Tractor Rebuild: 1st Step - ID

cjcocn · Dec 10, 2007

Bob

Thanks for your input.

Right now I am determining which items to remove from the garage and take over to my hunting shed. I need to make some room in the garage as right now it is not possible to fit the tractor inside and have enough room to work.

I was thinking about the move into the garage and, even with Robert's idea on a tow bar (thanks, Robert!), those "frozen" wheels are going to make it a job.

I may fabricate some dollies to fit under each wheel so that I can just roll it in. This will also allow me to maneuver the tractor as I am working on it. I know that one can buy these dollies, but I want to make some with pneumatic high capacity casters that can handle my gravel driveway. I will be heading to the city in the next week or two and may price some out. If they are relatively inexpensive I may buy four and cut the casters off in favor of the pneumatic ones.

That seems like a long time to wait in terms of getting the ball rolling on this little project, so I am also looking around town here for some existing dollies that I can borrow long enough to get the tractor set up in the garage.

I was reading a Ford tractor book last night (planning my next one?) and was thinking that I would rather be out working on my Case. I'm thinking that if I plan it right I can have that tractor in there this week and get started on this project.

LOL .... wife's car is frozen (didn't plug it in) so I gotta go start up the diesel and drive her in to work.

Thanks all!

Robert_in_NY · Dec 10, 2007

cjcocn said:
even with Robert's idea on a tow bar (thanks, Robert!)

Thank my grandfather, it was his idea that I was able to share. His tow bar is handy as you can run a chain thru the pipe also if if you need to tow something that doesn't have a place to pin the bar to.

cjcocn said:
That seems like a long time to wait in terms of getting the ball rolling on this little project, so I am also looking around town here for some existing dollies that I can borrow long enough to get the tractor set up in the garage.

Don't worry, the tractor waited a lot longer for you to rescue it, it can wait a little longer

cjcocn said:
Thanks all!

Your welcome

bindian · Dec 10, 2007

joe48 said:
CJ
I could tell by the picture it has a WICO magneto on it, don't even fool around just buy a rebuilt one and new wires plugs etc. That was one thing we constantly rebuilt in the shop were magnetos. Also the carb is probably a MARVEL-SCHEBLER, a dinosauer by todays standards but very rugged, either rebuild it or better buy a reman, you'll have less troubles. Good Luck, Joe

Cjcocn,
Marvel-Schebler carburetors were installed on hundreds of opposed 4 cylinder aircraft engines on small airplanes. We never worked on them, just sent them out for overhaul. I am sure an aircraft place that rebuilds these carbs could rebuild yours if needed. I have found that diesel fuel or jet fuel if you have it, works great for loosening parts up that won't move, especially fronzen bolts. Just fill the cavity full and let it soak a day or two.
hugs, Brandi

cjcocn · Dec 14, 2007

Hello again!

I am heading into the city tomorrow (round trip) to get some work done on my truck.

While I am there I want to pick up some nice chunky casters so that I can build a dolly system to get my tractor into my garage (and, yes, our town is small enough so that I have to buy them in the city ... lol). After I have that accomplished I will start a new thread (with many pics) about the rebuild/restore.

My question now is, where should I start this new thread? Is it okay in this (Projects) forum? Or should I start it in the Vintage Tractor forum? ... or maybe Parts and Repairs?

It's only a 12 hour drive there and back and the work should only take a few hours. I will be leaving tomorrow morning at 03:00 so should be back by about 18:00. If I get really lucky and find some ready-made dollies I will move the tractor inside tomorrow night after I get home and will start the thread then. Hopefully I will have heard back from someone by the time I get back (I am still new here and don't know where to put the new thread).

Thanks!

Robert_in_NY · Dec 14, 2007

I think either forum would be appropiate. If the mod disagees he will move it to the appropiate place.

KYErik · Dec 14, 2007

cjcocn,

Nice find!

My main farming tractor is a 1943 Case SC (the C indicates a tricycle type front end- my avatar is an SC). They are very heavy, well built tractors. The serial number on the gray tag on right side of the "dash" will help you tell what year it was built. If the first 2 digits start with a 5 or 4, subtract 4 from it and that will be the year of manufacture. The later units started with a new series of numbers. Ex. My 1943's serial number starts with the digits 47XXXXXXXX. I am guessing that your's is a 1950 or older because of the lack of a foot clutch.

You are missing the belt pulley on the right side (the clutch lever has a brake attached that would rub against this when it is disengaged) but you could use it OK without the pulley.

The clutch is a wet type (shares oil with the crank case) and isn't too hard to adjust.

There is a conversion kit that was used to convert many (including mine) over to a distributor ignition system (I see that you still have the magneto).

The guys over at the yesterday's tractors website in the Case section will be a real benefit. Case Tractor Information - Antique Tractor Headquarters I have the original owner's manual (my great grandpa bought the tractor), but no parts or service manuals.

As others have said, the shift pattern is an H pattern, the gear locations are cast into the metal right around where the shifter goes down into the transmission.

Its nice to see that someone put a can on the exhaust manifold- hopefully that has been there since the day it was parked

To be honest, old Case tractors don't hold their value as much as other brands- but they are dependable and are fairly easy to work on.

I even added a hydraulic pump and three point hitch to mine. Unfortunately the older models did not have live PTO.

cjcocn · Dec 14, 2007

KYErik said:
cjcocn,

Nice find!

My main farming tractor is a 1943 SC (the C indicates a tricycle type front end- my avatar is an SC). They are very heavy, well built tractors. The serial number on the right side will help you tell what year it was built. If the first 2 digits start with a 5 or 4, subtract 4 from it and that will be the year of manufacture. The later units started with a new series of numbers. Ex. My 1943's serial number starts with the digits 47XXXXXXXX. I am guessing that your's is a 1951 or older because of the lack of a foot clutch.

You are missing the belt pulley on the right side (the clutch lever has a brake attached that would rub against this when it is disengaged) but you could use it OK without the pulley.

The clutch is a wet type (shares oil with the crank case) and isn't too hard to adjust.

There is a conversion kit that was used to convert many (including mine) over to a distributor ignition system (I see that you still have the magneto).

The guys over at the yesterday's tractors website in the Case section will be a real benefit. Case Tractor Information - Antique Tractor Headquarters I have the original owner's manual (my great grandpa bought the tractor), but no parts or service manuals.

As others have said, the shift pattern is an H pattern, the gear locations are cast into the metal right around where the shifter goes down into the transmission.

Its nice to see that someone put a can on the exhaust manifold- hopefully that has been there since the day it was parked

To be honest, old Case tractors don't hold their value as much as other brands- but they are dependable and are fairly easy to work on.

I even added a hydraulic pump and three point hitch to mine. Unfortunately the older models did not have live PTO.

Erik

You are correct about the age of the tractor (1950 is the year).

I was actually looking at the pulley by the clutch lever. I thought that something may be missing (it kind of looks like there was a belt there the way it is worn), but having zero knowledge about tractors I hadn't a clue as to what I was looking at or what was missing.

The conversion to 12V is probably something that I will do as well. I have gathered some info on it, including a few "how-to" write-ups that I will use in conjunction with my many questions that I will surely (continue to) have while undertaking this project.

The can ... LOL ... yep, it looks like it has been there for a while and I am not surprised to see it on there. Back when I was a younger fella someone told me about that and I still use one on my tiller since it sits beside my wife's garden shed during the summer. I have seen quite a few of those used locally for that same purpose.

As for its value ... well, I wondered about that since after all it was just left in a field, but I think that it will have a lot of value to me since it will be something that I will put my time and effort into, and it will also teach me a lot while I am doing it. I saw a few listed somewhere for under $1000 and it will surely cost me more than that to get this one up and running, but I have a hunch that it will be one of my most valuable (to me) tractors.

I am pretty excited about getting this project underway and while the learning aspect of it is a major factor, so too is the realization that when I am done I can climb aboard, start it up, and take it for a drive!

Thanks for the info!

KYErik · Dec 14, 2007

The clutch brake hitting the belt pulley does helps to get into gear from neutral a little faster (if the trans is spinning), but you can either find one or learn to work around it.

An FYI tip on the 12 volt conversion- unless you are going to show it, save yourself some money and just put a 12 volt car alternator on it and a 12 volt battery. Lots of folks say to have the starter rewound for 12 volts, but my tractor's original 6 volt starter has been running off 12 volts for the past 30 years.

Good luck- you might go ahead and pour a little diesel down the spark plug holes to help loosen things up. That hole in the front center "bumper" area should lead straight to the crankshaft pulley which will likely have grooves in it for using a crank to start it- at least that is the case with my '43.

The lever just to the right of the gearshift is what engages/disengages the PTO. Pushed in is "PTO off" pulled out is "PTO on". You'll have to pull in the clutch lever and wait for the transmission gears to stop spinning before you can engauge it though- but then again, I am getting pretty far ahead of your repairs to be telling you how to use the PTO... ha....