asking for a guess??

[Ellis Kinney]

During the winters of 07,08,09 I had the engines of my Farmall M tractors overhauled at an IH dealer here in Kentucky. Two were regular M,s and one was an SMTA. All are running really well and doing farm work. The guess question-- what sleeves do you think might have been installed on a standard overhaul and what horse power do you think they might be running. I know I should already know this from rebuild time and should have called the dealer, but it is ancient history now. Thanks for the guesses. Ellis

 

[tomdowling]

I'd guess they are 264 cubic inch now - 4 inch - hp ?

 

[fastfarmall]

Well does the smta have a little more power,If it does it's got 4 1/8 about 54 the M's would have 4 inch about 46-47.

 

[John M]

Ms - 4" overbore
SMTA - 4 1/8" overbore

But that's just a guess.

 

[Ellis Kinney]

It is really hard for me to tell if it has more power. It runs well and does what I ask it. Mostly used for raking hay and pulling wagons. Ellis

 

[randy hall]

could be anything, depending on the dealer if he was pushing M+W pistons or IH firecraters or if you were cheap just the cheap model IH ones. horsepower off an M+W chart is for an M 53.8 and a superM is 55.2 these are off the belt pulley. Froma IH serviceman's book M with firecrater pistons is 47.9 and 4 inch flat top pistons is 46, super M is with firecrater pistons is 50.2 these are from the PTO shaft readings.

 

[fastfarmall]

IMHO, there is nothing like a H or M for raking hay,and just that much better if you got power steering!

 

[teddy52food]

I would pull a plug & look at the top of the piston. Flat, domed or fire crater?

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

I don't think you can get the 4-1/8" sleeves into a Super M without boring the block.

 

[DR. EVIL]

I'm assuming you mean these rebuilds were done in 2007, 2008, and 2009. So unless new old stock parts were used pretty safe to say no M&W or IH sleeves and pistons used. I'd guess that the over-size 4" sleeves and pistons used in the M's and stock 4" in the SM-TA too.

Dad had his '51 M rebuilt the first time around 1957/'58 with 4" 5000 ft hi altitude IH pistons. The Super M-TA He bought about 1960 probably had stock 4" flat top pistons. Spring of '63 he took them both to town for tune-ups. The M made 48 hp, SM-TA made 47. I was plowing with the SM-TA and IH #8 3-14 in half mile rows, rolling hilly ground, had to pull the TA 2-3 times a round. Dad comes over with the '51 M and other #8 3-14 plow, drops in behind me about 500-600 feet. He's running in 4th gear, just over 5 mph, I'm in 3rd with the SM-TA, by about 1/4 mile from completing the round Dad's furrow tire was dropping dirt onto the tail wheel of my plow, he caught me that fast! The old M was just muscling it's way up those hills I had to pull the TA on. He went over and started another land after that round. We plowed together several other times. He always ran his M. I did run it about a couple hours one afternoon in about 1967. I started out plowing sod in 3rd, but had to refuel after an hour, came back, forgot I was in 4th and the ole girl pulled the hills just fine, just barked louder!

 

[John M]

Yes, you can. Done it many times.

 

[Ellis Kinney]

I love sitting up high and looking down at the windrows. With all the sharp turns on these Ky. hillsides I put about 45 lbs of air in the front tires to make power steering. Ellis

 

[Ellis Kinney]

I will do that. Ellis

 

[caterpillar guy]

If you go back and look at your receipts you can use the part numbers to find what they used.

 

[mccormicksw4]

(quoted from post at 10:40:57 09/02/19) I don't think you can get the 4-1/8" sleeves into a Super M without boring the block.

the block/parent bore is not the same

Farmall M equipped with 3 7/8" bore went to 4" on rebuilds
Super M 4" factory went to 4 1/8" on rebuilds normally

Someone will correct me but I have not seen an aftermarket standard bore p&s kit anywhere. Why would anyone want one???? also I expect they installed domed pistons. You may have already had both domed pistons and overbore.
I agree with Dr Evil regarding Fire Craters or M&Ws - the dealer would not track down NOS very $$$$$$ kits for your tractors. There are good aftermarket kits available they probably used

This is a chart from M&W with the power gains they claimed with their kits . its 2 images - just line up the columns

 

[rustyfarmall]

My 1940 M with 4" flat top pistons produced 46 horsepower on a PTO dynamometer.

 

[Ellis Kinney]

Thanks, Ellis

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

(quoted from post at 12:11:52 09/02/19) Yes, you can. Done it many times.

Maybe it's the plain M block I'm thinking of then?

 

[John M]

Yup.