International 340 loader

[queen of spades]

Hi all,
First post here. I have a line on a couple tractors, one of which is a International 340 loader. The man selling it said that the engine is locked up from sitting 10 years - he mentioned something about water getting in the cylinders - no idea what I'd be getting into there. He did say the engine was rebuilt before it was parked, and that the tractor ran good. The machine comes with a set of brand new clutches that haven't been installed yet.

The tractor is about 2 hours from me, and he is asking $1,500. No pictures, as he is an older gentleman and not up with "modern technology".

How is parts availability for the old 340 crawlers?

Also, he said that his machine has a ROPS cage, but I've yet to see a 340 with a rollover cage installed. Did IH offer this from the factory, or would this be something custom?

[queen of spades]

If I have this in the wrong forum can someone point me where it should go for some replies? Post above is about the 340 tracked loader.

[brian falcone]

i have a 1965 international t340 track loader. the gas engine is the c135 engine . this engine was used in the 340 tractor and a few other machines. the engine block for the crawler is not identicle to the block used in other tractors. engine rebuild kits are all over ebay including pistons,liners and bearings. international did not offer a factory rops or canopy for this machine, however an aftermarket logging canopy was offered by an outside manufacturer.tractor supply stores sell all kinds of fuel and ignition parts for these crawlers. internal steering and brake parts can also be found online.but beware...under carriage parts are next to impossible to find. rollers,sprockets,chains are no longer made and anygood udsed parts you find will be pricey. if you plan on keeping it then your best bet is a parts machine. i only use mine maybe 20 hours per year. its more of a show machine than a workhorse. id post pics but for whatever reason this site makes it difficult. as far as price goes...1500 for a non running t340 is a bit high. if it wont start then you cant see if it has other issues. i paid 1500 for mine and it was in usable condition. id offer him 800 bucks...figure 4 tons of scrap at 200 a ton. then again if you did buy it you could part it out and get your money back. good used tracks will sell forwell over a grand. i love mine but like i said. i see them as hobby machines. they can do a decent days work but if you break something you could end up with an expensive lawn ornament.

[brian falcone]

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p...r175c/t340.jpg

[brian falcone]

[queen of spades]

Went out to look at the tractor today. How's the undercarraige look from the pictures? The sprockets look pretty decent, but I'm not sure what constitutes high wear on the links/pins. The grousers seem to be in pretty good shape, from an untrained eye.

Current owner clarified engine issue. He said that he was getting water in the oil when he last used it. He parked it, and the water that was in the oil (he thinks) rusted up the cylinders and stuck the motor. He says he is positive there isn't a cracked block.

I'm not as concerned about the engine since I can still get parts for it apparently. The undercarraige is what I'm most concerned with now.

[queen of spades]

Here are a few more photos

[brian falcone]

that undercarriage is in nice shape...bushings are nice and round. rails look good. sprocket is good and front idlers are also nice. thats a 340a series.with a 3040 loader on it. either 1964 or 1965. id offer him 1k...only because you are unable to run the machine to look for issues with clutch,steering,tranny . he can say it ran fine but its been sitting a while. if your willing to do the work to the motor then id say go for it. i think a rebuilt kit for the engine with new liners and pistons is around 700. i just noticed that one side of the pads are rivited and one side is bolted to the chains. international rivited the original chains when the crawler was new...all replacement pads and chains were bolted together.the bolts on one side tell me the original chain was rebushed at some point and they boltedthe rail back on after pressing new pins/bushings. make him an offer

[brian falcone]

also noticed both of the bucket cylinders are missing . along with one of the steel lines that goes to them . these machines had a pump in the tranny to power the hydraulics. water could have found its way into the tranny from that missing hose. does he have the missing parts ? it may be better suited as a parts tractor.

[queen of spades]

also noticed both of the bucket cylinders are missing . along with one of the steel lines that goes to them . these machines had a pump in the tranny to power the hydraulics. water could have found its way into the tranny from that missing hose. does he have the missing parts ? it may be better suited as a parts tractor.

He pulled the cylinders two weeks ago. I saw them on the ground across the drive from the tractor (they looked in good shape).

[brian falcone]

i think it would be a good purchase if you have a little money to invest. they are nice machines.fairly easy to work on, and you can move them with a bobcat trailer. i just added the drott 4in1 bucket to mine. i think even if you decide you cant fix the engine, you could easily get your money back by selling the undercarriage alone. just one good roller can sell for over 100 bucks and theres 10 on there. my machine required extensive cosmetic repair . it was very rough when i bought it. i spent another 1k on a parts loader with good tracks. and maybe another 700 on paint,lights,wiring seat repair, decals and lots of time hammering out dents. post any progress you make with the tractor if you buy it.

[brian falcone]

this is what it looked like when i bought it ....needless to say my wife and even my father didnt agree with the purchase and figured the machine was too rough to ever look good again.

[queen of spades]

So I read that it only has 45 hp - accurate? Just wonder how this would compare to say, a ASV RC-60 or Takeuchi TL130 sized machine.

[brian falcone]

a modern tracked skid steer will work circles around the t340.its not even close. we have a cat rubber tired 216 skid loader at work and even that will out produce the international. its 50 year old technology. the only thing i see the t340 has over the tracked skid steer is purchase cost and steel tracks. like i said i love my t340 but i wouldnt think of trying to make a living with it. but as far as stuff like trail clearing , pulling logs ,pushing up scrub brush the t340 works well. i even used it for a day to haul some wall rock in from the woods. all in all its a decent little machine to have around.

[queen of spades]

Like you say, the entry point (assuming a new engine and some hydraulic lines is all this td340 would need) is very attractive. As is the overall machine weight, and the fact that I could pull with a bobcat trailer (10k).

I just worry about getting into it and finding that the steering clutches are bad, ect. This could wind up being a bad choice for a first machine. Then again, if all that's wrong is the engine and getting some hydraulic lines.. wow.. $1500 is very affordable.

Still not writing this one off -- however, I got a call today about a JD450 loader (unsure of year) that is reported to be in good condition except for steering clutches. Owner says that the engine starts very easily, just a bump on the switch gets it going. Says it has a new bucket & tracks. He is asking $2800 for it. Down side, is that the machine is MUCH heavier than the TD340, so I'm not sure I could two it with a full size pickup like I could the IH. Also (less of an issue) it is a good 2 hours from me.