B7100 ~ More power?

[DennisD]

A month ago I bought a B7100 and I was wondering if anyone has found a way to get a little more horsepower from the little unit. I'm happy with the unit the way it is but a few more horses couldn't hurt.

 

[Thomas]

Dennis,
If you think the B7100 lacking horse power,check or change your fliulds and filters.
My B7100 has more than enough power if I pick the right range or 2wd & 4wd.

Be careful when trying to get that little extra,for it might cost you more than a little extra./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

Stay safe and/w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif

Thomas..NH

 

[Bird]

Dennis, you make me wish I could see and drive that B7100. Have you driven any other 7100s to compare it to? I'm wondering whether you just have the Tim Allen complex (like me) or whether there's something about yours that causes it to have less than its normal power. The one I had always had plenty of power to turn 3 wheels (except when I forgot that I was in high range instead of low), although there were a few rare instances in which I could bog it down with the brush hog or tiller.

Bird

 

[Kelvin]

I, too, am curious about what you are doing that makes you want more power. For example, are you wanting to replace a 4' rotary mower with a 5' or 6' one? If that example comes close, then I'd say that you need a larger tractor. The gear model B7100s have a little more PTO horsepower than the hydrostatic models (12 vs 13 hp?), but I'd say that that won't make much difference for you.

Overall, I have been very pleased with my gear drive B7100 4wd (keeping up 5 acres). I use a 48" mid-mower and a 42" rotary mower. My main complaint is a lack of live PTO when using the rotary mower. Hydrostat models don't have that problem.

If you check out my other posts, you'll find that front turf tires are a real pain to find (4wd models only).

 

[DennisD]

It's just that Tim Allen complex. I'm not considering anything drastic, just wondering if there is anything simple that could be done. I've got a 4' box blade and a 4 foot single blade rotary mower and like I said, the unit has good power but if it is easy to modify for a little more; why not. By the way, mine is a 4 wheel drive HST.

 

[Bird]

Dennis, my B7100 was also 4WD, HST (and I'd probably still have it if it had not lacked power steering). I suppose any engine can be "souped up" if you have the know how, but I don't know of any simple way to do it. And of course, if you increased the power, I don't know whether that might have a detrimental effect on the drive train and other components or not. In other words, I don't know./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Bird

 

[MATTinMO]

Oh yeah ....I think we all get a touch of the Tim Allen syndrome.....one of my cousins got a kit from some fellas in Coffeville KS to put a big honkin engine in a ford 8N and he did a great job on it......he didnt like it when I said thats cool a 100hp 8N......with a 30 hp transmission.
It was cool though arrrr arrr arrr

 

[Thomas]

Dennis.
If you are that interested in gaining more horse power for the B7100 HST check out some of the websites on tractor & truck pulling,for they may have a kit.

The B7100 was design as a compact work mule,for it wasn't made for speed nor that extra horse power like the newer Kubotas.
Just slect your 2wd or 4wd and fine a happy setting on the trottle and you will do just fine./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

It maybe cheaper to trade up to the B24 or B27 in the long run???

I will agree with Bird about the power steering./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

Stay safe and/w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif

Thomas..NH

 

[DennisD]

Thanks for all the posts guys, after a little more time in the seat I've learned that in fact the unit has pretty good power (enough to spin 3 and sometimes 4 wheels). I was just not giving enough throttle for what I was trying to do (breaking packed soil with the 4 foot box blade). I probably would have gotten a larger unit but I need to get into some tight places when mowing and the 7100 is just right, especially with the hydro drive. The lack of power steering hasn't bothered me so far (might get a spinner for the steering wheel though).

 

[Bird]

Dennis, my B7100 was a fine little tractor, but I really wasn't too fond of the lack of a tachometer (I like gauges/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif), but the salesman, and a factory service rep, told me to just go wide open on the throttle, then back just a tiny bit and that was PTO speed. Seemed an odd way to do things, but I've learned other dealers told customers the same thing. And I thought briefly about getting a spinner for the steering wheel, but decided against it; might be a good idea, though. One word of caution, regardless of whether you have a spinner on the steering wheel or not; several of us learned that if you hit a rut, ridge of dirt, hole in the ground, etc. with a front wheel and you don't have a tight grip on the steering wheel, it may suddenly and violently spin one direction or the other with enough force to at least bruise or sprain a thumb or finger.

Bird

 

[RobertN]

Did he put a V8 in it? Since I got into antiques, I have seen the Funk V8 conversion using a flathead Ford V8 in the 8N/9N.

Looks cool with zoomie type exhaust sticking up there!

RobertN in Shingle Springs Calif

 

[RobertN]

Always keep your thumb OUTSIDE the steering wheel. Seen em get busted while 4wheeling in the Jeep. Running older rigs w/o PS on the rocks, well they'll all the sudden spin the sterring wheel when you bump a rock.

My B8200, nor the new Farmall "A" have PS... Thums outside those steering spokes!

RobertN in Shingle Springs Calif

 

[RobertN]

Bird, did they say if it was governed?

I wondered about that on this Farmall I got. It's goverened for PTO speed. From the books, you just run it up in rpm. But, that assumes the governer is set correctly...

RobertN in Shingle Springs Calif

 

[DennisD]

Thanks for the tip about the throttle setting, I was unsure about that. I haven't been running that fast. Also, thanks for the tip about the knucle bruiser, I'll try to keep a tight grip. I agree about the lack of gauges, so far that is the only thing I don't like. Has anyone installed a temp gauge on the 7100? If so, where did you find a plug to install the sending unit?

 

[Bird]

RobertN, I'm certainly no diesel mechanic, but aren't they all governed in one way or another? And I'm pretty sure the guys were right about the PTO speed on the B7100 without a tachometer. Now that I have a B2710 with a tachometer, PTO speed is 2584, rated hp speed is 2600, but wide open throttle gets somewhere close to 2800, so wide open, then ease off just a bit would get you there on this B2710 also./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif I'll admit to not having torn down a diesel engine of any kind, so I'm not entirely sure how the governor works, but my shop manual does show how to disassemble and re-assemble the "governor shaft."

Bird

 

[W5FL]

Tape it tightly to the upper radiator hose. Then put a layer of insulation, then tinfoil and tape it again. Should read within 5 degrees of a block mounted unit. If you decide to remove it, it is easy.

 

[Bird]

Dennis, with the B7100 not having a water pump nor a temperature gauge nor a coolant recovery jug, I was a bit concerned about that, but a factory service rep told me not to worry about it. He said if it starts to get hot, "You'll hear it whistling from steam escaping."/w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif (They did stress keeping a clean 50/50 mixture of water and anti-freeze, not any stronger mixture, in the radiator.) Fortunately, mine never whistled./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif And while I didn't ask how, where, etc., one dealer told me he could install a tachometer for about $200, so I decided I could live without it.

Bird

 

[RobertN]

You grew up on a "green" tractor; did it have a tach? How did you control PTO speed on it? This Farmall "A" I just got does not. Does have a oil pressure gauge though I do wonder how they set a governor on a tractor that has no tach. They must have one they hook-up just for the procedure, I'm guessing. On the B7100, there must be a service port for hooking up a tach. Or, a person could use the add-on versions where a sensor an pickup are added on the crank pulley.

For the B7100, it should spit and whistle like this old Farmall "A", as it is a thermo-siphon system right? There's no waterpump. The cooling system is non-pressurized, yes?

It's interesting how they still make use of the thermo-siphon system after all these years.

RobertN in Shingle Springs Calif

 

[Bird]

RobertN, that "green" tractor I started on didn't have any gauges, and it didn't have a PTO either (had PTOs been invented by then?). The only implements we had were a single bottom turning plow (I never heard the word "moldboard" back then), a double buster, and the remains of a horse drawn disk (still had the seat on it so someone could ride on it for ballast, but Mother refused to ride it after Dad went over a terrace and flipped her off backwards once).

And for those of you who don't know what we're talking about, my first experience with a tractor was a small 2-cylinder gasoline John Deere that I always seemed to remember Dad saying he thought was a 1940 model, but after looking at some information Robert gave me, I think it must have been a 1938.

And yep, the B7100 has what we call a thermo-siphon system, but that factory service rep had another name for it and I've forgotten the word he used. But it did have a pressure cap on the radiator.

Bird

 

[Kelvin]

Re: B7100 ~ (Temp Gauge)

On my B7100, I bought a mechanical temperature gauge and had a radiator shop solder in a fitting in the top of the radiator right next to where the top hose enters the radiator. I get pretty good results at that location. Since my B7100 is an older model (doesn't have an hour gauge) I mounted the temperature gauge where the hour meter wouldv'e gone.

I won't go into it here, but you need to be aware of the B7100's thermo-siphon cooling system (no thermostat; no water pump). If you are interested, I will also go into the "max temperature" calculations. Don't believe the generic dealer answer "max temperature is approximately 100 degrees above ambient". I can (and have) prove that to be incorrect.

While mowing with my mid-mower, I find the B7100 to run cooler at full throttle than it does where I used to run it (about an inch off of full throttle). I can only assume more airflow across the radiator to be the reason.

Hope this helps
Kelvin