440IC back together at last

[The Fireman]

Back in august my uncle found this 440 at a yard sale close to home, he also mentioned that the lady that had it had no idea what it was and wanted it gone Now as we all know those are 2 things that a person that has been bit by the tractor bug should never be told. I went over and looked it over and made her an offer of 1000 dollars on it.



After I paid her for it I brought a battery over and low and behold the engine turn over, now we're talkin. However it wasnt all good news, when I crawled under it and pulled the base plug I got a little anti freeze so I figured on a little work on the engine. After draining the antifreeze from the oil I re-built the carb and she fired right up and drove onto the trailer to bring it home. Unfortunatly one clutch was stuck so add another job to the list (good thing I enjoy this )



The night we went over to pick it up my mother called my grandfather to tell him what we were up to. You see grandpa and I spent alot of time together over the past several years draging home stuff like this. Just a couple of months earier he was diagnosed with colon cancer so he wasnt in any shape to be helping out on this project, but he still wanted to be there to see it when I got it home.

I started on the engine first, I normally dont like to have more than one project going on at once but for some reason it felt real important that I get this one in and get the engine job done. I got it running the day of my fathers retierment party, that day was the last time I saw grandpa before he passed away on september 5. When I started the engine for him I dont know who was prouder me or him, he tought me everything I know and he's the reason I choose to be a mechanic. Sadly he never got to work her due to the stuck steering clutch but I know he was happy to here it run after I did the rebuild.

This was the last pic of the 2 of us and a tractor at this point everyone expected him to pull through, I'm glad I had the time that I did and that I didnt waste it. I spent every weekend home from colege working with him on one tractor or another, the only thing that mattered to us was that we were having a good time. I'll remember those days for the rest of my life


After grandpa passed away it was tough to go out to the shop let alone work on the crawler. We spent so much time together out there that I was (and still am) always finding somthing that reminds me of a job we did together.

In mid december I finally was back to normal enough to spend a lot of time on the crawler and got the final drive and steering clutch re built and reinstalled. Working on tracks again brought back alot of good memories I have from my days at a JD dealership, I always did enjoy a good UC job.


Someday I may paint it all up and I am going to need to do the other clutch. For the moment I have a few jobs on the proporty where I plan to build my house that this little guy along with my 310D will still earn there keep. Now I just have to wait for spring

[Tigerhaze]

Great story to share with us- you'll never regret that time spent with your grandpa.

Looks like a nice crawler project as well!

[Ray]

That is a great crawler.

That time spent with your Grandpa will be some of the best times of your of your life.

As a "Grandpa" myself, I know that time was the best gift you could ever have given him.

Good luck on your new house. .. Ray

[The Fireman]

I'm looking forward to being able to post some pics of it in the dirt this summer. I've got 21 acers of ground that I plan to build on in the fall or next spring, back in october of 06 I barrowed a 650H from the company I used to work for and roughed the road in. The 440 and my 310D will finish grading that and prep the site for my house and shop.

Once all the major work is done I'll probly bring the 440 in and go through it and repaint it. The tracks are decent but like everything this age they could be made better with a little money and alot of time. Down the road I may look into making a set of pins and bushings then spend alot of time with the press to re-build the chains. I've got an old turret lathe so making the parts wouldnt be to bad its just a matter of getting them hardened after. Guess I'll wait and see what things look like in a few years.

[The Fireman]

Just saw rays post, I can remember grandpa was always ready to come over and work on something. When I was working to the 1st tractor we did together he came over on a friday night to start re-building the engine. It was about -10*f outside and even with the wood fire it didnt get above +10 in the shop that night. We both had a great time and when that tractor fired up for the first time I'm not sure who was happier, I'll never forget the smile on his face that day.

When I was in college I bought 3 F-12 farmalls just before my second year. When we started putting them back together I spent the money I had saved for text books on an engine kit for it. My mom was ready to ring my neck, grandpa just laughed and told her it'd be alright. Then he offered to buy my books for me, I didnt take him up on it and I went the whole second year without text books but the tractor sure sounded good When I graduated first in the ag departmen my mother was finally able to laugh about it with us, but for a while there she wasnt at all happy

I sure miss him but remembering the all the good times makes it a little easier.