1940 H need the nitty-gritty

Shutter control rod mounted where exactly? What was avl as an option vs standard equipment. Intake manifold number? Head casting number? What cast iron pistons would have been put in a "true" gasoline model this early?

Would it have had a mag ignition, or was electric start and lights avl from the start. It has modern replacement lights so I don't really know what was there originally.

Will one of Guy's books give me all of these details? which one or do I need everyone he ever wrote?

Any other specific detail, no matter how minor that you have come across during your adventures.

I need to replace the frame rails. Do these also have casting dates on them?

This one I want to put back together completely as stock if possible; just to say I did it once; & leave grand children something special to remember.

I don't want to raise a rucuss over whether a single gas fuel version was ever released this early, I believe it was and resides in Crete NE now. Guy if you are out there reading this -- uh what do you say?

So can you fellers help me out here. I've worked on more Green iron up to now. Yea, I was younger and more impressionable back when. JD seemed like the whole world and our 4020 is still king of the hill.

Thx SKK

Thx for the detail. skk

I imagine someone out there has an actual 1939 or 1940 parts book. Maybe they will chip in here.

My experience is that the books don't truly tell you the real situation. My brand spanking new 1974 Chevy pickup came with an electronic HEI ignition according to the shipping order and literature of the day, however, the item was deleted by the factory and a distributor installed instead. Cost me $99 to order the HEI unit, from Chevy, which I then had to put on myself, adding insult to injury.

In my experience, gray hair is the most valuable commodity there is when trying to put something like this all together, and very old pictures.

Or maybe I just like talking to old folks like myself. Most of the youngster's think I am nuts!

:)

Don't you mean "forged not cast". The part that attaches to bellhousing is welded to heavy, not standard, weight 4" channel and is still manufactured today.

I believe some of the early right hand channels of the '40 H still had the tractor serial stamped in as were all the '39's. It will be found at the front top flange of the channel.

I have a '40 H and memory tells me that the shutter crank mechanism penetrates the rear gas tank mount in a hole punched for that purpose.

Are those rubberized mounts still available anywhere for accurate restoration?

He was cleaning one of his antiques with a coffee can of gas and a paint brush. The metal portion of the brush shorted against the battery terminal of the starter. He lost a tractor and some of the use of his right hand.

Thankfully, most of us have survived the foolish behavior of our youth with no permanent injuries.

Get real. Don't be building this for your progeny. Do it for your own satisfaction. The odds are better than 50/50 your collection will be auctioned off after your funeral.

If I were to die tomorrow, I know my relatives would ship everything as fast as possible. They have no idea what has value and what is junk. It is all junk to them. Heck, they might not even try to sell the stuff. They will probably pay to have someone scrap everything. They won't even bother to notice that iron is worth around $200 per ton. To tell you the truth, I really don't care. I am not living to create a legasy.

My health is fine. I am 62 and look twenty years younger. I don't feel any different than when I was in, let's say, Vietnam. My uniform still fits. The last time I was a patient in a hospital was when I was four. I don't have a family physician and don't need one. I am in MA.

I envy you. Just got home from having knee surgery this morning and had the nerves burned out of my back last Friday.

Only going on 55 and body is falling apart on me. Course maybe it was carrying around engine blocks by hand, 10,000 bales a summer, jumping off things? Who knows.

Hope you keep kickin that Grim Reaper in the butt for another 60 years, or run him down with a Farmall.

Thx for your info and good humor.

He inventory's what I buy so my wife's brother can't claim it is his. Down to the wheel weights.

The stuff won't be auctioned off--but the kids won't hold on to the farms for very long. They think they are too much work. Foolish kids. They like acreages. Humbug! You never give away Tera!

I only do what I want, for my own pleasure and self-satisfaction. Went back to college in my mid thirties. Just something I wanted for me. Kids think I just wasted a lot of money and time.

Point is I think you can do this sort of thing both for yourself and your kids. Hopefully they will physically help and maybe gain a little ownership in the process. Might even learn a thing or two from the old man yet as well.

Also this way my son lets me see my tools too. I understand know why my dad use to get so mad at me when he couldn't find his wrenches. Payback I guess.

Seeing that you don't have an ignition, there is one little detail that you might miss. The kill switch is different on the early mags. Instead of grounding the mag with an electric wire, you need a mag mounted pull switch to kill the motor. The switch is connected to what looks like a lawnmower throttle cable and terminates with a brass knob at the rear gas tank mount. 90% of these switches have been tossed and the kill function converted to the later style. You will probably find an illustation of the switch in the parts book.

Do you have any pictures you could send me of the proper setup?

Also can you tell me if the original style rubberized motor mounts are still available?

Thx skk