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LenRahilly
11-28-2006 09:10:10
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Re: Need help to identify my Dad's Farmall in reply to Kathy Kaminski, 11-19-2006 13:38:15
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Kathy: You've rec'd some good advice from some very helpful people. A couple of thoughts of my own:
1) Since the tractor hasn't been run in several years, the cylinders are going to be DRY--the little oil that is on the walls and pistons will have run down into the crankcase. The sparkplugs should be removed and a little oil sprayed into the hole, if possible around the top of the piston. I use "gun oil," which comes in a spray can and has a plastic spout. It is very light and easy to use, and should provide just enough lube so the pistons and rings don't scrub and scratch the cylinder walls. I wouldn't use WD-40 or the like, because it is more like kerosene than oil. After starting, in a little while the engine should provide its own lubrication (check the oil pressure gauge after startup).
2. The carburetor should have some sort of drain on it. These tractors could be ordered from the factory with a gasoline carburetor and manifold, or with a "kerosene-distillate" carb and manifold (it's easy to tell: the k-d model had a little auxiliary fuel tank; as I remember, the cap sticks through a hole in the hood). The k-d carb has a little spigot that you can turn to drain the carb (another story, which would take another paragraph to explain). The gas model probably has a pipe plug that can be removed if necessary to drain the carb. The whole point of all this is that old gas gums things up badly, and if there is any old gas in the carb, it should be drained out. More likely it's evaporated by now, I would think. Sometimes, old gas that's been left to sit too long plugs up the jets in the carb. Had that happen to me this past summer, with a lawnmower that hadn't been run in several years. By no means should you use any leftover gas in the tank. It is fairly easy to drain a tank by undoing the fuel pipe where it connects at the carburetor. Be aware that gasoline is VERY volatile and gives off vapors that can be ignited by any sort of flame nearby (don't smoke!). The very early models of H and M had a seat support made in two parts: straight back from the pivot point near the spring, and then up at an angle to reach the seat. Might be a little more interesting to a collector. The later models had a (to my eye, more beautiful) one-piece, round, curved pipe-like seat support.
Some farmers who needs light tractors find the machines of this vintage to be very useful, and, of course, cheap to buy compared to new stuff that probably runs to the price of a car, at a minimum. I know a fruit and vegetable grower who has several H, M, A models of International tractors. Might be a suggestion for your advertising, if you don't sell this to one of the fellows who's been writing.
Used to live near Lansing. Sorry I can't come out and have some fun getting the old girl started. I helped my father farm with two different H's (a '41 and a '51) for probably 15 years, so I am fairly familiar with them. They were a little light on power for what IHC claimed they would do, but they were a delight to drive compared to the tractors that they replaced (F-20, specifically--a brute to ride on all day).
I have some repair information on these tractors, so if I can help, drop me a line at: fieldrahilly@adelphia.net
Len Rahilly
Lebanon, NH
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