Dead John Deere 855

[Welder Dave]

The engine is probably the least expensive component to repair even if it needed a complete rebuild. My former neighbor had some 855's for demo work. I know one of them sat at the JD dealer for so long they had to tell the neighbor to take it away. They were stripping parts off it to fix the other machine(s). 855's were good powerful machines when they worked but if anything went wrong with the hydrostat they were astronomically expensive to fix. If the fuel system is missing parts, who knows what all is wrong with it. I'd guess it has a bunch of hours on it for it to be needing engine/fuel system work.

 

[Diesel Dave]

So it looks like best way would to unhook the #1 hoses and put a T in with the third end hooked to the porta-power.

Those hoses should be easily accessible in the back cover of the machine you talked about earlier?

I forgot it was a loader, there will be some counterweight(s) to remove to gain access to the rear square cover and the brake release hoses.

 

[Welder Dave]

And they won't be light!

 

[361brock]

The tracks on the 855 fit the 977 if anyone is interested. I doubt a small 4 wheel drive tractor will be able to pull a 50,000lb track loader onto a lowbed.

Nick

 

[Welder Dave]

I think he mentioned a large 4 wheel drive tractor. That should move it unless it's sunk in the ground pretty good.

 

[CJSuhr]

It has been awhile but I wanted to give an update if anyone was interested in how this deal turned out.

Drove out 7 hours with my pickup loaded with all the tools and things I think I would need. Had this lady’s son spray all the injectors down for a week before I dove out. Pulled all 6 injectors and installed a used set I had from a 4650 tractor. Ripped the injection pump off and installed a used one I got from my buddy who runs an injection shop. Topped it off with used hydraulic and hydrostatic oil I had drained out of a tractor just a week prior, primed the fuel system and started cranking with some fresh batteries. All I got was white smoke, gave some ether and just knocked. After an hour I got it to hit on 3 cylinders, and heated up the block with a tiger torch for a few hours, still just got a few hits and kicking with the ether.

I pulled the injectors and started dumping as much of the used Hy-Tran I had Down the cylinders and let it sit overnight. Come out the next morning and started heating the block with the torch again, and reinstalled the injectors and lines. Started cranking and after about an hour it started showing signs of life. Finally ran by itself with a little help with ether until it caught on all the cylinders.

Pulled it forward an and topped off with fuel and messed around with it for about an hour. Seemed low on power, which is why I was told it was parked. Called for a low boy to head my way and we loaded it up and took it home.

Pulled it into the shop and pulled the head and was planning to in frame the engine, but I saw the cam gear for the oil pump drive from above and knew the engine had to come out since the teeth were razor sharp and starting to chip off.

Did a complete out of frame overhaul, used camshaft and oil pump shaft, new bearings pistons liners and rings. Head and rods were rebuilt, and crank was straightened and polished(bent 6 thou). Rebuilt pump and new injectors. But that was only the start.

Had to have the splines for the splitter drive Input shaft rebuilt, and grooves for the sealing surfaces fixed. Flywheel cleaned up and machined, and re riveted the clutch disc, for some reason the rivets were popping out. Fixed a leak in the hydraulic oil cooler, installed new upper rad hose and had to fabricate my own lower rad hose. Got various pedals and controls that were sticky or frozen in stuck and working good. Drained and refilled with fresh hydraulic and hydrostatic oil. The hydrostatic system was nasty and full of milky watery oil, got as must put as I can and I filled with viscosity ultraction, it’s what we use in all our equipment and it is capable of absorbing 2% of water by volume if I remember. The oil after running for awhile seems to be staying clean.

Also drained the final drive and planetary oil and replaced with fresh 80w90. Old oil was very clean so I was happy. I pulled the left main lift cylinder rod and end bell out of the body and had it resealed and fixed at the local hydraulic shop. It left a trail when I backed it into the shop, and then reinstalled into the barrel still on the machine. Thought it was much easier to do that than remove the cylinder as a complete assembly.

I tested it out just playing around with a dirt pile we have by the hole out back and seems to work really good. Right brake easing working nearly at all when we loaded it but now functions just as good as the left, and both tracks seem to have good power and machine tracts good and straight.

Finding some of the parts for this has been a nightmare, but that’s to be expected. None of the aftermarket companies had pistons available for the early 619 when I was ordering parts so I ended up finding NOS Deere pistons out of a warehouse, pairing those with my old pins and new rings and liners from reliance was the trick I guess. Deere wanted close to 475 for each of the liner packs, and I only have a fraction of that into these now.

I need to address a leak on the hydraulic valve stack for the loader, seems to leak, but not sure how much yet since I haven’t used it much.

I have one lower track roller that is shot, having a hard time finding one close to where I am at, everyone wants to charge 200 plus freight to get it to me. They are the same as a D7E or 977K cat machine, if anyone knows where to get one new or used close to Northeast Nebraska. Part number 1P9102 or 1P9100.

 

[Welder Dave]

So the big question is how much $$$$ do you have invested in it so far? Can't say if it was worth it without knowing how much was spent on it.

 

[CJSuhr]

So the big question is how much $$$$ do you have invested in it so far? Can't say if it was worth it without knowing how much was spent on it.

I added up all my parts and materials, lowboy trucking, and original purchase price. I’m right at $15,000 not including my time. At least around here, a comparable sized machine would be at least $25,000 in decent shape.

At least this way I know I’m not afraid of the engine. I don’t believe I will have any drivetrain issues in the few amount of hours I will run this, but my thought process was I can scrap the machine, and pull the engine before I scrap it and sell it to someone with an 8630, 40, or 50 4wd tractor and at least make some money back on the engine.

Or if I decide to sell when I’m finished with it I could easily get 15 out of it with all the paperwork I have proving what I fixed, and having a decent running machine. Just my thought.

 

[Welder Dave]

It's good you could do the work yourself but only being out $15K is the exception rather than the norm for a large track machine. 90%+ of the time you'd be double of triple that amount. I forget if the undercarriage had much life left in it.

 

[CJSuhr]

It's good you could do the work yourself but only being out $15K is the exception rather than the norm for a large track machine. 90%+ of the time you'd be double of triple that amount. I forget if the undercarriage had much life left in it.

I’ll post some pictures when I get back to the shop on Monday.

 

[traxcavator]

I added up all my parts and materials, lowboy trucking, and original purchase price. I’m right at $15,000 not including my time. At least around here, a comparable sized machine would be at least $25,000 in decent shape.

At least this way I know I’m not afraid of the engine. I don’t believe I will have any drivetrain issues in the few amount of hours I will run this, but my thought process was I can scrap the machine, and pull the engine before I scrap it and sell it to someone with an 8630, 40, or 50 4wd tractor and at least make some money back on the engine.

Or if I decide to sell when I’m finished with it I could easily get 15 out of it with all the paperwork I have proving what I fixed, and having a decent running machine. Just my thought.

Glad you put the effort and money in it to save it from being scrapped.

I have only spent a few hours operating an 855 but I have spent a lot of time on a 655B and 755B. All of these machines were very powerful and I enjoyed operating them. Probably not quite as durable or reliable as a Cat hydrostatic loader but I think they were good machines if maintained well and all had plenty of power to get the job done.

My dad rented an 855 that was about new for several months back in the early 80s when I was a kid. I remember watching it load trucks and perform miscellaneous grading jobs. My uncle operated it most of the time and he really liked it.

I’d like to see some pictures or video of it running.

 

[Welder Dave]

My former neighbors son said an 855 picked up a 755 that was stuck. I'm sure the increased production of the JD hydrostatic loaders was a major factor in Cat going to hydrostatic loaders. That said I think the Cat loaders generally have less problems and longer life spans than the JD loaders. JD still set the bar in hydrostatic loaders years before Cat, with dozers too.

 

[screamincat]

I’m late to the party. Glad to see you got it moved. No way a 4x4 tractor was gonna move it. I own a 855 and There’s not many left. Finding parts has been my only real issue.

 

[Welder Dave]

That's the problem with JD hydrostats even the powershift loaders. JD tends to obsolete parts much earlier than Cat. Back in the late 90's I had a 1987 JD355D and some parts were hard to find back them. I have an 86 Cat 931B and some parts are obsolete like parts for the flip over backhoe seat but all the powertrain stuff is readily available. The vane seals for the rotary swing said to check with dealer but mine were in good shape when it was rebuilt due the main shaft wearing. All the other seals were no problem at all. I don't think JD would have much of anything for their older backhoes with a rotary swing cylinder.

 

[screamincat]

Glad you put the effort and money in it to save it from being scrapped.

I have only spent a few hours operating an 855 but I have spent a lot of time on a 655B and 755B. All of these machines were very powerful and I enjoyed operating them. Probably not quite as durable or reliable as a Cat hydrostatic loader but I think they were good machines if maintained well and all had plenty of power to get the job done.

My dad rented an 855 that was about new for several months back in the early 80s when I was a kid. I remember watching it load trucks and perform miscellaneous grading jobs. My uncle operated it most of the time and he really liked it.

I’d like to see some pictures or video of it running.

Theres mine. I found mine sitting, with a new engine. They rebuilt the engine and a week later it quit pulling at any rpm above idle. Sat for a few years, and he sold it to me for 4K. After adjusting some linkage at the flow controll valve it took off pulling and hasn’t missed a beat since. I’ve had to replace both front idlers and a few rollers on the bottom. As stated a d7e roller matches up perfectly. I wouldn’t want one I had to depend on making my living. But for a farm loader cleaning up trees and stuff every now and then it works pretty good. They are stout loaders.

 

[Welder Dave]

Your tracks are too tight and the sprockets look pretty worn. My former neighbor had a few 855's after having a 755. I fid a bunch of welding on the 755. He did demolition and ran the machines into the ground. The JD dealer had to tell him to come and pick up an 855 parts machine that had been on their lot for over a year.

 

[screamincat]

Your tracks are too tight and the sprockets look pretty worn. My former neighbor had a few 855's after having a 755. I fid a bunch of welding on the 755. He did demolition and ran the machines into the ground. The JD dealer had to tell him to come and pick up an 855 parts machine that had been on their lot for over a year.

I’m sure you could find there’s lots of things not up to par for everyday use . Had to run tracks tight to keep em on before I put some new rollers on it.

 

[Welder Dave]

That will make your sprockets wear faster too.

 

[screamincat]

That will make your sprockets wear faster too.

And chains, idlers etc

 

[Welder Dave]

I mentioned sprockets because they are pretty pointed.