John Deere 420 Crawler not Starting

bookman51 · Post by **bookman51** » Tue May 22, 2007 9:12 pm

I cannot get my 420 crawler started. The battery is charged up but the engine will no turn over. I think I have checked the connections and they seem good. What is the trick to getting the battery out. The clutch pedal is in the way. Do I have to take it off?

Bookman

Post by **Lavoy** » Tue May 22, 2007 9:15 pm

Make sure both cables, and all connections are good. I have had cables that looked good be bad before. Clutch pedal should not affect battery removal unless you are talking about a loader crawler.
Lavoy

bookman51 · Post by **bookman51** » Tue May 22, 2007 9:22 pm

Lavoy, It is not a loader crawler but the clutch is in the way of getting the battery out. It will not depress enough for the battery to come out over it. Was it installed wrong? Or do I need to disconnect a clutch linkage somewhere? I tried removing the clutch pedal, but it is on there tight...might try an impact wrench next...involvings crawling under the crawler!

Bookman

Lavoy wrote:Make sure both cables, and all connections are good. I have had cables that looked good be bad before. Clutch pedal should not affect battery removal unless you are talking about a loader crawler.
Lavoy

mickswiftspy · Post by **mickswiftspy** » Tue May 22, 2007 9:49 pm

Lavoy, the 420 crawler I bought from you is the same way. The clutch pedal does not depress far enough. I can't take the battery out unless I crawl under the crawler and unbolt the pedal.
BTW, the old girl is still running fine, and enjoying life in sunny California.

bookman51 · Post by **bookman51** » Wed May 23, 2007 6:39 am

That is probably what I will have to do. I tried yesterday with a hand wrench and no luck. Perhaps today I can get an impact wrench under there to get the pedal off.

Bookman

mickswiftspy wrote:Lavoy, the 420 crawler I bought from you is the same way. The clutch pedal does not depress far enough. I can't take the battery out unless I crawl under the crawler and unbolt the pedal.
BTW, the old girl is still running fine, and enjoying life in sunny California.

Post by **Lavoy** » Wed May 23, 2007 8:03 am

Okay, never thought of it being a clutch type reverser. On that one, you will likely have to remove the clutch pedal for access.

Jim,
Glad to hear the old girl is doing well, but I can not believe it likes the sun better than the snow. I sure wish you would send her back. In fact, I missed it so bad, I ended up buying another one just like it only in orange.
Lavoy[/quote]

Stan Disbrow · Post by **Stan Disbrow** » Wed May 23, 2007 8:56 am

Hi,

Interesting. My '58 has a clutch type reverser and the master clutch pedal does depress far enough to get the battery in and out. Wonder what the difference is? I don't recall that the pedal position on the shaft is adjustable. Maybe it was a running change of some sort. Mine is so late in the 420 series that it's more 430 than 420.

Stan

chickenman · Post by **chickenman** » Wed May 23, 2007 10:23 am

Can't help but asking something that should be obvious. Have you removed the starter to see if it will turn when not on dozer? The starter on my 420C would sometimes hang up--drive locked and not turn the engine. Replaced it with another starter I had and no more trouble. If the starter turns off engine, you have engine problem.

Stan Disbrow · Post by **Stan Disbrow** » Wed May 23, 2007 12:21 pm

Hi,

Thought about it some more, and I think I know why I have no problem. There's a sheet metal 'flap' that folds up along the bottom of the battery. IIRC, Dad cut a notch out of it long ago, so that the flap folds down clearing the clutch pedal. I bet the issue is that no one else has a notched flap and it won't fold down far enough to let the battery out.

Stan

DiggerLarry · Post by **DiggerLarry** » Wed May 23, 2007 12:26 pm

Check the ground cable where it bolts to the dash and the bottom of the dash where it bolts to the trans. That's your ground path. Rust in both these spots has caused me problems before.

bookman51 · Post by **bookman51** » Wed May 23, 2007 9:13 pm

Thanks, that could be the problem. Bookman

DiggerLarry wrote:Check the ground cable where it bolts to the dash and the bottom of the dash where it bolts to the trans. That's your ground path. Rust in both these spots has caused me problems before.

bookman51 · Post by **bookman51** » Thu May 24, 2007 9:22 pm

Got it started today. Probably a faulty ground, perhaps the ground wire bolt got rusty. Moved some dirt to fill in washes in the road. We have been getting a lot of rain here in central Nebraska. Thanks for all the help. Bookman

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