Got all the tractors out of the barn so if needed I can cram vehicles in there for spring/summer/fall storms again.
Started sorting in the garage and had an idea, offered to see if dad would want to help me break this Oliver loose. Getting kind of tired of weed eating around the thing. He happened to be driving by and swung in so we got to it.
He made a hose eons ago that connects the hydraulics from one tractor to the spark plug threads of another for to break them loose. Don't get crazy on pressure and generally at worse you blow a head gasket and at that point she is stuck enough who cares.
So since I had my JD B out (A-C ran a crazy high hydraulic pressure so my other two were out) we made it happen... and nothing happened. Switched from #3 to #4 and neato, we have hydraulic oil coming out the exhaust pipe.
So we were done....
Or are we?
Dad pulled the thermostat housing and I rattled off the manifold and headbolts with the impact.
Bores are scummy but smooth. Hone and go.
Headgasket wasn't blown and nothing seems to be broken from freezing. It did hold coolant like it was supposed to.
Copious amounts of trash in the bores though. Like rust flakes I am guessing from the exhaust manifold. Even if it broke loose it would have probably screwed the valves up more than they already are. Our current theory is the valves are not seating enough to hold much of any pressure. The B didn't pull down at all when we were putting it to it like the hydraulics were deadheading against something, we were almost questioning if it was working right.
So I loads it up and take to my dad's shop so we can touch up the valves and clean up the head.
It is so weird, it looks "oh my god" terrible but for the most part it just wipes off.
So we are staying cautiously optimistic.
And I heard "you broke the top off my tractor" at supper from my kid tonight. So I bust up laughing and I get "you did do it!"
And it is his, I just want to get it running and moving so I can move it around and do light odd jobs with it. If it turns out to be a smoker we can rebuild it later for 4H or whatever if he wants to. I am just trying to make something out of it and make it somewhat useful until it is his turn. And if I get it going now it will be easier to deal with later. Its already sat 20+ years (I last remember it running in 2001), sitting another 10 won't do it any favors.