Super H questions

[Festus]

My neighbor asked me to come over the other night to look at a Super H he had just bought and to help him diagnose why it wasn't running as well as it should. After checking the serial number, I found it to be a 1953 Super H, but some things look weird to me. This tractor has the battery under the fuel tank, has the belly pump rather than engine driven hydraulic pump, has an unusual IH carb on it, and the engine has a dipstick as well as the two petcocks in the pan for checking oil level. My Super M has the belly pump and the undertank battery location as well so I thought those could be common on Super H's but I have never seen one with dipstick. My 53 Super H has the battery under the seat, engine driven pump, and no dipstick, but did some have the other type seat, pump, and dipstick?

Thanks,
Festus

[Denny Clayton]

Festus,

I'm not really up on the Supers, but as I understand it there were Stage I, Stage II, Stage III and maybe Stage IV. I think they were like the Cubs where changes were made at specific serial number breaks and not necessarily at model year increments. It is entirely possible that the seat and pump configurations of your tractor and your neighbor's were factory. My '53 Super M, purchased new by my Dad, has the under seat battery with the belly pump (no live hydraulics). I believe it to be a Stage II. Stage I had under tank battery and belly pump. Stage II was like my SM, while Stage III added the live hydraulics. Stage IV was the Super MTA.

I could be entirely wrong about this, maybe someone more knowledgeable will weigh in. As far as the dipstick, you're on your own. I like the idea, though.

[Mag Man]

no I think you hit the nail on the head. Its most likly a Stage 1 SH I have a 53 stage 1 SM thats the same way.
JON