Thank you for helping the lady.
Thanks. Just passing along some of the help I have gotten over the years.
Thank you for helping the lady.
That's good to hear you got it running! :thumbsup:
The brakes on these are simple. Two shoes expand into an 8 ? inch drum, same as old cars. This drum is on an intermediate shaft forward of the rear axle. Follow the brake linkage back, pull the cover, everything is obvious. The common problem on these is the shaft won't turn freely where it goes through that cover. Dis-assemble, clean, re-install. It is a good idea also to swap the leading/trailing brake shoes to equalize wear. Oil leaking past the seal behind that drum is less common, but more work to remedy.
With inconsistent hydraulic service I would clean the 'strainer' in the bottom of the transmission, and replace the fluid - slightly under 5 gallons.
See Hoye's parts diagrams related to these projects.
Good deal, glad you got it running. If you decide to tackle the brake issue and it gets to the point where you need to start removing pads and springs, since it is drum brakes you might need to borrow a brake service kit. It makes things simple if you have to start removing the pads. Now that you have it running, I'll tap out and let California take over since he is more familiar with the specifics on the older Yanmars. I could help you if I was standing in front of it but I don't know the layout of them to mentally walk you through it like he does. bookman51 you certainly seem like good folk. I know she appreciates you working on that tractor for her and frankly so do some of us. Good luck with anything else you try to take on with regards to that machine. :drink:
I wish I had those special brake spring pliers. As a substitute I grasp the hook part of the spring with small vise-grips, then use a long screwdriver as a lever against that.
Bookman, Yanmar used a thin paper gasket for a watertight seal between that brake cover and its housing. It isn't needed when you put the cover back on, because we don't run our Yanmars half submerged in a rice paddy like they were designed for.
Photo from Yanmar-Japan's 'Export' page:
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I wish I had those special brake spring pliers. As a substitute I grasp the hook part of the spring with small vise-grips, then use a long screwdriver as a lever against that.
Old school- yep! First car I opened the brakes to inspect was my '49 Chev. Swapped the identical leading/trailing shoes as I described above to get another year or two. And soon bought the brake spring pliers etc as needed because I did all my own work. Learned enough doing my own maintenance on old cars, out of necessity, to pass the tech part of a state teaching credential in automechanics.That's old school....well...old school as in I stopped doing that once I found a friend who had the kit I could borrow. :laughing:
That's great...I'm getting close to retirement too so I hope to settle down with a few tractors like you. I got 5 more years to go then I'm out. I'm more of a tech guy myself but I'd say I'm a fair mechanic. You are the type of person I like to sit down with so I can learn a few things. Sucks you are on the other side of the country from me. It is like I tell my boys..."If you want to learn something about a specific item, go find someone who owns one that is in good shape and who does all the work on it themselves." Unfortunately, I'm one of those true "jack of all trades." I can do just about everything and anything you throw at me on an above average level but I'm not a master of anything. My goal in 5 years when I retire is that I become the master of something. Not sure what that will be at this point but it will be something. I simply have a desire to learn as much as I can about as many subjects as I can. About 12 years ago, I decided tractors in the CUT range of tractor and below were going to be on the list of things I know. To give you an example, today I spent roughly 15 hours researching more tractor related subjects and that is nothing out of the ordinary for me. I'd say I typically spend at least 5-6 hours a day researching. I literally have six various technical books sitting on my coffee table that I'll read over the next couple of months. I crave knowledge but that has completely stifled my creativity. In my lifetime, I've had a few jobs where working on equipment was a major part of the job (golf course maintenance being one). I'm not great at mechanical stuff but I do have some decent skills. My area of true expertise is in computer/security fields. I've been doing that solid for over 25 years now. I love forums like this because I can give some advice in the areas I know something about and then I can tap out when I know someone else has more knowledge than me. Forums have also been a great resource for me once I figure out who really knows their stuff and who is full of crap.
In a nutshell, I've come to appreciate Yanmar because of guys like you, the old Yanmars, and the one I own...sorry JD...you can slap your name on it but we all know who makes it. You better believe when I get more land and more storage an old school Yanmar will be part of my collection.![]()
Tractor Supply's multigrade 'Traveller Premium' is the next step up from their single-grade '303' UTF.If you live in a cold climate - use the tractor for pushing snow etc - or have a Yanmar with PowerShift (A/T with hydraulic-activated controls) then later multigrade fluid is preferable.
What is the multigrade option.....? That description is me....northeast with powershift and push lots of snow...
I have always used the tsc 303
MDA Removes 303 Tractor Hydraulic Fluids From Sale, 303 Manufacturers Recall Product
Missouri retailers of tractor hydraulic fluid (303) have been notified by the Department that these products are misbranded because they fail to meet any current tractor manufacturer's specifications. The John Deere (JD) 303 designation is 57 years old and has been obsolete for 43 years. In addition, there are no specifications available for 303 Tractor Hydraulic Fluids and, as such, products making only 303 claims cannot be tested to assure compliance with any known specification.
... the Department sampled 14 different 303 fluids, many claiming to work in almost every tractor. All 14 of these 303 fluids failed to meet current specifications and were found to be underperforming to the point that damage was likely to result.
I know I am probably late here. The brakes are simple on these. Most of the time getting something unstuck is the hardest thing. There 2 identical springs and identical shoes that can be flipped end for end for longer service. Also a cam pin that can be repositioned when the shoes wear down. I have a complete post on dissassembly and repair or fixing including the drum and even shaft seals.Good deal, glad you got it running. If you decide to tackle the brake issue and it gets to the point where you need to start removing pads and springs, since it is drum brakes you might need to borrow a brake service kit. It makes things simple if you have to start removing the pads. Now that you have it running, I'll tap out and let California take over since he is more familiar with the specifics on the older Yanmars. I could help you if I was standing in front of it but I don't know the layout of them to mentally walk you through it like he does. bookman51 you certainly seem like good folk. I know she appreciates you working on that tractor for her and frankly so do some of us. Good luck with anything else you try to take on with regards to that machine. :drink:
Tractor Supply doesn't say much about their SuperTrac 303. The distributor claims it is suitable where JD 303 or J20A was specified. However for ambient temperature outside the range +32 to + 104 F and for equipment made after 1974 they note 'Misapplication may cause severe performance problems' and recommend their 'Premium Universal Tractor Hydraulic Fluid (J20C)' instead.
http://www.smittysinc.net/userfiles...erS_SuperTrac_303_Tractor_Hydraulic_Fluid.pdf
I wondered if SuperTrac 303 is the same as Warren's Coastal 303 that I used to buy at Autozone Answer: I see the MSDS's are different.
http://www.smittysinc.net/userfiles/productLiterature/SuperS_Tractor_Hydraulic_Fluid_SDS_051615.pdf
http://www.warrenoil.com/MSDS-Spec/SDS/Coastal/WUI027 - SDS - Coastal 303 Tractor Fluid.pdf
In researching that, I found both products now Discontinued at several places.
rScotty's link likely explains the Discontinued:
I see MDA also banned some deficient brands of antifreeze, ATF, and motor oil.
Why not buy this tractor, you kind of know the history and you can probaly pick it up at a fair price.
Also where in SC are you?
I think Missouri Ag claimed there is no valid 303 spec to compare these products against. Real 303 contained whale oil which is a superior lubricant but today anything containing it would be illegal to sell.But it says they don't meet today's specs. That's not what the fluid claims?? The fluid claims it exceeds the 303 spec. Sure it's a 50 year old one and may not be a good option for your 10 year old JD