C-123 Engine

   / C-123 Engine #1  

TNSuperC

Bronze Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2011
Messages
66
Tractor
Farmall Super C, Ford 3600
From tractordata, the C123 was put into the Super C, 200, 230, and 240 tractors. The bore and stroke was the same in all however, the compression went from a 6:1 in the SC to 7.x:1 in the 240. What did they do to get the extra compression? Domed pistons? My SC service manual is the one from Jen Sales and covers more than just the C-123. It doesn't give any variation for the C-123 head. The only thing left is a different type of piston.
 
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Don't know but I need one for my 130 farmall
 
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IH used what they called a Fire Crater piston. A domed piston with a recess. If you do a Google image search for fire crater pistons, there are more than several images of them.

I'd have to check the specs, but to get a couple more HP out of the C-123, they may have bumped the max. governed speed a couple hundred RPM's also.
 
   / C-123 Engine
  • Thread Starter
#4  
DJ54, you are right about the governed speed. According to tractordata, the SC and 200 were rated at 1400 rpm whereas the 230 was rated at 1800 rpm. However, the serial number placard on my SC has three lines. First line is model number. Second line is serial number. Third line is max rated rpms. Mine has 1815 stamped into that third line. I guess this means every tractor was rated for max rpm when it came off the assembly line. Although I've never seen the Nebraska tractor test data for the 240, the engine was rated at 2000 rpms. Why do you suppose they rated the rpms higher in the later year tractors?

Thanks for the info on Fire Craters. Didn't know that. I had read that folks wanting to tweak their C-123 had no options in terms of shaving the head since the valve clearance is already pretty close.

Has anyone tried putting oversized intake valves in one of these or porting and polishing the intake?
 
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   / C-123 Engine #5  
Bumping the rpm's a bit is a cheap way to get a couple more horses. They did this back in the 30's when going from the F-12, to the F-14 tractors. Same engine, bumped up 200 r.p.m.

I guess it's always nice to have a few extra hp on a tractor this size, but they were designed to work with implements designed for them, and to do it days, even years on end with no problems.

There are kits the increase the bore to 3-1/4", and have been out for years. There may one of those in one of mine. Dad rebuilt it in about 1973, but not sure what he put in it. I know my other is the original 3-1/8", as I've had to replace the headgasket on it, and I measured it.

I'm sure some of the antique pullers in the smaller classes have their engines tricked out. What they have done, I'm not sure. But bet you wouldn't want to work them all day long.
 
   / C-123 Engine #6  
From tractordata, the C123 was put into the Super C, 200, 230, and 240 tractors. The bore and stroke was the same in all however, the compression went from a 6:1 in the SC to 7.x:1 in the 240. What did they do to get the extra compression? Domed pistons? My SC service manual is the one from Jen Sales and covers more than just the C-123. It doesn't give any variation for the C-123 head. The only thing left is a different type of piston.

Not sure about the SC, but the 230 (I have a '57 with FireCrater pistons), came with 3 different types of pistons, flats for sea leave, slightly domed for up to 4500 feet above sea level and significant dome for above 4500 ft. I'm not sure which domes I have but the fella who I bought if from a bunch of years ago said he dyno'd it at 32hp, which is about 4 more than it was rated for..I live at about 250 feet above sea level, so I'm guessing its the 4500 pistons...I don't believe they had any different heads just different pistons. BobG in VA
 
   / C-123 Engine
  • Thread Starter
#7  
Your point is well taken. The fact that many of these tractors are still being used, in my case 60 years after it was built, is verification enough of their design. If I need more horsepower, I should get a bigger tractor. I like the Super M, but it is a bit heavy for my trailer, guess I'd settle for an M or Super H.
 
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Up until I got my new tractor last year I used a 49 farmall m for everything! Still have it in the process of restoring it for show!
 
   / C-123 Engine #9  
You can take a fair bit off the head of a C-123. I used to pull a Super C and IIRC I shaved 0.100" off the head. Put a TISCO overbore kit in it and a C-135 camshaft. 36 PTO HP.
 
   / C-123 Engine
  • Thread Starter
#10  
Wow, that seems like alot. @ what RPM and are you saying 36 HP at the flywheel or PTO? Either way impressive.
 
 
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