John Deere Engine blocks

[larkshall]

Title says it all really. I know some JD engines were marinised (I think especially their twins), anyone know for certain? Thanks in advance.

[Alan de Enfield]

I cannot answer your question but when I was trying to source a John Deere engine for a mower JD told me that a lot of the JD engines are actually Kubota engines re-badged (by Kubota) as John Deere

[larkshall]

I cannot answer your question but when I was trying to source a John Deere engine for a mower JD told me that a lot of the JD engines are actually Kubota engines re-badged (by Kubota) as John Deere

 

Yes some of their smaller plant is re-badged stuff. Did you get your engine?

[Alan de Enfield]

Yes some of their smaller plant is re-badged stuff. Did you get your engine?

 

No - I ended up scrapping the mower - short engine cost (new) was about £6000

[Gibbo]

Isn't the Beta JD3 one?

[larkshall]

Isn't the Beta JD3 one?

 

 

Cheers Gibbo thats the answer I wanted. Thanks mate

[RLWP]

Cheers Gibbo thats the answer I wanted. Thanks mate

 

My current experience with a JD3 is not good

 

Richard

[mrsmelly]

Title says it all really. I know some JD engines were marinised (I think especially their twins), anyone know for certain? Thanks in advance.

 

Yes

 

We have two john Deere units on one of our boats at work, they are called err " John Deere "

 

Tim

[larkshall]

Yes

 

We have two john Deere units on one of our boats at work, they are called err " John Deere "

 

Tim

 

 

Didn't know they made any themselves, I was assuming that all their engines were marinised by a third party and re-badged. Thanks for the info. You don't happen to know the model nos do you?

[Athy]

Cheers Gibbo thats the answer I wanted. Thanks mate

Also known as the Beta Tug. But if it's a John Deere you want, be careful, as earlier Beta Tug engines were not made by John Deere; they were designated BD3.

[Timleech]

Also known as the Beta Tug. But if it's a John Deere you want, be careful, as earlier Beta Tug engines were not made by John Deere; they were designated BD3.

 

...which was, I think, based on a Ford tractor engine.

I believe Listers also marinised the same engine for a while & put their name on it.

 

Tim

[Athy]

...which was, I think, based on a Ford tractor engine.

I believe Listers also marinised the same engine for a while & put their name on it.

 

Tim

Lister's last really trad type of engine was the CRK3, sold in the 1990s, but I don't know if that was a bought-in base engine or one of their own. The "K" might perhaps suggest Kubota?

That said, I noticed recently that Lister will still sell you a brand new (Petter) PH2! But it's fixed-speed and unmarinised, shame really. Our first boat had a PH2, which was what got me interested in trad engines in the first place.

[Timleech]

Lister's last really trad type of engine was the CRK3, sold in the 1990s, but I don't know if that was a bought-in base engine or one of their own. The "K" might perhaps suggest Kubota?

 

 

That's the one. A quick google confirms that it was indeed a Ford tractor engine. The original Fordson Dexta 3-cyl diesel tractor used an engine which was a joint effort with Perkins, I don't know whether this was a continuation of that design or something started afresh by Fords.

 

 

Tim

[alan_fincher]

My current experience with a JD3 is not good

 

Richard

Care to elaborate ?

[Athy]

My current experience with a JD3 is not good.

 

Does it tend to plough through the water? It must be a harrowing experience.

[Alan de Enfield]

You could always COMBINE its benefits and PLOUGH on regardless

[MtB]

The BD3 that used to be in ALDEBARAN was a cracking good engine technically, powerful and reliable. Bit of a fraud though, masquerading as a vintage tug engine. I changed it because it patently was NOT vintage or anything like it, and made the boat sound more like a bus than a boat. The biggest problem though was the conductor who kept popping up with his ticket machine and demanding fares

[larkshall]

You could always COMBINE its benefits and PLOUGH on regardless

 

 

Eugh, I'd use a JD 8020 for that.

[mattlad]

My current experience with a JD3 is not good

 

Richard

 

 

Care to elaborate ?

 

 

Does it tend to plough through the water? It must be a harrowing experience.

 

 

You could always COMBINE its benefits and PLOUGH on regardless

 

Maybe it's a bit AGRICULTURAL!

[ditchcrawler]

I have a BD3 and it has the name FORD cast into the block. The manual I have with it is for a Lister Petter CR CRK List is cast into the flywheel housing and I understand it was actually made under licence by Perkins but I don't have any evidence of that. It was marinised by Beta.

It does get interesting at locks when you meet the chap who can tell you what make of engine it is by the sound, unless he says Beta, Ford,

Lister, Petter and Perkins you can tell him he is wrong. When people ask what engine I have I normally reply "A tractor engine"

[Athy]

I have a BD3 and it has the name FORD cast into the block. The manual I have with it is for a Lister Petter CR CRK List is cast into the flywheel housing and I understand it was actually made under licence by Perkins but I don't have any evidence of that. It was marinised by Beta.

It does get interesting at locks when you meet the chap who can tell you what make of engine it is by the sound, unless he says Beta, Ford,

Lister, Petter and Perkins you can tell him he is wrong. When people ask what engine I have I normally reply "A tractor engine"

Blimey! FIVE makes - it must be a Mongrel MG3.

Sounded nice when you came past our garden, though.

[dmr]

The Beta JD3 is a John Deere Engine (3029) marinised by Beta.

Because Beta mostly marinise Kubota engines some people think the 3029 is a rebadged Kubota but its not, its a true John Deere engine built at their factory in France.

A few boat builders have obtained the 3029 directly and marinised it themselves.

The 3029 is obtained via E.P.Barrus because they are the sole importers of John Deere engines.

If you want a 3029 you must go to Barrus, even a John Deere agent will not sell you one.

Beta get their 3029s from Barrus.

Barrus also marinise some John Deere engines themselves but as far as I know do not marinise the 3029.

Funny world!

 

........Dave

[RLWP]

Care to elaborate ?

 

It is sold as a pretty engine for a modern engine room. It seems inclined to smoke and drink oil, and in my opinion is bloody noisy

 

Richard

[dmr]

It is sold as a pretty engine for a modern engine room. It seems inclined to smoke and drink oil, and in my opinion is bloody noisy

 

Richard

 

They certainly can be a bit loud. Mine has good days and bad days as far as noise is concerned and I am still trying to get to the bottom of this.

How many hours has your engine done? How much oil does it drink? and is this a long term or recent issue?

We got our boat second hand with a very sick JD3 that used almost as much oil as diesel!. I replaced it with a new one which has now done 3000 hours with zero consumption. I suspect the running-in can be quite critical.

We get some smoke from the current engine, I suspect that smoke and canal boats go together. The old one made a LOT of blue smoke.

 

There are a lot of JD3s on the cut and a few owners doing some interesting experiments with them. Sad that we are not allowed a section on the "vintage" engine part of this forum.

 

..........Dave

[RLWP]

This one has done about 500 hours, I have reduced the oil consumption with an oil separator and changing where the breather is connected to. It still produces a good plume of blue smoke when sat idling or charging batteries

 

And shakes your fillings out

 

Richard