mhales
Member
I have an International Harvester 340 Utility that I "inherited" when we bought our property from in-laws. There are a couple of nagging issues.
First, it was converted to 12V and I have starter problems. I had the starter motor rebuilt with some armature work, new brushes and new starter gear (bendix?) etc. this is an original six volt starter, as I can't find a twelve volt unit that would bolt up. Aside from that, most of the wiring is hacked pretty bad and none of the gauges work.
It cranked OK for a few starts, but failed to engage the starter drive to the flywheel several times. Now, it won't engage at all, just spins. I barred the motor around a bit thinking it might be a bad spot on the flywheel but no help, it still just spins.
Second, I tried to engage the TA and it wouldn't engage. Pulling the lever, it will not go all the way into the stop pawl. It "feels" like it just hits a stopping point before it should. Holding the clutch pedal all the way down, I just grinds if I try to pull the lever while running in neutral. The clutch was WAY out of adjustment. I went through the procedure in the I&T manual and now the clutch and clutch brake works, which helps with shifting the transmission without grinding, but still can't shift the TA into low range. I suspect that the TA friction plate is rusted to the disk, requiring a split if I want it to work (and if I can find the parts).
There's also an issue with the Zenith carburetor and the gas tank was/is pretty rusty and had some water in it. I rebuilt the carb as best I could with a "minor" rebuild kit from Steiner Tractor, but the bowl vent jet isn't included even in the "full" kit and there's no serial number on the carb, either on a tag or cast into the body. Probably going to go with a Universal Zenith replacement I found that appears to be the right one. While I'm at it, I will pull the tank and clean it up and put some sealer in it.
I have the I&T Shop Manual and downloaded an Operator's Manual, but There doesn't seem to be a lot of info on this tractor that I can find. I'd like to understand how the TA actually works a little better before I spend more money on a yard ornament.
First, it was converted to 12V and I have starter problems. I had the starter motor rebuilt with some armature work, new brushes and new starter gear (bendix?) etc. this is an original six volt starter, as I can't find a twelve volt unit that would bolt up. Aside from that, most of the wiring is hacked pretty bad and none of the gauges work.
It cranked OK for a few starts, but failed to engage the starter drive to the flywheel several times. Now, it won't engage at all, just spins. I barred the motor around a bit thinking it might be a bad spot on the flywheel but no help, it still just spins.
Second, I tried to engage the TA and it wouldn't engage. Pulling the lever, it will not go all the way into the stop pawl. It "feels" like it just hits a stopping point before it should. Holding the clutch pedal all the way down, I just grinds if I try to pull the lever while running in neutral. The clutch was WAY out of adjustment. I went through the procedure in the I&T manual and now the clutch and clutch brake works, which helps with shifting the transmission without grinding, but still can't shift the TA into low range. I suspect that the TA friction plate is rusted to the disk, requiring a split if I want it to work (and if I can find the parts).
There's also an issue with the Zenith carburetor and the gas tank was/is pretty rusty and had some water in it. I rebuilt the carb as best I could with a "minor" rebuild kit from Steiner Tractor, but the bowl vent jet isn't included even in the "full" kit and there's no serial number on the carb, either on a tag or cast into the body. Probably going to go with a Universal Zenith replacement I found that appears to be the right one. While I'm at it, I will pull the tank and clean it up and put some sealer in it.
I have the I&T Shop Manual and downloaded an Operator's Manual, but There doesn't seem to be a lot of info on this tractor that I can find. I'd like to understand how the TA actually works a little better before I spend more money on a yard ornament.
