B Repairs

[arlen]

Hi there. I'm a new member from Minnesota. I recently decided to start fixing up my B. I'm not going to paint it (my wife likes the patina), but I would like to get it 100% mechanically sound.
It was my father in laws first tractor, and was bought new (serial #107313). He used it pretty hard for decades. He had a fairly large hay operation, so the B raked hay, and pulled full hay racks out of the field. It also was used to run augers and the hay conveyor.
When it was parked 7 or 8 years ago it ran. It has been inside since then.
I pulled it into the shop, and it definitely is going to need more attention than I thought.

When I drained the crankcase, there was antifreeze in the oil. Is that most likely the head gasket? The engine was not seized when we moved it to our place about 4 years ago, but now the the engine is stuck. how far can I go with the block without removing the engine from the tractor? I'm wondering if I should do a valve job, rings, and maybe sleeves. I'm hoping to get a little advice here.

Another thing, the rear end had quite a bit of water in it. I found the plug on the main casting, but how do you drain the wheel hubs? I see a drain plug, but it looks like it is a few inches up from the bottom.
I have many more questions, but that's enough for now.
Thanks.

[arlen]

By the way, here is a picture.

[T-Mo]

You can access our manual section now since you have over 2 posts. If using a desk top or laptop computer, click on the "Quick Links" on the upper left. Scrolled down to "PDF Manuals" and then click on the "Farmall, Case - B's, F's, M's, Regulars, etc." section. You will find a few stuff related to the B. The service manual, though, is under this section: "Farmall A, AV, 100, 130 and 140". The B shares the service manual with the A, since the B is the same as an A, except for a few differences.

[Stanton]

As you may know, the water jacket surrounds the cylinders, so antifreeze in the oil could be a blown head gasket. There are various methods of freeing a stuck engine. You might try the Search feature and explore past threads.
As for the drop axle hubs, the only way to drain them is to remove them. The square socket plug above the drain pan gasket is for filling them.

[Eugene]

You can do an in tractor engine overhaul.

Since you are looking for the source of the antifreeze leak and have a stuck engine, remove the head.

[arlen]

You can do an in tractor engine overhaul.

Since you are looking for the source of the antifreeze leak and have a stuck engine, remove the head.

Thanks for
How far can you go with an in tractor rebuild? Can you do the main bearings and seals?
I have been spraying wd40 down the spark plug holes, and trying to break it loose with the hand crank, but know luck so far.
I thought cranking on the pto would be better, but the engagement lever is stuck
I'm probably going to remove the head later. it looks pretty easy.

I'm thinking I will completely go though the machine mechanically. Since the oil bath didn't have any oil in it, and no telling how long my FIL ran it like that (he had dementia at the end), I would feel better to go through the whole engine.

One thing is for sure, if I was going to pick a tractor to restore it wouldn't be this one!
The sentimental value is getting in the way of practical thinking

We will use it for raking hay (my wife has raked 10's of 1000's of acres with it), maybe a neighborhood hay ride, and pulling wagons around/picking rocks.
My marching orders are to get it 100% mechanically sound (cost be damned), without making it look new.

[Don McCombs]

WD40 is not a rust penetrant. I'd use PB Blaster or something similar. After it has soaked for a week or so, put the tractor in 3rd gear and rock it back and forth with a rear wheel.

[arlen]

As you may know, the water jacket surrounds the cylinders, so antifreeze in the oil could be a blown head gasket. There are various methods of freeing a stuck engine. You might try the Search feature and explore past threads.
As for the drop axle hubs, the only way to drain them is to remove them. The square socket plug above the drain pan gasket is for filling them.

Thanks for the reply. I will pull those pans off. I stuck a wire down the fill plug, and at least it has oil in it!
Next to a head gasket, what's the most common cause of water in the oil? Cylinder liner seals? I doubt the block is cracked, but who knows.

[arlen]

You can access our manual section now since you have over 2 posts. If using a desk top or laptop computer, click on the "Quick Links" on the upper left. Scrolled down to "PDF Manuals" and then click on the "Farmall, Case - B's, F's, M's, Regulars, etc." section. You will find a few stuff related to the B. The service manual, though, is under this section: "Farmall A, AV, 100, 130 and 140". The B shares the service manual with the A, since the B is the same as an A, except for a few differences.

Thanks T-Mo. Are you the same T-Mo as on GTT?
Those manuals are great! The owners manual is like today's service manuals!
They answered many questions.

[Eugene]

I would take head then free the engine before going much further.

Complete overhaul, I would pull the engine and place it on an engine stand.

If you are planning on a complete overhaul, there is a welch/freeze plug on the rear of the block that should/needs to be replaced. It's part of the coolant system and rust out.

[T-Mo]

You can access our manual section now since you have over 2 posts. If using a desk top or laptop computer, click on the "Quick Links" on the upper left. Scrolled down to "PDF Manuals" and then click on the "Farmall, Case - B's, F's, M's, Regulars, etc." section. You will find a few stuff related to the B. The service manual, though, is under this section: "Farmall A, AV, 100, 130 and 140". The B shares the service manual with the A, since the B is the same as an A, except for a few differences.

Thanks T-Mo. Are you the same T-Mo as on GTT?
Those manuals are great! The owners manual is like today's service manuals!
They answered many questions.

Yep, I'm the same person.

[Stanton]

Agree with Eugene, pull head and get engine freed up, if possible. When you pull the head and head gasket, you should be able to see where coolant was leaking into the cylinders. But all that is moot if the engine remains frozen.

[Jim Becker]

I would probably pull the pan off first. Then see if i could tell where it was coming from. Any case is probably going to require pulling the head to fix.

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

A B is a wet sleeve engine and has o-rings at the bottom of each sleeve to seal it5 to the block at the bottom. Those o-rings could have deteriorated over time, letting coolant into the oil pan.

Water in the transmission is probably condensation.

[arlen]

I dumped about a cup of PB blaster down each cylinder a few days ago. So far no movement with the hand crank, rocking in 3rd gear, or a prybar on the ring gear.
I will probably take off the head and oil pan tonite.
Anything to watch out for, or other general advice? Are there any fasteners that have a history of breaking?