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M/Super M Gear Shift Levers with single or double bends

A

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member
I have a 1953 Super M Farmall which is apart and in the process of rebuilding and restoring. My question involves the gear shift lever and excuse me if I am not using proper terminology. My Super M has the gear shift lever which has what I would call a single "bend." I have seen some models of the "M" with what I call a crooked gear shift lever, which as I recall, has two "bends." I seem to recall seeing a Super M with this same type of gear shift lever, too. Can anyone give me an indication of why the different gear shift levers and what the purpose was? Secondly, what tractors would have, or should have had this crooked gear shift lever with the two "bends?" I have talked to a couple friends of mine who are pretty knowledgeable about Farmalls, but this question stumps both of them.
 
My late fether once told me that the later Ms had the bent lever to make it easier to shift.My Super has the extra bend too-I bent it to keep it from bashing my left knee!
 
My Super Was built in 52 Has two bend shifter. Personally I think when they switched the line from M to super M they just put what interchangeable parts they head left from the M's on the early supers .If its built in 53 prolly one bender though.Whats the serial ?

Larry O
 
3145.jpg
 
On a SM the change from double bend shifter to single type bend was made when the battery box was moved to under the seat. It was one of the changes made to install the engine driven hydraulic liftall attachments. Changes to the tractor chassis were made on regular SM F-28175 or L-504802 and higher serial numbers. First built sometime in march of 53. Changes were made to the chassis after the serial numbers even if the tractor was still equiped with the transmisson driven hydraulics.
Shifter could be a replacement to the tractor and thats the type someone installed also. If just looking at the bends part of the M tractors used single bend ones. Also the H, SH.
On a M I think the double bend levers started showing up sometime in 1947. Have to look in my note book to double check.
 
Dave, do you think that some tractors got the bent shifter and some didnt? We have a 53 Super MD (Stage II) and a 54 Super H (Stage II) both with the unbent shifter. Only other thought was that maybe the replacement shifters were the unbent ones? Also both tactors came from the orginal owners and were pretty much untouched. Just some stuff to throw into the pot :)

Andrew
 
Andrew, the way I read D Slater's reply, single bend is CORRECT for "Stage II" tractors.

Double bend would interfere with the under-seat battery box.

Now here's a question for ya: Did the 1954 SMTAs have the "shepherd's crook" shift levers like the 400?
 
(quoted from post at 20:20:29 09/22/11) I have a 1953 Super M Farmall which is apart and in the process of rebuilding and restoring. My question involves the gear shift lever and excuse me if I am not using proper terminology. My Super M has the gear shift lever which has what I would call a single "bend." I have seen some models of the "M" with what I call a crooked gear shift lever, which as I recall, has two "bends." I seem to recall seeing a Super M with this same type of gear shift lever, too. Can anyone give me an indication of why the different gear shift levers and what the purpose was? Secondly, what tractors would have, or should have had this crooked gear shift lever with the two "bends?" I have talked to a couple friends of mine who are pretty knowledgeable about Farmalls, but this question stumps both of them.
Click to expand...

Could it simply be that the old one wore out and someone replaced it with one from an earlier tractor?
 
Mkirsch, i see that now, read that one before the waking up fully today! And Gary is correct the Super MTA has the older style, not the 400/450 style. My question is could you take a Shifter off a 300/350 and put it on a Super H? My father has been complaining for years about the shifter hitting his leg, hits me to on the Super MD too but not soo bad.

Andrew
 
(quoted from post at 07:15:16 09/23/11) Mkirsch, i see that now, read that one before the waking up fully today! And Gary is correct the Super MTA has the older style, not the 400/450 style. My question is could you take a Shifter off a 300/350 and put it on a Super H? My father has been complaining for years about the shifter hitting his leg, hits me to on the Super MD too but not soo bad.

Andrew
Click to expand...

The shift lever on the 300/350, and the 400/450 are totally different styles, with much different mounting techniques. I beleive there is actuall a "tower" that bolts to the trans cover, and the shifter is then installed in the tower.
 
There is, that we know. What were trying to come up with is grinding the end of the shifter down and using that in a Super H. The cast tower wont be used in this case. What where trying to figure out is will the 300/350 fit in there without hitting anything.

Andrew
 
Think we mean the same thing. Stage 2 SM one bend just above the spring. Stage 1 a bend down low and another on up. SMTA same shifter as a stage 2 SM.
 
300, 400 type shifters are longer from the pin hole to bottom end. To put one in a SH it would need to be made shorter between pin hole and the lower end. Have no idea if it would clear everything when shifting after that was done. Top of the 300 shifter would swing farther than it did in a 300 because of the pin to end distance. Original shifters or others can be bent about anyway wanted or welded for different lengths
 
(quoted from post at 01:20:06 09/23/11) My Super Was built in 52 Has two bend shifter. Personally I think when they switched the line from M to super M they just put what interchangeable parts they head left from the M's on the early supers .If its built in 53 prolly one bender though.Whats the serial ?

Larry O
Click to expand...

That would explain your battery box :D

Edit - I looked at the online parts diagram and it says
SUPER M FARMALL TRAC / 336 CHASSIS, SEATS AND SUPPORTS, FOR TRACTORS F-501 TO F-28174 AND L-500001 TO L-504801
Click to expand...
used the old style battery box. I don't remember what your s/n was, but I would guess it is below 28174.
 
(quoted from post at 17:58:02 09/23/11) So mine is a Stage 1 ? it has live hydraulics looks factory.
Click to expand...

Yes, your tractor is a Stage I. No, those are not factory (at least for an M) live hydraulics. I'm not good enough to tell you what brand the pump is. For starters if it were factory live hyd it would have a fancy cast iron res under the tank and not have belly pump. From what I can see (and saw in your other post) your tractor is using the belly pump as it's res.
 
I believe what people refer to as the different "stages" of the SM were simply the old parts being used up and being replaced by the new ones on the assembly line.

Mine's a hermaphrodite according to everyone here. Belly pump, with underseat battery. I keep getting told it should have the battery under the tank or live hydraulics. I know it came out of the factory this way because my grandmother bought it new late in 52.

Having the old style seat with the battery under the tank simply tells you it was made earlier in the production run.
 
(quoted from post at 04:52:32 09/25/11) I believe what people refer to as the different "stages" of the SM were simply the old parts being used up and being replaced by the new ones on the assembly line.

Mine's a hermaphrodite according to everyone here. Belly pump, with underseat battery. I keep getting told it should have the battery under the tank or live hydraulics. I know it came out of the factory this way because my grandmother bought it new late in 52.

Having the old style seat with the battery under the tank simply tells you it was made earlier in the production run.
Click to expand...
Mine too #16262 CJ has alot of the old parts on it it was built Nov 52.So leads me to belive that when they switched the line to Super in march they used up the parts they could.Then swithed battery location in 53.
 
I could be wrong on the year. I know it was used as a demonstrator by the dealer then grandma bought it in late summer or early fall, she got that one because it had a used price on it.
 
(quoted from post at 04:52:32 09/25/11) I believe what people refer to as the different "stages" of the SM were simply the old parts being used up and being replaced by the new ones on the assembly line.

Mine's a hermaphrodite according to everyone here. Belly pump, with underseat battery. I keep getting told it should have the battery under the tank or live hydraulics. I know it came out of the factory this way because my grandmother bought it new late in 52.

Having the old style seat with the battery under the tank simply tells you it was made earlier in the production run.
Click to expand...
Sounds like a Louisville SM to me. Most all Louisville's I have seen are stage 1 (non-live hydraulic) versions with battery box under the seat. Let us know what you have.
Mike
 

Fellows if you have a SM gas with a starter mounted by 2 bolts its a stage one. If 3 bolt starter mount its a stage 2. Hydraulics were a attachment, so a stage 2 could be bought with a belley pump. There was several changes to the chassis from stage one to two, starter, clutch housing, battery box location are some. So unless the SM tractor has parts added or switched in its lifetime, a 2 bolt starter is a stage 1 and a 3 bolt is stage 2. No ifs or ands about it. This is non diesel SM tractors I refer to.
lblock the hydraulic pump on the tractor is a M&W brand.
 
So What should be there instead of the m&w one?what its bolted too has 52 cast code .Forgive my ingnorance wouldnt be the first time you guys saved me lol
3168.jpg
 
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