LOCKED UP- 84 Year Old John Deere, Will It Start. (1939 John Deere Model B)

Sitting for at LEAST 20 years without running. Locked up motors with PILES of rust in the cylinders. Can we bring life back to this 84-year-old John Deere. If you liked this style of video, please let me know in the comments, or by leaving a like it would mean a lot. If you enjoyed this video please consider subscribing it would mean a lot.
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[@65f100352]

Man, I LOVE hearing old iron fire up after setting idle for years! I'd love to see more on this old girl. Great job!!

[@annalorree]

Yep, restore the old girl, please.

[@floridagunrat1625]

Absolutely!

[@davids6533]

I love it when somebody cares enough to get an old tractor going again. It's like they open the pages of an old history book again. : )

[@j81851]

These are priceless times spent together. This is how it is supposed to be. A good man, father and husband sharing skills, time and fellowship with his son. This is what YT was about to begin with (i think/hope) and it is refreshing to see more content like this. When dad goes on in years to come, the son can watch these clips with a warm heart as he and dad shared these precious times of joy and comradery together. This is what God wants, this is why our country was founded in the beginning and why there is hope for our great country!

[@davidjames513]

Must have been 4 or 5 in the early 50s my father would set me up on a JD just like this one in western Kentucky. I would steer it up and down corn rows pulling a large wooden wagon while he and my grandad picked corn. As we came to the end of a row my dad would jump up and turn the tractor around. Brings back memories, thanks.

[@Nebulax123]

I want to compliment all of you for putting in the work BEFORE you tried to crank this old fella I have worked on small engines and old tractors since the early sixties and I can't tell you how many time they brought it to me AFTER they had screwed it up broke rings, scored cylinder walls, etc. This old guy will provide many more smiles because you took the time to do it right the first time. Nice work gentleman.

[@normanbuchanan9710]

just totally love these old machine videos, such a joy to see Dad and son working together, very heartwarming.

[@Rusty_stuff]

That popper deserves to have another life. Please restore that tractor so our younger generations can see one of the tractors that made this country flourish. Thanks folks, wonderful video.

[@russwabuda1556]

i have a soft spot for 1939 bs. my grandfather bought one new and we are still running in. i'm 65 and have run this tractor myself for more than 50 years. we are getting ready to harvest the hay. the b will do the same job again this year as she has as long as anyone can remember and longer. i must admit that to pull the new holland 77 baler i prefer the '39 f-20 because the draw bar is higher and the bull gears are less likely to touch the ground. once you and your b get to know each other it will work better. watch your choke and mixture screws as it is easy to over choke and run rich. best wishes my new brothers from across the cloud. may you have 50 good years too.

[@kennethjackson7574]

My father had a true “Johnny Popper” more than half a century ago. When warmed up and set back to idle it would “pop” a steady series of smoke rings from the exhaust!

[@chuckj349]

Keep working on the old girl! She has earned it!

[@saxman1969]

I as a pre-teen in the fifties, I put 1000's of hours on a JD B. Our was made in 38 and had steel spokes in the wheels. I used it for everything from plowing to cultivating. One of the best tractor designs ever. We had many brands (Case, IH, Farmall, Ford, AC) but the "poppin' johnny" was my favorite. Did an in frame engine overhaul sometime in the 60's. Thanks for the memories!

[@cliffcollins4124]

Don't you find it frustrating watching these guys (not just this crew) they act like they have special knowledge of these tractors, but we did this as a normal run of the mill job in the 40s/50s

[@therealswarvey]

​@@cliffcollins4124 inferiority complex much?

[@CAROLDDISCOVER-FINDER2525]

​@@cliffcollins4124 well as old as it is they do have some special knowledge. At least enough to tear apart and get some results. Two guys like you and the other guy that I'm going to respond to know about these tractors and that special knowledge. Not everybody knows about these tractors. My opinion because I have one that I grew up with and vaguely remember my dad getting it in the early seventies. Unfortunately my mileage for how's work are in very limited. This is why I say that you must have some special knowledge because it was normal for you to do it. Same for the other guy that talked about the tractor he grew up with. These guys whatever they might know now it may not known before I took it apart but they've done more with their tractors and I've done with ours. A few months ago I was watching channel another one and they called in the old man who the specials at setting the dwell on the points because with all the computers and laptops they did not know how to do it. I laughed for a moment and then realized all that special knowledge that not everybody has. Because I just let everybody else know because I knew it. What do you think?

[@CAROLDDISCOVER-FINDER2525]

Sounds like you know these tractors. I have a b model Johnny poppers it's been in the family for 50-years I'm guessing. Honestly probably a little bit longer. I can't remember time when it was around. But she has set for a number of years with very little hours on it after being rebuilt by a John Deere dealership. I'd like to get it running again so my kid. Could have some memories with it. Any pointers would be greatly appreciated. Even if it's just tell me good sources to go to for inflammation. I'm glad you have a good memories and experience all the same regardless. I can remember many things about this tractor and I'll leave it on the comment for these guys

[@saxman1969]

@@cliffcollins4124 Yep, I started my early gearhead career all the way up to and including race cars (never dumb enough to drive one LOL). My first career (a speed shop and transmission shop) ended in 80 when I got my second degree in Computer science (my first was Ag of course LOL). I wound up starting one of the first ISP'a in my state and that lasted over 30 years. What a great time and way to grow up.

[@randyc4959]

Sounds good ... normal, that is, to me. You now know it's worth putting more parts into it. When all is right, you should be able to start it with one hand. I got planted on one of those, unexpectedly, to rake hay. It was our tractor, but someone else was running it. He suddenly stopped, said "I've got to go to work, take over." I did, and managed to not make an absolute mess of it. I finished that field and started another, running until it was too dark to see. I had windrows in my dreams that night. 11 years old, couldn't be happier.

[@landontesar3070]

Great experience, Randy, thanks for sharing.

[@billygerbilly1277]

I can't believe that you got that old Johnny Popper to run. My uncle bought a duplicate of this tractor (yes, a1939) in the late 1940s. He used it for farming and then took it to a school where he was the janitor. He bought a bucket to move snow at the school because he couldn't shovel it anymore. Unfortunately, he died at 62 years and the tractor was given to some people in that Minnesota town. My brother tried to buy it many years ago but the owner said it was his pride and joy; he wasn't selling. Good job on this.

[@jeremiah-om7zl]

An old neighbor and friend had one just like it. I helped him rebuild and machine the engine out. There is nothing like the sound of a 2 cylinder j.d. ❤️

[@stevesundermeyer4139]

I grew up with that model tractor. It was my Grandpa's pride and joy. It cut hay, cultivated corn, and planted corn for many years.

[@smokengearsgarage]

Awsome to see a revival of an old 2 cylinder!! Good job guys!!

[@chillywilly3397]

Great job boys! Glad to see you bringing her back.

[@TheIronDuke502]

Always glad to hear a “Popping Johnny” come back to life. You guys have too much work involved to quit now. Hope to see future videos of this awesome tractor.

[@jeffmarken7493]

I'mloving this video. I have my dad's 1939 model B in NW Florida. It runs pretty well, but I'm giving it a lot of TLC. I spent a lot of time on it with a sickle bar mower back in the late 70's. I'm just happy I have it.

[@mafia631]

Hands down the best will in start video on all of youtube!! good job boys.

[@travisdean8794]

I’m not a Deere fan, but an old tractor fan. She deserves to be restored. I believe she earned it.

[@jameshamilton2336]

Wow, that’s awesome, I love the John Deere model A tractors, I own a 1949 John Deere model A, I’m going to get it running again,

[@user-ok5od7ep3g]

It's really made my day finding this video, it brings back happy memories from about 60 plus years back sitting on my dad's lap even the sound of that twin seems just like yesterday, my dad's had a single wheel on the front, thanks for the memorys, good work.

[@kenwall8495]

We farmed with model D s for many years so nice to see these old units running. Thanks for the memories.

[@glennpiller9417]

A little transmission fluid down each cylinder and clean the carb. Fresh gas turn the motor with a breaker bar with out the spark plugs it will free up and run make sure the points are rust free and you have spark. In the 80s I did one in Maine.

[@georgesmith5185]

Rebuilt a stuck 41 JD B last winter. Filled cylinders with ATF and let sit for a week. Starts easily and runs like new. They were overbuilt and made to last. Need to be run to maintain them.

[@user-or8mk1do8v]

I love seeing old antique machinery being brought back to life and even being used again. Something I inherited from my Father I guess.

[@a0619951]

Yes please restore it, she deserves to live

[@JCRobbinsGuitar]

John Deere worth $5k restored. Working with your dad on that project, priceless!

[@user-pw3gl3iv7i]

This is great, I love bringing old machines back to life 💙💙💙💙

[@user-lo6cf3df1x]

Hell yeah, Take it all the way and bring it back. That's what it's all about, saving history.

[@shanekilgore7273]

I love the sound of the old "Johnny Popper's"

[@johnzdrazil2140]

Yes, get her running!!

[@christophermarshall5765]

At the time this was built, most vehicles had a copper head gasket. These could be used several times before needing replacement. One good sealant you can use on them is Hylomar. Very good sealant. Finger prints on mating surfaces won't hurt. Regarding the cylinder head, that is a cast iron head. Wire brushes won't hurt them that much. It was good to hear it run.

[@kirk467]

Restore the John Deere , would be great to see friends! I enjoy these videos! Thanks for sharing! Kirk from Louisiana! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🤜🏻🤛🏻👌🏻👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@chrisanglin2126]

Oh yeah restore that thing for sure 👍, nothing could live another hundred years

[@jamessmith7691]

It's great to be working with your dad and to hear the old Johnny popper waking up. Yep I subscribed.

[@perustc9158]

I get tears every time you get a Deere running. My summers as a youth were spent in the West Virginia back country and the first time I saw a "B" I was about 7 years old (I'm 68) and I have been a fan ever since! I am also a drummer and the beat of similar engine sounds just give me "Tinglers". Thank you for the fuzzies. great job!

[@ronmurphy9819]

I ran an model a , actually 2 different ones for my dad when I grew up. My dad and brother would come get me to start them when they wanted to use them. I played on them so much I knew their quirks. Dad would give me a job running the a’s and I considered it fun. I loved it.

[@BaronVonWhosit]

I like a lot of these kind of videos, I find them very fun to watch, that being said this one gave me a huge smile on my face that lasted. Excellent editing and honest to goodness enjoyment by you three made it a gem....subscribed.

[@Smokebag]

James has a real happy go lucky attitude!

[@clockworkbike]

Yes please, getting it restored!

[@farmerthatflies]

When I was a little seven year old stick boy I was on a tractor identical to that one day after day every summer and a lot in winter. The first thing it teaches you is keep your hands on the outside of the steering wheel. Ours had a one way hydraulic loader on it with a manual bucket trip so I was always elected to clean out barns and whatever else needed doing. I suppose because I was too small to push the clutch down in our 2 ton cab over grain truck. So I did the loading. People nowadays would call that child abuse or some such, but it was just another day to me. Didn’t know any better

[@brianclark2876]

Great video ! Vintage tractor, brought back to life !! Thanks for showing it !!!

[@nicholas73018]

My father I and got our 1936 John Deere AR up and running about 15 years ago. It was the first new tractor our family had ever bought. We managed to keep it through the years but it hadn’t ran in over 20 years at the time. We were able to manufacture a part to get the oil pump to work which was why my father had quit using it. We went ahead and had it painted and even entered it in the local county fair. Since my father passed away back in 2012 I am so glad we were able to have those memories and I still have that tractor to cherish. Thank you guys for making this video.

[@benscoles5085]

I was so tempted to fast forward to get to the running part, but glad I did not, the work you guys did , the methods you used, were spot on, the end result. I applauded. this was a VICTORY!!

[@kennethstanton5407]

From the time I was about 2 years old, I would spend all day sitting on the platform of our 1949 B and our 60 with my father pulling a seed drill, or light tillage equipment. By the time I was about 3, I graduated to standing up on the platform and driving the B. Before I was 4, I was allowed to move the B solo. By age 5, I ran the B all spring pulling a few sections of drag harrows and a roller. I know they'd arrest you for letting your kids do that today, but as kids, we loved driving these machines. Within about ten years, tractors had greatly increased in size and the B wasn't really big enough to do much anymore. We had sent its starter in to be rebuilt and unfortunately, the starter rebuilder's shop burned to the ground with our starter in it. Even though the engine was in good shape, hand cranking it was positively hateful, so we usually parked it on a hill if we had any need of using it. Or, we towed it to start it. Didn't seem to need it badly enough to replace the starter. Made me smile to hear this old girl start up and run, rough or not.

[@stephennickles7389]

You guys have got heart! Gotta love these old tractors that fed America

[@stevefarms7494]

My dad brought a farm back in 1952 and it came with a John Deere B and that tractor did everything on the farm... It was a amazing tractor on what it could do... And thinking back dad did nothing to that tractor in changing anything but oil ... It's a great tractor

[@michaelhermes1519]

I am 5 months late finding your channel but keep going on the old poppin Johnny

[@swampyankee72]

We had three poppin' johnnies on our Connecticut Dairy Farm. I've spent My many an hour being a shade tree mechanic on them. This brought back a lot of found memories with me and My Uncle Bud.

[@GlenOosterman]

My brother and I got our Dads 1952 B running last fall ,It was sitting three years engine got stuck,we got it freed up . We freed up the carb put a new to use goveror re time it , got it to start tractor runs great it out pulls JD A at tractor pulls . keep the vidioes going.

[@educa922]

Restoration os bealtiful tractor

[@KStewart-th4sk]

I grew up running these many decades ago. We had hand cranked Model Br. and Ar., plus an electric start G. They ran on distillate which is a mixture of gas and diesel fuel. Two tanks, one for gas which is what you started them on, then once warmed up you switched to the other tank of distillate. Ours were all wide front end, not the tricycle type. I don't know why my Dad quit using the Ar. but it sat for about 7 years and was seized up. We got it unseized and running. The threads on the water drain bung were not good. My Dad did a "farmer fix", put the damn thing in with a rag on the threads. Then of course it fell out one day, lost all the water, and he cracked the head! It was running great and i remember being pretty disappointed about what happened. My Grandpa had an electric start JD D and a WD45 gas Allis Chalmers.

[@MikeOrazzi]

Very cool. We have one of these that has been sitting for 45 years or more. Perhaps it may live again.

[@earlmiller6093]

This is such good material to watch… really enjoyed it end to end

[@terrymiler2164]

You have went that far,carry on and make it useful,leave the paint alone that Ole girl earned all that patina.

[@toughluck]

Definitely with everyone saying restore it!

[@terrylawrence6772]

We remember that tractor on the row behind us at Flywheelers on a trailer for years ! Great job, keep going it makes us smile !

[@fredking3748]

That was the best !!! I would love to see it running the right way

[@jacksonms212]

fix er up !!! My family has had one for the better of 77ish yrs. and it's still used at least once a week to this day ! you can't kill that motor ....... I've tried !

[@Scott-ms3ug]

Congratulations guys, another piece of history saved!

[@therealswarvey]

First video of yours I've seen. Absolutely loved every minute of it. It was very satisfying seeing the old rig come to life. You've got another new subscriber!

[@natevanlandingham1945]

Want to see more on this one. Make a pipe and weld a pipe onto that cooling watwr intake to go back to the radiator and fill it up with water. Show us more!

[@marvinjames2766]

It's good to see that poppen Johnny run good job.

[@war7334]

Such a piece of Americana.Glad to see you guys are looking after these important part of history,

[@bashfullbuzzard]

love see stuck iron start to breathe again good job

[@jamescaldwell2095]

Its always nice to see another old machine restored. Even partially so its easily draivable but still looks old and well used.

[@blairguinea6811]

Awesome job you boys, its such a thrill when you get an old engine running especially something as unique as this John Deere

[@wademizelle3433]

I’d be really disappointed if you didn’t restore it. Great video

[@grandpafalkenrath2988]

Our old Poppin Johnny was a br, my dad put a model t coil on it and went with rubber tires, I brush hogged for hours, loved that tractor

[@johnwalter4729]

Awesome video I think the information in it might help me get my grandfather's 1945 Model A running again. Thanks so much

[@kenwoodfl]

Johnny popper deserves an overhaul!

[@walterbeaver6365]

Great job. Keep up the good work.

[@peterhoughton1589]

Yeah, I've subscribed to your channel so I can see a full restoration. 👍

[@randalllatvala9178]

I had one just like it with the milky oil! It turned out that the head has steel tunes running through it for the push rods to reach from the cam to the valve train! The tube actually rusted through and water could migrate to the crank case! I fabricated new tunes from copper tube and the new head gasket actually sealed against the tunes I made!

[@alexbetteridge8200]

More of this please!👍

[@anythinggoesgarage5943]

I love this type of videos! Bringing things back to life!

[@nathanspalink5438]

Heck yeah guys love this stuff keep it coming !! And i would love to see the old girl restored!!

[@BrianSmith-ow9gy]

If you get a cardboard box you can push the bolts, push rods etc into the top giving you a visual "copy" of the engine block.

[@RCALivingStereo]

Nice work guys Love to see this old made in the USA 🇺🇸 equipment running again Nice work 😊

[@DanielMeyer-ls5ph]

I had a B that was built in the middle 1940’s. I cultivated and unloaded the grain into the elevator, powered by the pto of the B . I had to hand start it because the battery was always dead. I moved away from Iowa, but found a 1951 BW which I am currently working on

[@christianmccollum1028]

Loved the video! I really enjoyed seeing the old iron brought back to life. Great job, gentlemen. Respect from Texas

[@donrushton9560]

l love old john deeres very unique sound

[@edkennard72]

Watching you three work on that tractor you know it is awesome those are memories that you will have when you go into your '60s and your '70s with your dad you'll laugh like heck with all the things that happen congratulations on trying getting that running because that is a piece of equipment to hold on to and use it it was meant to work not just to sit around

[@kenschultz3836]

restore it!!!! save the old .

[@jerryduckworth7691]

I loved the video❤ It is so great to see something that old be brought back to life.

[@sk1pp3r65]

I drove one of these as a teenager... so awesome!

[@shawnaburns5158]

Hi as a John Deere girl it breaks my heart and makes me sad to see old John Deere tractors get neglected you guys cheered me up and made my day please restore her back to her beauty and enjoy her

[@derrellmeeks9373]

Nice work guys. You got to love those old motors.

[@christopherdickenson374]

The B has always had a place in my fond memories.

[@JasonSmith-vd1sz]

Oh that’s awesome! Looking forward to the complete restoration!

[@nickpopelka]

I have 4 old two cylinders my first one needed a hydraulic jack to get the motor broke free still runs great 13 years later fun to watch you boys work

[@paulrobberts1527]

Jip fix it up that tractor is better than 10 modern ones

[@candacebenton9618]

That’s when American made was quality💯✊🏾

[@cordovanbee]

I’ve started one a few times when I was younger, hated it lol

[@ryandunwell7158]

Keep on truckin with this content I love watching good people doing good things! Earned my subscription!

[@josephgolden1868]

Always liked doing stuff like that when growing up.

[@dale5898]

Ten thousand thumbs up Boys!!!!!!!!!!