Saved Another One From The Scrap Heap

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,314]

So this morning I was at work minding my own business, when a couple of the hands who work for the county came in to order some grader tires. Got to talking with them, and as it usually goes with me the conversation soon turned to antique tractors. Turns out that someone gave this old Oliver to the fire department to be crushed with a bunch of other junk vehicles. One of the guys was telling me about it and said they set it aside to see if I wanted it before they crushed it. The poor old thing is in pretty rough shape, engine is stuck and I'm sure it's bad inside, as it has been sitting outside for years with an open exhaust and missing 4 spark plugs. Missing several other parts as well, but I didn't have the heart to let it get crushed and be sent off to China to be made into junk. I was prepared to buy it for scrap price or a little over from the fire department, but was told I could have it as long as I brought something in exchange for it. As it turns out I happen to have a junk 2000 Silverado that's not worth fixing anymore, I just haven't taken the time to load it up and make the 65 mile trip to the scrapyard with it yet. So one day next week I'm gonna load it up on the trailer and haul it to the county barn to trade it for the tractor. 

 

Not sure what I'm ever gonna do with the old tractor, it's probably too far gone for my finances to be able to bring it back to life, but maybe I can find someone who can do something with it, or maybe parts of it can be used to save another one, no matter what happens at least it won't be crushed and melted down, and that makes me happy. 

[c-series don 8,720]

It’s just another one of those things that you think “man someone would love to have this for parts” and then you think yeah where is this guy and is this really going to happen? Believe me I’m all about saving old American iron. About 20 years ago the local junk yard was bought out to make room for condos. Most of the cars were from the 50s and 60s some 70s and I couldn’t help but thinking that people would die to get their hands on these cars. Ultimately they went to the scrap yard 😢

[oliver2-44 9,759]

@ClassicTractorProfessor  My Oliver thanks you for saving one of its kin folk (and my namesake) 

[Pullstart 62,905]

Sweet ride Bryce!  As much as it hurts to hear the ‘00 Silverado will be sent to the crusher… I know this tractor will be around until after the Silverado is reincarnated as a microwave and scrapped again!

[953 nut 55,298]

           Being a full frame tractor you could drop a small block Chevy in there and go pulling.            

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,314]

22 hours ago, Pullstart said:

Sweet ride Bryce!  As much as it hurts to hear the ‘00 Silverado will be sent to the crusher… I know this tractor will be around until after the Silverado is reincarnated as a microwave and scrapped again!

That's kind of how I look at it, there are thousands of those 2000 Silverado V6's out there, and this one is just smooth wore out. It's only got 168k on it, but after being owned by the county and then one of the local drug runners before we got it, it hasn't had a very easy life. The poor old truck looks like it should have 400k miles on it. It just got to the point where she wouldn't hardly start in the mornings, and then once she did start she ran on about 3 or 4 of her 6 cylinders and couldn't even get out of her own way going down the highway. Starter finally burnt up (probably from cranking on it all the time of a morning) and I just decided enough is enough. 

 

Now the Oliver on the other hand I couldn't see going to scrap. I haven't been able to find any production numbers yet, but I'm almost sure there weren't a lot of them built to begin with. You see a few row crop versions here and there at shows, but this is the first standard tread model I have came across. 

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,314]

13 hours ago, 953 nut said:

           Being a full frame tractor you could drop a small block Chevy in there and go pulling.            

That thought has crossed my mind once or twice already. But even though my daily driver work truck might be a Chevy, we're blue oval people here, I do have a 351 that needs a home though 

[Achto 27,601]

9 hours ago, ClassicTractorProfessor said:

I haven't been able to find any production numbers yet, but I'm almost sure there weren't a lot of them built to begin with. You see a few row crop versions here and there at shows, but this is the first standard tread model I have came across. 

 

Hard to tell from just pictures but it looks like an 88 standard. They were built from '47 - '54. 

 

 They also made a  77 standard, the  production was a little shorter those '49 - 52 

 

We see a lot of Oliver's in our area. Row Crop 77's and 88's are very popular at the antique pulling tracks. With a lot of them having that 6cyl Waukesha modified and ripping down the track at 28 to 35 MPH.

[ohiofarmer 3,276]

http://www.tractordata.com/farm-tractors/000/6/7/674-oliver-88.html this site tells you where to find the serial number. Those Wakeshaw engines are tough. I have a Super 88 Diesel bought new by Dad in '52

  Stuck might not be really be stuck badly. You can get a bore scope that has its own screen for fifty bucks. I just bought one for fifty bucks, but you can buy just the camera for attachment to a phone for less than that.. if the cylinders look horrible, high strength vinegar may do it after soaking for a week. Others use a combination of brake fluid and thin oil.. It also looks to me like there is a crank start on the front of the tractor. Always use the crank pulley on the front to do things by hand. Once it moves, crank it at intervals with no plugs in the pistons.

  i saw a father and son team get an old International KB1 straight six going with the kid prying o the flywheel teeth and the dad on the crankshaft bolt. they did it for hours before they were satisfied that the starter would turn it. Puddin's fab shop used vinegar for impossible datsun old engines as a last resort. Mortske Repair uses more conventional methods. . Vice grip Garage works on GM engines that are usually not stuck badly.

  Stuck engines are not always the rings. They can also be valves.. A patient person can turn an engine by hand forward AND back.

good Luck

Edited December 11, 2021 by ohiofarmer

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,314]

On 12/11/2021 at 10:31 AM, ohiofarmer said:

http://www.tractordata.com/farm-tractors/000/6/7/674-oliver-88.html this site tells you where to find the serial number. Those Wakeshaw engines are tough. I have a Super 88 Diesel bought new by Dad in '52

  Stuck might not be really be stuck badly. You can get a bore scope that has its own screen for fifty bucks. I just bought one for fifty bucks, but you can buy just the camera for attachment to a phone for less than that.. if the cylinders look horrible, high strength vinegar may do it after soaking for a week. Others use a combination of brake fluid and thin oil.. It also looks to me like there is a crank start on the front of the tractor. Always use the crank pulley on the front to do things by hand. Once it moves, crank it at intervals with no plugs in the pistons.

  i saw a father and son team get an old International KB1 straight six going with the kid prying o the flywheel teeth and the dad on the crankshaft bolt. they did it for hours before they were satisfied that the starter would turn it. Puddin's fab shop used vinegar for impossible datsun old engines as a last resort. Mortske Repair uses more conventional methods. . Vice grip Garage works on GM engines that are usually not stuck badly.

  Stuck engines are not always the rings. They can also be valves.. A patient person can turn an engine by hand forward AND back.

good Luck

I do have a bore scope, but it was in my toolbox at work, didn't think to take it with me when I went to look at the tractor. I was able to free up my Case DC3 after about a week of soaking with Marvel Mystery Oil, but it was sitting inside under cover for several years. It may not be as bad as I am thinking, but I do fear the worst with it sitting open out in the elements all these years. Gonna try and bring her home one evening this week so I will hopefully be able to assess the condition and know more about it this coming weekend. 

 

[wh500special 2,184]

It looks like it had been set up to run propane. I hope you get lucky and find it was just abandoned and is in good shape inside. 
 

You can always pick an Oliver straight 6 out of a lineup of old tractors…they’re the ones NOT making a racket.  So smooth. 
 

I love Olivers. 
 

steve

[6wheeler 603]

On 12/9/2021 at 8:23 PM, ClassicTractorProfessor said:

So this morning I was at work minding my own business, when a couple of the hands who work for the county came in to order some grader tires. Got to talking with them, and as it usually goes with me the conversation soon turned to antique tractors. Turns out that someone gave this old Oliver to the fire department to be crushed with a bunch of other junk vehicles. One of the guys was telling me about it and said they set it aside to see if I wanted it before they crushed it. The poor old thing is in pretty rough shape, engine is stuck and I'm sure it's bad inside, as it has been sitting outside for years with an open exhaust and missing 4 spark plugs. Missing several other parts as well, but I didn't have the heart to let it get crushed and be sent off to China to be made into junk. I was prepared to buy it for scrap price or a little over from the fire department, but was told I could have it as long as I brought something in exchange for it. As it turns out I happen to have a junk 2000 Silverado that's not worth fixing anymore, I just haven't taken the time to load it up and make the 65 mile trip to the scrapyard with it yet. So one day next week I'm gonna load it up on the trailer and haul it to the county barn to trade it for the tractor. 

 

Not sure what I'm ever gonna do with the old tractor, it's probably too far gone for my finances to be able to bring it back to life, but maybe I can find someone who can do something with it, or maybe parts of it can be used to save another one, no matter what happens at least it won't be crushed and melted down, and that makes me happy. 

Very nice save. If you need? There are a few Oliver parts guys up here. Just go on Craigslist Minneapolis and you will find them. It looks like an Oliver 88 standard. But I am not sure. We have a Super 88 row crop that I really like. Maybe? you get in touch with the PO and see if they have the pulley and some of the other missing parts. I use a combo of WD-40, ATF and marvel mystery oil. works pretty good. Either way? If you can free it up? It will be a good tractor. Good Luck and have fun

Edited December 17, 2021 by 6wheeler

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,314]

Don't worry I haven't forgotten or abandoned this save, just haven't had the time to get around to making it happen. Tomorrow is the day though, hooked up to the trailer and got the Chevy loaded, Tasha thinks we are finally getting rid of junk and cleaning up around here, so I may be in the doghouse when I leave here with a junk truck in the morning and come home with a rusty old broken tractor, oh well she's used to it by now 

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,314]

Made it home with the Oliver a little while ago, when Tasha came out of the house to meet me...had this funny knot appear on my head and the doc says the swelling in my eyes should go away in a day or too 

 

All kidding aside she wasn't upset one bit, she actually fell in love with the poor old thing and seems to think we need to save it, so I guess that might be what we're gonna do. I still need to get the borescope out and have a look inside, but from what I could see looking in the plug holes and down in the pan through the oil fill she's pretty rusty inside, gonna take a lot of hours and dollars to make this one run again. 

 

I should also report on how nice it is to have a big block standard shift dually again, came across the scales about 500 lbs heavier than I did with the F350 hauling the A home, but I could definitely tell a difference, the old 454 didn't even break a sweat hauling today.

[6wheeler 603]

I think you have a repairable there. It looks too good to scrap it. I picked up an old Minneapolis Moline U that I was just gonna think about fixing. It was stuck. I didn't give up. She is up and running now. It was worth the time..... FIX IT.    Good Luck

[oliver2-44 9,759]

Drain the engine pan of water and fill the cylinders and block with diesel and seal them up with plugs. Quickly pull the Tracy plug to check/ drain any water and if possible fill it with diesel on top the old oil (the thin diesel might leak out the old axle seals. Seal the shifter and let it soak several months, maybe all hot summer long. 
 

Its a good thing your not closer, I’d be in trouble taking it off your hands

Edited January 17, 2022 by oliver2-44