Date code head scratcher

D Slater · Apr 28, 2014

Found some 40 and 41 model M tractors before that seem to have a letter for the month on some castings. Noticed two more this week, one 40 and one 41. Picture of the 40. If E = April this tractor was built a little after that.
Only thing I think of is IH had them cast at a outside company and they marked them like that. Anyone have ideas or know? They don't look exactly like most codes.

robgIN · Apr 28, 2014

is there any other casting mark ? Most foundries have a mark they use to identify their work. What is that just above in the pic ? Could easily be an outsourced part , if you can find a mark you may be able to track down the foundry.

D Slater · Apr 29, 2014

Think that was another J like on the end of the code in the picture. Didn't think to take note of other marks.
See I can't even count up to 5. Should have said if E= May in the other post.

John M · Apr 29, 2014

Im wondering if this type of number could have been used for ones pulled off of the line for some reason or another? Normal would be number, number, letter, but I wonder if it was some sort of code for IH. The original engine on a 40 I had had this type of code on, but a big crack in the water jacket. The reason I say that is the 40 I had had been used by a guy who constantly got replacement equipment from IH.

mkirsch · Apr 29, 2014

I am not sure if the casting code system had been fully developed yet.

A friend of mine has a real early B, with no electrical, no starter hole in the bell housing, and Dzus fasteners holding the hood down.

There are NO casting codes on the tractor, anywhere. All it has are the old 4-digit-plus-letter part numbers, XXXXD, and those are much larger in size than normal.

Jim Becker · Apr 29, 2014

(quoted from post at 05:58:07 04/29/14) Im wondering if this type of number could have been used for pulled off of the line for some reason or another?

ot very likely. This code is CAST into the part. At the time that code was determined, the part was at most a bucket full of molten iron. Occasionally, parts were cast differently to test a modification of some sort. Those usually had some more obvious indicator cast into them (like the word "SAMPLE").

This could indicate, source, date, time, shift, which master pattern was used etc. etc.

IH bought rough castings from as variety of outside sources as well as having multiple foundries of their own. Every foundry added symbols and codes that had some meaning either to them or to IH. There were too many for me to try to guess what they all mean.

As mkirsh said, date codes were sparse on the early letter series tractors. They were included on many more parts later on.

D Slater · Apr 29, 2014

other castings on the same tractors have regular date codes. Most all M tractors have date codes early or late. Picture of a early diesel with the engine date code in the same location as a regular type code.
Also another tractor I wrote down in the past was a 41 M with C-8-K on the transmission housing and regular codes 3-?-K on the tractor.

LMack · Apr 29, 2014

This doesn't look like a date code to me. The letter typically indicated the year not month of casting.

36F30 · Apr 29, 2014

(quoted from post at 05:05:55 04/29/14) I am not sure if the casting code system had been fully developed yet.

A friend of mine has a real early B, with no electrical, no starter hole in the bell housing, and Dzus fasteners holding the hood down.

There are NO casting codes on the tractor, anywhere. All it has are the old 4-digit-plus-letter part numbers, XXXXD, and those are much larger in size than normal.

The 31 and up F series have date codes, the system was fully developed well before the letter series

CenTex Farmall · Apr 29, 2014

I saw one like in the last month or so but can't remember on which machine or part. Possibly one of the 9's I brought in.

Here's two others from my herd showing proof that IH made some use of outside vendors. CWC (Campbell, Wyant and Cannon) foundry is still alive and well. I think they do a lot of automotive stuff.

The '46 is a "will run" and still has the distillate head, carb, tank and shutter controls. The rest of it has the standard date code markings with the letter "P".

The '48 is quite dead but has a good trans.

Date code head scratcher

D Slater

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robgIN

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D Slater

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John M

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mkirsch

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Jim Becker

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D Slater

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LMack

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36F30

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CenTex Farmall

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