Offset Farmall question

I assume some of you know this, I've just never had a reason to investigate. On top of rearend housing two 5/8" threaded bosses used in the past for hand lift levers as well a Super A levers for split rockshaft for two way plow. My tractors have all had cork in those holes since new. Last week I chose to use those two holes to mount a shade umbrella on my 140. The cork was in bad shape, could definitely leak. I didn't take time to check this on 140, just used 5/8"x1-1/2" bolts with lots of gasket black around plate for umbrella.

My question, are those holes open to the rear end on bottom, or do they have a cast in place bottom? If they are leaking water into rearend, I'm thinking I should dig the cork out on SA and 130, replace it with a 5/8"x1" bolt with ample supply of gasket black.

I know some of the drawbar mount holes on final drives have cast in place bottoms, and if one uses too long bolt he can break out that thin cast bottom.

If and when you had the cork out you should have looked and checked the bottom of those holes. My 41 B still has the corks too.

I really doubt if the holes go all the way through. If they do then the fender mounting, etc holes for the H-560, possibly higher probably do too, and they don't. Those holes I have run a tap in to clean the threads before use, the tap bottoms out.

They are blind holes. The corks were put in at the factory to keep the threads (and the holes!) from filling up with paint. As with the drawbar bolts, it is possible to pop the holes open with a too long bolt. If the cork is still in place, that probably hasn't happened.

Teddy: Yes, I should have, however I was in a hurry, trying to beat the weather. I know the holes are at least 2" deep, as I used a match stick to check and see if it would take the 1-1/2" bolts I had on hand. Not that it would take 1-1/2" bolts to hold the umbrella.

My thoughts are if those holes are 2" deep, then there is no bottom and the hole is indeed open to the rearend gears. If that be the case, my 130 is 5 years older than 140 and Super A is 10 years older than 140. Those corks look good, but so did the 140, and as I dug it out, it was quite apparent water could leak by the cork.

I changed the transmission-rear end oil about 3 years ago in 130 and 140, SA just last winter. They don't sit outside in rain much. They do get worked 10 hour days quite regularly, yet I'm seeing water contamination in oil. Quite unusual in working tractors. I have my shift levers somewhat water proof, however if I know the tractor will be out in rain, I put a bucket over the shift lever.

Last month my 140 sat out in rain with bucket over shift lever. I know the oil level was right day before. Next morning I drained off about 1 quart. When I'm working my tractors transmission, final drives, hydraulics, crankcase and radiator all get checked daily, thus I know what is going on. This did not happen few years back if a bucket was over shift lever.

Even if the holes don't go all the way through it sounds like cleaning them out and sealing them up is a good idea. Water sitting in the bottom of the hole can't be good. You can blame the water in the oil on Al Gore's global climate change; that seems to be responsible for everything else these days.

IH usually put a reinforcement on the oil side of mounting holes to provide both rigidity and thread substance. I have dug out five corks on various IH/Farmalls into blind holes. JimN

Jim: Just curious about the terminology you and Jim N are using when you say blind holes. Are you suggesting a hole with a cast bottom is a blind hole? How about the holes on sides of torque tube on a SA, 130 and 140, most of those don't have bottoms? Are those blind holes as well? I know this as I have most corks out of torque tube.

As I told Teddy, I know these holes in question on 140 are at least 2" deep. I used a match stick to check if using 5/8"x1-1/2" bolts I had on hand would be safe to use. I didn't want to break bottom, and I didn't want to get tangled up in rear end gears if there was no bottom.

I put gasket black in there to seal around bolts and threads. I'm thinking if those holes are at least 2" deep, very likely there is not a bottom. If that be the case and if corks are as bad or worse than my 140, then a lot of water could go down those holes. There are a lot of tractors out there with corks and a lot older than my 140. All I want to know, does the hole have a bottom?

Blind, in this case, means the hole is not a through hole. The casting was made extra thick at that point to assure sufficient depth to drill a pilot hole, then tap the hole (probably with a normal tap, then a plug tap to chase the threads almost to the drill bottom angle. Putting a cork only into a trans housing with oil on the other side is usually not done. If it is into a dry torque tube, No real issue. JimN

I know jsut the holes yoiu refer to, Hugh. Mine had the bolts for the cultivator lifts still in them, and I put them right back. I did poke around though, and they are blind holes, i.e., there is an iron bottom to them, so you won't be gathering any water in the tranny from them. Still, I may never chase down the cultivators I want for the tractor, but the bolts seemed like better and more durable plugs than corks.

Yeah, blind holes like the drawbar holes as opposed to through holes like the torque tube. I found 2 open holes (no bolts, no corks) in a parts tractor (a B). I could measure 1 1/4 into one hole and 1 1/2 into the other. Who knows how much junk has accumulated in them. Clearly there was a bottom to hold the junk. If they had been through holes, I would have punched through at least one of them. The heavy support for the pneumatic lift cultivators is 1/4 thick material and is supposed to be held with 1 1/4 bolts.

Jim, Scotty and Jim: Thanks for clearing this up. I guess being an old farmer, the term blind hole could mean a lot of things.

I can think of one, young lad I had working for me was going to reach down a gopher hole, rather stupid idea I thought. We had a tank or clear water going to supply sprayer. I suggested we stick the 2" discharge down the gopher hole. Let me assure you, had he stuck his hand down there, I'm certain it could have been called a blind hole

Hugh. Assuming transmission case of Super A (part number 8846DA) is identical or close to that of 140, this photo might be of help. The holes you're asking about are blind. From top of case (where the holes are) to protrusion on inside of case I measured approx. 60 mm (2 and 3/8 inch), which matches the 2 inches depth you measured. As you can see all holes from outside the case are blind. HTH, Hendrik
http://i723.photobucket.com/albums/ww237/farmallholder/TransmissioncaseSuperA.jpg[/IMG]]Inside of transmission case Super A

Not very good at posting pics. Another try. Please bear with me. Note the oil galley (sp?) on the right.
<a href="http://s723.photobucket.com/albums/ww237/farmallholder/?action=view&current=TransmissioncaseSuperA.jpg" target="_blank"> </a>

Hendirk: For some reason I was not able to bring up your photo. While I have never checked part number on 140, I believe it to be same casting as the SA. The PTO shield I sold you came off that same 140.

I was in a hurry the day I installed the umbrella, wanted to be sure the 1-1/2" bolts I had on hand wouldn't bottom out. I checked the holes with a match stick. One thing I did notice was one of the corks and the threads in that hole had deteriorated somewhat. I had a tube of gasket black, decided to paste that around threads and plate, at least keep water out of threads.

It was only after the fact I got thinking, maybe these holes are open to transmission and rear end gears. My Super A and 130 still have the corks in those holes. If you had asked me 2 months ago if I would ever use those holes, I'd have said no and corks are best left there. I never dreamed anyone was going to hire me to cultivate 105 acres of cabbage either. 105 acres turned out being roughly 50 hours in southern ON sunshine, thus the umbrella was much apreciated. After seeing the condition of those corks and threads, I though maybe I should do SA and 130 as well.

By the way fuel consumption on the cultivating job was 2.8 L per hour or roughly 1.4 L per acre. I asked Tony if that 100 hp tractor with cab and 6 row cultivator, he wanted me to use, would have been as efficient. He said, on fuel probably not, on the contrary old codger in the seat, probably yes.

I couldn't bring up the photo either :-( so I added another post.
Talking about efficiency, did you make any profit on this job for (Dutchman!) Tony?
My father and my grandfather had a 3m (10 feet) wide toolbar setup on their Super A for cultivating (with shovels) sugarbeet on 0.5 m (20 inch) rows. I do not think they ever did 2 acres per hour, like you did. For how many rows of cabbage is your SA equipped and what is the row spacing of the cabbage? In the Netherlands a lot of Brussels sprouts are grown; these are on 0.75 m rows.

See part number and casting date.
<a href="http://s723.photobucket.com/albums/ww237/farmallholder/?action=view&current=Transmissioncase8846DA.jpg" target="_blank"></a>
The corks are still in place:
<a href="http://s723.photobucket.com/albums/ww237/farmallholder/?action=view&current=TransmissioncaseSuperAtop.jpg" target="_blank"></a>

Hendirk: I'll respond to your e mail, I think I have these two holes sorted out now. The part of this that had me confused, I knew the holes were 2" plus deep, thought to myself they must not have a bottom.

I never thought of them being deeper, however I see by your photo they are deep.