International model A1 or AI

[Savinsam]

I know a lady that wants to sell her late husband's tractor. She say's it's an International A1. Did they ever make an A1? It's probably an AI. I read a post that said IHC made one A1 prototype. Any help
greatly appreciated to clear this up. Thanks.

 

[Dave BN]

They made a Super A1, it came just after the Super A. They also made an AI and Super AI. I versions are industrial tractors and would have had a square diamond shape front axle and a brace from the engine to the front axle area. A picture would help determine what she has or you can find the serial number and post that. The serial number can be found on the left seat post or on a flat spot in the engine casting just below number 1 spark plug.
Dave

 

[Dave BN]

Sorry, serial number on a Super series is on the left side of the clutch housing not on the seat post. My bad.
Dave

 

[Savinsam]

Thanks for that info. I'll probably going to look at it this week and get some serial numbers and photos. What color would A1's have been from factory?

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

A Super A-1 would have a serial number no lower than 356001.

A Super A-1 would have a 2" gap below the gas tank to above the hydraulic block.

An AI would not have hydraulics at all, though a Super AI could have hydraulics.

Legend has it that IH would paint a tractor any color you wanted but I have never heard of a legitimate "factory" paint job other than red.

 

[Dave BN]

AI could have been painted yellow from the factory. Also the decals on the sides of the hood and at the top of grill would be McCormick not Farmall.
Dave

 

[Jim Becker]

Okay, I'll try to sort all this out.

Within the "A" production, there were 3 time periods:
A - 1939-1947, serial numbers started at 501.
Super A - 1947-1954, serial numbers started at 250001.
Super A1 (the digit 1) - 1954, serial numbers started at 356001.

For each of these time periods, there were several variations of the model that included:

Farmall A, Farmall Super A, Farmall Super A1. Serial number prefix was FAA. Hood decals said "FARMALL" and "A" or "Super A". The Super A1 used the same decals as the Super A. The circle decal on most A and the earlier Super A had the word "Culti-Vision". The A did not have hydraulics, the others almost always did. They were painted red with very few exceptions, most commonly were white demonstrators built in 1950.

International A, International Super A, International Super A1. Serial number prefix was IAA. Hood decals said "INTERNATIONAL" and "A" or "Super A". The circle decal never had the word "Culti-Vision", nor did it ever have the letter "I". The A did not have hydraulics, the others almost always did. They were painted red with few exceptions, most commonly were probably orange. There may have been a few yellow ones, but yellow would have been unusual.

For all of these tractors (except a few very early A), the serial plate was riveted to the left seat support bracket. The engine numbers of most "A" tractors matched the serial number, the later models did not. Don't pay much attention to what the decals currently on the tractor say. Most have been replaced over the years and are often incorrect.

 

[Savinsam]

Thanks, Jim. It took awhile for me to sort things out, but found that she has an AI. Serial numbers bear that out. She already has it sold to a friend, but hasn't figured out a price yet! This is where I step
out of the picture!

 

[Iamarv]

I may have a Super A I (eye) that does no conform to the above comments of a SAI.
The chassis tag is on the seat bracket and it reads
FAA -I and the tag serial number reads 354787
This would mean it is a early 1954 tractor.
All cast codes on the tractor are Z cast codes.

The block number reads 364898 R2 which indicates to me that the engine is a 123 engine.

The number up front on the engine by number one spark plug reads 354787 FAAM.

My interpretation of the numbers tells me Farmall actually made three and possibly four versions of the Super A in 1954.
Early SA I (eye)
Late SA I (eye)
Super A 1 (one)
Super A

Then In very late 1954, they started making the 100 series.

 

[DC Snider]

I too have a Farmall Super AI, stamped FAA-I, serial number 348638. It has a larger C-123 replacement engine with a dipstick.

This post was edited by DC Snider on 11/08/2022 at 05:44 pm.

 

[Jim Becker]

(quoted from post at 16:53:09 11/08/22) I may have a Super A I (eye) that does no conform to the above comments of a SAI. . . .

That is an interesting addition to the picture. I checked the CaseIH online parts catalog (later edition than my printed books) and find it lists the Super A1 (one) serial prefix as FAA-1, not FAA as I said earlier. It also says that Super A1 engines had a prefix of FCM. Maybe they started using something like "FAA-I" for Internationals. Confounding any investigation of this is the fact that the industrial tractors are not included in the ag tractor parts catalogs. As a side note, the stamping of the digit 1 vs. the letter I seems to have been a but haphazard on some models. So you have to read them with a grain of salt. Your engine block part number doesn't tell us anything as that block was used with a thick-wall sleeve on all Super A tractors after 1951. Your serial number maps to April 1954. Having the same number on the engine is strange. The first engine number in April is listed as 356125.

It does prompt me to ask some more questions. Does it have the hevy duty front axle? a foot operated speed control? What are the date codes on the engine block and a couple others (like bell housing and transmission case)? Any other interesting features that suggest a Super A1 (one): water pump, taller grill, space between the fuel tank and Touch-Control?

 

[Iamarv]

Updates:
The block number is 356856 FAAM
Chassis tag is 354898R2
Number by number 1 spark plug 354787
FAAM

Cast codes 2Z

No dipstick.

Has foot throttle and heavy front axel.

Also a water pump.

I believe all SA Eyes were built the same.
The big change came when the 123 engines were placed in the Super A in late 1954. This led to the 100 series.

 

[Jim Becker]

Thanks for the updates. I guess the main thing I learned from your information is that somewhere along the line the serial prefix on the internationals was changed from "IAA" to "FAA-I". Out of the discussion I also learned that the digit "1" was added to the prefix on the Super A 1. I wonder what they did on the international Super A 1. Both a 1 and an I?

Nothing in the parts catalog hints that any of the Super A tractors came with a water pump. I suppose it may have been an option for the industrials (again, no parts catalog). They certainly were dealer/owner installed on some tractors, probably most often when overhauled with a C-123 sleeve/piston set.

As you say, the big change was when they started installing the C-123 at the factory. At that point they also went with the water pump and taller radiator. At the risk of oversimplifying, the Super A1 was essentially a Farmall 100 with sheetmetal borrowed from the Super C.

We have strayed far from Savinsam's original question. I think he has that sorted out that the lady has an International AI (industrial).