Buying Advice Buying from widowed family friend - Farmall 140 - 1960's

[IslandTractor]

here's the deal.

sad fact is.. a non running tractor is worth scrap value plus the value of any for-sure good parts.

ie a non runner with excelent tins and good tires may have 850$ of value in just tires and tins.. and another 250-350 value in metal at a scrapper.

one with rusty tins and no tires? 250$ maybee.

the non running issue is the hard part.

If you want to give them a fare price, and have the time.. you could go get it running and then buy it.. sounds strange.. but I've done it before.

seen a tractor I wanted.. didn't want to steal it for 300$ scrap value as I know they needed cash.. but didn't want to pay 800$ for something that may have a seized engine and rusty trans.

open fill plugs and look inside to see proper oil, and not dry dusty rust gears.

see if she will roll.. brakes not locked.. clutch not stuck.. pull plugs out and see if engine will roll over by hand with clutch blocked. see if stack was covered.. if not? after 10ys.. water has almost assuredly made it into SOME open valve.

a hot battery, start fluid jump cables, and some atf fluid.. perhaps a spare oil pressure gauge are some of the diagnostic revivification tools you can take over. that and a bit of 800 or 1000 paper to clean up points with.

if engine is free.. add some atf to cyls and roll over by hand.

check oil in crankcase.

check water in cooling system.

clean points and run paper thru them after light sanding. yes.. sanding ruins them.. but this sounds like a project..

next comes roll over thumb test.. roll over starter and blow oil out the cyls.. stand back.. then thumb test them.. each cyl should be making compression and vacume.. if one don't.. valve issues usually..

if they do, then clean plugs.. and check spark.

if you got SOME compression and spark.. you can try a start test. either rig a ful supply to carb or just try short bursts of start fluid into the carb mouth as you crank her.. you can leave the oil line loose if running on start fluid.. as you want to see oil spitting. if on gas.. hook gauge up to see pressure.

with a spinning engine.. you can test the rest of her. heck.. even starter can test drivetrain on a limited basis.

I've loded non runners on a trailer usignthe starter.. letting it rest.. then cranking a few feet.. then resting.. then more cranking.. etc..

post back if you have questions.. adn good luck.

i got a farmall C last year for 800 $ no battery.. bad gauges.. but with about the smae amount of work I just told you.. i got it to run .. HAND cranking it no less!.

it poured oil from the front main.. but it ran. I probably got a total of 1000$ in it after tearing the front end off for the crank seal and pulley.. gaskets.. belts and hoses.. gooey stuff for the innards and shiney red stuff on the outside.

neat lil tractor..

soundguy

Epic post Soundguy. Should be a sticky!

[BeattyRoad]

Wow! Sounds like I might have my hands full here. Thank you so much to everyone that weighed in on this. I went to a farm equipment auction today and think this fixer-upper might be my gal. It'll be a fun project. I'll post pictures if I ever get it running. I keep the story running here if there is one.

Thanks again!

Brian
Monkton, MD

[Soundguy]

so you gonna get the 140?

does it have a mower? rear lift? etc?

post pics when you get something.

[tlbuser]

if engine is free.. add some atf to cyls and roll over by hand.

neat lil tractor..

soundguy

Great detailed list. Have you ever tried WD-40, CLP, etc. instead of ATF? Handy to have for stuck stuff and seems to be fine for lubing rings.

[Soundguy]

stuff like wd40, IMHO is great to remove stickers, and blow water off dixzzy caps.. for a lube? it's not much better than paint thinner...

in any case.. it's so thin.. it will run right past the rings, especially if they are stuck.

the atf is thicker.. more lube.. has detergents.. plus will seal rings on first few puffs to get her started easier too.. then the rings should loosen up with use .. etc.

Now.. for one that is stuck with rusted rings to the cyl wall.. yeah.. I'll shoot in a penetrant like pb blaster.. then perhaps fill with diesel. then i WANT a thin stuff... wd40 mineral spirits.. etc...

[flusher]

Sounds like you bought two implements and got a tractor near for free.

Just about. It was one of my better old tractor deals. I've had several that didn't pan out. Most recently a 1947 Farmall Cub I bought for $1100 turned out to have a cracked flange on the front of the engine block. Two local weld shops were not interested in trying to get a good weld on that part. So the block is scrap and I now have a Cub parts tractor Bummer.