# 1951 John Deere B Restoration



## Lawsonj (Mar 14, 2009)

I want to restore my Dad's 51 B JD. The motor is locked up and I don't know where to start on the tear down. Any advice?


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## Pipertec (Jan 12, 2012)

Sounds like you have a project similar to mine, Lawson. I started by taking pictures of everything. You will find them most helpful when you start to go back. I also acquired some old plastic half-gallon bottles to put parts, bolts, etc, in. If you keep parts segregated as you go, and label the bottles, you will not have to dig through a bunch of stuff to find the right pieces when you go back together. You will be dealing with a lot of rust also. I used a product, by Purple Power, called "De-Ruster that really did a good job on the rusted parts. Start by taking off all the outside sheet metal, and keep the associated fastening hardware with each piece. There is plenty of info on the internet as to how to restore your tractor. Also there is a lot of brain trust to consult here and elsewhere on the internet. Having a good dry large place to dismantle the tractor is priceless. I am doing mine in my shop at home and started during the winter, so the heated facility was a God send. Just take it apart a piece at a time and take plenty of pictures as you disassemble it. You can keep them in a folder on your computer if you have a digital cam or cell phone. Pictures will save you a lot of frustration, I can't emphasize this enough! And did I mention patience. Don't rush it...just take your time, if it takes 6 months or two years, it will be worth it. We are here to help in any problem that you have. You will usually have a response here within 24 to 48 hours. If you need it quicker than that, email me at [email protected]. I will help you out in any way I can. My project is a 1980 JD 1050 that my late Dad owned. It is a labor of love and I think about him every day I work on it. Most of all, don't get stressed, have fun and enjoy the project. You will learn a lot about the tractor as you do this, and that will be of help when you get finished and start to show it off. If you want to talk to me about how to proceed, just email me and I will give you my cell number. I know that you will do a good job! Take a look at my JD1050 thread and it will give you some idea of what you are undertaking........Good Luck and Have Fun!!


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## deetz (Aug 25, 2012)

Lawsonj said:


> I want to restore my Dad's 51 B JD. The motor is locked up and I don't know where to start on the tear down. Any advice?


well you can do like i did, i pulled the pplugs, and poured diesel fluid in the cylinders and let it soak for a few weeks while i disassembled the rest of the tractor, i managed to get about an inch of play in the cylinders and then pulled the head, cleaned the cylinders out, and proceded to remove the block and pistons all as one unit, pull the top cover off, and unbolt the rods


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## Nikkijoey101 (Oct 11, 2012)

I have a 1951 John Deere Tractor. I was wondering if anyone could tell me where the electtrical junction box is?


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## ben70b (Aug 29, 2012)

I picked up a 49 b on eBay last winter, it was locked up as well, I pulled the plugs and filled the cylinders with tranny fluid, a couple weeks later I was drinking beer in my shop and grabbed the flywheel and gave it a tug out of frustration and it turned, I worked it back and forth for a while and got it freed up, depends on how long yours has been sittin stuck, it may work for you too. Some guys use p.b. blaster instead of ATF, I've heard of putting a can of coke in each cylinder 2, different guys claim different products but in my case the ATF worked for me!


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## pat2121 (Dec 3, 2012)

I have a 1950 b john deere that is stuck. I have the block out but the flywheel is still stuck any way to get unstuck with out taking apart


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## Scarbelly (Jul 9, 2013)

*1951 John Deere B*

I am in the process of restoring one now. Mine was stuck as well. I suggest you at least remove the head to look at the cylinder and pistons. I would be happy to share my experiences. Go to http//my1951johndeereb.com and leave a comment. We can get together via E-mail if you like.


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## Markfelde (Nov 3, 2013)

Wondering what good exhaust temp on a 1948 B john deere mine is running at 375 at idle and 700 wide open in road gear is this good range


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## dieseldale1 (Jan 25, 2015)

Gentlemen, I have started a "B" project. Look up dieseldale1. And I need help. My tractor is a latestyled but I cannot in anyway read the serial number, The carburetor was broken and welded(I need to know the right replacement), and my magneto is junk and do any of you have a b with a distributor? The only advantage I have had is my engine was free. However, I have a rust problem. Deep pitting. I am replacing it all(and that is spendy but less than redoing each piece).


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