Farmall M rebuild

[runsred44]

Hi guys, new member here. I'm rebuilding a 1944 Farmall M, C 248 engine with 4" sleeves. I'm looking at sleeve/piston kits, (are any made in usa, whats good)?
Can I replace my flat top pistons with stepped head? (read that I need to change distributor drive to reduce advance), where can I get more info?
I noticed sleeve piston kits come with 1.312 wrist pin, mine is 1.000. Do I need to press out old wrist pin bushing and press in new bushing for larger pin?
My 8777 head is cracked, can I use the 8060 head , will it work with the stepped pistons?


Thank you

 

[Highwayman]

Yes to all the questions.
Not sure on where to source made in USA parts.

 

[D Slater]

Regular step head Pistons sold for a C-248 will work with a 8060 head. IH sold some 4 inch pistons with the small piston pin. Small end of rod needed a different bushing for those. If you use a big pin a regular bushing needs installed in rod and sized. If small pin bushings are in spec a piston with small pin would need to be used with present bushings if you could find them. Don't know if any P&S sets are made in us. I used some not USA for my last rebuild because of availability. Would not 100 % recommend those. IH wanted the total advance in distributor limited to 22 degrees with higher compression. Done by replacing rotor shaft in distributor and a different set of advance springs was used to change rate of advance. Hole in rotor shaft can be modified to limit travel without using another one.

 

[fastfarmall]

Well i liked the old IH [power craters]brand,or M @ W, i put the last set in about 10 years ago, but there all gone now,I think there all the same now,Tisco, or Reliance, the same as this site sells. But how many times have the valves been ground,that's something to consider too!!!

 

[chhanes]

I am rebuilding my Dad's M. I have run across some New-old-stock piston/sleeve sets but they are $750-1000. I haven't pulled the head yet but that's a lot of money for a tractor that will likely never see heavy tillage again. Welcome aboard, there are tons and tons of informative postings here. In addition, experts who actually know what they are talking about.

CHH

 

[mccormicksw4]

I might have a set of NOS IH piston and sleeve set . I will look tomorrow

 

[mccormicksw4]

I have a NOS Firecrater set if anyone is interested. someone robbed the rings from it but other than that its all there including the distributor and carb kit
my email is open

This post was edited by mccormicksw4 on 01/27/2022 at 04:16 pm.

 

[fastfarmall]

Kool, the rings are missing, that shouldn't be a problem, Perfect Circle should, or could make you some !!

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

In this day and age you take what you can get as far as parts. There just isn't the demand for overhaul parts that there used to be, so for a lot of companies it's not profitable to continue manufacturing them.

I'm thankful we can get new parts at all for these old machines, and to be able to order them conveniently online is just a miracle.

 

[8850dave]

Maybe interested in your Firecracker kit and parts thanks

 

[mccormicksw4]

(quoted from post at 06:06:20 01/28/22) Maybe interested in your Firecracker kit and parts thanks

To contact members through email on here you need to go into your profile and check off " always show my emails '

 

[runsred44]

Thanks for the information. I've been looking around online for availability and prices. I called YT, was told they did not have any in stock. I'm still looking.

 

[Ken Christopherson]

I've had good luck with Reliance kits. Ordered mine through Worthington Ag Parts. Not sure what manufacturer YT sells here... But I am with the others. Might as well throw stepped
head pistons in it. You can always upgrade or change the other stuff at a later date, but to change out pistons is quite involved. I believe the stepped head pistons were very
close to the same price as flat tops over at Worthington Ag.

Yes, you will need to replace wrist pin bushings. No, you do not HAVE to change out distributor shaft (only for optimal performance), and finally - yes, you can use the 8060 head.