Red Submarine

Posted by Andy Martin on September 05, 2000 at 19:01:04 from (38.31.74.121):

I'll relate this because it is true, it happened to me, a friend, and M Serial FBK290585XI.

At the end of a day of heavy rain I got a call that my mother-in-law's car was flooded out in the road west of our town. I grabbed a chain and jumped on my best M. It also sits up high with 14.9's on the back and 6.50's on an aftermarket wide front. The threads on the dust jar on the air cleaner are at 71" above grade.

It was coming dark and raining lightly so I hurried to town, Terlton, Ok, 2 miles away. Going through town I saw a good friend, and he offered to help, so he climbed on the drawbar. The car was to be less than a mile west of town, just across the House Creek bridge.

When we got to the BNRR tracks, at the west side of town, there were two 4x4 pickups watching a flooded road. Across the tracks the road is going WNW for 100 yards or so, then turns due west for 300 yards to cross a bridge with concrete guard rails. The creek runs parallel to the road on the south side.

I discussed the situation with my friend, who is a mechanic, and we foolishly agreed there was value in getting to the car soon to limit the amount of water in the major components. The alternate route is 6 miles. After the first 100 yards we would be able to see the bridge and line up on the side rails to ensure we stayed in the middle of the road. It seemed like a good plan.

So I put the tractor in 2nd and started into the water at half throttle. The 4x4's were cheering us on.

The front tires went in pretty soon and we were making a nice gentle wake. The rain had stopped. It was fun.

About the time we could see the bridge, however, the harmonic balancer started kicking out water. By my memory of the road, we were past the deep point so there was no reason to turn back.

His feet were under water but things were going smoothly until it started missing on one cylinder. I leaned over to look, and to my horror, the water was up to the fan and on the distributor. Remember the distributor caps have vent holes in the bottom. I did. the fun part was now over.

I was scared to put in the clutch, M's run good on three, and I was lined up on the bridge and headed for high ground. I could not imagine why the water was higher on the tractor and pounded the tires to see if they were going flat.

It then started missing on two, or running on two, but I was concentrating on the negative. Really really don't put in the clutch now. The water was OVER the distributor and, coincidentally, the carburator. But we were still moving. We prayed.

The water came OVER the hood and it started missing on three. An M does not run so good on one. Kind of like a johnny popper. I don't like them. I distinctly remember watching the radiator cap make a wake and then disappear. We kept praying. I forgot it had been fun.

The water keeps coming up. We are still firing on one and moving about half speed. We are still praying.

The water is on the glass jar (now you know why I know how high it is). I am getting my buddy to climb carefully onto the gas tank to pull the top off the air cleaner to get two more inches of freeboard. You usually don't use nautical terms in connection with M's. He just can't get there. The water gets about half way up the jar.

We keep praying. Prayer works.

We are getting close to the bridge and the water starts going down. The hood comes out of the water and we start hitting on two. The front wheels get to pavement we can actually see and it is hitting on three. As the back wheels get out of the water we are hitting on four! We stop and thank God.

My mother-in-law's car is now in sight and the water is up to the top of the windows.

We give up and go back the 6-mile route. Crossing an old iron bridge with the parallel timbers you drive on submerged, but we head on across just knowing our luck is good. I can stay on the boards because I just have to keep the tractor centered in the superstructure.

I get him back to town and finally think about water in the engine and kill it.

Later I get six or seven GALLONS of grey fluid out of the crankcase. I didn't know there was that much room in there, but I filled a 5 gallon pail twice. There is not much water in the transmission. The manifold is cracked. I don't change the points or condenser. Oil pressure is down somewhat, 45 psi cold and 25 psi hot. It used to be over 30 psi hot, and maybe 50 psi cold, on the tractor's gauge.

I change the manifold and the oil and drain a little water off the bottom of the transmission. No other repairs.

That has been at least 5 years and the tractor is worked hard every summer and is used to feed hay all winter. 9,000 square bales last year, 11,000 this year. This tractor discs in the spring, pulls a 9' NH Haybine and a 69 bale NH bale wagon.

I think the tractor missed because it was cold with the radiator and engine submerged. I don't know how the distributor kept firing. I don't know why it didn't suck too much water in through the air cleaner oil cup joint, the choke rod hole, or the bottom vent. But it didn't.

I am sorry I risked my friend's life and my life. I would not do it again. A pond dam had ruptured and caused the sudden flood, just at the wrong time for us. Don't drive into high water.

But

I am in awe of FBK290585XI. It is not for sale. It gets worked hard because THAT'S THE WAY THEY LIKE IT.

It did get a new radiator this year. The previous owner had put an abortion of a radiator on it that started life in a Pontiac car. The tractor had always run warm because the steering tube they put in almost totally blocked the right side of the top tank. The rotten core finally got too much for Bars Leaks and was spewing six gallons an hour (2 gal every 15 min) with the radiator cap loose in 100 deg heat. We finished mowing that field with the baler tractor, another M.

Pictures at 11.

I can get a testimonial from my friend, Rickey Martin (no relation, but no smarter it appears)

My story usually tops the blow hard in the group, unless it's me.

Follow Ups:

• Re: Red Submarine Kev@ IA 11:10:46 09/06/00 (1)
  • Re: Re: Red Submarine Andy Martin 10:59:29 09/07/00 (0)
• Re: Red Submarine The Red 05:38:52 09/06/00 (0)
• Re: Red Submarine Rob Johnson 00:12:15 09/06/00 (0)
• Re: Red Submarine Farmer Bob 22:25:21 09/05/00 (0)
• Re: Red Submarine john d 19:35:04 09/05/00 (1)
  • Re: Re: Red Submarine Andy Martin 20:51:03 09/05/00 (0)
• Re: Red Submarine Jon 19:23:07 09/05/00 (0)

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