Deutz fahr dx 85

[Refco]

Greetings folks,
I've just dipped my toe into the world of Deutz Fahr and bought an old dx 85 as a 'fixer upper'..
Mechanically it seems fine: five cylinder engine sounds really nice.
Gearbox seems okay. Four gears in three ranges. No dual power, or similar. A top speed of some 25 kph! Range lever a touch tricky to pull out if reverse.
Brakes fairly (completely) non existent, so I'm working on them now. Bits ain't cheap..

Anyway, my main problem is that there's a lot of things missing from the cab. Such as, the heater / blower that sits atop the dash, rear and rear window and furniture. Oh, and the lh door is goosed.

Ideally, I'd like to find a scrap dx which I could use for parts. Anybody any ideas?

Ps, I farm near Durham, so hopefully not too far away!

 

[Bury the Trash]

None at all , sorry . Other than to say what a good tractor/ nice to drive it was in its day

 

[Cvx1170]

The brakes were never great on them, external discs & pads if i remember right

 

[Mursal]

Gearbox like glass, so be polite with it, full synchro if I remember correctly.
Very nice, 5 cylinder ..............

Parts will be like hens teeth

 

[agrotron]

Good tractors but parts were always very expensive. Good luck.

 

[Deutzdx3]

I have a deutz dx 3.90. Love it. Slightly different to what you have but simple, strong and reliable. I know where you’re coming from regarding parts. Few around and expensive.

I machines rear window furniture as the plastic was abhorrent price wise. My fan isn’t working but have a replacement I bought 3 years ago and never fitted. They are a good tractor. When I see another or similar I’ll grab it if the right money.

 

[msheep66]

I drove a DX 85 for a relative back in the eighties. Nice tractor to drive brakes always seemed to make a noise when you applied them. Deutz tractors always appeared to be well built with good quality paint etc.

 

[Refco]

Yes, the tractor does seem well built. Even the steps up into the cab are super solid!
The brakes.. I can kind see the attraction in having them exterior for easy access and maintenance, but then because they are exterior they do need regular access and maintenance!

 

[big ag]

Nice tractor been for sale for a while fanced a look my self just never got there be interesting to see how you get on

 

[Goweresque]

You'll struggle to find a plastic/fibre door. The later all glass ones are still available I think, but the old plastic/fibre frame ones are long gone. Whether you can retro fit a glass one I don't know, as I bodged a steel door frame together when my DX90 plastic door died. The cabs are the same I think so it should be possible. Brakes are certainly fixable, I had mine done on my DX90 last year, I think the calipers were sent off for refurb somewhere. Engine parts should be available, my DX6.05 had a new piston and rings a few years back.

If you're stuck for parts it might be worth speaking to Clive Griffen at Beckett Agricultural Engineers (https://www.beckettagricultural.co.uk/), he worked for a Deutz dealer in the 80s who sold a lot of these machines locally, and knows them as well as anyone, he owns a few as well. He's fixed engine, brake and gearbox issues on just about all my fleet of similar age Deutz tractors, and has the contacts for parts.

 

[Refco]

You'll struggle to find a plastic/fibre door. The later all glass ones are still available I think, but the old plastic/fibre frame ones are long gone. Whether you can retro fit a glass one I don't know, as I bodged a steel door frame together when my DX90 plastic door died. The cabs are the same I think so it should be possible. Brakes are certainly fixable, I had mine done on my DX90 last year, I think the calipers were sent off for refurb somewhere. Engine parts should be available, my DX6.05 had a new piston and rings a few years back.

If you're stuck for parts it might be worth speaking to Clive Griffen at Beckett Agricultural Engineers (https://www.beckettagricultural.co.uk/), he worked for a Deutz dealer in the 80s who sold a lot of these machines locally, and knows them as well as anyone, he owns a few as well. He's fixed engine, brake and gearbox issues on just about all my fleet of similar age Deutz tractors, and has the contacts for parts.

Thanks for that. The left hand door is there, but it's been dunched at some point, so it doesn't close properly and I think the catch might be missing. I know I had to hold to door closed with one hand at the way home last week!
The brakes seem reasonably straight forward. Bepco do piston and seal kits for just over a hundred pounds a caliper. Drum pads for the handbrake were about fifty pounds (for both sides). I've got the left hand brakes off at the moment, and one of the calipers is buggered unfortunately - part of the casting which holds the seal has cracked off. I'm hoping the other side is a bit better. Ordered a master cylinder seal kit too, I think that was seventeen pounds, so not too bad.
Someone's had a go at replacing the brake lines at some point, and they've used smaller brake pipes. There are some original pipes still there and they measure 6mm. The newer ones are closer to 5mm (4.75mm maybe?) Anyway, I'll see if I can put it back to 6mm pipes - I ordered a pipe flaring tool yesterday of ebay, so we'll see how that goes..

 

[Mursal]

Brake calipers listed here, double check its not just the dirt seal groove that has broken out on yours, click

 

[Ley253]

Thanks for that. The left hand door is there, but it's been dunched at some point, so it doesn't close properly and I think the catch might be missing. I know I had to hold to door closed with one hand at the way home last week!
The brakes seem reasonably straight forward. Bepco do piston and seal kits for just over a hundred pounds a caliper. Drum pads for the handbrake were about fifty pounds (for both sides). I've got the left hand brakes off at the moment, and one of the calipers is buggered unfortunately - part of the casting which holds the seal has cracked off. I'm hoping the other side is a bit better. Ordered a master cylinder seal kit too, I think that was seventeen pounds, so not too bad.
Someone's had a go at replacing the brake lines at some point, and they've used smaller brake pipes. There are some original pipes still there and they measure 6mm. The newer ones are closer to 5mm (4.75mm maybe?) Anyway, I'll see if I can put it back to 6mm pipes - I ordered a pipe flaring tool yesterday of ebay, so we'll see how that goes..

Flaring tools can be a nightmare, beware! The worst that was inflicted on me was a Snap on kit! Great for producing oval pipes and artistic flares, leak proof they were not! You really need the garage kit which clamps in a vice, I have one but cant tell you who made it as they have not put their name anywhere!

 

[Deutzdx3]

Flaring tools can be a nightmare, beware! The worst that was inflicted on me was a Snap on kit! Great for producing oval pipes and artistic flares, leak proof they were not! You really need the garage kit which clamps in a vice, I have one but cant tell you who made it as they have not put their name anywhere!

Facom or Sykes pickavant are both very good. I have a Sykes and Never had an issue with it. Lent it to my neighbour many times when he is re lining before tk lorry’s. Not cheap. Do it once. Do it right.

 

[Ley253]

Facom or Sykes pickavant are both very good. I have a Sykes and Never had an issue with it. Lent it to my neighbour many times when he is re lining before tk lorry’s. Not cheap. Do it once. Do it right.

I think mine may be a Sykes Pickavent, really well engineered, blue steel box and of "gorilla" proof construction, yellow instructions sheet but no manufactures details anywhere! Perhaps ex government, but no broad arrow either.

 

[Mursal]

Would the quality of pipe make a difference?
Copper works well in most of those flare tools, but steel ..............

 

[ih1455xl]

http://www.picturesbase-agripro.com/~sharedoc//catalogue/EN/Deutz.pdf
This is the bepco deutz parts calatlog

 

[J 1177]

Out of Watson's looks a decent buy that. New hedgecutter tractor?

 

[Ley253]

Would the quality of pipe make a difference?
Copper works well in most of those flare tools, but steel ..............

Its the od of the pipe that catches some of these cheap tools out. They are basically fridge pipe tools with a few extra bits in the bag. The clamping tool may have metric or imperial registers for the pipe, use the wrong pipe, and it either slides out, or becomes oval with a couple of ridges on the sides!

 

[Refco]

Brake calipers listed here, double check its not just the dirt seal groove that has broken out on yours, click

Yes, and no! Not sure if you can see from this photo, but the bit of metal that's cracked off makes the lip for the dust seal on the outside as well as the groove for the piston seal on the inside.