Farmall A Block

[adamsih300u]

I have a 1940 Farmall A, which I've been running for almost eight years now. It had a small sidewall crack that I patched with JB Weld. It wasn't structural and just weeped a small amount of fluid. I've always kept antifreeze in the engine in the winter to be on the safe side. I love Farmalls, and this is my third - owned an H and a 300 Utility back in my teenage years.

This morning, I noticed a coolant leak and started investigating. Long story short there is a new crack in the front of the block, running diagonally toward up the casting seam, behind where the generator sits.

The tractor still runs fine, burns oil, etc. but I'm wondering if this block is done? If repairable, is the cost going to be more than the machine is worth?

Thanks for any insight and guidance.[/img:18b1328f71]

 

[560Dennis]

Im thinking youre fixable , got shop in Cleveland that does repair . Check out Harts machine in Cecil, Ohio is another .

Id suggest looking at lock and stitch also process . You tube



Dont feel its hopeless.



Ran a super c Fifty years with crack block .

 

[560Dennis]

Guarantee Auto Weld Co Inc at 1528 E 49th St, Cleveland, OH 44103. Get Guarantee Auto Weld Co Inc can be contacted at (216) 431-1214

Friend had Super M Diesel head repaired here. So they are close to me .Like Harts

 

[Red Dave]

That area behind the generator is water filled and holds no pressure.
Many, many A's, B's, BN's, C's etc are cracked in that area and repaired successfully.
If you go to a tractor show and look for it, you will find plenty of blocks that have been repaired there, by various methods.

Drill a small hole at each end of the crack to keep it from growing and tap it for a small bolt or screw, then put the patch of your choice over the crack.

That block is not ruined because of the crack in the picture.

 

[Jim Becker]

Hard to tell from just a picture, but that doesn't look to me like a new crack. It is probably an old crack that just decided to start leaking. Since you have already done a JB Weld repair to another crack and it seems to be holding, I suggest doing the same to this one.

 

[adamsih300u]

Thanks all for the encouragement and suggestions. I've cleaned out the crack and worked on the ends of it with a carbide bit and applied an epoxy-putty patch for now. The engine needs an overhaul for other reasons sooner rather than later (sludge in the water jacket, oil consumption, etc.) so I can have the full repair done then. There's a well regarded machine shop nearby (Finger Lakes area, NY) that I'll check in with to see if they can do it, which will save me having to ship the engine any substantial distance.

Thanks again!

 

[kshansen]

There's a well regarded machine shop nearby (Finger Lakes area, NY) that I'll check in with to see if they can do it, which will save me having to ship the engine any substantial distance.
!

If you don't mind me asking what machine shop is this? I'm a retired heavy equipment mechanics near Syracuse so might know of the place.

Never had the need to have a cracked block welded, but saying that the block on my BN will be leaking next time I look at it!

 

[John M]

Id be concerned with WHY the crack formed. Ive had cracks like that fixed, most of the time for under 50 bucks, but its been years since the last one I had done.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

(quoted from post at 08:42:26 04/10/23) Guarantee Auto Weld Co Inc at 1528 E 49th St, Cleveland, OH 44103. Get Guarantee Auto Weld Co Inc can be contacted at (216) 431-1214

Friend had Super M Diesel head repaired here. So they are close to me .Like Harts

The question is not if it's fixable. Of course it's fixable! ANYTHING is fixable.

It's a question of COST. Machine shops don't work for free. If a machine shop is going to charge 4 hours of shop time to fix it at $100 an hour, which would be cheap these days, then it's not exactly worth it, is it?

 

[adamsih300u]

(quoted from post at 16:13:15 04/10/23)

There's a well regarded machine shop nearby (Finger Lakes area, NY) that I'll check in with to see if they can do it, which will save me having to ship the engine any substantial distance.
!

If you don't mind me asking what machine shop is this? I'm a retired heavy equipment mechanics near Syracuse so might know of the place.

Never had the need to have a cracked block welded, but saying that the block on my BN will be leaking next time I look at it!

It's called Grammar-Gates machine shop, near Geneva.

I too wonder why the crack formed - or possibly it was there all along and enough grunge cleared out of the water jacket to expose it. I've spent a lot of time trying to clean this engine up / out, short of taking the head off. Had the water jacket freeze plug rust through a couple of years ago, and was able to do a fair amount of dislodging the sludge. The new freeze plug has held well.

The radiator developed a slight leak around one of the bolts a couple years ago as well; a pro shop fixed it and it came back, so I took it upon myself to solder it up a little more robustly, and it has held ever since.

I am inclined to suspect someone may have forgotten their antifreeze at some point in the past. I'm pretty fastidious about ensuring I have the green stuff in well before freeze season comes. I just used the pre-mixed stuff.

With an epoxy 'weld' on this newest crack, I mowed my 3 acres the other day and had no cooling issues at all - seemed like everything operated at its best, no leaks except for a small amount that comes out the overflow line when going downhill as the system finds its level.

So, I am hoping things are good for now.

Thanks for all the suggestions and thoughts.

 

[gene bender]

I have a 1940 Farmall A, which I've been running for almost eight years now. It had a small sidewall crack that I patched with JB Weld. It wasn't structural and just weeped a small amount of fluid. I've always kept antifreeze in the engine in the winter to be on the safe side. I love Farmalls, and this is my third - owned an H and a 300 Utility back in my teenage years.

This morning, I noticed a coolant leak and started investigating. Long story short there is a new crack in the front of the block, running diagonally toward up the casting seam, behind where the generator sits.

The tractor still runs fine, burns oil, etc. but I'm wondering if this block is done? If repairable, is the cost going to be more than the machine is worth?

Thanks for any insight and guidance.[/img:18b1328f71]

grind it clean and then use a good thick rubber cement let the area set in the swunshine to get the metal warm so the cement will flow better

 

[Janicholson]

I have a 1940 Farmall A, which I've been running for almost eight years now. It had a small sidewall crack that I patched with JB Weld. It wasn't structural and just weeped a small amount of fluid. I've always kept antifreeze in the engine in the winter to be on the safe side. I love Farmalls, and this is my third - owned an H and a 300 Utility back in my teenage years.

This morning, I noticed a coolant leak and started investigating. Long story short there is a new crack in the front of the block, running diagonally toward up the casting seam, behind where the generator sits.

The tractor still runs fine, burns oil, etc. but I'm wondering if this block is done? If repairable, is the cost going to be more than the machine is worth?

Thanks for any insight and guidance.[/img:18b1328f71]

If the crack is anywhere near the front, remember the block is a stressed member of the structure. many A-B-C letter tractors have cracks from loader work, or hitting things with the front end (loke ditches and holes or logs/stones. Fixing stress cracks is not warranted. Jim