Farmall WD-40?

I had always known that these existed, but never really knew much about them.

I was reading some IH history the other day and learned that the WD-40 was probably the first wheeled diesel tractor.

Does anyone have some photos of a WD-40 that they could share? Or anyother information?

Was this the same basic engine that eventually went into the MD or was it completely different?

Thanks in advance for any information you share.

Actually they are McCormick Deering WD-40, not Farmall WD-40. Farmall was the name IH gave to their row crop tractors, having adjustable axles to better handle use with row crops. The WD-40 is a standard tread tractor.

The engine is the same thing, only different. It is a start on gasoline and then switch to diesel like the MD but the MD is the next generation of that design.

Here is a video of one plowing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elf9hqboDDk&feature=related

There are some other WD-40 videos there also.

Marty - I believe you are correct - the WD-40 was the 1st production wheeled tractor.

The WD-40 start-on-gasoline diesel engine was conceptually similar to the MD engine. However it was a completely different engine: 355 cubic inches for the WD-40 vs 248 for the MD. AFAIK it shared no parts whatsoever with the MD engine.

Incidentally the WD-40 was marketed as a MCCORMICK-DEERING, not a Farmall.

I believe the WD 40 engine was very similar to the TD 14.

the WD40 was 460 cu.in. not 335. it also switched over to diesel automatically after running for about one minute.the MD'S and WD9'S and the rest were all manual changeover.

(quoted from post at 10:26:51 05/12/10) the WD40 was 460 cu.in. not 335. it also switched over to diesel automatically after running for about one minute.the MD'S and WD9'S and the rest were all manual changeover.

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Excellent information. For some reason these early developments in technolgy always interest me.

Thanks for that WD-40 ad sheet. Cool to have.

Yeah the TD 40 cylinder setup was migrated to the TD18 and then to the TD14. 461 cubes for 4 cylinders, 691 for 6. Pretty much no other parts change.

Bob M, the 335 is the 9 setup you're thinking of.

WD-40 is actually a pretty stout horse. Essentially a 4 or 5 or even 6 bottom tractor depending. It had to compete well with steam engines to be successful, and had to run on what could be poor fuel and do it fairly efficiently. No easy task in those days. Steamers pulled more bottoms, but most didn't actually plow that deep either. Machines like the WD-40 went a bit faster and didn't need all that support to keep it fed. Running a steamer is a 2 to 4 man operation, so a fuel tractor compares well in cost per acre. The oil pulls were too similar to the steamers in many ways. Size, cost and slow gearing worked against them in the end. That's why a WD-40 was considered nimble for a workhorse. It was all part of the tractor downsizing that was going on.

FYI, the auto switch over is a little gear box that counts off roughly 800 revs and switches. Problem is, when the engine is warm you don't really need that much time and they suck that gas tank dry pretty quick. On the plus side they will idle on well less than a gallon an hour, so most weren't shut down much.