Here are some photos of my 1938 John Deere model AR S/N 256969 during a run last weekend.
This tractor was part of a collection of 7 tractors donated to our museum, 3 of these tractors were John Deere model AR’s- 2 1938 models and a 1946 model S/N 266747.
We got the 1946 AR running without too many problems but both the 1938 models had issues, S/N 256969 had the head off it, no pistons in it after it had broken an oil pump drive while the other tractor had a wrecked transmission and a bolt through the flywheel to keep it tight but other wise the engine in the second tractor seemed good.
Looking at the 2 tractors we knew we could make one good one up out of two, as tractor 256969 had a good transmission we decided to go with that one, after cleaning the crankshaft up we found the journals cleaned up well within limits and after the second tractor was pulled down we found the crank in that one had been ground at some stage and bearings poured oversize to suit so we turned them down to suit the crank in 256969.
Finding a magneto for 256969 was not easy, we had plenty of Wico units but the drive in this tractor was shorter and would not couple up, this would have been back in the late 1980’s and no internet to help find information but I was a subscriber to Gas Engine Magazine and after reading classified advertisements, wrote to a gentleman in Minnesota at Johnston Farm Equipment who specialized in old John Deere’s. I got a detailed letter back telling me I needed an Edison Splitdorf CD magneto which he had in stock, It was duely purchased and installed with an impressive spark…can kick like a mule, ask my sisters former boyfriend who instead of closing the compression cock when it started, grabbed the plug terminal by mistake- townies!
Both sets of fenders were beaten up so sections brazed in to form reasonably good units, the tractor was then started without any problems and runs good oil pressure and drives well.
Will it get painted up one day- maybe. I certainly plan to get new gauges from you down the track as well as add a new fuel strainer assembly under the tank and clean the carburetor out as last weeks run was frustrating due to water in the fuel thanks to the local service station that appears to suffer contamination. There is something about his rusty old tractor you can still fire up and take out to show people, it has had a hard life but you can still see the old silk screened decals peering back through the rust on the bonnet, contaminated fuel or not the old girl ran well enough to take a workmates 2 year old John Deere crazy son for a run on and with the short stroke engine, always seems to run just that much nicer than the later post 1941AR models.
Hope you like the photos
Best regards
Glenn Shaw
The Vintage Tractor Shed Museum
Tasmania, Australia
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