Famrmall B hand crank

I have started work on my Grandfather's Farmall B, and can't locate the engine crank. I'm just trying to see if the engine is free or seized. There is a hand crank on an old Famall H, does anyone know if the crank from the H will work on the B?

Nope they are different. Just opposite. Put it in high gear and rock it back and forth with the rear tire & watch the fan.

If I remember right the answer is NO. On most tractors I just take and grab the fan with one hand and then push hard inwards on the fan belt and see if I can move the engine any. Most if not locked up will move enough to know if it is locked up

If it has a crank the holder for crank is on the left side of seat next to gearshift ( it has holder bolted to the top of transmission).

the hand crank for the A, SA, B, BN, C, and SC are all the same. H and M are the same. Cub is unique.

Now, for the F series, 1 crank fits all.

Hope that helps.

I have a Super A hand crank that I believe will work, would sell it for
$25 including priority mail postage. The fan thing is a handy way
to check the engine, or engage the PTO and put a large (18" or 24")
crescent wrench on the splines, or grab the belt pulley and wiggle
it. Do not use a pipe wrench or anything that would chew the shaft
up.
Zach

Ok thanks everyone. It has been sitting so long and has sunk into the ground, my truck wouldn"t even budge it. I was just trying to pull it out of the vines that had grown over it. Tomorrow I"m planning to try to dig it out a little, enough to get it rolling. This is my first time to ever work on a tractor, but my father promised my grandfather we"d get it going. but my father is in bad health and can"t help me, so I need lots of advice!

BTDT to many times. I have my grand fathers old tractor and it was locked up for at least 15 years but I never open it up to get it running and I played on it as a child and so have my grand kid so that make that 5th generation on it

Forget the crank if its settled into the ground it is stuck first you will need to get it into a shop. Then take all plugs out and lookinto the cycls you will find rust and there just isnt any way you will get it free without tearing down and you will find other problems. You will end up pulling the head and go from there.

Come back and ask all the questions you want. That is what we do here...............answer questions. You can also get a lot of info from searching the old posts.

Bring it on! Post some pictures. This is exactly the kind of project we love here!

Re: wheels sunk in the dirt, when force fails, use finesse. High lift (Handyman) jack & a few scraps of 2x8 lumber. Jack it up & slip plank under wheels to bridge the holes. Gives a level start & easier than shoveling & chopping roots.
Don't remember on the crank, does it have the stub poking out, or do you need the long one-piece crank? Not difficult for average putterer to make one up out of 3/4 shaft or 1/2 pipe. With a little help from the blue flame wrench a scrap of shaft can be bent to shape. Drill the end for a force-fit 3/8 bolt to catch the "ratchet" on crankshaft pulley. No scrap shaft in reserve parts stock (junk pile) or torch avail? Scrap of 1/2 in pipe, couple 90° ell fittings & you have a crude crank. Shouldn't take over 30-45 minutes with time out for a cool beverage break. And a "Look Ma, I made it without spending any cash" proud moment.
Just another way to get the job done.
Willie

Forgot to mention. Need to jack it up to see if wheels will turn or something like rusted brakes holding them.
Willie

The "A" & the "B" cranks are the same.
Vern

Make sure that it is not in gear. If the engine is stuck and its in gear, you can mess up a whole bunch of things when you try to pull it. (My $0.02 worth. jal-SD)

Well, here's what I did today: I found the crank, it was under the seat covered with leaves. But I can't get it to engage the pulley, not sure what's going on there. I tried the fan belt idea, as far as I can tell the engine is definitely seized. I got the plugs out, only one had any rust on it. I put a mix of PBlaster and Marvel Mystery Oil in to let soak a while. I'll probably just go ahead and pull the head, though, to see what the damage is. The exhaust manifold is rusted in two, the exhaust pipe fell off when I was trying to pull it forward, so I imagine inside the engine is not pretty. Someone either stole or grabbed the radiator cap, so the radiator was filled with rainwater, so no telling what I'll find there. There was only one tire on the front, and while trying to air it up I found the rim is rusted into. Not sure if the rims on the old H might fit on there or not. This Old B sure looks intimidating right now, I'm no stranger to engines, just not an engine like this. I'm trying to weigh the cost and time involved in my head vs. the cost of just buying a tractor. Grandpa isn't here to tell me the tricks he knew. I knew this wasn't going to be a picnic before I started, I just keep asking myself, can I do this? My wife says I can, and the cost will still be less than buying one, and I'll know the Old B's quirks firsthand. So, I'll try jacking it up and putting some board underneath. It's not in gear, just sunk in pretty good. If I can get it pulled into the shade it would be better. It's 100 degrees or better out there, I'm done in for today. The one bright note is the rear tires hold air.

I"m working on my grandfathers B as well!

As far as moving it, does it have to cross over roads or is it in your field and you can move it to your barn or near your house? Jack it up high enough to get it off the ground. Make a skid that have 2x10"s under the rear wheels and under the front (it"d look like a "T" for a B). Essentially you"ll build the skid under the tractor as itd be hard to slid it in with jacks in place. Drag it backwards with a chain and take your time. If you wanted to get fancy, you can tack some tin over the leading edge of the skid to keep it from digging in.

Don"t worry about pulling this motor apart. It"s very easy. I was most worried about the head, but as it turns out, it had brass nut, so nothing was froze together.

Sure, it"d be easier and cheaper to just buy another B, but another B wasn"t my grandpa"s tractor. Another B wasn"t the first tractor I ever drove on my own.

But that"s a personal decision. These are really great little tractors. That aspect is why I actually decided to get this off my grandmother. By the end, I suspect I"ll have nearly 3,000 in it, but it"ll be pretty fresh and if I look at what type of "tractor" 3,000 will get you at the local big box store... I don"t fret about it at all.

Before getting crazy with trying to free it, I decided to pull the head. The cylinders were coated with rust and gunk. So I plugged the journals in the block and sand blasted the cylinders. I then dropped the pan and looked up underneath and saw the rust on the bottom side of the cylinder as well. So I"m currently in the process of knocking the cylinder up after disconnecting the rods.

I'd do everything possible to keep it and get her running since it was a family tractor. I grabbed a B that was stuck and the manifold was plugged with rust/rainwater/mouse nest for $300. Runs like a top now. You just have to get yours to a place you can tear into the motor and see what you have. The B is very simple when it comes down to it. There are a ton of used parts out there to get off Ebay or Craigslist and you likely could get another used motor for it pretty cheap also if it came to it. Or pull the sleeves and rebuilt it completely with new bearings also. Just depends on how far you want to go. She will run again.

Keep the faith and you will never regret it once you have her running again. It doesn't have to be done tomorrow so take your time. Your Grandfather would be proud of that. My father helped me fix it up and now I have those memories to go with it.

An H front wheel wont fit, too big. You will need a couple rims. I got a pair from a junk yard pretty cheap off an A. The A, B and C all have common parts for the motor and other things such as the front rims. Get a manual. Keep at it and post your questions. The good people on here will freely give you pointers.

The best advice anyone can give, is to get it to a shop where it can sit for a while, and just take your time and wrench on it. Expect it to sit for a long time, 6+ months. I have done pretty much exactly what you did, but with a 140 and I had it from siezed, to torn down and rebuilt then running within 2 months.
These engines are about as simple as it gets. I encourage you to do it no matter(within reason) the cost because you'll learn tons. The learning experience is well worth it.