H Drawbar

The rear hole on my drawbar was badly worn. I got it wire welded, all closedup. What size hole should be bored in it? A 13/16 for a 3/4 pin, or 11/16 for 5/8 pin?

Gordo

I think 15/16" for a 7/8" pin would be correct, though looking at 3/4 and 7/8 pins I'm starting to think they're a little undersize. Gotta get out the old calipers and take a measure.

I think my H's take a 3/4" pin... Don't know for sure what was original, though.

Steven, I'll agree on the 3/4".

H's have the thin drawbar 5/8in and use 3/4 in pins. M's have 3/4in thick and use 7/8 in pins.

Yeah, I'm thinking 13/16 hole. There is a hole forward of the hitch pin hole that was never used, and it is smaller. (11/16). Don't know why this hole is there except for smaller implements?
If you could get all the way up there.

Like everything else on this restoration, this drawbar has been polished end to end with 80 grit flaps, filled, primed, block sanded three times.Probably have 4 hours labor on it, 40 bucks repair and materials. It looks like one long solid piece of marble. I HATE to even install it, let alone hook up a piece of equipment and pull it.

Don't ask why I do this. It's just the closer I get to the end, the more intense I am becoming in details. I guess it's because I know when I finish, I don't get to work on the old guy anymore.

I spent everal hours restoring wire clips this afternoon. Clean, hammer, straighten, prime, black paint. Man, I gotta get a day job.

Gordo

Not a day job, another tractor to work on.

There is a hole forward of the hitch pin hole that was never used, and it is smaller. (11/16). Don't know why this hole is there except for smaller implements?
Gordo

Click to expand...

That is for your saftey chain. 8)

Gordo,

It may be difficult to bore that hole with a drill bit. Depending on what kind of welding rod or wire was used, it may have many hard inclusions. I would try to go about 150 RPM and keep the drill pressure as high as possible (use plenty of cutting oil).

I welded up the very oblonged hole on the drawbar of my H. But I kept building weld in the elongated part of the hole..let it cool a bit..weld a bit more. Then to smooth it out, I used a carbide die grinder and got it pretty round.

Later I found a welder's trick that would have saved much time. You can buy carbon rods of common diameters (kind of like when we took big dry cells apart as kids). You put the carbon rod in the hole you are rebuilding and weld right up to the rod. The liquid steel does not run away or burn through the carbon rod. Use multiple passes until you have the top weld surface higher than the top of the drawbar. Same on the bottom. Let it cool a bit and smack out the carbon rod. It will shatter and you will have to use a small punch to get the pieces out, but you will have a good round hole and no machining necessary. I wish I had known this before I welded up my H's drawbar hole. Oh well, there will be other tractors with worn drawbars.

Good luck with your H project!

Paul in MN

I'm really lucky in this regard. Have a 5 generation machine shop at my disposal. Founder was CS Summers in 1884. Huge brick building, maybe 6000 feet, half dozen lathes, 6 milling machines, 2 planers, sandblast cabinet, parts washers, block cookers, crankgrinding/polishing,wire welders, plasma cutters, it's all there and he lets me fiddle around in there as my great grandfather was a mechanic in town at the same time.

The grandson, 70 years old, like me, is a master tool and die maker.His son and grandson are better machineists and welders.

They have an old piston knurling machine, reline brake shoes or discs,cut Safety plate glass, anything you can imagine. Shop labor at 30 Bucks and the guys are so fast you never pay for more than 1/2 hour. 10 dollars to tap out a manifold, 10 dollars to rebush clutch, and the beat goes on.

Gordo

Got that, an SMTA from a ND relative, that is coming along better because of the learning process.

Then there's my pinup girl, SH StageII, last week of production that is mint original, never touched, that I use for mowing, raking, general use around here. Have done 1500 dollars in new
parts on it, and that will be the final edition.

You are lucky, we had shop like that until 4/5 years ago, now if you do not have several thousand dollar job they do not want to be bothered.

We had to add iron to the bottom of the drawdar frame ( the part that the drawbar swings on) and on the drawbar its self both bent when we loaded them so put about a half inch or more on the swing and the same on the drawbar no more problems. We have also cut the hole out with a torch for pins to match up with the bigger tractors so we were not always chasing pins or washers.I'd guess the hole is now about 01" or 11/2.