my winter project

   / my winter project #81  
Soundguy,


So...... what are you going to do this winter.... I have a Farmall 140 I'll bring you to restore ;) . It'll take me all winter and shouldn't take you but 3 or 4 days.


Chris
 
   / my winter project
  • Thread Starter
#82  
i believe this winter i'll be restoring those PA rims that should be on my 951. right now she's wearing temporary 8n rubber and rims. makes her set a lil low.. but the mower probably likes that better.. at least the u-joints probably do..

thanks guys..

soundguy
 
   / my winter project #83  
:drool: I am in awe of you Soundguy...I'm wondering something. I've noticed in all the pictures you take that the tractor's always outside. Do you just not have the room to work in the shop? Or do you pull it out to take pictures?

Also, what are your plans for it when you're done? Keep for collection? Re-sell? Don't know yet?

You also said this was one of the most goobered-up tractors you've worked on; Did you know it was gonna be a tough one before you started? I mean I know with your experience you can probably get a pretty good idea of the overall condition, but were a lot of the problems you encountered things you couldn't determine 'till you tore it down?

I'm asking because I'm curious as to whether or not you feel all the work is worth the PIA and time/money? I can see in your dedication and skill it's a labor of love for you, but do you ever feel sometimes like it's more work than it's worth?

(sorry 'bout all the stupid questions, I'm just trying to get inside the Master's philosophy/ideas on restoring these classics...:D)
 
   / my winter project
  • Thread Starter
#84  
lets see.

space.

I could pull an ag chassie macine like a 8n/naa/600/800 into the bay of my shop.. wouldn't leave alot of room.. but can happen. in factg.. I had my naa in there a year ago to rebuild the steering and install the brackets for a loader.

the rowcrops are taller and have those drop box final drive axles and are just all around larger. if I neded cover I could pullt hem down to the barn... buat all my tools are in the shop.. :) so yeah.. they get worked on right outside the shop...

got a mower hooked up to her right now.. and that's probably her 'rest of life' job at least while I own her. I tend to stick specific tractors with specific jobs and then don't change them much. ( 850 moves hay, 5000/7610s mow with the big mowers.. etc. ) sell them? naw... :)

yep.. roughest one I've done.

I know it was going to be a bit of the project.. one, from looking at the pics, and 2, from talking to the owner. he told me plainly he wasn't very handy.. he had had the thing a year, and had already carught the dash cluster on fire and ruined all the wireing etc. the person he bought it from ran the snot out of it and apparrently the only 'fixing' tool he owned was an arc welder.

I also knew it would be a hard luck case due to the price. it's also the cheapest unit i've bought too.. that's a sign :)

when I got there I saw all the stuff the pictures hit.

vw gas tank, non oem radiator.. no charge syste, ( no genny at all.. no alternator.. etc.. ).. 2 pieces of garden hose were used to TIE the vw gas tank into the chopped up hood.. tank had jb weld and fiberglass patches on it.. lots of broken and missing fasteners and brackets.

i didn't realize I'd be removing sooooo many broken bolts and whatnot.. though I drove 7hrs for it, and it did start ok.. so I wanted to drag it home.. didn't want to come home empty handed after tractor hunting... :)

and sure.. i found hidden damage to the steeirng and hyds and rear end.. but that's part of the game...

I view it as a project. ie.. more of a journey than a destination.

when i say the condition, taking that into account with the price, I told myself that I would fix all the mechanical problems it had.. and if I ran into something expensive not fixable, I'd treat it as a parts tractor.. IE.. an assembled engine, trans, rear end.. etc. and use it accordingly, as I got it way cheaper than buying any 2 of those components by themselves.. since I own other rowcrops.. and other 00/01 series tractors.. it wasn't a bad stretch, though I did intent to try to amke it an operational machine, vs an organ donor. I didn't want to put alot of cash into it, though I didn't mind pouring on the labor.. I got lucky and found very affordable spare parts for it from friends here on the board ( our very own RickB from the NH section was one of them.. ), and on local craigslist.. so I'm not too deep into her for parts... labor was mine, and thus 'free' :) shop supplies were limited to a walmart oil change and supplies..some cans of walmart carb cleaner.. most of a case of grease. I already had enough spare paint and primer to paint her left over from other projects. same with small spare parts items. on other refurbs I do,. I usually pull damaged parts and repair if I have time, or repalce with repop or good salvage.. then when i have time, I go back and repair the damaged aprts and put them on the shelf for later use. I aprticularly like to do this with pto assemblies. I keep an assy that will fit the 1955-1964 gear trans machines on the shelf. when one comes in with a bad pto shaft seal or bearing, I install my rebuilt one and toss the old one on the workbench. I usually keep common items like steering thrust bearings and pto seals and common gaskets and orings kits for the 55-64 fords on hand... thus when needed I open the drawer.. flip thru my cardboard dividers then pull the gaskets and orings / seals I need then go.

simple gaskets like inspection covers and pto and what not I cut myself from a master template. even exhaust flange gaskets. I keep a variety of rubber, cork and paper gasktet materials on hand.. even sheet leather for the old stuff. :)

for this project, I raided my box of spares and used alot of self-reconditioned parts I had.

still keep a spare pto shaft, starter, 6v gen and other asstd goodies on the shelf etc..

I'm also getitng a good collection of spare tires and body panels. right now I have about 1/3 of the sheet metal for a 55-64 machine tucked away into the barn. when i get a uinit in, I usually swap in my parts if they are better. then take some time and recon the old parts... etc.

soundguy
 
   / my winter project #85  
got a mower hooked up to her right now.. and that's probably her 'rest of life' job at least while I own her. I tend to stick specific tractors with specific jobs and then don't change them much. ( 850 moves hay, 5000/7610s mow with the big mowers.. etc. ) sell them? naw... :)

soundguy
Years ago, I spent time on the old Antique Tractor Forum, when I had my 8n, and the 4000. There was a guy on there whose dream was to own a tractor for each implement he owned. He hated changing implements and thought that was the ideal solution. Seems like you are living his dream! :)
 
   / my winter project #86  
lets see.

space.

I could pull an ag chassie macine like a 8n/naa/600/800 into the bay of my shop.. wouldn't leave alot of room.. but can happen. in factg.. I had my naa in there a year ago to rebuild the steering and install the brackets for a loader.

the rowcrops are taller and have those drop box final drive axles and are just all around larger. if I neded cover I could pullt hem down to the barn... buat all my tools are in the shop.. :) so yeah.. they get worked on right outside the shop...

got a mower hooked up to her right now.. and that's probably her 'rest of life' job at least while I own her. I tend to stick specific tractors with specific jobs and then don't change them much. ( 850 moves hay, 5000/7610s mow with the big mowers.. etc. ) sell them? naw... :)

yep.. roughest one I've done.

I know it was going to be a bit of the project.. one, from looking at the pics, and 2, from talking to the owner. he told me plainly he wasn't very handy.. he had had the thing a year, and had already carught the dash cluster on fire and ruined all the wireing etc. the person he bought it from ran the snot out of it and apparrently the only 'fixing' tool he owned was an arc welder.

I also knew it would be a hard luck case due to the price. it's also the cheapest unit i've bought too.. that's a sign :)

when I got there I saw all the stuff the pictures hit.

vw gas tank, non oem radiator.. no charge syste, ( no genny at all.. no alternator.. etc.. ).. 2 pieces of garden hose were used to TIE the vw gas tank into the chopped up hood.. tank had jb weld and fiberglass patches on it.. lots of broken and missing fasteners and brackets.

i didn't realize I'd be removing sooooo many broken bolts and whatnot.. though I drove 7hrs for it, and it did start ok.. so I wanted to drag it home.. didn't want to come home empty handed after tractor hunting... :)

and sure.. i found hidden damage to the steeirng and hyds and rear end.. but that's part of the game...

I view it as a project. ie.. more of a journey than a destination.

when i say the condition, taking that into account with the price, I told myself that I would fix all the mechanical problems it had.. and if I ran into something expensive not fixable, I'd treat it as a parts tractor.. IE.. an assembled engine, trans, rear end.. etc. and use it accordingly, as I got it way cheaper than buying any 2 of those components by themselves.. since I own other rowcrops.. and other 00/01 series tractors.. it wasn't a bad stretch, though I did intent to try to amke it an operational machine, vs an organ donor. I didn't want to put alot of cash into it, though I didn't mind pouring on the labor.. I got lucky and found very affordable spare parts for it from friends here on the board ( our very own RickB from the NH section was one of them.. ), and on local craigslist.. so I'm not too deep into her for parts... labor was mine, and thus 'free' :) shop supplies were limited to a walmart oil change and supplies..some cans of walmart carb cleaner.. most of a case of grease. I already had enough spare paint and primer to paint her left over from other projects. same with small spare parts items. on other refurbs I do,. I usually pull damaged parts and repair if I have time, or repalce with repop or good salvage.. then when i have time, I go back and repair the damaged aprts and put them on the shelf for later use. I aprticularly like to do this with pto assemblies. I keep an assy that will fit the 1955-1964 gear trans machines on the shelf. when one comes in with a bad pto shaft seal or bearing, I install my rebuilt one and toss the old one on the workbench. I usually keep common items like steering thrust bearings and pto seals and common gaskets and orings kits for the 55-64 fords on hand... thus when needed I open the drawer.. flip thru my cardboard dividers then pull the gaskets and orings / seals I need then go.

simple gaskets like inspection covers and pto and what not I cut myself from a master template. even exhaust flange gaskets. I keep a variety of rubber, cork and paper gasktet materials on hand.. even sheet leather for the old stuff. :)

for this project, I raided my box of spares and used alot of self-reconditioned parts I had.

still keep a spare pto shaft, starter, 6v gen and other asstd goodies on the shelf etc..

I'm also getitng a good collection of spare tires and body panels. right now I have about 1/3 of the sheet metal for a 55-64 machine tucked away into the barn. when i get a uinit in, I usually swap in my parts if they are better. then take some time and recon the old parts... etc.

soundguy

Thanks for this background info. It's always good to get another perspective on tractor restoration.

So far I've bought 3 tractors for restoration--1964 MF135 diesel, 1951 Farmall Super A, 1951 Minneapolis Moline BF. The 135 and the Super A were running when I made the purchases--the BF wasn't. So far the 135 investment has been paint, electrical wire, gauges, filters and fluids, but I'll be splitting it before long to rebuild the clutch and multipower unit. The Super A needs cleaning, paint, wiring, gauges and some minor (I hope) tranny work (won't shift into 1st gear). The BF is a major investment. I paid $1300 for it, spent $1600 on a complete engine rebuild (4 cyl, 27 hp Hercules gasser) and probably will spend another $1K before the job is done. Raises the question about this being a hobby or an obsession.
 
   / my winter project #87  
an updated pic as it was too dark last night for pics

next time try the select o speed by ford.. one of their greatest inventions if you are rich and can afford the breakdowns that came with it
 
   / my winter project
  • Thread Starter
#88  
Years ago, I spent time on the old Antique Tractor Forum, when I had my 8n, and the 4000. There was a guy on there whose dream was to own a tractor for each implement he owned. He hated changing implements and thought that was the ideal solution. Seems like you are living his dream! :)

yep.. nice to start up and drive off without dinking with the rear..

soundguy
 
   / my winter project
  • Thread Starter
#89  
next time try the select o speed by ford.. one of their greatest inventions if you are rich and can afford the breakdowns that came with it

yeah.. I actually do have an SOS on my bucket list.. :) but the thought of owning a machine worth about 1500$ ( for a 59-64 ) that could need 2500$ of tranny work if it shells out is kinda distastefull :)


soundguy
 
   / my winter project #90  
Those pictures look really nice Soundguy.
 

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