Farmall M Diesel - worth toying with or a headache

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Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

• Jun 4, 2012

• #1

Thinking about toying with an M Diesel. Just for grins. Do the Diesels prove to be too frustrating to tinker on, or are they as reliable and straight forward as the gas models.

 

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sflem849

Well-known Member

• Jun 4, 2012

• #1

When you get them in shape they sure are sweet.

 

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d282

Member

• Jun 4, 2012

• #1

Not frustrating, just very expensive to fix them up right.

 

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gold1456

Member

• Jun 4, 2012

• #1

Yes very high cost but nice when done. Im working on my second one now.

 

OP

OP

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Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

• Jun 4, 2012

• #1

There is one near me, that the seller sais is running on 3 cylinders. I suppose dropping a rebuilt head on there may fix it?

 

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sflem849

Well-known Member

• Jun 4, 2012

• #1

There is no way you could guess. Could be low compression, bad injector, bad pump, bad head, bad head gasket...

 

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tractor vin

Member

• Jun 4, 2012

• #1

could be a few thing,bad injector,bad head gasket,weak injection pump,bad valves not opening on diesel side,I would start by figuring which cyclender ,then crack line to see fuel,then injector

 

Janicholson

Well-known Member

• Jun 4, 2012

• #1

I would own another in a heart beat. I bought one that was stuck for 150$ in 1995. I got it running for time and effort, no parts. It is still operational in Northern Montana. Jim

 

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Iowawill

Member

• Jun 4, 2012

• #1

Known to be head crackers. Interesting motor configuration but impresses me as complex. However I'm no mechanic.

 

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mike1972chev

Well-known Member

• Jun 4, 2012

• #1

Can be an E X P E N S I V E engine. A COMPLETE overhaul will break the bank !!!

 

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sflem849

Well-known Member

• Jun 4, 2012

• #1

(quoted from post at 15:37:58 06/04/12) Can be an E X P E N S I V E engine. A COMPLETE overhaul will break the bank !!!

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Not as bad as you think. My WD-9 is shaping up to be $500 in labor and $1500 in parts. I am using some used parts to bring the cost down some. That $1500 should get you all NOS components.

 

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mike1972chev

Well-known Member

• Jun 4, 2012

• #1

That is getting away pretty well off!

I am talking head repair(cracked/needs valve guide work,needs new valves??)),ALL machine work(Block tanked,MAYBE re decked???)new cam bearings,sleeves presses,crank turned,)Cam reground,Timing gears might be SH!T??? Lifters either replaced,or re surfaced?Some push rods were bent or chipped????Rocker shafts need re bushed???All new bearings and gaskets. ,FE pump rebuild,injectors/cups redone,might have to hunt down new steel lines for the injectors to pump????new oil pump,Water pump rebuilt,Starter rebuilt,new ring gear installed,fly wheel resurfaced,The front pully needs a "speedy sleeve" on the sealing surface??? generator rebuilt,Heli Coils EVERYWHERE !!! ECT,ECT.(Did I forget anything???

If the entire engine was "smoked".It would cost A LOT more than your $2000.00 you have in yours.

BTW,MOST guys I know refuse to look at all of their parts/labor reciepts and tend to lie to themselves(AND their wives,lol) about how much they "dumped "into their engines!

 

Janicholson

Well-known Member

• Jun 4, 2012

• #1

They crack heads only when not warmed up, or cooled down correctly. Not following procedure is tough on every vehicle. Many new cars get their first oil change when the light comes on!
Complex OK-- show me a 4 cylinder diesel that you can hand crank to life in the winter! The MD series and others with that design, can be!
What is complex? Multi valve DOHC Fuel injection, electronically controlled Emission controls with air conditioning. Jim

 

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Paul from MI

Well-known Member

• Jun 4, 2012

• #1

My neighbors MD has never been overhauled. His grandfather bought it new, and to my knowledge the engine has never had anything major done to it. Last I looked at the hourmeter, about 15 years ago, it was over 9,000 hours. I'd say that if operated correctly they are pretty durable engines. It got a lot of hours in the winter hauling manure, 2-3 loads everyday, because it would start when none of the newer diesels would.

 

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sflem849

Well-known Member

• Jun 4, 2012

• #1

I think some of the stuff on your list is bordering on restoration rather than rebuilding an engine. My parts and labor on the head was $300. That was only exhaust valves because the intakes were good. The labor on my block will be around $350 (they just gave me the quote on Thursday) My parts are cheap because I am using hopefully good used parts. The bearings will be around $500. You can buy a NOS WD-9 rebuild kit off ebay for $1600. Some guy just put it on there last week. That is the first I have ever seen a complete NOS kit, even on ebay. Usually you have to buy pieces.

The MD is a much easier process than that.

 

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nosih

Member

• Jun 5, 2012

• #1

the kits that have appeared on ebay are not NOS,
they are new made kits out of India.

 

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Andrew Z

Well-known Member

• Jun 5, 2012

• #1

Send me an email, and ill be glad to tell you anything you want to know about these critters...

Andrew

 

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sflem849

Well-known Member

• Jun 5, 2012

• #1

(quoted from post at 06:52:01 06/05/12) the kits that have appeared on ebay are not NOS,
they are new made kits out of India.

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They should still last me for the rest of my life and I'm half the age of most guys on here.

 

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JRSutton

Well-known Member

• Jun 5, 2012

• #1

*BTW,MOST guys I know refuse to look at all of their parts/labor reciepts and tend to lie to themselves(AND their wives,lol) about how much they "dumped "into their engines! *

Ha - amen to that!

 

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mike1972chev

Well-known Member

• Jun 5, 2012

• #1

I would say most of us on here get WAY too much money involved in our work tractors/hobbys .(whichever way you are looking at it.) But We all love them and like me,HATE!!!! to see anything not running. Everytime I pass a junkyard with FRESH loads of good,usable farm equipment,I get a little "teary eyed." I just guess somethings are just in the past??

OK,Enough drama from me today! lol

 

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Iowawill

Member

• Jun 7, 2012

• #1

I guess I should have said compared to a straight gas engine of similar vintage as in an M. Mine had a cracked head when I bought it.