Challenging restoration or junk??

[HCJtractor]

I found this old motor grader in the forest and the landowner would give it to me. It's been sitting here for decades. What do you think? Structurally, it looks sound, with only surface rust. Obviously, the engine and hydraulics would need major rebuilds or replacements, but mechanically, it looks fairly simple. I will add that I would have to farm out any engine and hydraulic pump work, but could handle the disassembly, mechanical parts, and sandblast/paint myself. Would it be worth the effort to tackle such a project?

 

[sweettractors]

That would be a fun project. I would locate some of my needed major component parts before I fully committed. Ken Sweet

 

[HCJtractor]

Ken, have you ever seen any grader like this? Wonder how old it is? Also wonder if restoring the engine is even possible, or if a new retrofitted diesel would be more likely.

 

[KWentling]

I would love to run across a deal like that. As far as restoration, I would think engine overhaul parts would still be available because it likely shares engines with ag and industrial tractors. It might share transmissions also. If the tires are shot, that will probably be a big expense. Being it is hydraulic, I would think it wouldn't be older that 50's or 60's but that is just guessing. My dad bought an old Allis grader back in the early 70's that we made into a land plane, and it was a mechanical machine. I'm thinking it was a 1940's vintage but may have been older. You might find some information from the guys over on the Heavy Equipment Forms. They have a grader section.

Kim

 

[sweettractors]

Ken, have you ever seen any grader like this? Wonder how old it is? Also wonder if restoring the engine is even possible, or if a new retrofitted diesel would be more likely.

I have never seen one like it. I would guess it to be out of the fifties? If you were going to restore it to show, I would go with all original that I could find. If you are just going to fix it up to use it, after market or retro parts would seem fine. Ken Sweet

 

[outinthetalgrass]

Educated guess....Made in the mid 50's at the Allis Chalmers plant in Springfield Illinois, at 6th and Stevenson Dr. I worked at the Service station (remember those) across the street,and it looks a lot like the ones they were building and shipping at the time.
it is a model D

 

[slaveToHorses]

Yup, nailed it. A model D. You can find them for sale. Here is one
ALLIS-CHALMERS D Motor Grader For Sale At MachineryTrader.com

It would be fun to restore, as long as you have the tools to deal with heavy objects and big stuborn fasteners. If not then it is a great excuse to pick up a torch and some 1" impact sockets

If you have a use for a grader, then this would be a perfectly workable unit. I think my neighbor has one of similar vintage.

 

[beenthere]

I found this old motor grader in the forest .......... Would it be worth the effort to tackle such a project?

What use or uses do you have for it?

Had my drive black-topped this summer, and the crew used one in the next section to grade the drive before laying down black top. Very handy for that job, and light to haul around on a long equipment trailer behind their dump truck.

As you said, should be simple and straightforward if no major parts are broken.

Looks like a fun restoration project, but a big one.

But junk, if you can't/don't finish it.

 

[SuperCobra]

Not to sound too pessimistic but I would count on it needing work more than it is worth. There is probably a good reason it was left in the woods. Then again, who knows, maybe they just parked it because they weren't using it.

 

[Dogballs]

DELETED

 

[Dogballs]

Nobody abandons a perfectly good grader...

If it wasn't economically feasible to repair it back then it probably isn't now either.

 

[HCJtractor]

If I restored it, I would use it to maintain about six miles of dirt roads on my place. I would not care about show quality or originality, just whether or not it worked. I also brainstormed about how to use just the blade mechanism and adapting it into a 3 point hitch implement. I hate to see it just rust away.

 

[beenthere]

Sounds like you have a good reason to restore it, and prolly can make it worth while to do the job. There is no substitute for maintaining roads over the grader, and your find should do that real well. Good luck and success to you. Hope you see your way to giving it a shot, and making it run again.

I like your thought of putting it on a three point, but am thinking it would take a lot of work and be a lot of weight, and have to be a real serious makeover to get that to work for you. But...don't let me discourage you thinking more on how to do it.

 

[crazyal]

Do you have a way to move it and a place to store it? If so then by taking it you are not out any real money and if you find it costs too much for you to fix you can try to sell it for a few bucks or sell it as scrap (seams like a shame to cut it up though).

I've seen a lot of equipment like that just parked because it needed some work and the owner just didn't have the time. It could be one of those types that always needs some fiddling to get it running and it just wasn't worth the effort but he didn't want to get rid of it either. Usually they are out of sight and unless you stumble across them you would never know they were even there.

I know where an old International KB7 truck is parked. The land owner would give it away but it has been parked there so long trees have grown up around it and through the frame that are now 25 to 30 years old and a lot of them would need to be cut to get the truck out, something he's not willing to do.

 

[KWentling]

I also brainstormed about how to use just the blade mechanism and adapting it into a 3 point hitch implement. I hate to see it just rust away.

If I had it that is what I would look at doing. Could be either pulled by the tractor drawbar or a 3 point hitch arrangement. It would take fair sized tractor to handle it.

Kim

 

[Mace Canute]

I'd definitely salvage it. It would be almost criminal to let it rot away or get hauled off for scrap metal. 6 miles of dirt road? Wow! Lots of room to play with it! It's not like it won't be worth anything when you do fix it up, it will be a valuable antique. The Model "D" was introduced in 1949 and remained in production for over 20 years. Here's what it will look like once you have it all done! P.S. I saw one estimate of it's weight...8500 lbs.

 

[czechsonofagun]

Another vote for restoration or at least fix up to work again.

 

[rtimgray]

If you've got the time and inclination, it could be a good project; if not, it would seem to be about $600 of free scrap (if it weighs 8,500 lbs at the rates that are current around here) if you can haul it off.

If it were me, I'd take it and start tinkering when time allowed. If it ended up taking too much money or time, I'd scrap it. Good luck.

 

[Egon]

Transmission and final drive parts, if required, may be the hardest to come by??

 

[HCJtractor]

I'd definitely salvage it. It would be almost criminal to let it rot away or get hauled off for scrap metal. 6 miles of dirt road? Wow! Lots of room to play with it! It's not like it won't be worth anything when you do fix it up, it will be a valuable antique. The Model "D" was introduced in 1949 and remained in production for over 20 years. Here's what it will look like once you have it all done! P.S. I saw one estimate of it's weight...8500 lbs.

Thanks for the picture. That really looks nice! Very tempting!!