what would you do with my 47 M?

We just had our first daughter but I've been putting some $$ away because I knew this day with the old tractor was coming. So I have some $$ but I really don"t have any time or the tools or experience to slit a tractor and do the work involved.

I have the local IH dealer, who has a fair amount of experience working on M"s, giving me an estimate to do an in frame overhaul of the motor (rings, pistons, rod barings, etc., internal stuff) as well as the clutch, rear axle seals, and while he has it apart put in a new radiator and steering gears and bushings (front wheels shutter really bad going down the road, lots of steering play from a front loader I no longer use). We're not doing the mains because it runs very high oil pressure currently so they were probably done before I got it.

I won't have a firm estimate until the end of this week at the earliest. Any ideas what I should expect??? I"m guessing around $3000, possibly $4000.

I'm also considering just getting another tractor for that amount of money. The only reason I'm leaning towards fixing the old M up is because in the past 5 years I've replaced the hydralic hoses (2 hookups in back, 1 up front), fuel system, ignition system, tires, brakes, hoses, belts, lights, etc. The tranny is tight and so is the rearend, and both are very very quiet. The PTO works flawlessly, the tranny never kicks out of gear, the tractor always starts and runs perfect.

The old M also has very strong 3point, live hydro running off distributor gear, 12 volt (gm alternator), loader w/7" snow bucket, new firestone rubber 3 years ago, plus all the other work I've done replacing the ignition, fuel system, brakes, seals/gaskets, etc. It could use a new hood and nose to be presentable at shows but other than a few dents the paint is only 10 years old and is fine (with the exception of a few scrapes from trees mowing).

I've had the M for 10 years and after the work is done by the shop the only thing left to do to her mechanically is put on a new steering wheel.

So while paying $3000+ to finish fixing a tractor I bought for $500 10 years ago seems absord to my wife, I know what I got and I know what I"ll have after the work is done.

So what would you do? Fix it or sell and replace it?

thanks,
Mark

But I did call the IH guy I've been working with back today and ask him to bid it two ways. The original way with the inframe OH, radiator, steering gear/bushing, clutch, and axle seals and then everything minus the engine OH. As others have said a little smoke and a little oil burning but no fouling or compression or power loss means the engine probably still has some (probably alot) good hours left in her so it can wait a while.

On the clutch, with my luck it'll go out when I'm plowing 3 feet of snow with it.... so I want to get it done before it goes out. The steering is so loose I can't really take it on the road anymore above 3rd gear so that needs fixed. The radiator, well, I guess I might do that. It's easy, I'll see what they charge for it, but it needs to be done also. To keep the orginal radiator working I have an old cap that doesn't hold any pressure and leave the fluid down a few inches for expansion. If I put a new cap on the radiator it leaks and blow out everywhere.... The original radiator is rotten....

I'll of course let you guys know what I decide and thanks for all the information. It's been very helpful planning this out!!!

thanks,
Mark

Does the engine use a lot of oil? If not and fouling plugs is not a problem you have time to think and work and plan. Those old engines will run a long time yet after they start smoking a little blue. As others have suggested get a good shop manual, IT manuals have almost always given me what I need but I believe there are better ones.

It's not having any plug fowling problems as of yet. So like you said it probably has some time yet before it needs to be done.

thanks for your help!
Mark

You are going to save a boatload of money doing it yourself, and that won't even be as big a factor as firing the old girl up knowing you are the one who fixed it.

Is the tractor smoking a lot, or just a little? Maybe you can do the clutch this year and the rings next if you run out of time? How is the compression...could it be valve seals, not rings?
If so, maybe some engine treatment might soften em up.

If you do the work yourself you could afford another tractor, and this is how one becomes a tractor collector....and then a tractor nut....and then tractor poor....and then.....

Well, good luck.

I have a "53 john deere 70 that was my late grandfathers I pulled up from the weeds where it had sat for the better part of a decade and got her running again. I put a couple grand in her only to find out she still needs a new crank, alot of machine work to the head, new exhaust manifold, and something in the rear end is lightly grinding under pressure...

So alot of it is I"m burned out from working on the JD... I"ve worked on the JD for a few years now and hearing it run brings back alot of good memories on the farm. Just yesterday I decided that I"m going to stop working on the JD until I get a new building up so it can sit in one spot tore down for a couple years and I find a parts tractor (or the one I have become the parts tractor for a better condition one that needs restored).

And more importantly for it to sit until I enjoy working on it again. I don"t know, I can"t explain why, but I just don"t enjoy working on the "big projects" on them anymore. Little stuff like a new ignition system from the battery to the spark plugs is fine. But I feel a sinking feeling when I think about pulling off a head, pulling out busted off bolts/studs, all the stuff that goes with working on a nearly 60 year old tractor.

And on the side, with the arrival of our first daughter, I burned up almost all my vacation time. My vacation and sick time is one bucket of time (PTO) and I really only have enough time built up to be sick (once....). I don"t have any vacation time to take off to work on the M or anything else.

And the evenings and nights are burned up helping take care of the new baby and spending time with her and my wife as well as mowing and stuff that has to be done around the place.

I know it saves alot of money, but I"m just that burned out right now.

On the M smoking, it"s not smoking a whole lot. You can barely see it out of the stack unless the govenor kicks wide open, it"s mainly in the breather I notice it when sitting on the tractor mowing. I haven"t tested the compression but it doesn"t act low on compression nor is it down on power at all. I"m sure the motor would go a couple more years until it smoked like a chimney so just having the clutch done now and waiting on the engine a copule years is an option.

I was just thinking that if I took it into town and got the clutch work done I would have the rest of it done at the same time and be done with the work I don"t want to do. Leaving the stuff I would like to do like add another hydralic connection to the side so I can run a 2 way cylinder off the side (log splitter), new sheet metal, and a new steering wheel, and then maybe an umbrella and fenders, and then some flag holders and run her in some local parades.

I guess the more I talk about it the more I want to have her fixed up. She"s a good old girl!!!

thanks,
Mark

Fix the M. You'll enjoy it.

JoHn