MM BF restoration-more progress

[flusher]

Looking real nice, Flusher! :thumbsup:

I'll admit I had to do a bit of research to see that MM stands for Minneapolis Moline.... Saw my first one of those at a tractor exhibition/rural fair in MO last summer; there were actually a pair of them there. Looked like they were very well made, nice heavy steel used. The two I saw were quite a bit larger than yours, but I don't remember what models they were....

I'll also be waiting for the finished pics!

Curious: did your replacement u-joints come with needles in them?

Yep, needles and a grease zerk on one of the four end caps. A big improvement in the old u-joints.

 

[flusher]

Flusher The BF is going to look great.

I have been lurking on this one as My Dad actually owned one in the early 60's, He had a mowing machine and a set of plows for it as well. He sold all of it in 1962 for a whopping $750.00 and it was in great shape ! Good Luck on her, I am extremely envious.

Thanks. Hope to get the rear end reassembly finished next week. Then it's back to the engine. It came out of the machine shop in the short block configuration. I'll get it onto the engine stand and finish the assembly-- hopefully this month. Nov is a busy time--planting my hayfield now (plant in Nov, bale the following May).

 

[77transam]

Looks great Flusher! I too have been "lurking" on this one and I'm subscribed, so keep the details coming! :thumbsup:

Hopefully, Dad and I will be tackling a full tear-down resto next year if time and money permit, so I love to follow fellow TBNers projects!

Specially one's like you with lots of pics and details!

 

[flusher]

Looks great Flusher! I too have been "lurking" on this one and I'm subscribed, so keep the details coming! :thumbsup:

Hopefully, Dad and I will be tackling a full tear-down resto next year if time and money permit, so I love to follow fellow TBNers projects!

Specially one's like you with lots of pics and details!

No problem--I like detailed restoration stories myself with tons of pictures. I learn a lot from what I find on the web for such mundane subjects like home-built supports for the tractor during various rebuild steps (jacks, cribbing, hoists, chain and sling rigging, etc). It's nice to find slick ideas from experienced restorers that make the job easier and safer (don't want your precious baby tumbling off some goofy jury-rigged support and hitting the floor with a thud--or dropping on one of your body parts).

 

[flusher]

More progress on the rear end reassembly. Got both axles reattached to the differential case a few days ago.



Then the 24" long propeller shaft onto the transmission input shaft. Held on with stout cotter pins. The new U-joints have grease zerks unlike the old ones that were permanently lubed.



Next, the torque tube gets attached to the tranny case via four bolts



Next attach the wheel hubs



Then attach the left rear wheel



I'm hung up on the right rear wheel because the valv core is stuck and I don't have the right tool to get it out. Ordered a screwdriver type core tool from Amazon. Should be here in a few days. Don't want to install that right rear until I'm sure the tire holds air. The left one is fine.

One of the reasons I grabbed this BF tractor was because the rear rubber is in excellent shape. Paid $1300 for the tractor--the rear wheels are probably worth $600-800 on CL or eBay.

 

[irvingj]

Very neat!

 

[77transam]

Nice:thumbsup:

 

[clemsonfor]

Flusher The BF is going to look great.

I have been lurking on this one as My Dad actually owned one in the early 60's, He had a mowing machine and a set of plows for it as well. He sold all of it in 1962 for a whopping $750.00 and it was in great shape ! Good Luck on her, I am extremely envious.

$750 in 1962 dollars is a good bit today, sorry i know this is an older post.

 

[flusher]

Managed to get more work done (Thanksgiving holiday travel slowed things down in the shop).
The rear end of the BF is back together. The jacks have been removed and the rear wheels are once again on the ground.



With those bull gear axles and no engine weight on the front, you need to support the rear of the tractor to keep it from doing a back flip.



The rebuild kit for the water pump arrived. Problem: the pump shaft is frozen in the bearing and the bearing is rusted to the cast iron pump housing. Couldn't get the bearing out with my press so off to the machine shop. No problem getting the old bearing out, but the housing cracked in half. Not to worry--Ron, the machinist, brazed the housing together, installed the new parts and cleaned up the pump so it looks like new.



Glad it turned out well since I haven't been able to locate a supplier for that complete water pump, just the rebuild kit.

Next step: reinstall the flywheel, attach the engine to the service stand, install the head.

 

[flusher]

Christmas holiday is over so back to work--flywheel installation.
The timing mark is on the forward face of the flywheel (highlighted in white near the 1 o'clock position)



Here are the fasteners--four bolts with holes for safety wires. I made two studs for installing the flywheel by cutting the heads off long bolts. The plastic cap covers the timing hole on the flywheel housing.



The big hole in the housing is for the starter, the small hole is for timing. You can see the large seal between the flywheel housing and the flange on the end of the crankshaft.



The flywheel is installed with pistons #1 and #4 at top dead center (TDC). This sets the timing mark in the right location (opposite the timing hole in the flywheel housing).



Next, install the two studs and slip the flywheel onto them (makes the job a lot easier since the flywheel is pretty heavy). You can see the pilot bearing in the center of the flywheel.



The timing mark now is aligned pretty well with the timing hole on the flywheel housing.



Checking the flywheel wobble with a dial gauge (has to be within +/- 0.005"). The two long bolts threaded into the flywheel and the short steel rod make it easy to spin the flywheel for this measurement.



Finally install the safety wires (0.032" dia stainless steel).



Next: onto the engine work stand to install a lot of stuff.

 

[irvingj]

QUOTE: "I made two studs for installing the flywheel by cutting the heads off long bolts"

What a clever idea! Not sure why, but that never ocurred to me before... I can think of several situations where that technique would come in handy. :thumbsup:

(I'm thinking I've been out of the wrenching business too long...)

Thanks for the update!

 

[MikesTractor]

Nice work. I love seeing these old tractors brought back to life. That thing is gonna be nice when you finish. I have a '62 Ford 2000 Diesel that I plan to start in the spring. Wish me luck... :>)

I made two studs for installing the flywheel by cutting the heads off long bolts.

I have a drawer full of these. When I make them, I keep them for future jobs. A little trick I use on mine is to cut a slot in the end when you cut the head off. Then, if you need it, you can use a flat screwdriver to remove them.

 

[flusher]

Nice work. I love seeing these old tractors brought back to life. That thing is gonna be nice when you finish. I have a '62 Ford 2000 Diesel that I plan to start in the spring. Wish me luck... :>)




I have a drawer full of these. When I make them, I keep them for future jobs. A little trick I use on mine is to cut a slot in the end when you cut the head off. Then, if you need it, you can use a flat screwdriver to remove them.

Thanks for the tip. I'll do that in the future.

 

[flusher]

Back in the shop today (pea soup fog this AM that didn't clear, so no work in the hayfield today). Got a 1948 Farmall Cub the week before Christmas and have been getting it back in shape (plugs, magneto, rebuild the carb, etc).

Got the engine installed on the work stand today.



I bought that $49 Oberg tilt lift hoist to make the job easier.

The Oberg Tilt Lift - The Stricklin Companies

I had to fab a few adapters to mate the flywheel housing to the work stand.



A 5 minute job to get the engine on the work stand.



Flip the engine over and get ready to install the oil pump. The old one seems to be OK. If I have to replace it, no problem getting to the pump once the oil pan is removed.

 

[irvingj]

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[flusher]

I finally found time to work on the BF.

The 6V positive ground generator is toast (not worth restoring) so I changed to a 6V positive ground alternator. Thought about changing to 12V negative ground. Only problem is with the 6V starter. It'll work OK on 12 V but the higher voltage and the heavy copper winding in that 6V starter will cause the bendix to slam into the ring gear on the flywheel--possibly causing damage to the gear teeth. So modify the alternator to 6V. Better safe than sorry.

Got a Delco 10SI 12V negative ground alternator from NAPA ($44) and a modification kit to change it to 6V positive ground ($40). This alternator has an internal voltage regulator and runs single wire. The new circuit is supposed to excite the alternator at low rpm.



It's an easy job--four major parts and a few nuts and bolts in the conversion kit.



Next step: install the front cover on the engine, the governor and the distributor.

The crankshaft and timing gears coated with Permatex assembly lube. Ditto the gear on the governor.



The timing gear cover, governor and distributor installed.



Next--oil pan, cylinder head, water pump, alternator, ignition coil.

 

[irvingj]

Looking very nice. Um-m-m, Those two little springs? They got back in place OK? (That would really worry me; I hate to see teensy parts lying loose like that....)

I really didn't know 6V and/or positive ground systems were still available!

 

[flusher]

Looking very nice. Um-m-m, Those two little springs? They got back in place OK? (That would really worry me; I hate to see teensy parts lying loose like that....)

I really didn't know 6V and/or positive ground systems were still available!

Those springs are spares for the brushes. YOu can see the brush assembly in the photo--the springs and brushes are already installed in the holder and that piece of wire holds the brushes and springs compressed in the holder. The final step in the installation is to pull that wire out (it sticks out of a hole in the alternator housing) to release the brushes so they ride on the slip rings.

YOu have to look around on the Web for 6V alternators--they're available. And NAPA will special order them.

 

[irvingj]

Gotcha! I see now where they fit into the nylon housing, in parallel. Guess I'm used to seeing them opposed; never had an alternator really apart before. Nice pics!

 

[flusher]

Well, I finally caught a break in the work load around my place and spent some time with the MM BF engine. Converted the Harbor Freight work stand into a run stand by attaching the front engine mount to the block and supporting it with some slotted angle.



Added gauges. Rigged a gas tank using a paint cup from my Harbor Freight HVLP gun. Oil in the crankcase with Lucas break in oil added. Water in the block (no flow for now). Alternator not installed (run ignition off the battery alone).

Ran into an immediate problem--with the plugs installed, this rebuilt engine is really tight. 6V (positive ground) starter runs slow, labors, insulation on the windings is smoking. Pull the spark plugs-- the 6V starter spins the engine nicely (50 rpm or better).

This engine is set up for a hand crank, so I'll install that hardware on the run stand and see what happens. Ignition on this engine is the normal type (not a magneto ignition with an impulse coupler) so I don't know how effective the hand crank will be. May have to spin the engine with a big drill motor.

More later.