[AT] A Good Tractor Evening

[Gene Derringer]

This was good reading.  My 51 A shifter won’t go into 2nd or 4th.  Do I need to take the steering shaft out to raise the cover high enough to work on what ever is sticking?  Thanks for any and all advise you have for me.

Gene Derringer

Harrod, Ohio

 

From: AT <at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com> On Behalf Of STEVE ALLEN
Sent: Wednesday, July 19, 2023 4:03 PM
To: at at lists.antique-tractor.com
Subject: [AT] A Good Tractor Evening

 

The list seems slow, so I thought I share a quick note that might be of some interest.  It is about my '49 JD A, the one that needs a new flywheel.

 

For some years, it has also needed attention to the gear shift stick, which developed the unfortunate habit of coming up out of engagement with the transmission.  It is held in place by two snap rings, one below and one above the ball that allows it to move.  My older son, in his younger years, used to sit on the seat and "drive" the tractor, pulling with all his might on that stick.  At some point in the process, he must have pulled it so hard that the lower snap ring came out of its groove (I suspect it made it all the way to the bottom of the sump because I've never seen or heard evidence of the ring ending up in the gears).

 

Anywho, I finally gathered the necessary brain cells together to get on the Deere website and order 3 of those snap rings.  Yes, I said three even though the project only needs two.  It would be me all over to ruin one or lose it, so I wanted a bit of redundancy.  Deere does still have them for about $3.50 each.  I might have been able to source them elsewhere, but why go through the hassle of making sure they are the correct size when Mother Deere has already gone to that trouble?  (Side note:  the parts guy I talked to when I picked them up at my local dealer told me that 2-cyl parts are getting pretty scarce though they get a lot of traffic in them and even occasionally work on one in their shop.)

 

I had, years back, bought a spare stick with some of the other parts from Sharps, so, armed with more parts than I needed, I unbolted the stick assembly from the top of the transmission and brought it into the shop for rejuvenation.  Once I had it on the bench, I had to learn that the parts would come off only from the top:  the ball at the base of the stick was too large to permit the pivot ball and collar, the retaining spring, the washers, and the cover to slide off the bottom end.  I was inhibited by not having a pair of the proper snap ring pliers.  Nevertheless, I got two new snap rings on with all the parts in the right order between them.  (Well, I did need to start over at one point because I started in the wrong order, but my heads was upside down.)  I also used the wire wheel on the rusty base of the shift pattern housing and all four cap screws and washers used to hold the whole shebang in place.

 

So, with the rebuilt stick (just how hard can if be to rebuild a stick, anyway??) in hand, it was back to the shed.  The problem was getting the four cap screws back in their holes.  When I had removed them, I could push the stick complete;y out of the way, and I had no need to grasp them after removing them:  I could just let them fall out of the housing when I removed it.  But keeping them in the socket as I started them in their holes proved to be a pain.  As I was struggling, my son--who was responsible for the whole mess anyway--came home from work, and I sent him back to the shop for the longest pair of needle-nose pliers he could find.  They were *just* long enough to do the job, and so i was able to tighten all the cap screws, keeping the assembly in place.   

 

Running it through all the positions, it seemed to be up to snuff, so we won't have to hold the stick down when we shift anymore.

 

Now, to find the time to get the cotton-pickin' flywheel changed.  Got to have my son around.  He works throwing cases and building pallets for a beer distributor, so he can pick up that flywheel; it would be rather an over-match for my back anymore.  But we're one step close to having TWO operational As!

 

Then, it'll be time to put the new manifold on the '47 B--that's a job i do not look forward to.  I am sure we can get the old manifold off; I am NOT sure we can get the old studs out of the head with out much tearing of hair and gnashing of teeth.

 

Obviously, a type of snap ring pliers must exist which are made for rings that have no holes in the ends, just beveled ends.  I have many older tools inhereted from my father, but none seem to fit the bill.  Do any of you know what I am looking for?

 

But it was a Good Tractor Evening yesterday despite the hassles, and I hope I didn't bore anyone.

 

Sweatingly,

The "original" Steve Allen

'47 B, '49 A, '51 A, all in Mid-MO

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