Servicing a John Deere 5500? For this 5000 series tractor you can pick from more than 180 parts, among them electrics, lighting and trailer couplings.
A John Deere 5500 from the 5000 range is the tractor many farms reach for whenever the big machine is too much. It gets started many times a day and does a lot of short runs, and that shows in the parts that eventually need replacing. There are more than 180 John Deere 5500 parts on this page, from GRANIT, HELLA, VICTOR REINZ, LUK and ROCKINGER.
For starting there are standard starter motors and gear reduction starters. Before you replace a starter, check the battery terminals, the earth strap to the block and the heavy cable to the starter. A corroded or loose earth gives exactly the same symptoms as a worn starter: just a click, or an engine that turns over slowly and unevenly. Measure the voltage at the starter itself while cranking. If it drops a long way even though the battery is fully charged, the problem is in the cables, and a new starter would only mask it for a while.
If the tractor is being split for clutch work, change the pilot bearing at the same time. It is a small part, but if it seizes later you will be splitting the whole tractor again. On a thermostat, look for the opening temperature, which is usually stamped on the part.
A water pump usually announces its end with a drip of coolant from the small weep hole under the shaft, or with play when you rock the pulley. Replace it in good time and flush the cooling system while you are at it. Old hoses that are hard or cracked at the clamps can go in the same job.
For the cab there are gas struts for the windscreen or door, an air suspended tractor seat and beacons. For hitching, ball drawbars mount on the rail at the back of the tractor.
To be sure a part fits, first confirm on the type plate that the tractor is a 5500, as the 5000 range includes many models. The old part often carries a John Deere or supplier number that you can compare with the product details. For every other tractor from the brand, each with its own page, go to John Deere parts.