Seized/Rusted engine 51 Farmall Super C

[oliver28472]

Does this tractor have a magneto? A friend was unloading a stuck tractor off a trailer and while it was rolling he put it in high gear, eased out on the clutch and the mag shelled out. The mag was stuck, not the engine. It was not a Super C.

 

[JerryG]

I worked on a IH 140 that was the same way. It had sat with out a can over the stack for several years. It only had one cylinder that was stuck. I soaked it down with PB Blaster or WD40. Pulled the head and dropped the pan. Took the cap off of the rod on the bad cylinder. Turned the rod journal to where it would be to one side. Then put rubber tubes over the bolts so that the bolts wouldn't hurt the journal and would deflect over it they hit it. Took a wood round and a hammer and gently drove the piston down some. Cleaned the cylinder while the piston was down and then pushed it out the top. Ran a hone a few time and installed the piston. Worked great.

 

[Spiffy]

<font color="blue">flammable liquids with a Shop Vac? That might be a reciepe for disater </font>

Maybe I'm luckier than I thought! It's just all used up because my shop vac hasn't exploded while vacuuming pretty much anything I spill, volitile or not! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Doubt this old dog will learn until my vac explodes; but he's right: probably not a very good idea!

 

[TillerofdaEarth]

Another idea is to hook a tow rope from the front axle of your tractor to a large tree or other stout option of your choice. Preferably on level ground... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Use a pick up or another tractor to pull your tractor back, stretching the tow rope, then place the tractor in 4th gear. Just leave it set like that with your oil mixture in the cylinders until the tow rope goes slack.

This has worked for a tractor salvage yard owner many times, and though I have never had the need to try it I always thought it sounded like a pretty good idea.

 

[chili]

I just read a thread under oils about someone putting Marvel Mystery Oil in an old boat moter that was seized and let it sit. He worked the prop little by little until it came loose and ran fine. Might be worth a try.

 

[JerryG]

The only thing about putting a lot of pressure or pull on it without taking it apart is that there is a good chance that you will break a ring and still have to take it apart.

 

[AKfish]

It's been alot of year's since I've been around any of the old Farmall's. Used to do a little raking on a 'ol C. Super C was a power house! There's a lot of good suggestions here. Most of 'em advise going slow and the truth be known -- yup, might still bust a ring! I don't know what the front of the crankshaft looks like on this Super C but many of them are tapped and threaded. Some of the rebuild projects I've worked on; we put a large bolt with lock washer and snugged it up into the end of the crankshaft. With a large socket and cheater bar you could apply pressure directly to the crank, rods and pistons. Probably be a good idea to loosen up the rocker arms and leave the spark plugs out as mentioned. If the cylinders (one or more) got loaded up with water, you might have a stuck valve, too (or two). Push rods don't take much to bend...
I'd think that if you work on the thing longer than a week and still can't get the ATF/diesel blend to loosen things up -- you probably ought to just roll up your sleeves and pull 'er all down. Good luck and let us know how everything works out. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
AKfish

 

[Schroby]

Wow, you guys have given some great advice. The tractor was parked because he got a Ford 8n, so this one sat and rotted under the trees. It doesn't have a muffler- he used some threaded pipe (?) and elbowed it to the side, however plenty of moisture made it's way to the combustion chamber since brown goo & chunks come out when I overfill with diesel. I have tried rocking the tires, but no luck. This was parked with the plow "down", is this a concern? I don't have air available (will an air can work?), so I think I'll continue with the lube treatment. I could anchor a cumalong to a tree and the tractor, should I do this with a little pressure while soaking? I think removing the rockers sounds like a good idea. Thanks again for the advice, I think some patience and persistence will pay off.

 

[jimmysisson]

Just a small warning. Years ago (1971) I bought a Farmall A for $50 because the previous owner had busted it. It was sitting in a deep puddle that froze the rear tires in. A fella offered to help him pull it out, and chained onto the front casting where the steering box grows out of the engine block. They didn't get it out of the ice, but they did manage to bust the housing, basically pulled the poor thing apart. It was fixable and ran 25 years more, but always leaked oil as the break ran through an oil passageway. I'd be leery of pulling one end of a tractor trying to do something to the other end.
Patience is called for in your project. This is a pretty simple rebuild as such things go, and then you'd know what you had. Even if you don't think the old girl is worth the work, you'll be amazed how much a Super C will pull.
Jim

 

[Nat]

Schroby, I have had several old tractors that were stuck when I got them, and always had sucess with pouring automatic trans fluid into spark plug holes the letting it set for a few days then removing the starter and using a crowbar on the teeth of the flywheel. Just get it to move the first time then allow the fluid to work far another day od so then use the prybar on the flywheel again.I rotate the engine severar rounds forward and then backwards then with the plugs still out I pull it around slowly in high gear with another tractor or truck. To me the main thing is to do it slowly. It didn't stickin a day so I would try to free it to fast.
You will have a lot of fun with the Super C. Here are some pics of my old Farmall C when I got it. Later, Nat