D15 Revival

New member and first time poster.

Have potentially been presented with a FREE D15.

History is tractor was running when it was parked, and hasn't moved since. Exact time it has sat is unknown, but best guess is 15 years +/-.

Had new tires on it when parked, but fronts are flat and cracked nearly through. Backs are low, and cracked, but may still be usable.

Initial check, throttle and choke are locked up tight and won't move. Have not budged the tractor to see if engine will turn over. I checked the oil and it only had oil on the dipstick.....no water so that was promising.

I am not looking to go into a big restoration project, but would love to have the tractor as a user if I can get it running.

So my question is, what are the steps to get this going?

Welcome to the forum! 

First, pull and check the plugs for any carbon buildup and clean. 

Squirt a cup or so of ATF fluid into the cylinders to avoid a dry start up. 

You can change the oil either before or after you get it started - up to you. 

Just need to find out if it will fire yet, or not, after these preliminaries. 

Was the oil clean when you checked the dipstick? 

If not, I'd change it and the filter. 

Carefully unscrew the oil pan drain plug just enough to see if you get water run out to verify that there's not any water in the bottom. 

If oil, screw back in, unless it needs changed due to all of the dirt settled in the bottom. 

Check the fluid levels of the tranny and hydraulics - add as needed - after you get the engine running. 

Drain the gas tank and put in new and check for flow at the carb. 

There may be a screen disc above the sediment bowl on the bottom of the gas tank that will probably need cleaned up. 

You will probably have to pull the carb for a new kit in it if it doesn't get gas up to the cylinders.

I'd add a can of Seafoam or Chemtool B12 to the gas to get into the carb to start cleaning it out. You "might" not have to "kit" it yet. 

Pull distributor cap and check for  and/or clean corrosion off the points. Replace with new points and condensor if no fire. 

You may or may not need a new coil, distributor cap, rotor bug, plug wires just from age and any deterioration from sitting so long. 

Check the air filter to see how "plugged" it is. Replace if needed. 

While hood is off, pull the valve cover and pour some ATF over the valves to let it run down the stems to avoid a dry start up. 

Check fluid level in the radiator. Add as needed to just cover the cores, which one finger length and just touch the coolant is about right. 

Otherwise, if these are like other tractors of this era, fill to the neck and it'll overflow when the engine heats up. 

Install battery and bump the starter while watching for valve movement, or not. 

This will get you enough info to see where to go, if it sputters and/or starts, or not. 

Where 'bouts in Mo. are you located? My hometown is Carthage in the sw corner just east of Joplin. 

Again, welcome aboard! 

Thanks for the quick responses and help! I've only been driving tractors for close to 55 years, but that is only driving and maintaining them. I've never tried to bring one like this back from the dead, although my first car was an unused John Deere B. But it had only been parked for a year or so. It only needed clean fuel to start.

Yes, my first instinct was to make no attempt at turning the engine over.....at least by using any force, until I knew if engine was locked up / frozen. Figured I should pull the plugs and squirt something in the cylinders......wasn't sure what. I might have used a bit of diesel fuel. But ATF will work and I can see about pulling the valve cover too.

Is there a way to turn the engine over by hand or is it going to require more force, like the starter? Am resisting temptation to get it rolling and pop the clutch. That would be an easy to to do a lot of damage in a hurry. The PTO is shifting in and out. No belt drive wheel or flywheel I can see.

I don't think it has any fuel in it.....may have all leaked out.  Will check coolant, but I don't think there is any there either. Looked to me like a nest of some type behind the radiator where the fan blades might hit it. Will dig that out before touching anything.

At the least, muffler needs to come off to be cleaned out. Has a mud daubber nest sticking out the top as is.

The other big issue will the the carb, as choke and throttle are currently frozen up. Not much is going to happen with the engine until those are freed up and working again.

PTO and tranny are freed up and shifting in and out, and high / low lever seems to also be working.

Lastly, will and AGCO dealer have parts or where is the best place to get parts like the carb kit, plugs, wires, points, etc?

I'm in Central MO, near Fulton.

If you are looking for someone closer, here is a link to other dealers:

Air cleaner top is just a press fit, if its stuck, just squirt your favorite panther piss, up, and around it, and tap it with a hammer, whilst twisting with a pair of channel locks...

I recently bought a D17 that had been sitting 5 to 7 years put some fresh gas in the tank ,got the gas to running to the carb and out out the drain.Filed the points,clean up the rotor button,cleaned up the contacts on the dist cap.Installed new battery cranked it over a few times it fired up and I backed it off the trailer.Get it home before you work on it as the person who gave it to you might decide they need to keep it once it becomes a running

tractor.

Hmmmm........images have been uploaded, but when I click on the images icon to add them, nothing happens? All other functions appear to be working, but not images?