Part out or repair

[MHarryE]

Insurance paid the owner of this New Holland T4.120. A friend picked it up feeling that since there is still oil in the transmission and engine, some parts may be usable. He does show quality restorations of antique farm equipment. I think it’s a challenge but wouldn’t it be great to see it running again?

 

[jaxs]

What ever blows his skirt up is ok by me.

 

[MHarryE]

Why I found this one interesting is I’ve investigated many equipment fires but never saw one as completely melted down as this one. The fuel tank is on the side where we are looking and no sign it was there. Aluminum radiator, oil cooler, fuel cooler, A-C condenser melted away. Various globs of melted aluminum hanging on but the hydraulic pump is only partly melted. Front wheel has wire from tire bead but rear looks like a tire was never mounted.

 

[4570Man]

You could buy a new tractor 3 times over for the parts not to mention labor to fix that. Haul that to the metal recycler and move on to a more practical project.

 

[5030]

That one is really cremated and I bet it stinks too.

 

[m1garand762]

Don’t wast a minute on that. Getting that hot did more damage than is visible the metal is all stressed and will probably not even hold paint anymore and is all weakened from the heat.

 

[workinonit]

If someone is foolish enough to waste their time working on that POS you will be wasting your time telling them not to.

 

[hornett22]

I hope your friend didn't pay much for it.

 

[IH3444]

That will buff out just fine....

 

[IndyJay]

That will buff out just fine....

A couple (or few) rattle-cans of blue paint and she'll be good as new. He said it still had oil in transmission and engine... I think I'd change it anyway.

 

[notaz3]

"Not fore sale, were going to restore it some day".
Way to far gone to bother. Fire does damage to the steel/

 

[lincmercguy]

And I thought my fire repair was a borderline decision, lol.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Rob would buy it.

I would say not worth messing with. When fires like that get going (also referencing vehicle fires), they get hot enough to change the temper in the metals. I wouldn't touch it. Any insurance company would automatically "total" it, based on how hot it got.

 

[WranglerX]

Personally I would walk away.... Have had projects with way less damage that turned into a "daymare' (nightmare in daylight) .....

 

[Hay Dude]

I thought he was joking at first. On a good day, thats scrap metal.

 

[rScotty]

A couple (or few) rattle-cans of blue paint and she'll be good as new. He said it still had oil in transmission and engine... I think I'd change it anyway.

OK, I see your point. I think I'd recommend changing it too. But not be in too much of a hurry to pitch that old oil - no point to risk throwing away usable low hour oil.
He might as well spring for an oil test. He's going to be into it a bit steep anyway.

 

[MHarryE]

The owner died shortly after this happened - and after the insurance paid 100% but left the remains with him. My friend has been helping his daughter, the heir, settle his estate. He loaded this and hauled it to his place thinking since there is oil in engine and transmission, there may be some parts that can be reused. Our primary scrap dealer is only 6 miles from his farm. I did suggest picking it up again with his excavator and hauling it there. Wheels may be okay but not much demand as they are tractor specific. I wish I knew more as to how the fire started.

 

[Tx Jim]

Back in the late 70's when I was a JD dealer service manager I supervised rebuilding a JD 4020 that had burnt not even nearly as bad as the one in MHarryE's photo. It took several months after owner starting operating tractor after refurbishing to get all the oil leaks stopped. I made up my mind burnt tractors after that one I was asked to rebuild needed to ""go to salvage yard"!

 

[finn1]

Go directly to the scrap yard with that one.

Virtually nothing is salvageable.

 

[4570Man]

I thought he was joking at first. On a good day, thats scrap metal.

I saw someone trying to fix a pretty well toasted skid steer on another site. It wasn’t as bad as that but it was enough that the aluminum accessories were burned off the block. It doesn’t take much of a fire to total one and that point is way before the accessories start dripping.