[AT] Man, but the old ones are solid

deanvp deanvp at att.net
Sun May 21 06:12:58 PDT 2017


Yep, a bad seal on the cap could allow some leakage as the gas slashes around inside the tank although most of that should go inside the hood rather than outside where we see the stains.  Kind of depends on how bad the leak is. If the stain hasn't become worse since you have owned the tractor, then there is a good chance it was caused by the PO's sloppy filling practices.  JD moved the filler tube forward so that the it wasn't directly above the exhaust manifold.  That occurred on the late 50, 60, 70 series tractors due to the fire hazard during filling. That was carried on with the 520, 620, 720, tractors.
I too have noticed that 5 gallon cans of gas are heavier now than they used to be.  Must be due to the new EPA restrictions on the gas cans. :-) I detest the new versions of the 5 gallon gas cans so much I am protecting my old ones like they are gold. However, I learned an obvious trick from my antique tractor buddy in AZ.  He only fills his gas cans about 1/2 full.  He is my age. He just uses more cans. Another trick I now use for filling the 620 since it is so high up is I use one of the screw in funnels that uses the same locking mechanism at the gas cap.  That way I can rest the can on the edge of the funnel when pouring it in. The flexible spouts on the gas cans drive me nuts. I am not able to hold a can of gas that high anymore for the time that is required to empty a 5 gallon can through one of those spouts. So if I have to use a spout I have to insert the spout all the way in and then rest the can on the filler tube. Not a very good procedure if trying to avoid spills. In fact a flexible spout is floating around on the inside of my 620 tank that came loose and fell in. Haven't spent any time trying to get it out. I have a pump type 5 gallon can but that takes forever. I've toyed with the idea of putting a 55 gallon barrel on a stand so I could use gravity feed filling but then filling the 55 gallon barrel becomes the issue. I use my tractors so little any more, so now it becomes a contest of how little I can put in for the near future so the gas doesn't go stale.  None of my antique tractors have to do any real work since I quit competitive pulling. The nice thing about JD's is they will run just fine on old gas. The old "all fuel" tractors would almost run on anything that would burn. 


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-------- Original message --------From: Dean Vinson <dean at vinsonfarm.net> Date: 5/21/17  4:57 AM  (GMT-07:00) To: 'Antique tractor email discussion group' <at at lists.antique-tractor.com> Subject: Re: [AT] Man, but the old ones are solid 
Thanks, Dean, I've sure appreciated your help over the years.

The fuel stain has been there since I bought the tractor (2014 photo
attached).  I'd been thinking it was just from spillage while refueling the
tractor, and hadn't considered the possibility that it could be the result
of some mechanical problem.   A  bad seal on the filler cap could let some
gas seep out as it sloshes around inside the tank while the tractor is in
motion, correct?   I'll have to study it a bit.  

I do try hard not to spill even a drop when I refill the tank.  My gas can
has a long flexible spout that I push down completely inside the filler
opening before I tilt the can to begin pouring.  A little tricky since of
course it's all up pretty high and those gas cans weigh more now than they
did 30 or 40 years ago.  ;)

Dean Vinson
St Paris, Ohio


-----Original Message-----
From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
[mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of Dean VP
Sent: Saturday, May 20, 2017 11:48 PM
To: 'Antique tractor email discussion group' <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Subject: Re: [AT] Man, but the old ones are solid

Dean,

That 620 is really looking good. A real classic and a real good example of
why JD gained market share on I/H during this period. During the JD 20 and
30 series JD passed I/H in number of wheeled agricultural tractors
manufactured and sold. Later on after the New Generation tractors were
introduced JD became the number one producer of all agricultural equipment
passing IH and Ford. JD had been 3rd. It also makes me feel good that I
played a small part in encouraging you to buy this gem and that it has
really worked out well for you.  However, I do know the Super MTA is your
real favorite. I also appreciate that you have slowly removed some of the
cosmetic warts on the 620.  That shows real dedication to preserving the
original look. I'm not sure why your hood is showing fuel stains directly
below the filler cap. Is this possibly being caused by a bad seal on the
filler cap? You can get new gaskets for them or possibly a new red fuel cap
is in order. Eventually it will mess of the decals and it would be wise to
try to avoid that expense. Sometimes the filler tube is damaged causing the
leak. Then there is some major work to replace the filler tube. 

Dean VP
Snohomish, WA 98290

It's better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6. 

-----Original Message-----
From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
[mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of Dean Vinson
Sent: Saturday, May 20, 2017 6:48 PM
To: 'Antique tractor email discussion group' <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Subject: [AT] Man, but the old ones are solid

Weather was on-and-off rainy today, so I took advantage of one of the rainy
spells to catch up on maintenance on the John Deere 620:   Replaced the
brake pad on the clutch pulley, adjusted the clutch, and changed the oil and
filter.   Been meaning to do each of those things for a while so it was good
to see them finished.   A while later the rain stopped and eventually the
sun came out, just a heck of a nice afternoon, so I figured I'd better
test-drive the 620 to make sure everything still worked okay.  ;)

Looked good (see attached photo), sounded good, felt good.   Heck of a solid
old machine.  I found myself grateful, again, for the fine work the
engineers and builders did back then. 

Dean Vinson
Saint Paris, Ohio



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