Got started putting 1948 Allis Model B engine back together.

Gale Hawkins · Sep 23, 2018

This has been a hot summer project and summer left yesterday so we got the sleeves back into the block and got the crank finished today and the pistons loaded. Hope to get the head on tomorrow.

At age 3 in 1954 I played on Dad's Model B and started driving it when I was 5 while he was picking corn by hand.

I have no way of knowing what age it was but this 1948 is very similar except it has like a 50 year old Wood's belly mower on it. I bought it non running. It turned out the nearly empty bottle of Liquid Glass stop leak in the tool box had made its way into the crankcase. The bearings were nice and shiny but very thin. I have learned so much about this 19 HP engine over the summer. The machine shop saved the crankshaft and head. I cleaned up the sleeves and pistons and we are reusing them. I had to find a used rocker arm due to the Liquid Glass in the motor oil.

I am looking forward to hear the 70 year old tractor run.

Gale Hawkins · Sep 29, 2018

I am looking at replacing the distributor points with an electronic version. As anyone done this with old gas tractors and what was your results?

Oldtractorfixer · Sep 29, 2018

Gale Hawkins said:
I am looking at replacing the distributor points with an electronic version. As anyone done this with old gas tractors and what was your results?

Did it on a 1953 Ford jubilee and a 1959 case 200 worked great in both cases.

sandman2234 · Sep 29, 2018

Changing a B over to points is a good thing. Wonder who converted it from magneto to a distributor? (Happens all the time, but all the older B models came with a magneto. I like the mag because you don't have to keep a fresh battery in them, just jump them off and go, or hand crank them.
The serial number located by the gear shift on the transmission will tell you the age of it. There are other ways to tell a general range of years, but serial number is fastest. Tractordata dot com has a serial number listing for it.
David from jax

Sonny580 · Oct 21, 2018

Keep the points!!!! ---the transistor crap will throw off the timing and everything else!!!! ---- been there and had to go back and replace the whole 9 yards!!! thanks; sonny580

Gale Hawkins · Oct 22, 2018

Sonny580 said:
Keep the points!!!! ---the transistor crap will throw off the timing and everything else!!!! ---- been there and had to go back and replace the whole 9 yards!!! thanks; sonny580

Thanks for the heads up on the points because we're discussing doing that.

Do you know the why of this issue?

It is currently running a 12 factory looking generator but seems to have come with a magneto originally.

Gale Hawkins · Oct 22, 2018

sandman2234 said:
Changing a B over to points is a good thing. Wonder who converted it from magneto to a distributor? (Happens all the time, but all the older B models came with a magneto. I like the mag because you don't have to keep a fresh battery in them, just jump them off and go, or hand crank them.
The serial number located by the gear shift on the transmission will tell you the age of it. There are other ways to tell a general range of years, but serial number is fastest. Tractordata dot com has a serial number listing for it.
David from jax

Since the distribution shows little wear yet the governor weights and pins was worn so bad that I replaced them with tight used ones I am guessing the change over came related later in life.

Gale Hawkins · Oct 24, 2018

View attachment 1948 Model B Allis Chambers.jpg
This was the day I looked at and bought it with a non running non stuck engine.

View attachment 1948 B AC split.jpg
This was after we pulled the engine for total rebuild.

View attachment 1948 B AC engine after rebuild.jpg
I painted most parts one as a time when the engine was totally apart.

Working on the skin currently trying to make Veterans Day Parade in Murray KY on the afternoon of the 11th.

Gale Hawkins · Nov 1, 2018

View attachment 1948 Model B Allis restored engine.jpg

I have worked it about 5 hours but today we put the skin back on it and got the lights wired. Now it is read for the Veterans Day parade Sunday week.

We got rid our our Model B in 1957 or 1958 for a Jubilee Ford (600) and I never thought I would own the tractor like I played on when I was 3 and started driving when I was 5 when Dad was picking corn by hand and got tired of getting off and on it.

The oldest son got put to work early but I guess it has paid off over the last 60+ years in one way or another.

GeneD14 · Nov 17, 2018

That is a real nice lookin B!!!
With that belly mower: it's not just a parade queen. It can work!

radios1 · Nov 18, 2018

Gale Hawkins said:
Thanks for the heads up on the points because we're discussing doing that.

Do you know the why of this issue?

It is currently running a 12 factory looking generator but seems to have come with a magneto originally.

transistorized ignitions, if properly timed, they are better than points.. yes, it does need to be properly timed with a timing light.. and as far as magnetos go, magneto's are the most reliable, that's why aircraft piston engines use them, nothing else..

Paystar · Nov 22, 2018

I love it gale Hawkins! I am also learning a lot about Allis Chalmers. I just bought a 1955 CA that I am going to restore.

Gale Hawkins · Nov 23, 2018

Paystar said:
I love it gale Hawkins! I am also learning a lot about Allis Chalmers. I just bought a 1955 CA that I am going to restore.

Thanks Paystar. I think later models B, C CA's had the same 125 cubic inch engine perhaps.

Gale Hawkins · Dec 3, 2018

Well coolant started to getting into the crankcase. Head gasket proved to be fine. Sleeve O rings proved to be fine.

Sleeve #4 cracked around the two lower O ring grooves. We had reused the old sleeves and pistons. After the first 5 hours we changed the oil and it was free of coolant so not sure when it cracked. That is a very thin area of the sleeve.

We have the old sleeves out and the block washed out with gas as of late last night so after a dry inspection we plan to order a new sleeve, piston, rings rod bearings and sleeve o-rings set.

The shop owner let me clean up and hone the old sleeves so I got a lot of first time experience going that deep into an engine. Wish this had not happened but on the redo we are going to revisit the steps. For some reason one rod bearing had a small hot spot showing. They were all at .002 clearance per Plastic Gauge. The crank looks clear rod wise. We did not drop the crankshaft caps.

I wanted to go with the standard 3 3/8" bore but it looks like the thinner 3 7/16" over bored sleeve kits are the only option. I am more concerned about forces on the crank than engine HP.

This time I plan to start with the Archoil AR9100 from the first fill of the crankcase and may just go with the Rotella T6 5W-40. The last time I ran 15W-40 diesel oil without the AR9100 for the first 5 break in hours.

radios1 · Dec 3, 2018

Gale Hawkins said:
Well coolant started to getting into the crankcase. Head gasket proved to be fine. Sleeve O rings proved to be fine.

Sleeve #4 cracked around the two lower O ring grooves. We had reused the old sleeves and pistons. After the first 5 hours we changed the oil and it was free of coolant so not sure when it cracked. That is a very thin area of the sleeve.

We have the old sleeves out and the block washed out with gas as of late last night so after a dry inspection we plan to order a new sleeve, piston, rings rod bearings and sleeve o-rings set.

The shop owner let me clean up and hone the old sleeves so I got a lot of first time experience going that deep into an engine. Wish this had not happened but on the redo we are going to revisit the steps. For some reason one rod bearing had a small hot spot showing. They were all at .002 clearance per Plastic Gauge. The crank looks clear rod wise. We did not drop the crankshaft caps.

I wanted to go with the standard 3 3/8" bore but it looks like the thinner 3 7/16" over bored sleeve kits are the only option. I am more concerned about forces on the crank than engine HP.

This time I plan to start with the Archoil AR9100 from the first fill of the crankcase and may just go with the Rotella T6 5W-40. The last time I ran 15W-40 diesel oil without the AR9100 for the first 5 break in hours.

you should use kerosene if anything to wash the block out, Gasoline is way too dangerous!. suggested: soap and water, followed by kerosene!..

Gale Hawkins · Dec 4, 2018

radios1 said:
you should use kerosene if anything to wash the block out, Gasoline is way too dangerous!. suggested: soap and water, followed by kerosene!..

Plus it makes it hard to breath but the ethanol helped remove the antifreeze from the crankcase.

Got the new rebuild kit ordered today.

Gale Hawkins · Dec 7, 2018

The new rebuild kit came today from Steiner.

Sonny580 · Dec 9, 2018

Mags. Are the least reliable!--had a bunch of them,--Now most have been changed to dist. ign.--Currently have a 38 B that is hand crank only and mag. ign. Guess what?--Won't start unless you pull start it! NO spark at crank speed. --This has been a problem with all mags. no matter what brands or what engines they are used on.
Aircraft ignitions are NOT anything like tractors.
Transistor ignitions are not successful in ALL engines.--- Old engines were not designed for them and some just can not be tuned so they work.-- I can't see spending that much money on something that has a 50-50 chance of not working on my engine. thanks; sonny580