Engine Locked Up

Just got my 1943 Farmall H started for the first time since I have had it and probably in the last 5 to 6 years.

It ran for about 5 minutes before I tried to put it into gear. Found a reverse gear and then a forward gear (not sure of gear pattern as this is my first tractor). Well, the tractor moved forward about 2 foot and then died.

I tried to restart it, but it acts as if the engine just locked up. I can not get it to turn over with the starter or with the hand crank. I made sure that it was in neutral and no luck.

Any suggestions on what I should do next?

Thank you for your time,

Daniel

This was/is my first tractor. It is set up for LPG and does not look completely right as far as the propane set up. I just installed a rebuilt magneto and got spark, so I said to myself what the hell lets see if this bad boy would start. Well much to my surprise, it started. I was told by the previous owner that it had ran. I began to disbelieve this. Well I did get it started, but I feel it may have been a while.

It does have oil, but I did not check to see if it had oil pressure when I had it running. I stated that it had been running maybe five minutes. That would be a really good questimate, but very close.

I will check to see if it is stuck between gears in the next day or two. I do not have the ability to try and start it with the clutch pushed in as I am one person and my starter button is inop I was using jumper cables to kick the starter over until it started. Did not want to buy a new switch until I had a good idea that it would run.

Thank you all for all of your responses. You have been a tremedious help and I do not wish to scrap this tractor, so I am hoping the engine is not seized.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again,

Daniel

Any advice?

Thank you,

Daniel

If the tractor will roll with the transmission in neutral, then you don't have it stuck in two gears. It also would not have moved 2 feet.

IF you discover that it is indeed stuck in two gears, you will need to remove the shift lever so you can center and align the three shifter rails inside. The end of the shift lever is probably worn, again from 60+ years of use and/or abuse. There's the chance that it could have slipped out of one shifter fork before the tractor was completely out of that gear.

Before you get too far into that, though, try the simple things. These tractors are 60+ years old, and the starters and ring gears can be badly worn. The starter drive may be bound up in the ring gear on the flywheel. Put the tractor in 5th, with the ignition off, then rock it back and forth. You should hear a slight pop from around the starter, and the engine will spin free.

I did put a new starter on it last week as well as a new magneto. Starter does kick over, just not turning engine. Will try the 5th gear idea when I get home from work tonight assuming I can find 5th gear.

The engine turned over very easy by hand before I ever tried to start it.

Thank you again,

Daniel

R 2 4

1 3 5

Daniel