Farmall 400

[LarryM]

Were the early Farmall 400s without a dipstick to check oil?

 

[Stanhoist]

Oil Pan, leftside from the front

 

[rhtx55]

I have an early F300 with petcocks. Some have led me to beleive the distillate equipped engines were the only ones with petcocks, and the gas engines only had dipsticks.
But I have seen too many early F300's & F400's to beleive that is true, I beleive they came with dipsticks a bit later in production.
I have also seen a "special tool" that clamped to the frame rail, and provided a guide to drill the dipstick hole at the proper angle in the block, to then install a dipstick, I have also seen an aftermarket dipstick that just screws into the top petcock.

 

[D Slater]

Yes.
Engines in below serial number 146138 in farmalls didn't come with a dipstick. Original block casting number ended with R1. R2 for a dipstick. Distillate and kerosene tractors with a dipstick still used a lower petcock in the pan and a plug in the top hole.
Replacement pans from IH had petcock openings even if it was for replacement of a no petcock opening pan.
Farmall 300 engines below serial 9341 didn't come with one and the R1 and R2 and other information above the same for those also.
Also at one time IH would sell a dipstick and drilling diagram to add a dipstick if wanted.

 

[400Dtractorman]

D Slater, I'm confused. I have a late 400 serial # close to 40000, I thought the 400's ended somewhere around 41000/42000. I know the early 300/400 didn't have dipsticks. Just wondering where you came up with the 146*** serial #. Ed

 

[D Slater]

what can be confusing is that IH used engine serial numbers for most engine parts changes. Most parts that would attach to what's generally called a long block use a engine serial number to go by. C-264 engine numbers started with the SM engines and continued on up through the SMTA and 400 tractors without starting over at a different tractor model.
You can't find this number in a parts book but the first chassis serial number farmall 400 equipped with a dipstick was 10870.

 

[Nebraskafarmhand]

I believe my SM has a boss cast into the block for the dipstick.