1951 Farmall Super A

[highland512]

I have always liked taking a pile of forgotten tractor and getting it back up into running condition. I also take alot of pride in gardening and raising food that my wife preserves and we eat on it all year. The need of raising more produce is starting to become more than I can keep up with. This leads me to the next project. I was searching on the internet for several months for a small off set farmall cultivator tractor or allis chalmers g. The G is still commanding big $ so that was out. I finally landed on this 1951 Farmall Super A with cultivators. I bought it from the kids of the gentleman who had owned it since 1963. It is a fairly straight tractor and came with all the tooling I could find in 3 building that where about to collapse. 

[highland512]

It came with a tools I was able to grab out of the buildings that where falling in. I think I have 2 or 3 full sets of tools and the side dresser.

Where the machine was bought by the previous owner.

There is a lot of work to do and I keep taking photos and updating. It will start this weekend with a good cleaning.

[jabberwoki]

Very nice, cannot wait to see it all spiffy.

[Der Bugmeister]

Looks like a fun project!

[skfarmer]

a pretty rare and unique piece of tractor history there. at least in my part of the world. we have the green version of that, an m, in our family. it was my dads and my son has claimed it. no attachments for it though. the jd m had several versions. the  m (set up similar to yours) the  mc (a crawler) and the mt (a single wheel tricycle kind of like a hi-crop). the mt could also be fitted with a wide front or twin narrow front tires but still had more clearance like a hi-crop.

[highland512]

a pretty rare and unique piece of tractor history there. at least in my part of the world. we have the green version of that, an m, in our family. it was my dads and my son has claimed it. no attachments for it though. the jd m had several versions. the  m (set up similar to yours) the  mc (a crawler) and the mt (a single wheel tricycle kind of like a hi-crop). the mt could also be fitted with a wide front or twin narrow front tires but still had more clearance like a hi-crop.

I was talking with a guy at work and he seems to think jd made an offset tractor. I say no, what’s sk think?

In my part of the Midwest there are still tons of cubs, a’s, b’s, and c’s but the tools where long ago sent to the scrap yards to be turned into pittsburg wrenches. From my looking almost all of these that are left with the tools are in tobacco country or Mi/Wi (beet country).

[goodfellow]

Excellent find! As a suburbanite all my life I know next to nothing about farm equipment. Looking forward to learning something new -- Thank!!!

[Uncle Buck]

The little offset Cub (A smaller less powerful version of the Super C) equipped with a snow blade, wheel weights and a woods belly mower was always my dream tractor. The Super  C is better though.

Don't get your hopes up for anytime soon, but somewhere in all of my crap I absolutely know that I have an original IH manual specifically for the Super C .  If/when I find it I will send it to you. I  know now I will never be buying any farm tractors.

[Uncle Buck]

Excellent find! As a suburbanite all my life I know next to nothing about farm equipment. Looking forward to learning something new -- Thank!!!

With your aptitude older farm tractors would be like working on a vintage car, only heavier. A Super C and others like that would be a fun little project. I don't know from personal experience but I have been told that 8 & 9 N Ford tractors in particular are good tractors to steer clear of though.

[skfarmer]

a pretty rare and unique piece of tractor history there. at least in my part of the world. we have the green version of that, an m, in our family. it was my dads and my son has claimed it. no attachments for it though. the jd m had several versions. the  m (set up similar to yours) the  mc (a crawler) and the mt (a single wheel tricycle kind of like a hi-crop). the mt could also be fitted with a wide front or twin narrow front tires but still had more clearance like a hi-crop.

I was talking with a guy at work and he seems to think jd made an offset tractor. I say no, what’s sk think?

In my part of the Midwest there are still tons of cubs, a’s, b’s, and c’s but the tools where long ago sent to the scrap yards to be turned into pittsburg wrenches. From my looking almost all of these that are left with the tools are in tobacco country or Mi/Wi (beet country).

sk says your friend is correct. the "L" and "M" are offset like your ih.

both tractors also featured upright 2 cylinders vs the standard  horizontal in most other jd tractors of the time.  the m progressed to the 40, 320, 420, 330, 430 with upright gas powered twins while the 435 featured a  gm detroit deisel twin.

[slip knot]

Thats a nice sized tractor. My ex FIL had one, when he passed away it got brought to my house for disposal. still got a few pieces around for it.

[muddy]

a pretty rare and unique piece of tractor history there. at least in my part of the world. we have the green version of that, an m, in our family. it was my dads and my son has claimed it. no attachments for it though. the jd m had several versions. the  m (set up similar to yours) the  mc (a crawler) and the mt (a single wheel tricycle kind of like a hi-crop). the mt could also be fitted with a wide front or twin narrow front tires but still had more clearance like a hi-crop.

Learned to drive on my dad's M. He overhuled it before I was born. He was going to sell it when he bought his compact, but decided to keep it for me.

I believe itll be a great resto project for the kids and I.

Sent from my Twisted Mind Of The Mudman

[john k]

Grew up on red tractors here.  Was using my 1943 Farmall M today, it is a survivor, never been retired to the barn or windbreak.   Good luck on the C.

[Midnitemack]

Awesome to see your A, I have an M tucked away in the shed , it’s a “one day” project !!


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[highland512]

Spent Saturday with the pressure washer and the super A. After about 4 hours of washing the little tractor looks pretty good.



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[john k]

The M Farmall, just 2 sizes up from  the C.  Put the John Deere mower behind it as am still looking for pieces for the IHC mower.  The no. 5 JD mower is a near universal fit to many tractors, and most all parts are still available.  Just look at youtube.  Came with a 6 volt system.   12 volt GM alternator was a bolt on. 

[Midnitemack]

Looks good John !!


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[Midnitemack]

Got mine out of the shed today ……..



25 years since it’s been out in the daylight!!!!


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[jabberwoki]

Crikey there must be 25 kg of spider web in that beasty!

[Midnitemack]

Crikey there must be 25 kg of spider web in that beasty!

….. they are now homeless spiders !!


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[highland512]

Nice wide front on that M, I have the same cast wide front on the front of my MD (Diesel Powered M). They are kinda rare where I'm at.

[skfarmer]

Nice wide front on that M, I have the same cast wide front on the front of my MD (Diesel Powered M). They are kinda rare where I'm at.

is that wide front factory or aftermarket?

[highland512]

Its a IH made cast iron wide front. Starting with the late production '54 M's had more of a pipe style wide front same as the 560's

[Midnitemack]

Both Muddy  and John K  have looked up my serial number and it seems like mines late 1945


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[muddy]

Can't wait to see her running again!

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[highland512]

Here is the same front end on my 1949.  Got lucky and found this axle at a scrap yard

[Midnitemack]

Wow , you got that one looking really good ! Lots of work gone into that !! I had a hankering when I first got my one to find a narrow front and swap out my wide front , because M’s were built initially as a row crop tractor and felt that yo be more “in keeping” with the theme and it would get a full restoration . I doubt any of the M’s in NZ would have seen service as a row crop  tractor as that’s not a “thing” here . But now my views have changed , I’m thinking ,when I get around to it, to more do anything required mechanically but retain the patina that the years of work have given it, what you are saying about the wide front now is further reinforcing that to me .
Here in NZ we also got other different versions that came out of the UK , the BM and later diesel versions the BMD, “B” obviously meaning British, they had a different wide front with the drag link and tie rod behind the axle.


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[highland512]

Wow , you got that one looking really good ! Lots of work gone into that !! I had a hankering when I first got my one to find a narrow front and swap out my wide front , because M’s were built initially as a row crop tractor and felt that yo be more “in keeping” with the theme and it would get a full restoration . I doubt any of the M’s in NZ would have seen service as a row crop  tractor as that’s not a “thing” here . But now my views have changed , I’m thinking ,when I get around to it, to more do anything required mechanically but retain the patina that the years of work have given it, what you are saying about the wide front now is further reinforcing that to me .
Here in NZ we also got other different versions that came out of the UK , the BM and later diesel versions the BMD, “B” obviously meaning British, they had a different wide front with the drag link and tie rod behind the axle.


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A wide front can still be a row crop. Mine is set for 30" rows which is the standard for corn in the US (60" CL to CL of the tires). I had an opportunity to buy a BMD once, I declined when I thought of how hard it was to get parts for this one let alone something built for export.   

[highland512]

One wheel has been locked up since I found it. I pulled the final drive to get access to the brake (not a great design)

The old brake band has swelled up and fused it self to the drum. I think I will be pulling the axle shaft.



The corrosion on the tractor is more extensive than what I thought it was. The oil pan for the final drive is rusted out and so far 50% of the bolts have either been cut off or heated and spun out with vice grips. The torch set I bought last winter is paying dividends.

This is caused by not washing your equipment after side dressing nitrogen, acidic soil, and I’m sure sitting in the dirt floor tobacco barn for 10+ years didn’t help.

[jabberwoki]

Yeah you've got your work cut out for you there.

[Midnitemack]

Judging by the M I’m sure the A is going to get done right


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[muddy]

I always say there's a reason they were sitting in the weeds. However they usually run out great when done right, as this one will be!

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[highland512]

Judging by the M I’m sure the A is going to get done right


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As nice as these tractors look after they are all painted up I think I will leave this one as is cosmetically. I might cut the paint and see how it looks but it was bought to use and I dont like working these after you put $1,500 worth of paint and time into them.

I always say there's a reason they were sitting in the weeds. However they usually run out great when done right, as this one will be!

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The story I got was the feller parked it around 2010 then died shortly after that. Who really knows

[Uncle Buck]

Judging by the M I’m sure the A is going to get done right


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As nice as these tractors look after they are all painted up I think I will leave this one as is cosmetically. I might cut the paint and see how it looks but it was bought to use and I dont like working these after you put $1,500 worth of paint and time into them.

I always say there's a reason they were sitting in the weeds. However they usually run out great when done right, as this one will be!

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The story I got was the feller parked it around 2010 then died shortly after that. Who really knows

Once they are restored, they are a beautiful sight, but  they are reduced to trailer queens, and used for display at tractor shows and pulling floats in parades. Nothing wrong leaving him in his workin clothes, they are still a good choice for many ag chores and jobs.
You could always do a partial restoration painting only the hood, gas tank and fenders and leave the rest as is.

That said,  I enjoy them just as much unrestored and running well and still doing the work they were designed for as I do seeing them fully restored.

[Rural53]

That MD is beautiful.

The British built BMD had a glow plug direct starting engine, not one that started on gasoline and then switched over to diesel like the MD.

As well as British built Farmall tractors, here in New Zealand we also received Australian and German built IH brand tractors.

Photo 1 - British built Super BMD
Photo 2 & 3 - Australian built McCormack Deering AW6
Photo 4 - German built 1952 McCormack Deering Farmall DED-3. They were sold under various IH brands around the world. I suspect they were branded Farmall as it was a familiar name in NZ. DED-3 = D=German, E=standard D=Diesel 3=3 cylinder. They are 20hp

[slip knot]

My IH784 is a european built tractor. The lucas starting system on it almost makes it unusable in the winter.

[Midnitemack]

It’s surprising how many Farmall/ International guys we have got here !!

I can add another couple of tractors to the fold , I have a 454 and a 986 left over from farming days before I rented the farm out .


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[muddy]

That DED3 never made it to the states. I don't know why we never get the fun little diesels(tractors, cars, pickups etc.) you guys get.

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[Midnitemack]

That DED3 never made it to the states. I don't know why we never get the fun little diesels(tractors, cars, pickups etc.) you guys get.

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But we missed out on the Cub Cadets that are cool and collectable now !!

I remember  my dad saying he never wanted some of tractors of that era….. some of those glow plug engines could be a right PITA

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[Rural53]

In my late teens/early twenties I collected a few vintage tractors. I had a Farmall Cub with enough parts to build two more and parts to build most of the common implements. I also had an Allis Chambers G project on the go but Dad and I never managed to free the stuck valves in the engine. Unfortunately, when I finished university and got a real job it was five hours away. After my Dad passed away and I moved closer to home I was still two hours away and didn't have room for a project. When my mother sold up the place in the country they all had to be sold.

For a while we looked after a beautifully restored Case DC that belonged to a friend of Dad's who needed a new home for it when the tractor dealer he worked for, and stored it at, went bankrupt. The DC was unusual as it was a single front wheel model.

 highland512, if you think G's are pricey, you should try buying the British equivalent, the David Brown 2D. They are a two cylinder diesel with air lift for the tooling. The main frame is the air tank (Muddy, that is another cool little diesel you guys didn't get).

Photo 1 - Case DC with single front wheel
Photo 2 - David Brown 2D

[highland512]

The David Brown is a neat piece! Definitely a close relative of the G 

[highland512]

Update: I wanted to ensure that this thing ran before I put more work into it. Took the carb off and discovered it was a carter carb with parts missing, crap. Luckily I was able to source a nice Zenith from a parts yard. After a good cleaning (the crock pot cleaning idea has been one of the best things I have discovered on the internet!) I hit the starter and this little jew hit a couple times and finally ran on its own. Runs great, came up to temp and makes 40psi of oil pressure. I tried to get the pto to engage but discovered that the clutch is not disengaging, after removing the inspection plates I discovered a mouse house that filled the entire bell housing. Next step will have to be splitting the tractor to most likely replace the clutch.       

[Elroy]

those tractors are cool 

[highland512]

Split the tractor in two, I dug out two 5 gal buckets pull of mouse house and was able to get the clutch disk removed from the flywheel without damaging the clutch material. Actually, the clutch disk looks nearly new. I had the flywheel ground, replaced the throw out bearing and wire wheeled the hell out of the pressure plate face. Got it back together and everything works!! I also reset the width of the from 42" row spacing to 60"

While I was waiting for some parts to arrive, I also dug into the governor. While I had it running the first time, I noticed it wasn't responsive to the throttle. I removed the housing and found 60 years of gummed up bushings and bearings. I replaced the needle bearings and all the seals and gave all the moving parts a good cleaning and coating of assembly lube. Should have re-assembly of the tractor complete this weekend and plan on draining and filling the transmission and hydraulic system with new lube. Next up will be working with the attached tools. They are in rough shape and need freed up before I put them back on the tractor. 

[highland512]

Very simple governor system.



Removed 4ea 5/8 bolts and pulled it apart.



Teaching the future that old tractors are fun.

[skfarmer]

looks good and nothing wrong with simple!

[muddy]

Progress!

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[highland512]

I fired it up and moved it under its own power over the weekend. I need to brush up on my carb tuning. The tractor seems VERY cold natured, my thinking is that most of that should be fixed with some timing and carb tuning.

I also picked up an old 2 row set of lilliston cultivators out of the fence line of a fellow church member. The tooling for these little things is outragus so being able to find old iron seems to be the best way to put tools together.

More pictures to come. 

[Uncle Buck]

  

[slip knot]

They dont have an accelerator pump so you have to run a tad rich to get it transition smoothly from the idle circuit to the hi speed circuit.

[highland512]

After many hours of frustration, adjusting the carb, revving the engine, adjusting the timing and governor reaction. I found my issue to be the points and condenser. On the points there is a fiber "ramp" that rides the cam to open the contacts, mine was wore down to nothing which would explain why the machine ran like crap at every speed but idle or wide open.

I know many people praise this system for its simplicity but personally, after installing ignitor digital system on my Oliver that has no moving parts and two wires. The only advantage a points and condenser has is low cost and parts can be had easily at the local NAPA. The wireless system never needs adjusting, cleaned, lubed, or filling off of corrosion. When I looked up the same system for the Super A I was shocked to $250 + shipping. WOW.........apparently inflation was a real bitch at the Pantronix company. O well, at least little man got an education on diagnosing a breaker points system and how it works, and I got a reeducation on installing tiny fasteners in on a horizontally mounted distributer.       

[john k]

With points install, a slotted screw holder is a must.  That little fiber ramp needs just a touch of light grease to keep it from wearing down.  Good to hear them fire up, isnt it.