@RoamingGnome it's useful to learn what you've done. One thing I dread is draining the hydraulic fluid, I don't even have clean pails and to buy new fluid for this tractor would probably be a few hundreds. When I got the tractor it about half empty, so I already put three pails of new hydraulic fluid in. Unless really necessary, I try to avoid it.
Had another good look at it today (it's different in daylight) and came up with a plan. Basically I noticed that "nose" of the tractor is like an upside down letter U made of 3/8 heavy plate, and about 16" long. The radiator is bolted to it on the inside. It is bolted on the lower frame with 3/4" bolts. In the picture below I circled the four bolts in green.
My plan was to undo those bolts and lift the whole thing up thus making room above the hydraulic pump to lift the engine from below. Those four bolts were a pain to undo. Real tight they were, and some of them no leverage on the wrench because of the tight space. The battle with these bolts was about two hours.
Now, how to lift that? Maybe the 644 would do. Created a boom of sorts from a good piece of lumber and chained it to the top of the frame.
Was able to lift it about four inches, high enough to put some pieces of wood in there to keep it in position. I had to undo the front little radiator that's bolted to the big one in the back, because the hoses that came to this one were hooked on steel pipes.
I don't have pictures of the next move, but I proceeded to lift the engine from below, with the jack on wood and steel plate. However, i can find no spot to put big wood under, or steel, so it doesn't stay on the jack. I don't trust just the jack there.
I've been also thinking of creating an extension to my electric wrench so I don't put my hand anywhere in between there. Just don't want to risk. To be continued...
Harry
