Antique Repowered Tractors

Antique Repowered Tractors TRACTORS Antiques 18-6-37 I'm 76 years old and I've been farming with these old tractors all my life and even if they're a little rough I still get my crops in like everyone else. The photo shows a 1958 Deere 720 diesel, a 1950's-era Minneapolis Moline G1000, and a 1941 Farmall M. All the tractors have been modified or repowered to run like new. Deere 720 - I overhauled the engine on the Deere 720 about 15 years ago after the pistons and cylinders wore out. I hired a machine shop to rebore the cylinders and install a set of .050 oversize pistons and rings. We paid about $400 to have the engine rebored and it has run like a clock ever since. Minneapolis Moline G1000 - It was factory-equipped with an LP gas engine. I bought the tractor in 1975 from a salvage yard together with a Detroit 6-cyl. diesel engine out of a GM semi tractor. The tractor's original frame wasn't wide enough for the engine so I and my son built a wider frame out of 6-in. channel iron and replaced the narrow front wheels with the wide front axle and wheels off another Minneapolis Moline. We also lengthened the driveshaft 17 in. The 6-cyl. diesel had too much power for the original clutch so they installed a new heavy duty "double clutch" that we made by using a truck pressure plate and two Minneapolis Moline driver discs. The bolts on the diesel engine wouldn't match up with the original flywheel housing so we used 11 2-in. steel to make a new adapter plate. We also built new motor mounts. This tractor is my pride and joy. I paid $2,500 for it and spent another $2,500 to rebuild it. It hasn't failed me yet. At one time we used it to compete in tractor pulls. It has about 225 hp and really opens up fast. I have to use dual wheels in the field in order to keep the tires from spinning. I use it to pull a 9-shank anhydrous ammonia applicator, 22-ft. plowing disk, and 15-ft. 3-pt. chisel plow. The engine purrs right along under heavy load without smoking. The tractor's original engine was designed to run at about 1,400 to 1,500 rpm's, but the diesel engine tops out at 2,500 rpm's. However, I never run the throttle wide open in the field. I generally run it about two thirds open or about 1,500 rpm's. It uses about 5 gal. of fuel per hour when pulling hard. Despite all the power, I haven't had any problems with the 2-speed transmission in over 15 years. When the engine is opened up it really howls. A muffler off an old semi-tractor helps keep the noise down. It's fairly quiet in high range. However, I never use it in low range because it's too noisy. I mounted two truck air cleaners end to end to make sure the engine gets enough air and also mounted a 50-gal. aluminum fuel tank on the side of the tractor. About 80% of the fuel in the tank is recirculated through the engine to keep it cool. I always keep the tank at least half full in order to provide maximum cooling capacity. The original radiator was too small so we replaced it with a bigger one off an old Massey Ferguson combine. The original grille wouldn't fit so I left the front of the tractor open. I plan to use a couple of hammermill screens to make a new grille. I also mounted a bigger pulley can the engine crankshaft in order to speed up the fan. Farmall M - It was originally equipped with a 6-volt ignition system and battery. However, I had trouble starting it in the winter so we replaced the 6-volt battery with a 12volt one and added a 12-volt coil and ballast. We also removed the magneto and replaced it with a distributor. It really starts good now. The 12-volt battery really whirls the starter around. It only goes around about twice before it starts up. I've only had to rebuild the starter once in 25 years. The 6-volt starter actually has more zip than a 12-volt starter would have because it gets twice as much voltage as it needs. (Lester Neymeyer, 1230 Nash St Aplington, Iowa 50604 Ph 319 347-2359)

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.