Farmall M or Super M

FarmallZach · Jul 9, 2009

Okay I posted a few days ago to ask weather or not I had a super M or a plain M. I looked and it has the C-264 above the oil filter and on the top of the rear end it has 12 4 X. Also has disc brakes. So my tractor is a real early production super m then? and on the early ones did they still have the big Farmall emblem on the front hood cause it has all the holes for it?

D Slater · Jul 9, 2009

No they had the small IH emblem. Lots of grills got changed over the years. If the part with a date code of 12-4-X is original to tractor, it was probably assembled in early 53. Most everything on a 52 and early 53 is the same.
You can find out what month the tractor was made from the engine serial #. Provided the engine is original.

Bob M · Jul 9, 2009

Zach - Sounds like an early SM alright.

You can get an approximate build date by noting the date codes on major castings like the block, head, transmission case, axle housings, etc. Date codes show the day/month/year the part was poured at the foundry. Generally (but not always...) a tractor was assembled within a 6 - 8 weeks of the dates showing on the castings.

For an early Super M date codes will look like this: aa-bb-X, where

aa = the day number
bb = the month number
X = 1952

Report back what appears on yours!

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The holes in the grille sheetmetal could mean the grille used on yours was one left over from the last production run of the M.

Or perhaps somewhere during your SM's 57+ years of service the original grille got beat-up and a replacement swapped in from a boneyard M.

D Slater · Jul 9, 2009

Zach, look forward on the side of engine about the same level as where the C-264 was found. There should be a small flat that gets machined flat when the side cover surface is machined. You should find the engine serial # stamped in there. First Farmall SM tractor engine for 1953 was 25432 and around a 800 lower for a Louisville model. Thats calender year, so if the engines original that may give you a idea. If its higher the tractor would be a 53. If lower it would fall under the question as to when IH started there year they call 53. (fiscal year or not) If the serial # is much higher than a few hundred over 113000 the engine could have came from a later tractor that used a C-264. If no serial # it could be a replacement part.

Red Mist · Jul 9, 2009

Sounds quite a bit like an early SM to me.....
mike

Farmall M or Super M

FarmallZach

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D Slater

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Bob M

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D Slater

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Red Mist

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