Farmall H engine

[Joey]

I took the block from my 1942 Farmall H to a shop to have it looked at and to get a quote on cleaning and repairing it. I got the H from a friend in Kentucky as a favor for locating two tractors for him in Louisana. The engine came in a crate, but it came in pieces! The block looked rough, with deeply pitted edges around the cylinder bores. Price quote from the shop for cleaning the block, welding up the pitted areas and machining it back down, and repairing the head came to approximately $1500. That was just to get it ready for reassembly, not counting the rebuild kit.

I wanted to keep the engine block with the tractor because they had matching serial numbers. However, at that price, I'm very comfortable with using another block or complete engine. Before I go off looking, the question I have is, are the engines from all other H's interchangeable? Are the engines the same from 1939-1953, or were there changes made during the years that make them non-interchangeable? Thanks for any help you can provide.

[SONNY]

From what I can tell they do look the same!---You are aware that the engine has sleeves in it. right?---so their condition would not be important since you will get new sleeves/ pistons/rings/bearings/ gaskets/seals/etc. in the re-build kit!

See if you can get a quote from another shop, even if you have to travel a little ways to do so, machine shops are high but I think this shop is way out of line price wise!
If you want to keep original parts, check around for better shop prices!! (my .02) thanks; sonny

P.S.---around here $500. will get a really bad block welded up and smoothed down, boiled out,--the whole 9 yards!!

[Jim Becker]

From what I can tell they do look the same!---You are aware that the engine has sleeves in it. right?---so their condition would not be important since you will get new sleeves/ pistons/rings/bearings/ gaskets/seals/etc. in the re-build kit!

Yeah, I'm having trouble imagining "deeply pitted edges around the cylinder bores" that will require welding and machining. Not only are they sleeved, but they are dry sleeves that don't really require a liquid tight seal around the sleeve.

All H blocks should interchange, along with the other 4-Series tractors. Supers should also fit although probably have different part numbers.

[Joey]

Sonny,
Yes, I do know about the sleeves. This particular block had all the sleeves out when I got it, with the pistons rusted in the sleeves. I'm wondering whether the pistons can be reused but the guy at the shop said they were no good. Thanks for the advice about looking at other shops, think I will do that - I, too, think his price was way out of line. However, I'm also looking at getting a used, running engine off of ebay. Even if I can get the block repaired, I still have to get the rebuild kit, which would probably make the cost of getting the engine to run be about $1,000, or more.

Jim,
I'm attaching some pictures of the top of the block around the bores and also of the head. I know nothing about repairing engine blocks, or even rebuilding engines. I'm hoping this will be my first one and I have a lot to learn. About the pics, do you think the block and head are repairable at a reasonable cost?

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

I am not an expert, but I believe that block can be reused with some resurfacing. It looks like it should seal with no problem.

[Jim Becker]

My thoughts from the pictures were the same as John said. But there is enough damage, rust and pitting thet I would probably see what I could find in another engine.

[SONNY]

I have sealed up worse looking engines,---after some good cleaning and a good surface job,---The gaskets should seal!---Also if they need to take a lot off the top of the block and head, they have what they call "head saver" shims, (which are thick soft solid copper stock that goes under the regular gasket and brings the physical height back up to original specs.) I used one of these shims on a ford 300 truck engine and they do work! thanks; sonny

[Joey]

Thanks for the replies, guys, I'll keep checking around at local shops to see if I can get different opinions and estimates. Sonny, thanks for the heads up about the head saver shims. I'm going to ask the shops about this option. I want to get the block cleaned and prepped and then I want to try to rebuild the engine, keeping the same block preferably.

[Eugene]

Even if I can get the block repaired, I still have to get the rebuild kit, which would probably make the cost of getting the engine to run be about $1,000, or more.

Wow. You can purchase an H in good field ready working condition with decent tires for $1000- or a little more.

[SONNY]

Joey!!!---Just thought of something else to check!!!---when you get your pistons out of the sleeves, it might pay to have the rods checked for square, just in case who ever took them out may have beat on them with a sledge hammer and could have twisted them!! thanks; sonny

[Joey]

Eugene,
That's why I'm asking you guys for help in this rebuilding thing. This old Farmall H is in such good shape sheet metal wise (plus the fact that it was given to me), that I like the idea of restoring it, but I don't want to break the bank doing it. I'm trying to look at all aspects of it and I'm willing to wait for good deals to come along since I'm not in a rush to restore it. Pics of the H are attached below.

Sonny!!
Good tip! Keep 'em coming! I've never rebuilt an engine before so I need all the help I can get from you guys. This thread is going in its own folder so I can keep all the info for future reference.

[SONNY]

JOEY!Dang!--what a find! You didn't say it was on steel wheels! WOW and it is a good lookin' tractor!!--I see too in the pic the belt pulley is missing the paper part, but you can get them re-built too!!----THAT tractor is worth restoring as near original as you could!!! thanks ; sonny

P.S. also on the front grille, there is a small plate that covers the slot at the bottom!---they too can be found!

[Joey]

Thanks, Sonny. I was pretty taken with it the first time I saw it. I attended a tractor show in Kentucky as a guest of a good friend and this was sitting in the woods along the trail up to the show site. Passed by it for 3 days and couldn't resist stopping to look a little closer each time. However, I had no idea of the condition of the engine, was told it was in a crate. It was. In pieces. If the block can be cleaned and repaired, I'm going ahead with it. I just wish some of y'all were a little closer to check it out, but I think we can get it done on the forum. However, it won't be a quick job, so bear with me on this since I'm currently working on a complete overhaul of my mowing cub and have a couple of other cubs I want to get running and outfitted with implements for use.

[redfin]

Joey
The Kentucky trip turned out to me more rerwarding that anticipated hey!

Nice find

Jim

[SONNY]

If I were in travel distance I would be there!!!----I have an old H on rubber, a 1953 I think, not pos,---needs front end changed,--bushings and bearings wore into the castings and roached them out!---good running tractor otherwise;---they are a handy size when the "cubs" lack a little if you need a little more for some of the jobs, but the cubs fit places that the H won't so mine don't get used much!! thanks; sonny