farmall m heater bolt

[butch49]

hello i have found a working heater bolt for thed farmall m but my guess is you take out one of the valve cover bolts and insert it is that correct i would like to see if it does any good we gpt snow and cold last nite to 14 inches and still falling 15 degrees

carl
montana

 

[fastfarmall]

Why take a chance on that thing ruining your head gasket, when u can but a tank heater,That was invented in Canada in the 1950, before tanks heaters, throw that thing away!

 

[used red MN]

No, if it is like the one pictured in the link I found on
eBay you remove an actual cylinder head stud.
Depending on how much thread is exposed above the
head this may prove difficult. Obtain a 1/2”NF 20 nut.
Drain the radiator coolant. On the left side of the valve
cover as seated on the tractor and to the right of I & E
manifolds you will see the head stud nuts. I don’t
remember exactly how the bracket for the throttle
linkage mounts but it may limit access to the some of
the stud nuts. I think you can access the center nut
fine so that is where I would suggest you place the
heater stud. First to avoid starting a coolant leak from
your head gasket I would check the torque on any of
the other accessible head nuts at 110 ft.lbs. Then
remove the nut of the center stud and the washer.
Thread the nut you obtained on the stud finger tight
against the head. Then thread on the original stud
nut. Using two wrenches ..jam.. the the two nuts
together as tight as you can. Then gripping the
bottom nut only remove the stud. Wire brush or buff
the course threads that screw in the engine block on
the heater stud. Apply some sealer to those threads, I
recommend Permatex no. 2. Place the original
washer on the head and screw the heater in. Now
here is what I see as the tricky part. Never having had
one of these in my hand I don’t know if it has a
preinstalled nut on the top of if it is just a bolt. I really
think it has a nut on it because the stud has to be
hollow to allow the leads to go through for the
element. So I would say if you tried torquing it with
that larger top nut under the plug it would likely twist
off. So you have to figure out how to torque that nut to
110 ft lbs. This can really only be accomplished with a
crows foot style socket which as a side note requires
some lower percentage of a torque setting. Also you
may get by leaving some kind of a cord plugged on
there in the winter if you wrap it with aluminum foil. In
the summer you will likely have to remove the cord
especially if you work the tractor with any substantial
load the heat from the exhaust manifold will likely melt
any kind of cord you have in there unless it has a
ceramic plug and wrapped with some type of high
temp insulation. Now after all that I am not sure why
you don’t just purchase a tank type engine heater and
install it and be done.
Sample heater stud

 

[used red MN]

I agree with Fast...get one like this! Is your tractor converted to 12 volts? If not doing that would be way better than the heater.
1000 watt tank style engine heater example

 

[tractorguy2]

I have never heard of a heater head bolt before. Did IH make
them.

I too suggest getting a Matte tank heater. They work very well.
Have one on my German 706. Plug it in for a double of hours and
it starts right up.

 

[David G]

No way I would put one in, tank heater will do much better job.

 

[caterpillar guy]

For get the idea. Go with Fast Farmall or Used Red's program. You will be money ahead and easier to use. It can stay there year round with no ill effects.

 

[wore out]

(quoted from post at 13:37:16 10/24/20) Why take a chance on that thing ruining your head gasket, when u can but a tank heater,That was invented in Canada in the 1950, before tanks heaters, throw that thing away!

Oh my gosh, you guys, they are called a "head bolt heater" and were invented in North Dakota while the Caucks were busy herding moose! And they work just fine and don't "ruin headgaskets".

https://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2008/02/your-car-starts-thank-andrew-freeman/

My late Uncle who was a pioneer in rural electrification in North Dakota was a good friend of Andrew Freeman.

 

[fastfarmall]

Well it did on my Dads 51 Plymouth!

 

[David G]

That is a cool article.

 

[Duner Wi]

When you install make sure there is zero interference between block and heater inside the engine. I don't know which bolt hole to use.

 

[Russ from MN]

Head bolt heaters were pretty common in the 50's when a lot of engines were still flat heads, they were a lot better than nothing! I would check to make sure it works before I would take a head bolt out, put the heating element end in some water and see if it heats. I'm pretty sure it has to go into a bolt hole where it is immersed in coolant, otherwise it would burn out.

 

[Duner Wi]

Found instructions for Freeman #88C fits M, super M, MTA 400 etc.
Says to use 3rd head bolt from front or rear of exposed head bolts.
Instructions also say to trial fit with dummy bolt, rod etc. to make sure you have clearance.

 

[butch49]

(repy to post at 19:18:16 10/25/20)

hey the bolt works immediately gets red hot after cleaning contacts

where did you find instructions

carl
clancy

 

[Duner Wi]

where did you find instructions

carl
clancy

I happened to have a couple of NOS Freeman headbolt heaters. Instructions were in the box.