Entertaining and surprising visit to CaseIH dealer today

Ran by my local CaseIH dealer to pick up some things today for my F-12. 30w oil, filter, and happened to have the pilot bearing with me that I wanted to replace.
Parts guys were flooded and who seemed to maybe be one of the mechanics stopped to help me. I grabbed my own oil off the shelf. He seemed stumped when I told him a filter for an F-12. Then even more confused when I said it was the same as the tall filter for an early H. So he messed around on the computer a min and gives up. Grabs a book from under the counter. Asks me again...for an F-12 or H? I reply yes. Then he asks if those are actually a tractor. At that point I had to laugh a little. I noticed in the index of the book what page the IH tractors started cause he was thumbing through all the CaseIH models and told him what page to turn to. He was surprised to see Farmall H right there on that page! I'm not at all making fun of the guy..or kid..was maybe in his mid 20s. I just think it's funny that someone working for such an establishment wouldn't know the history of his company. It should be required that the mechanics work on some of the older stuff from time to time.
The surprising thing of the day was I showed them the pilot bearing. Pulled the number up on the computer and they had it in stock! Who would have guessed that part number from 1937 would still be listed?

Mechanics at a dealership today are a long way from the tractors we are playing with. I doubt anyone even tries to get one of those old tractors worked on at a dealership due to the cost-even an H and M.There is no value to them to know the old tractors as they have almost nothing in common with the new ones.

Seth I am not sure but is that F12 from up here in Ringwood?

(quoted from post at 02:14:03 09/19/14) Seth I am not sure but is that F12 from up here in Ringwood?

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Well most of the tractor has always been with my family here in Missouri. The rear end came from Big Rock Illinois.

When i was growing up, and farming i was spoiled, our IH parts man was Leo, he was so sharp he didn't need the book, for a lot of the items! Never once did he give me a wrong part !! He has now retired and moved on. The new parts men here, are at least eager to learn and listen!

Hi This reminds me of being back in the U.K We
had a German IH 1046. phoned the red dealer one
day and asked for parts for it. guy said no
such tractor exists. I was there the day before
and saw one in the used line, our neighbor used
to own before he traded it. Told the guy go out
front look at the 3rd tractor to the left. It
does exist you got one ! he came back and
apologized.

Most modern dealerships don't want anything to
do with historys tractors, with $100 an hour
plus rates it's not worth the bother fixing an
H plus they don't want the headaches with
anything much over 15 -20 years old. The
younger guys don't have a clue on gas tractors
or something without a computer diagnostic. the
older guys are getting to be retired as well
that would know this stuff. we are lucky at our
local Rocky mountain, Al is old enoughthat he might of came in the tool box
of farmalls and is still working at the moment, his son is a collector and parts manager so he might keep it up to.
Al remembers most of this stuff and will get it
or pass on advice.
I fix the stuff dealer shops wont here, so get
older or off brands like Valtra Landini and
Belarus. Guys know I collect Fordson Majors it
wouldn't be the first time, somebody called and
said New Holland or other dealers told me to
phone you to fix my major! Sadly thats the
modern dealer shop for you now a days.
Regards Robert

I'm 58, have been raised around IH and have worked in red dealerships since 1975. Well, except one excursion into green and yellow when I needed a job and that was my only option.

I would be totally clueless at the parts counter if someone came in wanting parts or information about any Case tractor from an era similar to your F-12.

I stop at the Case dealership this morning also. Wanted a bowl gasket and a carb to manifold gasket. Also asked about another part and ended up with just one carb to manifold gasket. Hopefully won't have to rebuild another H or W-4 card for awhile.
caseman-d

Sounds like Kafferlin's in Union City, PA. They'd bring up the parts diagram to check that they were after the right part, then walk in back and get it off the shelf. That was a while ago, though. Case took the dealership away from them, I think they did manage to get New Holland back.

With a few castings, you could have probably built a couple complete tractors and a dozer out of their parts room.

always amazes me too with ancient parts on the shelf ready to go.
And how about a free warranty replacement on a 70 year old tractor part (gas caps)

I try to help em out a little.
I used to always bring the part number, but that doesn't work anymore sometimes with certain brands where numbers have changed with computer re-do's.
So, now I bring my old parts manual with me and point on the diagram to the part I need.
That diagram is what the parts guys are used to seeing on their computer, so they figure it out then.

Dealership mechanics? well....there will be quite a few there that are just 'leaks and squeaks' guys. nature of the business.
But out back there will be 1 or 2 that are the real deal...can fix anything.
Doubt you'd talk to them at the counter though.
Every master mechanic I've ever known has been a bit...um...gruff.

You find those guys everywhere. I can give them a pass on an F12, but an H? I may not know much john deere, but I would know what an A,B or G was. I'd be slow looking stuff up, but they were popular enough I could at least say "I know what you're talking about, I just don't know much about them." But the last time I worked at a parts store, I was in college.

This past weekend I called our hose/belt supplier for a belt on the haybine. Gave them the number 460L10. Guy said it was an automotive cut and they don't have it. It wasn't an automotive cut, but if they didn't have L cuts then they didn't. So I ended up ordering a belt from another place... completely the wrong belt. Called back to the first place and asked for the guy I usually spoke to and then just gave him the measurements. He said "Oh yeah, an L cut. We can order those." I was relieved and irritated. This is the second time in a week the front desk guys cost us time and money.

For what they're paying tractor mechanics these days, you're lucky that they know how to tie their own shoes. Expecting them to memorize the history of "the company they work for" (isn't that the DEALERSHIP?) is not reasonable. They are mechanics, not college professors.

Besides, few if any CaseIH dealers would touch a Farmall H, let alone an F-12. Most of them think twice about working on a 1066.

You should just appreciate the effort, and the fact that you were patient and helped him through unfamiliar territory says that you're a good sport.

Sure makes you appreciate Gordon Rice of Rice Equipment!
Gordon would talk with you about what you were working on and make sure you had all the parts and gaskets.
For example, when he couldn't find crank inserts for my W-12, he remembered that early F-12s and W-12s had a "Lite" crankshaft that IHC would replace for free. Apparently the original owner of my W-12 didn't replace the weak crank.
A call to Rice Equipment is "Priceless" if Gordon is working!

I learned a long time a go to bring my part
numbers with me for the old tractors. Most of
the parts guys are younger than the tractors we
want to restore and have no clue what a farmall
H is.

I doubt many trade schools or dealerships wait
time teaching there techs about the antique
tractors or their operating systems.

In 1990 When I was a senior in high school I
visted the John deere school in Milford ne. The
guide told us that this year (1990) would be
the last year they would cover gas
systems.Starting in 91 it would be all diesel
systems.
The guide told us if a dealer traded for a non
running gas tractor. They would make more money
selling it as scrap than repairing and
reselling.

Yup, my mid-twenties son is a mechanic for s
large group of dealerships in New York. He did
his internship at this dealer and they hired
him the day he earned his batchler's degree.
He is nowhere near paid what he should be for
working on neglected equipment.
Amazing how little some take care of their high
cost possessions.
I wish I had the knowledge that my young man
has when I was his age.
Be patient and an educator at the same time;
they are our future.

Dealerships have to adapt with their customer's needs. Their main customers are working farms operating equipment less than 15 years old. Very few antique tractor restorers/collectors are willing pay $100/hour to have a mechanic sit down and read the manual on how to repair an antique tractor they've never seen run before. Restorers would rather do the work themselves and collectors get more value working with a shop that specializes in antique tractors.

A 1937 F-12 is 77 years old now. Back in our day (35 years ago in 1979?) would any of us have know the part numbers for a water level sight glass, piston rings, or a coal smoke box draft nozzle would be for a 77 year old 1902 Case 10 HP steam engine? Of course not, few working farms used those machines by then so there was very little demand for those parts anymore.

Eventually supplying parts for antique tractors will move from local dealerships to an on-line division or to small independent specialty shops.

The Case/IH dealership in Shelbyville Ky. Jacobi
Sales and Service, will take a Farmall M to work
on without batting an eye. I have had three engine
overhauls and three sets of axle bearings replaced
plus various wiring harnesses and other stuff
done. In the winter if you ask, it is 10% off
parts and labor. And no I'm not rich. Ellis