# "If you can start it you can have it"



## bool (Mar 14, 2016)

My neighbour has sold his farm and moved into town. I have been helping him find buyers for his equipment. There was an old International Superloader industrial front end loader in the shed. It hadn't moved for 10 years. I asked what he had planned for it. He was going to leave it there. I said it was too good to leave. He said it would be too hard to start. I said I reckoned I could start it. He said if I could start it I could have it. So I started it.

A grunty battery, check the fluids, heat up the glow plugs, push the starter and the wheels start moving even though the gear lever is in neutral.

I hold the clutch in and try again. One cylinder fires, then another, it's barely running, lots of black smoke, then the other two fire. Once the smke clears and it settles down it runs sweetly enough.

I pull on the control levers and the bucket lifts. The hydraulics work.

Pull the kill switch lever to shut it off. Pull off the gear lever and rearrange the shifter forks back into neutral with a long screwdriver.

Before I screw the gear lever back on I touch the starter to make sure it really is in neutral. It starts again with just that light touch of the starter switch.

Because the steering wheels are at the back and the steering linkages are a bit sloppy it was a hairy drive on the 3 mile trip home but I made it.

There is water in the oil so the head gasket needs replacing. I hope the head is OK. It's an AD264 engine so parts are easy to get. The steering linkages need tightening up. It is using a lot of ATF in the power steering system; I hope that takes up a bit though a seal kit is not that expensive. The seals in the crowd rams are leaky so the bucket droops forward: they should not be too hard to replace.

Apart from that it's a beauty. Check out the size of the lift rams on it! A couple of pallet forks on the front and I have a rough terrain forklift. A pair of hay forks and I have another way to move big rolls.

Do I really need it? No, but it's a bit of fun and the price was right.

Roger


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

I've never seen one quite like that! Similar to the rear steer payloaders of the era.


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## paoutdoorsman (Apr 23, 2016)

Pretty amazing you started that on 10 year old diesel. Try that with a gasser!


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

It's amazing how old a diesel you can start if it wasn't parked with water in the pump.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Really cool Roger! ....and good for you!

Regards, Mike


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## Wethay (Jul 17, 2015)

Could the water in the oil be years of condensation? Good luck and enjoy.


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## clowers (Feb 11, 2011)

That looks like a fun project


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

Now don't laugh, but the safest way to take a loose rear steering loader down the road is in reverse.


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## bool (Mar 14, 2016)

Thanks for the support.

It's an A40-2, based on an A554 running backwards. A554 was an Australian-built update of the AWD6. It's about 50 years old.

It's using coolant, so I imagine the coolant is getting into the oil system.

I know about running it in reverse on the road, similar to a forklift. But it has only one reverse gear and it's slow. The tractor gearbox it uses is 5 forward, 1 reverse. So I drove it on the road in 5th gear, but at only about half revs. It was hard enough to keep on the road even at that speed. But I made it. It will steer better once I take some play out of the linkages.

At the moment I am trying to stop myself from buying an old IH mobile crane, also based on an A554.

Roger


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## pede58 (Oct 27, 2015)

I got a 1957 Hough model HY payloader and from what I see shares the same main frame. trouble with mine it was built before they realized you needed front wheel drive. couple item of note, the thing will lift well beyond it's handling and those lift cylinders are 1 way, no down pressure, at least that's the way it looks and similar to mine.


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## Waldo (Apr 29, 2016)

When growing up we had one and we,nt we flash no neighbors had loader then and it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. The motor was a mongrel was a drug addict liked aero start (we had to park it on a hill,kick wheel chock out spray ether put in 3rd gear and hope for the best)


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## bool (Mar 14, 2016)

Well, I didn't stop myself buying the mobile crane. It's an International A41-2, with the same base tractor as the loader. On reflection, it's possible the base tractor for both is an IH 564, because they have CAV rotary injector pumps and twin CAV 296 fuel filters. The crane has a 564 grille.

It wasn't quite "free to good home" like the loader, but not expensive either. It lifts 5 tons at the closest attachment point and 2 tons at the furthest (to a height of 21 feet). Massive lift rams! The articulated design makes the steering take some getting used to, but does allow slewing the load sideways without repositioning the tractor. The rear counterweight alone weighs 1-1/2 tons.

First job, three big old pine trees that have fallen down, two of them across fences. They are too big and heavy for the front end loader and why break out the big chainsaw if I don't have to. I can see my neighbours wanting to borrow it.

Roger


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Now that is cool Roger.....I could use that here in my storm cleanup.

Regards, Mike


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## clowers (Feb 11, 2011)

Mike when you finish with it, i could use it as well. Maybe a new barn project with that.


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## ronwaters (Nov 28, 2021)

bool said:


> My neighbour has sold his farm and moved into town. I have been helping him find buyers for his equipment. There was an old International Superloader industrial front end loader in the shed. It hadn't moved for 10 years. I asked what he had planned for it. He was going to leave it there. I said it was too good to leave. He said it would be too hard to start. I said I reckoned I could start it. He said if I could start it I could have it. So I started it.
> 
> A grunty battery, check the fluids, heat up the glow plugs, push the starter and the wheels start moving even though the gear lever is in neutral.
> 
> ...


Does anyone know how much this machine weighs?
I need to decide what transport to use for moving it.
Ron.


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## Wethay (Jul 17, 2015)

https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/ihc/id/43905


Found this site that may be of help.


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## ronwaters (Nov 28, 2021)

Wethay said:


> https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/ihc/id/43905
> 
> 
> Found this site that may be of help.


Thanks.


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## bool (Mar 14, 2016)

Well that came out of nowhere!

The archival document is for the earlier model, A40-1.

According to the Operator's Manual for the A40-2, operating weight including fuel, oil, water and operator is:
Driving axle 7030 lb
Steering axle 5250 lb
Total 12,280 lb
So, the same as the earlier model.

Where are you, Ron?

Roger

PS I have used the crane much more than the loader.


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