Can We Bring a 73 Year Old Tractor Back to Life? 1949 John Deere B Forgotten in a Barn
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 ส.ค. 2022
- This 1949 John Deere B has been sitting for "a few years". Can we get it running and driving again?
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That belt pulley was most often used to power workplace hazards. There was an amazing selection of hazards available back then and most came as standard equipment. The aftermarket hazards that were available would amaze you, but the most incredible inventions of all were the hazards that a farmer built himself.
LOL
My grandpa had a firewood chopsaw made out of wood and spit that could be driven by sucha pulley and in deed was using a belt made out of a discarded fire hose.
Does that include carnival attractions?
😂
Hazzards are part of life. Men learn to deal with them.
That tractor proves that new technology is not always best. Simple is easy to repair. Have a good one.
But with this tractor JD can't rip off farmers like they can with newer ones. Bad for business!
Let's be honest, you're not making money as a farmer with this tractor.
@@TheFool2cool true, but there is equipment that could be profitable and yet simple enough the common man can work on. Unfortunately that technology is 40 to 60 years old and has been regulated out of production.
Technology is best .
I was born in '49. I can relate to many of the problems. Hard to start...stalls after a short run and leaks. But it still runs. Praise-allelujah
I think that everyone needs a Wes in their circle of friends. Someone who can troubleshoot and fix almost everything, has the patience of a Saint, is a gentlemen who's word is their bond and can entertain you with their knowledge and whit.
Well put.
The problem with that is that the circle of friends need to remember that the mechanic ain't just a friend - he needs to be paid!
Running a 2020 John Deere in 2093 would be quite a thing, with having to scrounge up replacement computer parts, programming the proprietary firmware, and then getting sued by JD's immortal lawyers for daring to touch their IP.
Definitely seeing the appeal of these old tractors :) Our 1960s International back on the farm was a great tractor too, never missed a beat and super easy to maintain by ourselves.
2020 jd runs windows ce. Freeking CE. No wonder they didn't want anyone get access to the os.
It will refuse because the server was shutdown and you didnt buy the DLC.
You nailed it. Pretty sad but true
@@avlawns3037 Someone has DOOM running on the JD tablets. Seriously. It's been hacked to play fucking DOOM.
@@TestECull hahahahahahahahahahhaahhaahahah
Doom runs on anything.
I have a B and 630. There is a small mesh screen in the sediment bowl originally, use NAPA Part 3039 to replace it. NAPA Screen and filter combo will keep the crude out 👍If everything is right, you do not need to choke the carb, it will fire right up even in cold weather. A repair business here in Ohio will gun drill all the passages back to spec. The cheap carb repair kits only scratch the surface.
That's cool! Another reason to love this great state!
Maybe a raditoo
Maybe a radiator shop can
These old tractors were about as complicated as a nail. They were made with the expectation that the farmer would work on them. My late father told me about the time he was using his Farmall "H" and it started to knock. He pulled the oil pan and found a loose rod bearing. He went to the local IH dealer and bought a new rod bearing insert, put it on and went back to farming!
At first I thought you were gonna say he cut a piece of his belt off and used that as a bearing. I heard that one from my dad and grandpa before.
Been there done that-it works fine. Just clean up the scuffed crank journal with emery cloth, check your clearance with plasti- gauge, good to go. Used the leather belt trick for emergency repair, make sure to soak leather in oil before installing it. Repair will get you through 1 hay cutting (small farm).🙂
I dunno, sometimes even a simple nail is too complex for some people these days. :P
I'd rather find a old abandoned piece of equipment on the side of the road and haul it home than to buy a new fancy pants rig that will cost me my life savings.
Because of that we repaired everything right where it broke. Between the service truck and set up tables we had an entire shop setting in the middle of fields at times. The only time one was loaded and hauled to town was when the rear differential housing broke, everything else on our older and new equipment was repaired/replaced where it stopped.
There’s a simple solution for those who don’t want the commentary - mute their TH-cam video player. I enjoy the commentary, as well as your sense of humor.
I’m sure you figured it out Wes, but for those who are watching and don’t know, that “hammering” noise he’s referring to from 9:54 to 10:14 is the magneto tripping (rotating).
yes, it a known as a Impulse type. Once started, centrifugal force holds the trip lever retracted.
That’s what I was wondering; did they put impulse couplers in tractor mags back then? I knew they did in at least one of the two aircraft magnetos. Cool video
It's actually an impulse magneto. When the shaft reaches a certain point the shaft is spun quickly by the impulse mechanism which results in a hotter spark. The faster a magneto spins the hotter the spark produced.
I think Wes knows more than he's letting on.
They even put them on small engines like the Fairbanks Morse “salt block”. Gravely used them on their walk behind units into at least the ‘60s
My grandfather had 2 JD Bs. They had a compression release on both sides. Open them to start it. Then when it started you closed them. No battery. Coast it down a hill or crank it by hand. Great to see you working on one. I want to thank you for sharing. It brought back many happy times.
Model A's had compression petcocks.
So did the John Deere Bs
Mine didn’t have a crank. You opened the petcocks and spun the exposed flywheel by hand through the compression stroke. If it started, shut the petcocks, and when it warmed up, switch over to fuel oil and adjust the radiator lovers for proper temp. No water pump.
So did the D. You also primed the pistons by pouring fuel into the pet cocks.
@@vmitchinson Oh, my. What a recipe for a fire! We found an ancient buzz saw on a type of platform that a long belt powered from the side can. Half twist to keep it on. No safety guards of any sort. Shudder. Cut a lot of firewood with it, and nobody died.
Typical boss always hounding me. Wes… most underrated comedian on the internet. Just so subtle.
Hey Wes, you appeared to be smiling a lot during the video, I guess having a break from the electronic diagnosis work to back to basics mechanical repairs has its rewards in these modern times. Enjoyed the video.
I love how the patina of the wrench matches the tractor during the carburetor scene.
I noticed that too
I imagine that it is almost relaxing to work on a non-computerized machine like that
Perhaps a welcome change, but Wes doesn't like ancient stuff with points and carbs.
He's really not old enough to have had to live with them.
You would think, until every bolt is stuck, it's been jury-rigged 14 times, and parts are unavailable
Wes had to blow the dust off his SAE wrenches and sockets.
@@jimurrata6785 he seems to do just fine around carburetors and such, watched a lot of videos in this channel dealing with carbs
@@edwardmyers1746 Farm boys will be like that...
I have seen Wes turn to his father for parts and advice.
I've also seen him tearing his hair out over a carb in a pickup.
Wasn't meant to be any kind of criticism. He is an _excellent_ mechanic from what I've watched over the years.
Good old iron. Never gona see that simplicity and quality ever again
"It's about as far as I go without cleaning" - The story of my life too, Wes.
I was 8 years old when that tractor was new and I'm still percolating pretty good so I expect the John Deer to do so too!
You Go Mike!
Keep your motor running Mr. Horton :-)
That hose to raise the pickup level is genius.
Haven’t seen you smile that big in a while!
I have my late grandpa's 1946 Farmall H he bought brand new, arrived 76 years ago this month after a 9 month wait, he ordered it with his Army bonus in December of 1945.
This video brings back a lot of memories. We have a family farm and we used to have Deere 600, 620, & 630. They are all setup virtually the same as this one. The sound of the engine and exhaust, the whine of the transmission and such as you drive. Those were the good old days lol back before cabs and AC and radios lol
Wes, it's been a long time since I worked or wrenched on a "Pop"n Johnny"! Thanks for making an old man smile, and for the memories!
Gotta love these old Johnny poppers. Rebuilt a 39A for my uncle when I was 16 years old. That’s when I discovered that these engines were a lot like the Harley Davidson engine where one piston fired a few degrees behind the other. I sure miss the time when you could open your window on a night in may and hear the spring frogs, whippoorwills and someone working ground in the distance on an ole Johnny counting them off.
Well that went nicely Wes! Gotta love that that old engineering...it sure stood/stands the test of time! Thanks for sharing!
The emulsion tube as you called it is the nozzle and definitely needed pulled out and cleaned, would have never ran well. To get the brass screws out of the carb, it helps to hit them with a handheld propane torch until you get a green flash. Let them cool, then use a well fitting screwdriver and they'll come right out (usually). Loving this video!
I have a '44 B and did that exact thing to get those brass plugs out. It's a good idea to run drills through those passages to clean them out. One of the antique parts suppliers had a kit with the 3 drills you need. (Sharps maybe). There is also a rebuild kit that has new plugs with it. The pivot screws in the bowl I had to get out by the hammer and punch method.
@@merrittderr9708 I've used the torch on the pivot screws too. An impact hammer works good on them too. I got my drills from Roberts Carb back in the day but I have heard their service has gone downhill since the original owner retired
You fix their cars. You fix their trucks. You fix their 50+ year old farm equipment. You fix their snow plows in the middle of winter. Seriously Wes, you are a huge asset to your community...I hope they appreciate you!
Meanwhile, they bring all the easy, moneymaking stuff to the other mechanics, leaving Wes with all the hard stuff, which he can't bill 12 hours per working day for, like they do.
Pup is your motivational coach. No one believes in you more than the pup does.
Thank you! Stirred up some great memories of growing up... had a B & an A - both from the early 40's. What a reliable set of tractors!
Thanks for the memories Wes!! I appreciate the work you let us in on. And needing an exterminator skill set to start / finish a repair is entertaining to say the least.
We lived 200 miles from Grandma and Grandpa. We got to visit a couple times a year. Mom and Dad would load us up in the 65 Wildcat and we'd make book. Grandpa was always busy, and if he had field work to do, he'd go out to fire up his old JD (may have been a B). He'd leave the can on the exhaust for us and shoot it off when he started the tractor just to entertain us. I rode with him some, but it wasn't very far. I remember white knuckling him to hold on. I guess potentially mashing a young grandson into paste wasn't on his to do list. That long skinny hood and the feeling of balancing on a tightrope was VERY familiar. Those were simpler times...
I did get to "help" with chores: feeding cotton seed cake to the cows, letting the chickens out and scattering feed for them, trying to rob a few nests of their eggs. The outhouse was the weirdest place. That's the first time I ever heard a cat purr and it scared the life out of me. It's a wonder I didn't fall in... She had a few kittens behind the paper goods bucket. Strange what you remember when you let the memories unfold....
When I was 8 the old man plopped me in the seat of a B. First machine I ever piloted. Pulled a New Holland rake around the Okiehomie bottomland until I got the nod to run the Allis when I was tall enough to reach the pedals.
Your video looking out over the nose sure took me back. Only thing missing was ours had a straight pipe with a flapper that percolated in time to the two banger.
This is why I love this channel. The incredible variety in the jobs that Wes takes on is fantastic. He appears to not balk at anything.
That smile when you got the old girl running is definitely a "keeper"! Enjoyed watching and learning.Thanks!!
Had a good friend who passed away. He had 1 g model, 2 a models, a styled a and an unstyled a model. Rode them in many parades. All of his were handcrank and multi fuel. The simplicity us amazing and they still run and work. Great work as always Wes!!!
Literally fist pumping right now. Wes you literally make my day when you post a new video. Thank you for keeping all of us wrenchers happy with your content.
Wes, your grandpa would be proud! Always enjoy your content and personality. Thanks again. Dave
Thanks for the video Wes. Takes me back many, many years to working the farm with my grandfather.
He only let me drive the International A or B as a preteen. That is where I learned to drive standard transmission.
Keep up the great work and thank you for sharing!
How cool is that seriously!! Good job Wes!! Love seeing old stuff run again.👍👍👍
I have a 1953 Farmall Super H that I use with a brush hog weekly. All original in Prescott Az. It sits all what we have of winter, and it starts immediately in spring. Amazing how a simple design performs so well decade after decade without out any problems. Nothing built today will be running 70 years from now. They are designed for failure so they will need repairs and replacement. Sad times lacking pride. Originally from the Southside of Chicago. Nice to be able to visit Illinois without having to be there, Great and best You tuber.
Mr Wess you have brought back so many memories.
I can remember driving one of those bicycle tires tractor tractor's
Down the road. In the fields. A lot of years. I don't know how many young people today could get up every morning at 4:30am
Ready to go to the fields. Great content keep up the great work.
I really enjoyed this type of video and would welcome seeing more videos of this type Wes. Thank you.
IDENTICAL model to what my grandpa had on his Ohio farm! This instantly brought a flood of wonderful memories back of growing up on that farm & driving his John Deere before I even was in school. Sure wish I could find one like this today !!!!! Many thanks for posting this, Wes !!
My dad bought a farm in central Indiana when I was 8 years old (1964). My uncle always came from his farm and planted for us using, I am fairly certain, a JD 'B' just like this one. Brought back some sweet memories. Thank you for bringing it back to life!
I love seeing these old tractors run again. They don't build things like they used to.
Its nice to see grown farm kids, they know what carburetor is and the right way to use an adjustable wrench. Good video and a great job Wes.
1949 John Deere Model B. It helped feed a hungry world.
This is such a good looking tractor I hope someone restores this little gem. Great job as usual. Thanks for the videos.
It wouldnt take much to restore it.A few parts and a lick of paint and shes as good as new.
Love old tractors Wes. Thanks for sharing.
That folks, was classic "Wes", the ability to jump from today to long yesterday and not skip a beat. Thanks for that Wes, was a nice throw back to your previous "old school" successes.. Priceless. Cheers!
Ayo Wes, I don't comment on your vids a lot, but seriously, dude, I love your content. It's educational and entertaining. When I first came across your channel, you were rebuilding and painting a brake lathe I believe. Each of your uploads brings joy to my Saturdays.
I'd say she's held up pretty well! My dad had a '38 "B". Hand started by spinning the flywheel. Same hand clutch you have there. Only other difference is that it had 2 fuel tanks. The small one at the back was for gas for starting the engine. The 2nd, larger tank, was filled with kerosene. Once the engine warmed up, we'd switch it over to the kerosene which was cheaper than gas back then.
They referred to it as Power Fuel.
My uncle has a B model. Restored it himself including a new paint job and decals. Great work, Wes.
When I grew up on a farm in Southern Illinois in the 40's and 50's there were a lot of farmers that owned the Farmall F20s and F30s. Many of the big farmers in Northern Illinois owned these tractors. I have driven a lot of them doing farm work. They were slow but work horses when you wanted to pull a big harrow or disc. Some of the farmers used the belt pulleys to grind grain for their livestock. The steering wheel caused the brakes to work on each back wheel according to which way you turned the steering wheel so the tractor could do a sharp turn. My father owned a F20 from the day he started farming until he died which was probably 40 years. My brother bought and restored several of them until he died. His son still has them in a storage building along with a lot of old cars. Thanks for the great video. It brings back lots of memories.
Great video it,s good to see the vintage machinery still has a life and no where to plug a computer or diagnostic machine into just straight forward mechanics ,
I've got a 1947 BN John Deere, still runs good, everything works well on it, pulls a two bottom trip plow very well, I'm slowly going through it taking one peace at a time cleaning it up and painting it in my small shop, hope to have it done by next spring so I can plow the garden and drive it in the 4th of July Parade as well, Love your show, like to see you working on old stuff like tractors and pickups, I grew up riding my horse and a John Deere B.
Thanks for bringing back memories of working on grandpa and grandma's farm in Minnesota.. Learned to drive on those Johnny Poppers. I still love the sound! Thanks again! Bob in Sandwich, Il.
Wes, congrats on getting this "B" running again! I worked on a dairy farm in Maryland during my early teen years: drove John Deere "A" and "B" tractors, as well as a Ferguson-Ford and a Farmall. Last farm tractor I drove was a '63 John Deere 3010, which was a Cadillac compared to the old iron I used to drive. It was a treat seeing this ol' girl running again - thanks!
I just restored a 1941 9N fuel tank was also rust through on the top. Same issue, rodents and probably 80 years of dirt. Was not expecting that. Love your videos. Keep it up
My last experience with a John Deere "B" was about 45 years ago, helping a couple of friends load one on a trailer, and haul it, don't even remember where we took it, but I remember being very tired, that darned thing was heavy, even when I was young and strong.
Love it! That thing is only 3 years older than I am, so it's continued life is just the kind of encouragement I need! She's pretty, too! Thank you, Russ!
Pretty amazing Dr. Wes! Love seeing these old machines brought back to life.
Finished the video, great stuff and running good! For future reference, if you can get the ALL little plugs out with the tip I gave earlier, they really run a lot better if you carefully clean those passages, they control all the fuel flow for the idle circuit going to the needle adjustment
Runs great and the top of the tank fix is something called Seal-All. It comes in a tube like tooth paste you may have to do it in several coats. The directions are on the packaging, my Dad used it all the time to "fix" gas tanks. Great video as always and Thanks.
Thanks for the variety on here Wes ! Always nice to watch.
Cheers, Ard
Thanks for bringing back the sounds of the B model, spent many summers riding when the paint was green, they really require two hands to operate what with the hand clutch
Great video wes amazing after all they years it still functions that's when stuff was built to last great job on getting it running and with no major problems will run for many years to come I guess take care and all the best 🔧🔧🔧👍👌😀
Great video. I love the old stuff. If it’s cast iron I’m in. Thanks for sharing
Man does that bring back memories. My grandfather had one for his hobby farm. It was the first thing I ever drove. Miss 'em both. Thanks for the reminder Wes.
Love the "chug, chug" when under load.......Memories of many years ago!!!!
This is one reason I watch your channel, you’re not afraid to take much of anything on, makes you interesting to watch. I grew up on a farm with a B model and a G model Deere, good tractors, but like anything else, it all comes down to maintenance and care of equipment. Thanks Wes, great video from my stand point sir.
Glad to see the artic cat earning its keep!! That low range helps!! Wonderful video wes!!
Love watching you revive the old relics!
"Don't worry, the bucket caught about a third of it..." hahaha. What a man.
I noticed that for the vintage tractor you used vintage tools ( adjustable metric and rusted wrench).
how is a adjustable wrench metric exactly?
@@Space_Reptile if you have to ask, you wouldn't understand the answer!!! LOL
@@paulcooper2897 😆 well said
@@paulcooper2897 left handed metric 😅
Hank and Wiley would be proud!
I have restored about a dozen 2 cylinder JD's from the 30's through the 50's. I prefer working on the vertical engines...usually the 20 series from Dubuque. Currently have a 420U torn apart. I do all our tedding and raking with 420's. Loved this video.
i.habe.one.LINDA L
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I was raised with Farmalls , I’ve bought old JD’s also but my favorite jd is the 420 foot clutch is much easier for backing up wagons too
The torque of that little 2 cylinder in the 420 is amazing!
you are soooo much more than a typical mechanic ..... i thought i was a good mechanic , but you can and do fix soooooo much more than i ever have , it's incredible !!!!!!!!!! be proud of your accomplishments !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wes , the sound of that old girl sure brought back memories of growing up on the farm , thank you .
Wes, the first tractor I drove was a jd “B”. I wasn’t strong enough to turn the steering wheel without stepping on the left or right brake also. Then I moved up to a 1954 jd 60 with power steering. That was in 1959 or 1960, 6 or 7 years old. Still farming with jd equipment that is a little bigger.
Electric start certainly makes things easier! I helped a friend get his hand-start Model B running again, and man if you don't have the carb set just right during start, it'll flood out. At that point you just have to heave the engine over and over with the throttle wide open and hope it clears out.
Also, coolant level is very important on thermosiphon Model Bs. If the coolant level drops below the top of the radiator, no coolant will flow at all.
We always parked our tractors on a hill. Even the electric start 50 and 720. Give them a roll and bump the clutch in 5th gear. Easiest way to start one.
You are a great diagnostician as exemplified by many of your videos, but to see you get that old girl running again was nothing less than fantastic. Congratulations on a great video!
I'm really impressed that it started that easily after so little repairs. Plus it ran real decent! Good job Wes.
I spent many hours plowing fields and cultivating row crops on a JD B, but we didn’t have a fancy one like that with the electric starter and lights. I could ease it forward using my right foot to engage the clutch. I loved the tight turning radius. It was a good piece of equipment for a young fella like me. 👍 🌽
You could really stand on a brake and spin those things around. One of my favorite things about them.
Thanks Wes, I have had a few of these over the years that have sat for long periods of time and the leaks was the worse repair. Easy to work on with the "big nut" carbs and babbit bearings for connecting rods but over all simple. The grease certs on the rear axle are a seal to keep the oil in the rear end. They was power houses for being such low hp. The only down side was no live power so brush cutting was interesting if ya didn't know how to run it.
73 years ago machines were built to last. Now they are built to last only so long before we have to say, "so long" to them. I enjoyed your video. Might watch another one in a day or so.
My grandfather and Dad ordered a B JUST BEFORE WWII - and the order was completed before pearl harbor so they got the tractor - it was 6 volt electric start with over drive trans and set up to run on kerosene (small tank to start on gas) and delivered with steel wheels - I made the mistake of letting my dad sell it back in the 70's - enjoy your videos Wes but man did this one bring back memories - nothing like the sound of a John Deer !!!!!!!
As a John Deere guy who works at John Deere this was great to see.
Impulse mag. A good practice with hand clutches is to leave them engaged. That way, you know that it is not in gear. More than one person has been run over by bumping the lever only to discover that it was in gear and it moved causing mayhem and injury. The throw-out bearing is not as critical on an over-center clutch because it's only really under pressure when moving from one position to the other. That said, the bushing between the crank and the driven plate does then take the relative motion so that's the other reason to keep it engaged. Nice original condition tractor - I would love to have one (and the acreage to put it on). There's supposed to be a gauze sitting on that fuel bowl intake, about an inch or so long
We had a mid 40’s B and it had decompression cocks underneath the cylinder set on the side. Didn’t discover this till later in life when I was sandblasting it to refinish it. Keep up the awesome videos
The look on your face when that thing started was great. I love it when you work on the old stuff.
Wes, it looks like you enjoyed that old-school repair. No need for a scope or codes heck you didn’t even need the serial number. Very relaxing good job.
Sweet old tractor, simple and engineered to last. Planned obsolescence was still way off and manufacturers allowed for the fact that their products would need to be fixed using a few tools and basic knowledge! How have we allowed manufacturers like John Deere to dictate what we are 'allowed ' to fix. Guess thats progress? Great content as allways Wes! Best wishes from the UK 🇬🇧
You are so right.
It's why my grandpa refuses to buy modern John Deere's. He only uses the ones he has from the 60's and 70's. That's when they were most reliable and had a good reputation. He's a fix it yourself kind of guy. He simply has no time to deal with the John Deere HQ whenever something goes wrong.
What an amazing variety of things to work on! Awesome.
Thanks for the video....love to see the old stuff wake up again
At 13:00 the appropriateness of that cricket is priceless. 😆
Awesome video as always Wes. What a great old tractor, nice to see it running!!
i just stumbled across your channel. THANK YOU. i'm a retired high end volvo"tecnition". this brought me back to my roots. now i gotta find a local tractor ouner who needs help. fun stuff. no software required.
Love the variety of your projects. Great work, keep it up...
I plowed miles and miles of dry-land cotton in West Texas on a tractor like this. Got paid $22 a week for working six days a week, sunrise to sunset. Great job, Wes.
We had a 2 bottom plow for our old B. Is that what you plowed with?
Wes you would do quite well with a good skidloader to move things around the homestead i use mine all around the farm for moving everything from wagons to planters with the right attachments you can do anything but make dinner. Wonderful video Wes made for a great Saturday
A forklift would do. If only there was one laying around.
Maybe even make dinner if the day is right and you did plenty of work to heat up the covers
It was nice to go for a tractor ride on green grass. I spent 2 hours yesterday on my 1953 Farmall M plowing 8 inches of new snow, March 12th, 2023. The old girl still runs well and works good. Bless those old tractors. Thanks for the ride, I could almost smell the green grass. I sold my 1941 hand start John Deere B to a friend 3 years ago. It still ran good too. I paid $200 bucks for it 30 years ago.
I have a 1949 John Deere B. Enjoyed this immensely.