NTM JD 350B

[KenP]

That horizontal cylinder you pumped grease into is, in fact, the track tensioner. That's how you adjust the slack in the track assembly. If you look at how its mounted, it simply pushes the front idler forward, thereby making the track run longer.
Don't tighten it too much. There is supposed to be 7/8 to 1 1/8 inch sag in the track on the top, between the top roller and the rear sprocket. If you take out all of the slack, the track wear will greatly increase. Not good. If you're too tight, simply loosen the cap bolt beside the cylinder grease fitting and some grease will come out, loosening the track.
Adjusting the steering clutches and brakes is not hard, but its not intuitive. Find a manual and follow the procedure. The two adjustments are linked to each other and if you don't follow the procedure, you can end up with power going through the clutch pack while the brake is on.
The cover plates for the adjustments are under the seat, right on top of the finals. Oh, and be real careful not to drop your wrench down into the housing with the cover off... (don't ask!)
The special fitting grease gun is low pressure compared to a regular gun.... its also for greasing the track rollers. If you apply too much pressure on these, you'll blow the seals out...so they have that special gun and tip.
Hope this helps.
Glad you're enjoying your 350... mine has already paid for itself in the few months I've had it.
KenP

[ecostruction]

I checked with my local JD construction equipment dealer (Plasterer in Etters/Lewisberry, PA. Asked about corn head grease and the low pressure grease gun. Several people said that the track tensioner never had oil in them on the 350B and that they use regular JD lithium grease. And they also don't use a low pressure grease gun. And they were talking about 350's too. They seemed to understand me.

Next question is that the previous owner was using some sort of standard grease that is pink/purple. The grease JD gave me is kind of milky gray/tan. Is there a problem pumping the new in on top of the old? I was thinking about backing out the screw and letting a good bit of grease come out, then pumping new back in. Sound logical?

Also, what dangers should I be aware of with power washing/pressure steaming the thing clean? I think the steamers have lower pressure don't they? This thing is really dirty/oily/greasy and I can't distinguish things. Would be easier to see what I have if I could power wash this thing.

Also, I don't have teeth on my bucket. New is going to cost me about 345 bucks. Any other sources? Appreciate all the help.

[KenP]

The track tensioner should have grease in it, not oil. The grease is not used for lubrication in this case, its only used to extend the track tensioner so I wouldn't worry about grease compatibility as I might with rotating machinery. Besides, after several decades of use, who knows how many different greases have been put in there?
I don't think pushing that old grease out and replacing it with new will buy you anything. If you haven't done it, I'd spend the time checking/replacing the oil in the reverser, transmission and finals.
You can certainly use a regular grease gun on that cylinder, just be careful to leave the right amount of slack in the track. Somewhere over the decades, somebody replaced the button head fitting on one of my cylinders with a regular grease fitting... so I use the low pressure gun on one side and a regular gun on the other.
The low pressure gun is primarily for the track rollers so you can feel the pressure before the seals blow out.
Pressure washers work great, just be aware that you'll probably blow water into places it wouldn't and shouldn't be, so I wouldn't use one directly on the steering boxes, starter, etc. This time of year, I'd also worry about residual water freezing and expanding.
KenP

[ecostruction]

Thanks Ken P. I really appreciate the help.

That's why I was thinking of a lower pressure steam/hot water unit.

I'm thinking about known parts I need at this point. I have no idea where to look. But, here is what I need, want:

Throttle knob
Reverser knob
Tachometer
Starter Button
Air Filter element/housing
muffler

That's all that I can think of until I get more use out of it and see what else I may need.

Thanks,

J.

[KenP]

J.-
Well, I'd start at the source and check the John Deere on-line parts listing for the 350B. Write down the part numbers for your machine and then get the new, Deere prices. You'll need these because if you go hunting used parts, you'll find many folks want more for a used part than Deere wants for a new one. You'll want to know where you stand before you dive in. I haven't looked , but I'll bet most of what you want is still available from Deere.
The good news is that there were lots of 350s made and I suspect some of the parts you need are interchangeable across the models. But, again, check the part numbers to be sure.
Check with Lavoy, the owner of this site. He sells parts too or can point you to where you might find them.
Once you're armed with the part numbers and list prices, you can research the used parts market on line. There are many used heavy equipment yards that salvage these machines. My experience is that they're not always great at answering emails, so call them.
Ebay can be a good source but be wary of the prices as I described in the first paragraph. There are good deals to be had, but there are lots of bad ones too.
I'm pretty new at this myself, but that has been my experience. Parts aren't hard to find generally, but make sure you don't' get "stung".
Good luck, KenP