Old Tractors

[Ted in NE-OH]

I am on my third tractor restoration (2) B"s (1) CA.I take them all apart and replace anything worn. I have found on all three of these tractors that most all of the bearings are pitted rusty and in need of replacing. I expect to find a bearing needing replacement now and then but ALL of the bearings? Is this normal for 60-70 year old tractors? Maybe I"m too picky and should run them till they make a lot of noise? Or have I had a streak of bad luck. What is your experience?
 

[Leon RCMo]

You are probably working on tractors that have sat a lot.Even if there isn't any water in there, the bearings will set dry and cause the hard surface to degrade.
 

[steve(ill)]

most of the final drive shafts turn slow and a few flaws will not cause immediate failure if you continue to run as is... but i agree, when i rebuild, i find none that are worth reinstalling and assuming they will run another 30--40 years without problems. Also, flaws will make whinning noise most of the time.
 

[Bob Huntress]

If you just got these three tractors and started restoring them, I would have expected that. They were probably sitting in a field for years. The crankshaft sits higher than oil line in the sump. Condensation occures and that will bring some rust. The rust is from the shaft journal, however, as opposed to the bearing which isn't ferrious. While I did rebuild some old tractors before joining the service, it was in the Navy that I realized the difference between the babbit alloys used all those years ago and bearings of today. Them old bearings are not that resistant to pitting and deterioration. I think if you are restoring them as you get them, you are doing fine to go over them. I would do likewise. May I speak frankly? I don't buy tractors in great shape. I usually grab them cheap, as long as they didn't throw a rod or something, I'ld prefer to restore what is bad on a tractor that I didn't pay much for, and know what the workings are like, then buy one that someone says is great, that may even start and run, FOR NOW, and pay far more. I'll likely have take the engine down and restore it anyway, so I'm better off not paying so much upfront. My wife and I had debate over this recently. She was trying to tell me that If I paid a little more for the tractor upfront, I would be able to save money in repairs, but, I find that when I buy an older tractor, no matter how much I pay, I'll probably have to take the engine down, and replace the clutch, radiator, rear tires and do a 12v conversion, anyway. I probably not say so much, except my wife things that more expensive tractors are not subject to wear and tear, like less expensive tractors. At anyrate, how are the shafts looking that these bearings were supporting?