Burnt tractor parts

[sh40]

How safe are parts from a completely burnt out tractor. Local breakers has a pick up hitch which had only been put on the tractor with 2 months. How safe would the hitch be after all this heat? Would the strength be gone out of it. Tractor is burnt to a crisp.

 

[8100]

I doubt it got hot enough to temper the hitch but other members may no more

 

[davedb]

If all the paints gone off the hitch itself I’d say your better away if it’s only a bit burnt it would be ok

 

[Exfarmer]

If there are any grease nipples they will need replacing, otherwise the only possible issue could be a weakening of the lift rods. I would be very surprised if it had got hot enough to have damaged them though, and you will not be risking anything if they have lost temper, as they will stretch anyway

 

[sh40]

If all the paints gone off the hitch itself I’d say your better away if it’s only a bit burnt it would be ok

Yes I think all paint is more or less gone off it.

 

[multi power]

Scrap, dangerous and frankly stupid to use

 

[davedb]

I take it it’s not a slide out hitch? As that will have a buggered ram and the nylon wear strips will be long gone for a start

 

[startinghandle]

If the tractor is burnt to a crisp leave it where it is ..... I would not trust the hook carrying a load at speed on the main road.

 

[Exfarmer]

I think you are being over cautious, yes good points if there is ram or nylon bearings.
However to make any serious change to the steel would require it to have reached 750c or cherry red. I would think this is highly unlikely and even then unless quenched would have little bearing on the core strength.

 

[bumkin]

if you need a hitch and its the right price allowing for parts nylon runners and seals i doubt the hook will be affected by the heat go for it,it will need a good scrub and a coat of paint or it will rust like buggery

 

[averageguy54]

I was always told to never use burnt metal in body work because you could not keep it from rusting, it would rust from the inside out regardless of how you treated the surface. I realize that a hitch is a lot thicker than body metal but I suspect that the same rule would apply here. Most breakers over here won't sell burnt parts, unless you really want them, and they will refuse to warranty them. That should tell you something.

 

[Farmer_Joe]

it would wanna be for nowt, but then i would still not touch it, how much is one of a normal breaker vs this one?

i often look at totally burned ones thinking its literally just a lump of scrap surely nothing is salvageable

 

[Exfarmer]

Years ago I went to look at a warehouse full of combines. The next door warehouse had burnt down and the combines had got a degree of damage depending how close they were . Think there was a total of a couple of hundred. The insurance had written the lot off. Sadly I got there too late as all the good ones had been bagged before I got there leaving a lot with panel damage, and weeping seals and bearings. Think the best ones probably ended up in dealers yards and were bought with no inkling of where they had been.
Panel damage is indeed always going to rot out fast, but heavy items will not hurt. The engines on all of them looked fine underneath the hoods

 

[sh40]

It's a dromone standard hitch. No rams in it. I actually would have a drawbar and hook from one of my other tractors which would fit it. So could avoid using burnt hook.

I am half nervous so might leave it. Out of curiosity what parts are salvageable from a burnt tractor? For example how would all the gears be in the gearbox, back axle etc.

 

[john432]

I'm no expert, but Galvanizing steel gets it pretty hot I would have thought? Even welding the component parts together would get the hitch very hot. If it was cheap, I'd go for it.

 

[Exfarmer]

It's a dromone standard hitch. No rams in it. I actually would have a drawbar and hook from one of my other tractors which would fit it. So could avoid using burnt hook.

I am half nervous so might leave it. Out of curiosity what parts are salvageable from a burnt tractor? For example how would all the gears be in the gearbox, back axle etc.

The oil burning off would probably make them harder

 

[Farmer_Joe]

a quick google says car glass melts at 3000 deg f not sure what that is in deg c. needless to say you dont see them with the glass left in em so its been fooking hot!

just found thsi, thats toughened glass i.e tractor car glass.

Just as glass itself is important, molding glass to fit our needs and wants is too.Glass can only be molded at very high temperatures. It completely melts/liquifies at approximately 1400 °C to 1600 °C depending on the composition of glass.

 

[multi power]

I think you are being over cautious, yes good points if there is ram or nylon bearings.
However to make any serious change to the steel would require it to have reached 750c or cherry red. I would think this is highly unlikely and even then unless quenched would have little bearing on the core strength.

I used to work for someone who had a tractor catch fire, sufficient temperature to distort the beams of the front loader, it was decided the muck grab was salvageable, it was fitted to the other tractor, first bale I lifted the tines just snapped one after the other

 

[multi power]

It's a dromone standard hitch. No rams in it. I actually would have a drawbar and hook from one of my other tractors which would fit it. So could avoid using burnt hook.

I am half nervous so might leave it. Out of curiosity what parts are salvageable from a burnt tractor? For example how would all the gears be in the gearbox, back axle etc.

If the oil remains in the gearbox the gears are ok , if not they are scrap

 

[Exfarmer]

I used to work for someone who had a tractor catch fire, sufficient temperature to distort the beams of the front loader, it was decided the muck grab was salvageable, it was fitted to the other tractor, first bale I lifted the tines just snapped one after the other

I would guess the tines must have been orange hot and a fire hose was played on it. Normally heating steel then allowing to cool will soften it . Quenching normaly hardens