new to us '43 farmall h

We are now the proud owners of a 1943 farmall h. We have been wanting a tractor to blade the road to the house and the driveway for some time. We just never got to the point of "needing" it.

Last week a friend of ours called and asked if we "wanted" a tractor. It was given to him (if he wanted it) but he lives in the city and really couldn't use it, or even store it. Soo.. he came by, grabbed our car hauler and brought the tractor to the house. It even came with a blade. It hasn't been run for a couple years but it "seems" to be in decent shape.

I am new to working on tractors, let alone vintage/antique (is 43 antique?). The tractor came with a 1:24 scale model of the tractor and a reprint of the owners manual. I've learned quite a bit just from reading over the manual a few times and having the manual meant I didn't have to keep walking outside to look at things in the dark...

Since we have only had an account for a few days I can't post pics directly.. But here is a link to the pics I took on the 1st night/day of ownership (before we did anything to it)..

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10384420@N03/sets/72157611334782755/

It was perfect tinkering weather over the weekend (it was in the mid to high 60's and sunny) so I started looking things over.
I've dropped in a little ATF in the cylinders and turned it over by hand. It turned over easily (plugs out)..
It had a dead 6v group 45 batter in there (no battery box, it was held in by a battery hold down connected to plumbers tape underneath).
The starter tank has been removed
Front tires are in really rough shape.. Rears don't look "too bad"..)
starter button and magneto button have been replaced with a toggle switch and a different button + relay for starting)..
The carb leaks.. it looks like the gaskets are bad AND the float is stuck..

enough rambling....

I do have a question.. The battery (dead 6v battery) was installed backwards (negative ground) which I know was wrong.. I can spin the starter using a 12v jump box (went directly to the starter) and it is a positive ground starter.. With that said.. Would installing and attempting to use the tractor with a battery installed backwards (I think they tried to start it, but I have no idea how long ago) burn up anything? I'm assuming I should re-polorize (sp?) the generator and I'm planning on replacing the points/condenser. Other than that and the normal fluid/filter things (and rebuild of the carb) is there anything I really need to watch out for before I start it for the 1st time?

Thanks for any input you can give.. I know there is quite a bit of into here.. I've only been able to sift through 10-20 pages worth of message threads and already I've learned quite a bit.. I know I'll need more info (like how to tell the different hitches apart etc, what type of motor do we have etc)...

~Mark

Since the old battery was installed "negative" ground, you will want to polarize the system when you install a new battery with "positive" ground. I will correct you on the starter issue. The starter DOES NOT CARE if the system is negative or positive. The starter will still spin in the correct direction, no matter what.

(quoted from post at 10:00:01 12/23/08) Since the old battery was installed "negative" ground, you will want to polarize the system when you install a new battery with "positive" ground. I will correct you on the starter issue. The starter DOES NOT CARE if the system is negative or positive. The starter will still spin in the correct direction, no matter what.

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Thanks.. I firgured the generator would need to be re-polarized, at least I know I figured right

When I saw the battery was on backwards I took off the starter and put my 12v jump box to it.. If I put the positive on the "post" and the negative on the chassis of the starter nothing would happen.. When I switched around the wires the stater spun each time..

I did notice that it was pulling amperage when I hooked it up negative ground. When I would turn on the jump box and touch the clamp to the starter it would arc, but it would never turn over when I hooked it up as negative ground.

Does this mean the starter is going bad or is bad? Or should I not worry about it since it spins every time when I have it hooked up correctly. I even used it to turn over the motor just to make sure it was engaging correctly after I bench tested it.

~Mark

The series wound starter motor cannot fail to operate on either polarity. It is just a connection/paint on terminal issue. They just can't do that. They even turn the same way no matter what. Do not worry, it just seemed that way, it wasn't. If a mag, see if it works before "putting in new parts". Clean the points with very fine 340 or finer abrasive, then clean with a folded dollar bill. Mags are never connected to system electricity. the wire going to it is to ground the points to stop the engine. Connectign any electricity to it will probably toast the mag. The switch on the platform should be attached to ground on one terminal, and to the mag on the other. The use of a relay in the start system is not stock, but just fine if it works. Clean up the carb issues and fuel lines, and check the oil. Then see if it will run. Keep us in the loop. JimN

Cant go wrong at that price. Looks to be a pretty good machine
Paul

Bad News: It is a 1939, not a 1943. Good News: It is a 1939! It is relatively rare! The seat identifies it as a 1939. But, the serial number, if I'm reading it correctly has only four digits, indiciting it is among the VERY first made. If it is not a 1939, then at least it has the rare 1939 seat on it. The seat alone is worth the price of many H's on the market today. Also, it has an (added) three point hitch, which is going to be very handy. By the serial number, I believe yours was made on one of the first days of the second full month of production of the H. Farmall made four in July, did a full month of production in August, and yours was probably made during the first few days of September. Feel free to e-mail me if I can share any more info on the 1939. Congratulations!

FBH 13612 implies 1940 according to Guy Fay's book.

(quoted from post at 15:16:26 12/23/08) FBH 13612 implies 1940 according to Guy Fay's book.

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wow.. That could have been a bad goof.. That means its an early H.

When I was looking at the charts I must have seen 6 digits in our s/n.. a 13612x would be 43.. but since its a 13612 (5 digits).. that is indeed a 1940 in the list I used.. (http://pages.suddenlink.net/twcook/farmall-h/dates.htm)

Thanks for catching that...

P.S.
What is this "Guy Fay's book" I keep hearing about? and are there other books I should pick up?

~Mark

(quoted from post at 15:06:54 12/23/08) <snip> Also, it has an (added) three point hitch, which is going to be very handy. <snip>

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Hrm.. I didn't think that hitch was a 3 point. The lower mounts (where the implement goes) looked different than my neighbors 3 point hitch on his (as he calls it) cheap Chinese tractor

I'll take a few better shots of the hitch and put them up to make sure what kind of hitch we have.. Thats something I really need to learn about.. hitches and implements. So far, the only implements we plan on using are the blade and maybe a 2 bottom plow to rip up the driveway/road during the dry summer months so the blade can actually do something to the ground.

Who knows.. Maybe Yolanda will make a big garden and use the tractor to plow it? She already asked how long it would take before the tractor was ready so she can drive it.

EDIT: I just noticed I have a big pic of the back of the tractor.. Is this really a "3 point" hitch?
Link to Big Picture of back of tractor

~Mark

That is a 3 point hitch. It is a bit cobby, but looks stout. It needs ball ends in the rear of each lower link. and keeping the other joints greasy will be all it needs. The tractor has a platform (the seat is mounted to it) that is from a 1939, or early 1940 H. Thus it may be a hybred tractor. It needs a light bar and some wiring to see by night, and other than that it is very cool. The fact that the paint is still on the brake pedals means someone repainted it and never put it to use. Manuals are available on this site. Great tractor. Congratulations. JimN

The 3 pt hitch looks a bit put-to-gether but the whole style of the arrangement is very similar to that IH (UK) made available to the early Britsh-built Farmall BM tractors where they used the normal Lift-All system to power the 3 pt linkage with a cylinder on each side wit a linkage very like the ones shown to operate the lift-arms..

Wish I had a freebie with a 3pt on it. would make for a really nice tractor. Keep us posted on how she turns out.

It is a 1940 model year according to my book's.

Guy Fay and Andy Kraushaar, "Farmall Letter Series Tractors - Originality Guide",Motor Books International Publishing Company, Osceola, Wisconsin, USA, 1998, 160p

(quoted from post at 14:40:15 12/24/08) Guy Fay and Andy Kraushaar, "Farmall Letter Series Tractors - Originality Guide",Motor Books International Publishing Company, Osceola, Wisconsin, USA, 1998, 160p

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thanks.. I'll pick one of them up..

~Mark

That tractor is absolutely MINT! It must have been kept in a tight shed.

Update.. It runs.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Okm8fUNiQCo

I've driven it a couple miles or so.. I still have some work to do on it, like get a battery box, replace the plug wires, fix a leaking hydraulic cylinder, change belts etc..

But It's Alive!!!

thanks for everyones help so far.. It really helped me understand this new to me technology.

~Mark

I was able to take another video with less wind noise.. She still has a miss I'm trying to track down and a few leaks (sediment bowl is leaking some) but she is running pretty good..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rG0S4CK5L3U

~Mark

Mark,

This is terrific! That H is in [u:3d86d36bef]great[/u:3d86d36bef] shape!

Does the selector on the manifold still move?

Where do you live? Looks like high desert, CA or NV?

(quoted from post at 21:59:45 04/18/09) Mark,

This is terrific! That H is in [u:5f07ab136c]great[/u:5f07ab136c] shape!

Does the selector on the manifold still move?

Where do you live? Looks like high desert, CA or NV?

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The selector does move freely and from what I can tell, that is the exhaust leak I am hearing. It looks/feels like exhaust is coming out the side of the exhaust manifold (the side closer to the front of the tractor) where the pivot bar goes through the manifold.

I guess you could call us high desert.. we are just over 3500 ft here.. We are Southeast of Tucson, Arizona (tucson is 2200 ft) in what is called "Vail", even though we aren't really in Vail propper.

This is our "green season" since we haven't hit the beginning of the 100F+ days yet stuff is still growing from the winter rain (and 3" of snow we had at the house). We have had a few days flirt with 90F already so we know the 100F+ days are coming soon. I've already had my first good sunburn of the season..

~Mark

LOL me too! I was at the big antique tractor show in CA today, and forgot my sunblock. My neck is bright as a tomato.

Before I'd call the manifold the culprit, I'd tighten the manifold down. Bob Kerr (a member of this board) did that to my H when he was here, while the H was running, and I could hear the difference.

If you decide to replace the manifold, let me know. I'd be interested in yours, even if it leaks. I'd like to try to replace my selector valve.

Oh, for the leaky fuel filter bowl...

- Drain the tank.
- Take the bowl out
- Put teflon tape around the threads

Should help out.

Some more updates..

I fixed the sediment bowl by removing it and draining the tank and we changed the o-ring and it fixed...

Here are a few pics of her all gussied up..





We finally changed the front tires.. It took me a few to figure out an easy way to lift the front.. and the engine hoist was the ticket.. and Yes, she needs to be cleaned.. Its been a good 6 months and its always windy/dusty here..



~Mark

Looks great Mark. FYI: If you don't repost, the guys still using Classic View will never see the new stuff. Some of them are too stubborn to switch.

Mike,

Looks great.

Cool way to change tires... Alternate way to deal with tricycle front tire change. Drive the better of the two up on a block or brick ... ramp it up...or no ramp.. change the one that' s now clear... drive off brick and reposition new tire on brick and change the other.. Doesn't have to be a big brick... we used regular housing red brick (4x2x6 inch or so) to deal with a M growing up. Getting that two inches of clearance is all you need... getting stopped on 6 x4 inch takes a little practice (if you have a piece of stout 2x6 and several bricks you could be a litlle sloppier about stopping and gain 2 more inches, we usually didn't though). Never saw anyone lift the front on a tricycle for tire change... you picked a neat way to do it.

Congrats on a cool tractor,
Randy

I only use MODERN view. Nice front end lift idea! I do like the brick idea too.

CT