......look and tell us how many hours its showing? do you know if it has been kept outside? there is no cover on the stack and could well take in a lot of water from there,
have you check the oil condition? is there green water in the rad?
is engine free up? these are just a few things for starts to look into.

 

[California]

Just one important point:

Don't crank it over with *any* water in the intake!!! Or the exhaust.
These have a high compression ratio and water is incompressible. That would shatter the pistons.

Find the compression release (lever by operator's left ankle) and after you get the water out of the intake and exhaust it is essential to crank it with the compression released until the very last water vapor is out.

These things are pretty simple. You will have it running soon.

 

[careyo63]

Make sure you have clean fuel. Just couldn't help to notice from what I can see, that the fuel filter looks Black. Not a good sign even if you get it to turn over. You will most likely need a fuel filter. Don't get me wrong, no matter what needs to be done to it will be well worth it,for what you have in it. A big plus is that it seems to be all intact. Well I just might be a little tiny bit bias of how good of a model you have there.

Carey

 

[Johndeere3720]

Seems to be in pretty good shape. I bet you cant wait to start playing, i mean working with it.

 

[California]

everything inside was full of water. I don't think it was there a long time but it was plenty full !

I can troubleshoot a gas engine but I'm not familiar with diesels. Any help would be appreciated.

It would be a good idea to pull the muffler to get the water out of that side. Rainwater down the exhaust would be a simple explanation for the water you found. Of course don't start it if there is water in the crankcase.

Is the radiator down, equal to the amount you found in the manifolds? That would point toward a head gasket (more likely) or cracked head. If the radiator is full up, I wonder if the the whole tractor could have been underwater. What did you find in the crankcase and transmission?

If you understand gas engines these things are nearly the same but simpler.The injector pump is a 'black box' you don't want to mess with, it's for a specialist only. But it almost never can be the cause for a problem - suspecting that would be way down the list. It doesn't fall out of tune the way automotive ignition does. Don't mess with it!

Clean fuel and adequate compression are obvious, same as a gas engine. It also needs the cooling system working properly. There has to be a reason why the previous owner abandoned using it and let it deteriorate. He might have quit running it after overheating it. There isn't much else that can go wrong with these.

Note after draining the fuel system, purging the air is essential and needs a special technique: Find the three bleeder screws. First open the one at the fuel filter intake, bleed until no more air. Then the screw next to it. Finally the one down on the injector pump intake. The experienced dealers here say you never need to loosen the lines downstream from the injector pump, ie over by the injectors, and that has been my experience too.

Once you get the water out and feed it clean fuel I'll bet it starts right up. After that, more water is most likely the head gasket which is easy to replace. If the gasket, or a cracked head, is leaking, you can often see compression gas churning when you take off the radiator cap.

I like the "I&T Shop Manual" for YM240 (US twin to your tractor). It covers this and several other models, YM135 through YM330. The dealers here can provide it or it is often on Ebay. It has head torque specs etc if you find that your tractor needs some work.

Your model has the best parts availability, and I think is simplest to work on, of any Yanmar or practically any tractor. And as soon as you get it in use you will love it.

Please post pictures as you go along! These things need work so rarely that I don't recall anyone has ever posted photos of one opened up.

 

[normde2001]

Engines is engines. Treat it the same as any other engine, (full of water), except for ignition.

 

[deepNdirt]

Make sure you have clean fuel. Just couldn't help to notice from what I can see, that the fuel filter looks Black. Not a good sign even if you get it to turn over. You will most likely need a fuel filter. Don't get me wrong, no matter what needs to be done to it will be well worth it,for what you have in it. A big plus is that it seems to be all intact. Well I just might be a little tiny bit bias of how good of a model you have there.

Carey

Hey Carey,
did you see this one that came up on GON ?
looks like would be a great bargain,
Yanmar 26 HP w/loader and bush hog - Georgia Outdoor News Forum

(((((((((( NEVER MIND )))))))))) It is a VN refurb ---> Buyer BeWare!

 

[LMTC]

I have never heard of Korean refurbs, so perhaps you can tell us about them.

The tractor you reference as a "great bargain" is a vn recon. Have at it if you think the vn recons are great bargains. They are absolutely killing dealers in this market. One more year like this and I will close. vn recon seller in Indiana hurt us bad this year, but we get the calls after the problems show up. Where will these purchasers go for help when we are gone? Yep, great bargains....until they won't run.

 

[deepNdirt]

I have never heard of Korean refurbs, so perhaps you can tell us about them.

The tractor you reference as a "great bargain" is a vn recon. Have at it if you think the vn recons are great bargains. They are absolutely killing dealers in this market. One more year like this and I will close. vn recon seller in Indiana hurt us bad this year, but we get the calls after the problems show up. Where will these purchasers go for help when we are gone? Yep, great bargains....until they won't run.

Well You got me on this one and i do stand corrected I don't know my VN from my Korean, I should had looked it up, but I was close was'nt I
I'm am American and havn't brushed up much on that Geographical part of the world,
anywho! the tractor i mentioned to be a good deal may or may not be one of the bad "VN refurb" see I'm catching on.....
their is a local dealer that buys up these imported/grey's and buys them by mass quanities at a time, he said 50% of these were OK and the others wound up having to replace engine ect, he of course would prefer to have all the tractors he bought untouched and original and go through them himself rather then some being patched up, he can only hope for the best when selling themto his customers, But he will make them good at his cost, the information I think I know isonly what I'm being told and pass on to others, I simply had the wrong name at mind, yes it is Vn tractors that have been pc.& patched together.
but as for the one I post in the ad You and I have really no idea if it is in fact one of these tractors by looking at a picture, I know my YM is not, but you might look at it and assum it may be, because it looks practically New, But I restored and re-painted it myself looking at the hours on a fresh new looking import tractor can you if it was a VN one, because I am told they change them out to zerro hours, and one of these would read to have very low hours on them...

 

[careyo63]

Seen it on CL. also. pretty sure it the same one. Steve at Spalding Just put the price of that to Shame for a good friend on a refurbished ym2500 and bush hog. Unbelievable how good of a deal it was. I also had to make sure of what he was getting for thier new place. He's a Retired Catholic Priest, plus I owe him big time for driving all the way to Augusta to put in a good word in for me early this year. Needed all I could get

Carey

 

[careyo63]

Thanks LMTC. I didn't want have to go there. Bird would be on me about language again.

 

[deepNdirt]

the owner is a local, I Pm him inquiring of info on this tractor, the hours?, if any problems? where he purchased it? if it is a refurb? ect,
I'll let you know if I get a reply,
LMTC it is good to inform and warn others about these badly refurb tractors,
Rant if you must about this issue, but not at me!, I'm not the one selling these tractors, sure I maybe a little mix up with the name of the place they come from and a correction is in order for that, One of the reason i placed the link is to give the poster ( ChuckUR )of this topic an idea of the going price of these tractors, and being this particular one has a FEL and bush hog cutter mad it a good deal, well of course if its not a VN refurb, heck a loader cost 3-k and the bush hog another 500, total 3500 worth in just add on's,....
By the way Chuck have you had a chance to look how many hours on the old boy?

 

[Chuck U&R]

I have a meter on the left side of the dash that says 532.3.
My neighbor had it for about 10 years using it sparingly so could these be the real hours ? 1984 model.

I just ordered the I&T shop manual from The Motorbooks Store.

The tractor came with a 4' bush hog but no FEL.

I found 2 places on the net selling plans for loaders.

Any input there ?

Welding / fabrication is my #1 hobby so I'm looking forward to building one.

Looking forward to the rain stopping and the tractor starting !!!

 

[LMTC]

Well You got me on this one and i do stand corrected I don't know my VN from my Korean, I should had looked it up, but I was close was'nt I
I'm am American and havn't brushed up much on that Geographical part of the world,
anywho! the tractor i mentioned to be a good deal may or may not be one of the bad "VN refurb" see I'm catching on.....

but as for the one I post in the ad You and I have really no idea if it is in fact one of these tractors by looking at a picture,

Actually I do have an idea. In fact, more than an idea. I have never seen that particular decal (and no, I don't just mean the word zennoh) on any but vn recons. Nor have I ever seen that loader on any but vn recons. And I am unaware of any dealer importing directly to the US who sells 2200s anymore. So there is considerable evidence. I am completely understanding about you not knowing some things....no real reason you or most people should. I am less understanding of why you would then post information that you do not know. Mixing up the name of a place is a bit of an understatement. You're simply posting bad information.

 

[clemsonfor]

good gosh, yall let it go. No reason to get so mad about these recons or not just list the info and why you have a reason to beleive this and let him make up his own mind, you would not think that is a week to christmas now would you.

 

[deepNdirt]

I received a reply from the man with the " recon tractor " he stated that it is in fact a refurbed and only has 100 hours on it in which only 10 hours put on himself, so yes I am to believe this to be the VN recon as had been mention,
so Not so good of deal is correctly stated...

 

[careyo63]

Thats Typical for a VN. Recondition. DND LMTC wasn't trying to be a hard a_ _ he just see's it all to often and has to deal with it. And most likely irrate or a P.O. customer and he has to try to make it right. If you couldn't tell I seen that one coming and new to stay away from that. Good one Wayne