Super M Torque Amplifier: will tractor still function if...

The Farmall Torque Amplifier is a new thing to me. I expect to look at a Super M in a few days and I lurk here enough to know that a lot of older Farmalls have failed TA"s. My novice question is....does TA failure make the tractor unusuable? Or can it still be operated and used but just have no TA features?

Thanks. The one I am going to look at may be in a spot where I cannot move it, but only hear the engine run. That makes it difficult to test gears and TA.

I like the M"s and have never owned one. But I hear that TA"s are expensive to repair.

Dennis

Yep the tractors is still useable. You are correct that you will not have the TA features. I am not sure about the cost of rebuilding one as I have yet to do one.. Good luck with your find.

Generally, the part of the TA that most often fails is the lock-up sprague clutch that only functions when the TA is in low range. It needs to lock up so the power will be transferred through the planetary reduction gear set when the TA disk clutch is disengaged when you pull the lever back. If you hear a major whirring sound when you pull the TA lever back, the sprague clutch has failed. You still can use the tractor in high range indefinitely without damaging anything further. If the TA works in both ranges, that is no guarantee that the sprague clutch will stay locked up under load. When TA"s start to fail, there is usually a period of time where the low range will work part of the time, and not work the rest of the time, before you lose low altogether. Even if it does work, I would avoid using low when going up hill, because the sprague could release part way up and the tractor would be free wheeling at that point. Also, by design, there is no engine braking when going down hill in low range, so always keep it in high on any hills. I have re-built a few of these over the years, but not in a while. I think you could expect to pay between $750 and $1000 for a re-built unit on an exchange basis.

My father-in-law used his SM-TA for years with the TA non-functional. The result was you had just the regular transmission ratios to use like an M or SM without the TA.
Replacing or rebuilding may get into the $800+ range depending on what is needed. My sons & I tore the TA apart & determined it was worn to the point it was more ecomical to replace.

I forgot to add that you have to have the tractor in gear and driving it to determine anything with the TA. You also really need to drive it if at all possible in order to hear any other unusual noises that may indicate serious problems in the transmission, such as worn or chipped gears, failed bearings, etc. Unless I was getting the tractor dirt cheap, I would never buy one without driving it, if it was driveable. I'm only telling you this because I got burned once. Bought a tractor with a recently overhauled engine, which ran real sweet, but I couldn't drive it very far or open it up on the road before I bought it. When I got it home, I found it had a clunk in the rear end when going down the road. I pulled the top cover and found a bunch of teeth broken off three transmission gears, and some had gone through one of the bull pinion gears and had broken chunks out of three teeth. That was the clunk. Driving it won't tell you everything and you are always taking a chance when buying an old tractor, but at least you will have a little more peace of mind, especially if you are paying top dollar.

Thank you all. That is a great help. Any M that I might get would only see light use as we don't have very much land. A functioning TA may be un-necessary for me, should the price be good, (although I am not familiar with M values). One M that I hope to look at has a wide front end and loader. Old loader. I'm not sure how the M's front ends hold up under loader use, but if it turns out to be OK now it would take a very long time for me to use the loader in a fashion that would hurt it.

I like Farmall M's and H's.

Dennis

Good way to test a shaky TA / Clutch is to put it in road gear on the road and see if it slips...

You said a Super M... The only M with a TA is the Super MTA manufactured in 1954. 52 and 53 Super M's did not have provisions for a TA. Also, some SMTA's had a TA delete right from IH...

Keep the clutch / TA linkage adjusted per the manual and it should last a long long time.

I rebuild t/a"s and they are around $525 with a 1 year warranty for a standard t/a. If you would need the kit with the t/a pressure plate, and disk and the gasket kit it would cost about $750. You can get by cheaper with a t/a elimination but I wouldn"t reccomend it. If you were going to do the work you just as well replace it and have high and low gears.

If it has a TA, it would be a Super MTA. The tractor can still be used with the TA lever forward, (high range). If the TA is bad, then the tractor will not move when the lever is pulled back, (low range). So yes, the tractor can still be used, with the TA lever forward (high range).

the TA was designed for field work.that is if you got in a heavy pull, you did not have to stop and shift to a lower gear.just pull the TA lever back to give you more power to get through the tough spot, and then put it back to direct.they were not made to be used all the time.only when needed.if you dont overload the tractor you dont need it.