1945 B - its alive!

Well, we brought another Farmall back to life and saved her from rotting into the ground or the scrap yard.

Last Saturday we finished putting it all together and fired her up. Dad was still in town and he was the "lead mechanic" on the project. My niece's husband Travis and I were gophers/bolt tigheners, LOL. That's ok, I'm 41 years old next week and Dad still treats me like a youngster. I guess when I'm 73 I'll do what I want also!

The first start-up was pretty funny. After getting the valves adjusted close enough, we spun her over and after a couple of tries she pops over but sounded like a "green" tractor. Oh no, now what? Dad got his serious look on his face and I could see he was thinking through what could be wrong. He grabbed a screwdriver and started to ground out the sparkplugs. 2 and 4 were not firing. He grabbed a pliers and switched them around and she smoothed right out. He asked me if I did that on purpose? I laughed and said "well, you two watched me put the plug wires on. Its your fault too!" Got it all on video.



Finally able to put all the tin back on and ready to back out of the shop. Went through the lube chart checking the rest of the tractor. Had to tighen a front wheel bearing, grease them and then dump out a gallon of water from the transmission. Dropped in some diesel fuel and oil to clean it out, will replace that next trip out there.

I took it out first and it shifted through all the gears fine, clutch had a little chatter to it when engaging but not too bad. Held at 40 lbs of oil pressure. I went down the road and then Travis got to take it for a little spin also. Big smiles all around.



Here's my Dad on the left, myself and Travis on the right. Sure, it is just a little B Farmall but it is my first tractor I've purchased. After leaving the farm 20 years ago the farm bug finally bit me again. The best part of this was Dad was able to help work on a lot of it also. He has a huge collection of small engines and hand tools in Montana at the farm. He has tried to get me interested in it for years and I guess after being away from it long enough has worked. Dad won't be around too many more years and working on this tractor together with him was a proud moment for both of us. I'm glad I was able to do it. I just wish I could bottle up his 50 years of experience and knowledge as a farmer and mechanic for when I need it.

We'll clean the B up and give her a coat of paint this winter. Still have a few things to tinker with before then. Thanks for the advise along the way and for viewing.

Matt

Matt, that is so cool. I know what u mean
about being an adult-child. I am 55, mt
dad is 79 andand get the child trestment
also and i cherish every minute we have
working together. I help him and he
helps me. I would not trade that time for
anything. Right now him and I are
restoring a family heirloom. A 1936 John
Deere, ( cough,cough, gasp, green paint)
But it was bought new in 1936 by my
grandpa. My 5 tractors are all IH, the mist important is a 1951 M,
another family heirloom, my great uncle
bought it new in 1951.

Mat This brings excitement to me. I have an experimental. One
that was sent out to for trials when they were selecting which
tractors would be fitted with the new fast hitch touch control
hydraulic system. { my father worked for international harvester
when the A, B, BN, C were being re fitted with touch control }
Mine is a BN. Blew the engine out of it over 20 years ago now
getting around to working on it. slow but steady// very very
slow !!!. Nice to see some one has succeeded in getting one
running again.
O-O-Oh by the way I have a set of scufflers for sale that fit the
B,BN series.
Some one called the other day asking me about them maybe you
would be interested $375.00 Canadian plus shipping?? 1-519-
285-3854
Any way wonderful to hear from an excited young fellow!! no
mater how old we are still young at heart maybe a few miles an
hour slower than a few years ago!
Wm.

great post my dad is 71 and I started turning wrenches with him about 10 years ago. I"m 48 with a 9 year old boy who loves to help restore,drive,work and go to tractor shows and pulls.we work on red, green, orange and most recently on a 27 Fordson. Nothing better than seeing my dad pass on the knowledge to the next couple generations. Many pictures and memories to last a lifetime,my only regret is I didn"t start sooner.

Excellent! You have made memories to last a lifetime.

Sorry William, I'm not the guy for cultivators. Southwest Missouri is all clay and chert rock. We are lucky to grow grass. I might find a hay rake to pull behind it or a belly mower sometime but I live in the city with no land other than what a push mower can move on. The tractor is at Travis' house and his grandfather has a cattle farm nearby to mess around on.

Now to keep my eye open for another basket case to work on. We've heard of an H nearby in a fence row. You can never have too many tractors right? LOL

Nice tractor. Great story and photos!

I think the B looks really sweet just like it is.

That's great - love to see another one saved from the scrap yard!

Great to see you working with your dad on it too.

That's gotta mean a lot to him.

I don't know if you have kids - but it took me having a son to understand just how much it can mean to a man to have a son share an interest like that, and spend that kind of time together.

Sadly, it was a lesson learned to late for me and my father, but happy to see somebody else not being a stupid as I was!

You are very lucky to have your dad around to help and teach. Get in what time you can.

Rick

Yes, I feel I'm very lucky to get to work on this tractor with Dad. He is in pretty good shape for his age but you never know when God needs him more than we do here. He is super proud of helping out on it. He wouldn't say it to me but when my sister visited him recently, all he talked about was getting it running for me when he knew I was coming up to Montana to work on the components.

I was Dad's shadow growing up and I guess I was burnt out on everything. I can't complain now because it showed me work ethic. I have a 16 yo daughter and my son is 13. We live in town so they don't get to experience much of what I did growing up on a farm. Sadly, a person can't trust other people to just let the kids go out in the woods to explore or just kick around.

My son doesn't get too excited about my interests (I fish bass tournaments) and I guess I don't push him very hard towards stuff either. I don't want to be too overbearing, he does very well in school so that is enough for me. He does like the tractor and can't wait to drive it next time we are out to Travis' house. Dad bought a Cub this summer and the kids had the chance to drive it in Montana and pull the hay rack. I just wish we lived closer.

well sounds like you're getting quality over quantity time with him and there's nothing wrong with that at all.

Young kids don't know the significance of "quality time" the way an adult does. I think you're right not to push your kids into your interests.

That kind of thing has to happen on its own over time - and as you found yourself, sometimes it takes some time doing your own thing to bring you back around to something that reminds you of the gold old days.

I'm a fisherman too - always thought I was SUCH a fisherman that my kids would HAVE to be by genetics. Nope. They'll go occssionally, but there's no passion there.

But I like to think some day when they're older, they'll have some good memories of it and it'll kindle a little more interest in it - like you and your tractor.

Matt; great job!
I'm really looking forward to the pictures of her dressed up with some paint!
Keep up the great work!
It's a tough thing when the bug bites ya!
Dave

If you can find an IH model 16 rake, they work well on a B. That's what I learned to rake with. My uncle also learned on that same tractor with the same rake.