hotrodding the Model H

Does anyone modify H engines for more power?

Yes, it can be done. There are several different things you can do. If you have not already, post the the Tractor Pulling board too, you will get good answers here and on the Pulling board.

Increase the displacement
SH displacement is cheap with thin sleeves

Compression: popup pistons, Shave head. 350 head

A ground cam, or 350 cam and intake

M carb

Premium fuel and more advance (just a bit)

More RPM (maybe 500 max)

Some of these will still be field usable.

the expensive ones will not. JimN

Check pulling board archives for Chad S threads. Had some stuff for working H and couple stages of Pulling Hs. RN

Here is what i do on all my H's.... 1st thing I like to clean the carb or rebuild if needed. make sure you got unrestricted fuel flow 5 min minium. When rejeting the carb run it at 1/4 turn more open past it's sweet spot. next i like to put a shorter spring on the govener to increase rpm's to around 2000. Never let it run at 2000 with no load, also even if its under load dont hold it there for extened periods of time. You might need to adjust the limit screw to allow for more rpm's. I do it so i can get a "jump" on hills or other operations thast need just a bit more oomph. Advance timing 5% past the sweet spot. If you go to far you might get pinging. I get 90 octaine gas in my barrel so it hasent been an issue for me. Take the valve cover off and reset the clearence to specs. i belive .20 cold or .18 warm. Also another trick that i like to do is draine the oil and change the filter, fill it up with your fav oil. run it a few hours and drain again and fill it up with 4 quarts oil and one quart duralube. check oil level and fill to top check valve. also check the points plugs plug wires to make sure it is not missing. mabey go to a warmer plug if you have some oil burning going on. by doing these changes I think it adds 2 or 3 hp. most gained by allowing more fuel and increased rpm's and advanced timimg. There are more things you can do if you wann pull the engine down and build it to 350 specs.

bgarret: My advice from years of farming and 16+ new or near new tractor purchases, go buy a larger tractor. My dad bought a 300 when he should have bought a 400. We bought a 560D in 63, should have taken the new 806. We cranked that 560 up to 90 hp anyhow, the only tractor I ever did that with. Would I do it again, probably but I would prefer not to. Most of my tractors are still going some of them are over 25,000 hours by now including the 300. The 560 went to the bone yard back in 1978. Work it at rated hp, be happy that it will last another 60 years.

The best, cheapest, and most dependable way to increase horspower on H is to trade it for M.

now how in the heck did you make 90 HP by twisting the fuel screw? Must have been a turbo in there somewhere...

Wasn't it only a little while ago that you got "grandpa's" tractor ? Now you're worried about 3 point and more power. Those tractors were state of the art in there time and have survived 60-70 years. Restore it, put it in a shed to remember grandpa, buy yourself a new "hotrod" and write back in 5 years when it is tore up/malfunctioning or falling apart.

Rootsy: Actually I can't tell you other than there was no turbo involved. An IH dealer serviceman dropped by one day with a dyno, thus he'd have to tell you how it was done. He actually had it at 105 hp and backed it off to 90 hp, PTO of course. That took place when it was less than 1 year old, and the first set of pistons and sleeves went just a shade under 10,000 hours.

NDS: Exactly, I souped up my 560D, but that was a new tractor when it was done. Ran it that way over 10,000 hours. Put a clutch pack in the PTO every 1,500 hours. Had a cheapie engine job at 9,700 hours, by a guy who was going to save me money with nothing more than pistons, sleeves and gaskets. Guess what, at slightly over 11,000 hours it scattered two pistons, parts of block clear across the barnyard.

Proof, they took it for awhile when new, at 60 years old how long will they last.

Ive been modifying H-350's for years, and all of em except for one are still running. I dont know what your intention would be for this H so its hard to know what your looking for. But like mentioned before, a little work, have the 350 sleeve put in the H block and dial it all in, will be a good strong usable H for many many years. I have one H that is at 240 ci,,, been together for 15 years,,, and I would put it in the field and plow or whatever and I know it would do just fine and be reliable. makes an honest 70 hp. I have one,, that is out in left field,,, about 115 hp at rated rpm,,, thats the one thats not running, but it will be in about a week, and when its done, just might have to put the ol 2 bottom plow on to help break the new engine in. ChadS

Chad: How many 16 hours days have you worked those H's. Not many I dare say.

Ive used the ol stroker H on many occasions for farm work, its still goin strong. Id put these H's in place of any ol plain jane H any day of the week. Considering that all parts I use are IH, and not automotive parts in a working tractor engine. They are not race cars, they are tractors, and I keep that in mind. Once the tractor cant do any farm work, its kinda like having a trailer queen, nice to look at, but thats about it. I dont do things that way, I never have. Tractors have to have a purpose to do work, and yes, Id work em for as long as you can sit on the seat. JMHO. ChadS

One thing to remember, this is a Farmall H tractor,, and overloading the chassis for beyond its reason for working conditions are not recommended. For example, trying to pull a 6 bottom plow with a farmall H, or Weighting one up to 7500#'s to go pulling, its not what it was designed for. Treat it just like you would your everyday workhorse, and it will run as long as you take care of it. I run mine on both spectrums,, work and play, so far, Ive had real good results with some research, hard work, and good parts.

Chad: Don't hand me that nonsence, no one doing any serious farming today is using a Farmall H. My farming operation put well over 150,000 hours on tractors up to 150 hp, couple of them clocking up 1,200 hours per year. The last years I farmed my gassers were nothing more than spare tractors. With fuel prices where thay are in 2008, I'm not sure they are even any good as a spare tractor.

You start trying to utilize that 70 to 115 hp you claim and you'll have transmission gears competeing with NASA on fastest trip to the space station. You might be able to do a bit of that with a diesel, in fact I've done it, but never with a gasser.

Hugh, I can think of quite a few farms in this area still using an H or M for work like raking hay or an running an auger day in and out . These are the farms that will make it when times get tough because they run older stuff and they don't owe the banks a penny.

Ross: There are all kind of folks with 60s, 70s, 80, and 90s vintage tractors that don't owe the banker a nickle either. You mentioned jobs like raking hay or an auger, that's certainly not main source of power work. What are those same folks using for the heacy work?

Tut-tut Hugh, We are pretty serious about making a living farming and use an H all the time as our main tractor. We are truck farming, not trying to run 1000s of acres that net $25 per acre.


Greg

All that horsepower is nice for bragging rights but there is NO WAY you can put it on ground with H. Our H back in the day, with mild upgrade would spin out before it choked ubder most conditions and like Hugh said if you weight it to handle even 50 HP in full time work you can kiss thr trans/diff goodby.

Hugh, Have you ever seen the AD that M&W had with their piston kits?? one year or 1200 hours and that was it! I know in our area, its very common to see antiques doing field work. If you abuse a piece of machinery, and it sounds like you never have,,, you know something wil break, wear, etc etc. Lots of these pullers,, well, they are maxxed out, and nothing really left of the original componets to even classify it as a tractor engine anymore, race car maybe,,,, but workhorse,, NO. I keep my builds well with in the stock realms of the stock blocks, which means there is room for improvements or repairs. One thing you got me on is I run on the block, no sleeves, so yes blocks wil wear and when the time comes, overbore will have to be done. Well, thats fine, considering the overbore options I have came up with,,, up to .060 over from the bore we use. Im currently looking into making sleeves, dry sleeve inserts, for when it does come time for a refresh, it has the same rebuild proceedures that a plain ol tractor would have in stock form. I dont want to see tractors built to the hilt just to blow up 3 months later,, and I do honestly see alot of that happen, and it makes me sick!!!! I tried to do my best to build a bullet proof 70 HP H farmall. If I had the sleeves, it would be for sure. but, 15 years, estimated 1000-1200 hours on it now, and its still looks really good inside, Im positive about what Im saying. The dry sleeve will make it bullet proof. Even on the 115 hp model. But for now, with no sleeves, Ill go round n round till it needs bored, and go again with a .030 kit. By that time, Ill be old, and sleeves will have been built waiting anyways. A good operator that has mercy, and knows how to run it, will get satisfaction with any piece of equipment. Im not tryng to have a dispute or a pissin match with ya,,,, I have great respect for the guys who have been there and done that in the years before my time, and no way I want to see the old tractor drug out to pasture cause it blew up and no options for repair. ChadS

One time, I had seen a M farmall with a big block chevy,,,, the driver told me he was 500 hp. he broke 3rd gear. He revved it up to about 3500 rpm and dumped the clutch and SNAP!!! was that operators error or worn out tractor parts? Ive put as much as 125 hp into a H farmall drive train, hence the H with the 6 cyl engine I built a while back,,,, I sold it,, well, the tractor now has 3pt hitch, a loader, seen it in the fields just this week,,,, just as quiet as a church mouse, and well, he wasnt trying to pull a 6 bottom plow, or super revving it and dumping the clutch. if it cant be worked in the fields still, what good is it?? An expencive trailer queen is what it would be, or a one night wonder.

It is a pity IH did not have you on their staff when the 560s with the M trans/diff was spitting gears all over field.

can LA Sleeve do anything for you ?

Greg

Hugh- I'll name two farmers right off the top of my head. Both these guys row crop and raise livestock. 1st line up: 1566, 1066,826, 1800 Oliver and his M

2nd: 4850 mfwd, 4630, 4440, 2 4430, 966, and 2 H's plus a bunch of others that don't get used that often
I forgot he sprayed with the H's until 2 years ago, mows roadsides. The H's are fuel efficient on these jobs and extremely nimble.
No the H isn't suited to heavy field work but every year we see less tillage around here: Almost all beans are no till and more corn is going in no till or min-till..
I guess I still see farmers with a viable need for a 20-35 hp nimble tractor in this part of the Midwest.

Honestly, never thought of a sleeve till this conversation came up. But yes, the block can be fitted with dry sleeves for sure, just have to get a good deal on em. Do they have a website?

http://proxamerica.com/master.html