New member and new owner of a 56? 420 crawler

[Lu47Dan]

Hello to the membership of this board .
I recently purchased a 420 crawler with a straight blade , it is equipped with five roller track frames and a dual cylinder lift , of course it has its problems one of which is a broken right side final drive case , I now the pinion gear is shot , and the I have locate a case , but will not know about the bull gear until I get it home and in the shop . As this is my first John Deere crawler there will be a lot of questions about it . The blade and tractor look to be in good mechanical condition , the tin work leaves a lot to be desired but the majority of it is still there and it has the original type grill guard on it . It has been converted over to 12 volt charging system . I took some pictures but have not figure out how to post them here .
I live in North West Pennsylvania and on the day I took the pictures the temperature was 8 degrees F. so I was not going to crawl in the snow to find out more about it
If anyone is interested there are pictures posted over on Machine Builders Network http://www.machinebuilders.net/forum/fo ... PN=1&TPN=1
Thanks Lavoy . Dan

[Lu47Dan]

Let's try this in a new post .

Still can't get it to work . Dan

[shinnery]

I don't know if I can do this.....


It works. I copied your script above (without the "imgs" into a new brouser and it took me to your photobucket page. I right clicked on the picture and clicked on "properties" and it showed the address script. I copied that over here and added the "imgs".

[Lu47Dan]

Thanks , Shinnery . Every board I am on I have trouble with something , this board it looks to be posting photo's . Can anyone tell from the picture which blade this crawler has ? I will get better pictures soon as I get it out of where it is at , I am trying to figure out how to load it on a trailer with the bad final drive without doing anymore damage than I have to .
Has anyone dealt with the online John Deere Bookstore ? I need to get a parts manual and a service manual for it , and the web store prices are better than the local dealer can do for me .
Well it is out into the cold to see if I can get something done today
Dan

[CELSESSER]

Another one with the tracks on backwards! The grouser is supposed to lead.

I doubt if you will do much more dammage to that final loading it. you might try to wire the pinion up so it doesn't hit the bull gear if it will move that far up. Maybe the bull is still ok.

It must be a NASCAR machine with the caster on those right wheels beeing so severe!

Chuck

[Lu47Dan]

I did not notice that . With any luck it will be coming home next weekend . Dan

[Ray III]

Looks like a lot of the original parts are intact. Seat, sprocket covers, headlamp guards, those little things. Can't tell from the pics if the battery cover is there too.

The blade doesn't look like the Deere one is all I can say about that.

[Stretch]

Thats camber not caster. Go fast turn left.

[CELSESSER]

Strech

So right you are! Used to live up in Morganton and had a boss who lived in Albemarle (I think still does) little Alice J. I think lobies for the turkey federation now.

Chuck

[Lu47Dan]

Since I joined here I have been reading about the 420c series in the posts here . and see there is two distinct types of this crawler . If I read these posts right the late has an oil dipstick on the right side of the engine . What or where is the dipstick on the earlier models , or does it use petcocks like my Farmall Super-H does ? The book I have is the "John Deere Tractor Data Book" does not list a five speed transmission for the 420c but it does list the five speed for the 430c . I recall seeing a oil dipstick on the right side of the engine , and it has a shift tower cover . I think it is a later model than I originally posted . I will check on the serial number when I get it home .Dan Dan

[shinnery]

I hope after selling that machine to you he will be able to afford new "blue doors" for his shed, I won't call it a shop. LOL
What is all that white stuff anyway?
Bryce

[CELSESSER]

Dan,
The earlier blocks had the dipstick on the left side of the block, below and to the right of the carb. The oil fill was through the valve cover breather cap. this was through serial # 139999 which would have been mid 1957.
After that the dipstick was part of the oil fill cap on the right side below and to the right of the distributor. I believe these also had a petcock where the older dipstick was.

Chuck

[Lu47Dan]

Byrce , White stuff what white stuff ? Oh , you mean the snow We get that here in the winter time . I love it , gives me something to do would rather have it then rain . The building in the background is not his shop it is his storage building , his shop has garage doors on it .
Chuck , Thanks for the information , I was reading and wondering . Looks like I might get it home next weekend , so we will find out by them . Dan

[Ray III]

I see an oil cap on the hood, so you have the earlier version of that at least.

Looks even better after seeing more pics on the other site.

[Lu47Dan]

Chuck , I was wondering about your statement above about the tracks being on backwards . Now this is what I am wondering about , How can I tell if the chains are on backwards also ?
Since I am going to rebuild both final drives I would like to swap the tracks around if I can . I am going to order the manuals on this crawler as soon as I get the serial number off of it . Dan