W-9/WD-9 series engine parts rarity/scarcity???Why is th...

I have been reading the various post on here by the "Veterans"on this forum about not being able to get pistons/sleeves/bearings for these engines redily available. Why is this?

From what I have been reading on here,they used these same engines in other IH appilcations.Were they just NOT that popular back then????

(Trying to learn something new for the day!

I think its because theres no row crop version of the tractor! While there werent standard versions of th A,B, & C tractors ,those engines were used for years, and numbers were probably higher than stationary units, and Cubs were built into the 70s. Also numbers of the 9 series were probably alot lower than say the Hs and Ms. (This applies to the newer versions of each - 300, 400, 600 etc., etc.)

my view on the matter is there was no demand for the parts as farmers went on to newer tractors. these tractors just got parked and forgot about. parts became obsolete. as i said they were just big and clumsey and farmers wanted something better. the w-6 was a far better tractor than the 9 series. the w-6 was basically copied right to the 560. the 9 series came to an end with the 650, and never did have a good reputation.

Rustred,

Were these tractors just not that useful?I know they were non adjustable tread width and set low to the ground,but didnt they have good power and usefull for SOMETHING???? That was a big engine.What DID they use these W-9s mostly for anyway

close to 300,000 m versions built.
close to 400,000 h versions built.
less than 70,000 9 series built.
the 600 was only built in 1956 and guessing only around less than 2000 built.
the 650 from 1956 to 1958 and around only 12,000 units. so yes thats a big reason why.

yes very useful to the big farmers on the prairies. lots were hooked in tandem and used to pull large equipment. once they increased the bore to 4.5" in the super and reworked the pump these tractors were very powerful. there was also an overbore kit for 4 5/8". this is also a very sought after kit.they pulled a 5-16's plow. could pretty much pull what the 660 did. i have a wd9 and the super wd9 and the diff. is like night and day between them. the wd9 is around 50 hp, while the super is close to 70hp. also the pinion brgs did not stand up in the diff. i believe these tractor just got worked to death also, which did not help their reputation.

Thanks for the info Rustred!

I think I am a little "spolied" for the Row crops/M series. I grew up and lived in Indiana my whole life. The abundance of M series tractors was always big here in the southern half of the state.I guess it did not hurt being located between 2 Farmall plants either???( Louisville and Chicago)When I was a small kid,I seen "RED" everywhere around my family's places.

Maybe if I had lived out west,I might have seen a W series in action? Heck,I dont think I had EVER even seen a W series tractor untill about 15+ years ago !!! (The internet has opened a WHOLE new world for me! lol)

Where were the W-9s/Super WD-9s built at???

I have the W9 I grew up on. It has never been overhauled. It runs as good today as the day Dad bought it in 1956. We pulled 12' disk and grain drill with it for many years and then moved to manure spreader for 15 more years. One tranny bearing was replace and valves ground that is it. The low rpm made them last. They just didn't need to be overhauled very often. So no demand for parts. Eventualy ever one quit stocking. Now we must pay. Still my favorite tractor. By the way put them in a wheat field and they are not clumsy at all. Just my two bits worth.

I would dare bet that there wasn't a single request for an engine rebuild kit for a 9-series at an IH dealership from about 1962 up until about 10 years ago when collecting started to get "big."

The big old lumbering hulks are only good for going slow in a straight line. Once something better came along, and the equipment got too large for the 9's to pull, there was no use for them.

Can you imagine running wagons with a WD9? Raking hay? Moving equipment around the yard?

The Farmalls remain handy around any farm to this day. Demand for parts hasn't done anything but increase.

Mike, a few of those Wheatland tractors wound up here in my neighborhood in Southern Michigan. Around here they were plowing tractors. Kind of a mix of the fact that some of the ground is quite heavy clay, and a few guys felt they needed the power, and the old time Neighbor's rivalry of who can get done the fastest. There were a few of the Wd-9's, JD 80, and a few guys even went as far as TD-6's and Oliver cletracs. One neighbor had I believe a D2 Cat he pulled a 4 bottom with. Those old school big tractors weren't unheard of in my area. -Andy

(quoted from post at 08:29:09 01/27/12) I have the W9 I grew up on. It has never been overhauled. It runs as good today as the day Dad bought it in 1956. We pulled 12' disk and grain drill with it for many years and then moved to manure spreader for 15 more years. One tranny bearing was replace and valves ground that is it. The low rpm made them last. They just didn't need to be overhauled very often. So no demand for parts. Eventualy ever one quit stocking. Now we must pay. Still my favorite tractor. By the way put them in a wheat field and they are not clumsy at all. Just my two bits worth.

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Was that a disc and drill at the same time??? 12 foot would be a pretty small disc for a 9 around here.

(quoted from post at 07:52:52 01/27/12) close to 300,000 m versions built.
close to 400,000 h versions built.
less than 70,000 9 series built.
the 600 was only built in 1956 and guessing only around less than 2000 built.
the 650 from 1956 to 1958 and around only 12,000 units. so yes thats a big reason why.

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Don't forget that the gas vs diesel 9s used totally different bearings, rods, and pistons (IDK about sleeves...but I should really look into that...) so that subdivides your 70k.

(quoted from post at 08:20:34 01/27/12) Thanks for the info Rustred!

I think I am a little "spolied" for the Row crops/M series. I grew up and lived in Indiana my whole life. The abundance of M series tractors was always big here in the southern half of the state.I guess it did not hurt being located between 2 Farmall plants either???( Louisville and Chicago)When I was a small kid,I seen "RED" everywhere around my family's places.

Maybe if I had lived out west,I might have seen a W series in action? Heck,I dont think I had EVER even seen a W series tractor untill about 15+ years ago !!! (The internet has opened a WHOLE new world for me! lol)

Where were the W-9s/Super WD-9s built at???

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IIRC they were built in Milwaukee. That is another thing that makes them BA for me since it is withing 45 minutes of me. I don't know where the plant was or anything like that. I will check a book on where they were built when I have more time. I should have left 10 min ago...

Yes disk and drill, our land lays hilly so 12' was plenty.

(quoted from post at 21:32:40 01/27/12) Yes disk and drill, our land lays hilly so 12' was plenty.

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Sorry, I meant a 12' disc only would be easy going for a 9. A 12' disc and a 12' drill would be a lot tougher pull.

I've always thought I'd kinda like to have a W-9 to "play with", but the parts being scarce and expensive has sort of "cautioned" my pursuit.
I spent a lot of hours on the W-6 we had on the farm where I grew up and once got to plow a couple of rounds with a W-9 that a friend of my Dad's had. With that little bit of running it, I was surprised that it handled pretty nice. Pulling 4 bottoms with it, it was a little bigger rig than I was used to, but with the bigger front wheels it steered easier and with bigger rear wheels too, it sure rode a lot better.
Fast forward to the relative present, a friend who collects any amount and kind of tractors he wants has a nice W-9. At one show in the area this friend had his belt driven M and W dyno there checking out tractors for anyone who wanted theirs checked. I had my recently overhauled and "warmed up a little" John Deere G there and took advantage of this opportunity to check it out. After doing the belt check the dyno owner told me my tractor had about 3 to 4 more horsepower than his W-9, but about 2 horsepower less than his stroked Farmall M had. The G had 62-62 horses at 10% over speed and 58-59 horses at standard wide open throttle speed. I'm not trying to brag, I just thought it was odd that his M had more power than his W-9 had. He pulls the M and the W-9, but both in heavier classes (7500 lbs.) than I pull My JD G (6500 lbs.). So I guess I gotta find a thousand more pounds of weight to pull against them.

I have a few of the W series tractors in various states of disrepair. Some still work in the field, especially my WD-9"s and one Super WD-9. If someone was to start reproducing engine parts it would be a gift from god to me. Finding parts has reached the point of impossible in my opinion. Sometimes you can "luck out" but not often. I agree, it gets down to the production numbers being lower than the Farmalls so the usual repro companies just don"t see the 9"s as a good market.

The 9 series tractors were not meant to be "yard tractos" or haying tractors. They were work horses meant for hard, heavy pulling and in my opinion they did it well. A "9" will outshine a "6" in the field. I run both and enjoy it, a W-6 or WD-6 does not have the same power and the steering is awful compared to a "9". I pull a 5-14 plow with a pony press drill, 15 foot cultivator, or 15 foot disker with my Super WD-9. It is a nice load for the tractor and it works well--even in river valley gumbo. The Super WD-9 has 12000 hours and the engine has never been apart. If you take good care of them they will last a long, long time.

A little long winded, bought thought everyone might enjoy the story from the field.

I would bet if a small group of W 9/WD 9 owners in need of parts would get together,a SMALL run of pistons/sleeves/rings/and bearings could be done? I know asa far as custom pistons for our RACE stuff,anything can be done.I can get sleeves and bearings made for just about anything.


It would take a commitment of a cash deposit to the manufacturer,but the BIGGER run of parts ordered,the CHEAPER it would be for EVERYONE!

A big enough quantity would make it affordable,but it would take a mass order.

I like your idea. I don"t have any experience having engine parts manufactured so I am curious what the cost would be. A couple of years ago I did speak with the owner of Berkshire Implements and he wanted $2100 for the only set of sleeves he had left (Gulp!). I have been trying to buy some water header plates for a WD-9 but can"t find new ones either so I have been tossing around the idea about trying to get some manufactured for myself and a few extras to sell just to see if there is a market for that sort of thing. Yes, I had also thought about pistons & sleeves as well. Is anyone else interested out there?

(quoted from post at 23:06:03 01/29/12) I like your idea. I don"t have any experience having engine parts manufactured so I am curious what the cost would be. A couple of years ago I did speak with the owner of Berkshire Implements and he wanted $2100 for the only set of sleeves he had left (Gulp!). I have been trying to buy some water header plates for a WD-9 but can"t find new ones either so I have been tossing around the idea about trying to get some manufactured for myself and a few extras to sell just to see if there is a market for that sort of thing. Yes, I had also thought about pistons & sleeves as well. Is anyone else interested out there?

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I heard LA Sleeve is around $1200 for a set of custom made sleeves. I have to tear into my third parts motor before I start looking into custom made engine parts.