The good old R again...

Well, after last week's odd episode with the JD R and the even stranger way it turned around and had no problem, I finally got a chance to give it a good test run. I took her back to the field designated for corn (plowed last fall) and hit it with my 13' disk. This morning's disking was a pleasure. The R just pulled and pulled without a hitch. Oil pressure stayed high and temperature low just as it should. I couldn't see much in the way of blue smoke but it was there. I've had an issue with the R burning oil for a while now. Also have a couple pinholes in the head or block (can't remember right offhand) allowing water to drip. But otherwise it went just fine. Only problem I had was late in the afternoon as I was just about to finish up. The oil pressure did its dropping routine as my oil got low. So, that brings me to my question today. I can't keep feeding this thing oil day in and day out. Are piston rings still available for the R? If so, where? Well, just thought I'd toss out an update and see about the rings. Thanks for the help. God bless.

--old fashioned farmer

I appreciate the help. I sure wish that the pressure drop was something to the effect of your comment. Bad thing is, the oil pressure drops because there's just about no oil in it. I made sure to check and see. Sure enough, just a pinch on the dipstick if that much. I'm curious though, what kind of disaster can new piston rings cause? Just wondering because with my machinery luck I'm sure it would do something to that tractor. I recall last fall it took me a month to pick 3 acres of corn because of problem after problem with the tractor and the picker. One problem would get solved and a new one would surface. Lots of fun since I love to work on 'em but not much fun when I need them to work for me. I've either got to fix the R now or keep pumpin the oil through it since hay season is just around the corner and I need that deere in front of the baler. Just a funny aside, I just finished restoring a JD M for a friend and come to find out I didn't think to install the new engine oil seal when I had the tractor split back during the winter. Yep, funny funny funny. I sure didn't think so when I saw that puddle of oil under the tractor. So guess who gets to tear down the "restored" tractor and split it after just finishing the restoration. I'm not too happy about that at all. But he's payin me for a restored tractor and it would be completely wrong to do otherwise. Well, I'm rambling too much. Thanks again for the suggestion. God bless.

--old fashioned farmer