Farmall Disaster! 

Wow, I can't believe all that have suggested crowd funding the restoration of this tractor!! I'm usually not one to ask for charity, but I think I can give something back by showing you all the revival of this tractor from start to finish. I am setting up a GoFundMe to help with the costs, with some special perks like getting your very own (although worn-out) keepsakes from this tractor. I'm thinking a cleaned-up piston would be a good start? In Friday's video I'll have an assessment of the costs to restore this tractor to operating condition (and maybe even new paint), and launch the GoFundMe. Stay tuned for details! Also, other creative funding ideas are welcome!

I like the crowd funding idea. Some value to preserving family, and Farmall history here. Such a fascinating design.

Please continue to rebuild this not only is it a family member it is America at its best....if you open a go fund me you might be surprised

Don’t give up yet! My husband and his father have restored a lot of tractors and love M’s. Going to ask them if they know a better place to get parts and will get back with you.

I've been working on an Oliver 88 diesel standard that started as a simple engine rebuild that snowballed into a major rebuild. Needless to say I've spent twice the money I wanted to but my wanting to see the tractor work again outweighs the cost. I keep telling myself it will be worth it

Heck. Worst case park it for now in the corner of the barn, start setting a few bucks aside regularly and then when your boy is a little older use it as a father son project to teach him how to in frame overhaul a tractor. Love you shows! Keep them coming.

Sitting here watching you Pete. Just like 60+ years ago on one of these old girls❤️ with my Daddy! In his garage, freezing me arse off-but couldn’t miss a thing. Believe it, my Dad used to tell me what you’re telling us now. Step by step groan by groan. I love y’all. Happy Holidays!

Using my wifes account , Engine has had a lot of wear in the cylinders , note the piston skirts have been knurled to expand the skirts to take up clearance caused by wear . I worked in a shop for over 40 years and have not seen pistons knurled since the early seventies .

I say press on with the rebuild. And may I add that you're a fantastic teacher as well. Appreciate your sharing of knowledge.

I just bought a Super M from a friend last fall. His dad bought it new in 1950. My friend drove it home from the dealer. He's now 94 years old next month, and was happy it's staying close by. They never had any children so it was up for who ever got it. Has a loader on it. Nice old tractor. The rear tires are original. They don't look that bad. It's been inside when not in use. It chains on it. Glad to be the owner of it. Thanks for sharing this video. Watching from Iowa -2 degrees out.

Pete, a theme through all your vids on this Farmstead is finding a way to get done what needs to be done. You have done that time and again on all the projects I have seen you do, this will be no different. Your not a quitter Pete, you keep moving forward on everything you do. Crowdfunding is a great idea, and something I think a lot of us would be happy to give towards. Great project, and I have faith you will find a way to get it done. 🇺🇸

Starts turning into real money quickly! Hope you can find all the parts you need. Thanks for the video. Merry Christmas to you, your family, and all the other subscribers to this channel.

Pete, I have to say your story speaks directly to my soul with your channel and your story. Your are about a dozen years older than me, but I grew up on a hobby farm with my grandparents and spent the summers visiting my dad's folks on a grain farm in Central Iowa. There was always something so satisfying about working hard all day and being able to see what you have accomplished. I also work a executive level software job that grinds your soul away and dream of going back to a simpler life. I have to say you are an inspiration to the folks that are stuck in the daily grind. Being able to go and do what you love is something we all aspire to be able to do someday. In addition to being in favor of crowd sourcing for the rebuild of the MD I would also like to mention that I would be the first to sign up for Patreon if you were to implement it on your channel. I love getting a notification that you have put up a new video it is a great way to end the day.

Really enjoyed this episode. I HAD to work on my cars when I was younger because buying new wasn’t an option. Watched my brother then had to do it myself but he never explained it like you did. The lightbulb has gone on and a lot of what I had to do almost 40 years ago now makes sense. You’re an excellent teacher!

Stumbled across this channel ~4-5 months ago and been hooked since. Keep up the great work and hope you’re able to rebuild this engine!

After my dad retired from farming, he bought a 1954 Farmall Super MDTA. He always wanted one of these tractors. It turned out to have some issues. I told him once I started opening it up, it could be a lot of money or may not be able to find parts. He didn't keep it long....

When I was a kid back in the '60s messing around with engines I knew a guy who worked at an IH dealership. Never forget what he said, "The numbers on the rods always face the camshaft, except on a Reo." Never had the pleasure of working on an old Reo engine so I just had to take his word for it.

I would suggest you consult with an engine builder to repair / install a ring pack on your pistons. It can be done with success but the average shop can not do it. My opinion on how the top compression ring and land was damaged is ether - I saw it many times in the course of my career and always no one knew anything it happened but they wanted me to pay for the repair as a "factory man". Good video - keep going -- I get a vicarious thrill watching you do your thing on the farm - Happy Holidays.

You are an excellent teacher,sad that most of our public schools have very low standards for teacher accreditation,and our universities are also deficient in useful instruction .Must continue to gain knowledge after formal academia is completed.

#1 reason for broken compression rings is the use of either or some type of starting fluid ! Ask how I know = 45 years HD Mechanic now retired ...

Broken Top rings, I've seen that before that's a tell tale sign of starting fluid use. Saw that on a VTA 1710 Cummins engine. They would spray starting fluid in one side of the motor to get it to run on cold mornings. When we pulled the head off everything on the left hand side had broken top piston rings.😖

That crank is out of a Super MD. The standard MD did not have the counterweights on every journal. Keep going!!

Man, I have pulled a lot of engines apart and I have never seen carnage that bad before. I mean, I have seen photos and videos of sheer catastrophe (rod through the block, etc.), but In my personal experience, I have never seen disintegration and wear of the pistons like that. Amazing.

Love watching this! I rebuilt an 1952 ford 8n $475.00 . You will have to sleep on it. ! Good luck finding parts. Never seen that bearing test before! Very cool.

I hope you are able to go through with the rebuild. Seeing how complicated the MD is, is probably why my Dad and Grandad sold their 1949 MD and bought a new 1954 gas Super M-TA which I now have. Dad never bought another Diesel until he bought a 1086 in the 70’s. I’m planning to rebuild the M-TA this next year. Good luck and Merry Christmas!

Restoration videos are popular on YT! Especially when they involved an Iconic Tractor like the Farmall!, I love vintage machinery like that, I have an old Lawn Boy 2 cycle mower, carbon damaged the piston in it the same way. I still want to rebuild this mower some day, It's a 1977 D-400 engine, very hard to locate a cylinder for it, I have new piston and rings. Maybe someday! Love the video!

Friend of mine had 7-8k in just the engine on his MD. Between parts, machine shop bills, and injection pump/injector overhauls.That being said, there are only so many family tractors. Hopefully you don't lose the wind from your sails. Rome wasn't built in a day. Might want to slow the rebuild for a while to stretch out spending. Good Luck.

We got a 1955 JD Model 60 with our property. Best I can guess is it had been sitting outside since around 1992. All tires were flat, starter was junk. We pulled it after I got the clutch free and the engine was loose. I rebuilt the carb, changed all fluids and pull started it in about 20’. Then I paid almost $450 for a rebuilt starter and got it in. Next was tires and tubes all around, I have about $2k into our ‘free’ tractor and it’s a beast. It’ll pull a 2 row JD series 30 potato digger with no problem in 1st gear at about half throttle. They only made 57k Model 60’s so it was never a thought to junk it--how many are still working after 65+ years?

Tough break about the engine. I love the funding idea and i am willing to chip in for costs. Good luck.👍

Wonderful stuff. Suddenly I know how an engine works, and I never did before. Great relaxed presentation and clear diction.

Man! That sucks. I hope you're able to find a way to rebuild it. Hopefully this isn't the end of it's life.

You are an amazing man. I love that you and the family sit around and talk. Just like it was with my family when young. Don't find that too much. Keep up the great work my friend. Merry Christmas to you and yours!!!

Pete, Count me in as a fellow Farmall owner to chip in:). I figure you are teaching me how to do my own rebuild in the near future, that has real value that deserves compensation. Just old fashion bartering and nothing wrong with that! Go for it, I think it will be win-win for all of us.

Very informative. Thanks for taking the time to make the video, I know it can be a pain to keep moving the camera but you do it well.

I love the video style of this! You can actually see what you’re doing while you’re discussing what’s going on. I like the crowd funding idea as well

From the cheap seats, as you went to the manual to look up the rod bolt torque, I was thinking given how they came out; "he's gonna need a longer bar, and three men and a boy to help!" 😃👍

Very interesting Pete. Thank you for sharing this. Looking forward to seeing what happens next. Sorry for your pistons being unusable. Hopefully you don't encounter more discouraging flaws.

Thanks for rebuilding this old tractor I find it very interesting and educational.

Great video, as always. Thanks for taking us along on your adventures. Merry Christmas to you, your family, as well as everyone here that make up your RU-vid family. :-)

It's a shame to see that piston damage. otherwise that motor looks to be in great shape. I can't believe how clean that oil pan was given the quality of oil we had back in the day

Hi Pete, this video was very interesting 🧐 to me, but I guess a little sad 😢 for you. Sad that they no longer make parts for this model tracker. Good luck 🍀 in your hunt for parts.

You make mt favorite homesteads just wish there were more of them. I enjoy the fact you are very intelligent and factual, rather than slapping it together and saying well its a farm and shrugging it off.

I have faith in you what ever happens , when I start needing a friend to help to start my homestead you will be the first I talk to, especially when it comes to dexter cattle, you know your stuff Love your family and hope you can help me in the future. I feel like you are family. You are real and special to me, many great info. Love all the info.

Might have to sell a couple of dexters but I think the satisfaction will be the same as in restoring your house. Keep that family heirloom in the family and ready to be used occasionally for a f e w more generations.

I did my Ford 2n last spring. It's fun to watch someone else go through the same process.😬

Worked on many and M and MD back on the farm , the MD were a problem child . Cracked heads , cracked sleeves , oil consumption. This one looks like it had a combination of issues ,overheating and possibly low fuel rate , that broke those rings . the heads broke frequently if you did not give them a long time to heat up on gas , and switching to diesel before you started to work them .

Great video and love the IHC's, I still have an old W-4 on rubber, a McCormick Deering 15-30 on steel, and a McCormick Deering 22-36 on steel all running in good shape too. Good luck with what ever you decide on the MD.

Sorry to hear!! Itd be really awesome to see it running, but at that cost, its crazy, Great info on engine take down here on the flipside, Great vid as usual 😎

When I worked at a Concrete Ready Mix company, while going to college, a breaker bar with an extension on it was called a "Stilson".

I am currently working on a engine out of an M at the machine shop I work at. Neat to see the differences between them. Keep up with the great content!

Hi 🙋🏻‍♂️ Great video 👍🏻 I’ve learned more about a MD in ur last 2 videos then i thought there was to them! I grew up with John Deere so that’s what I know about. I can c that it’s a lot of money to get it back to working order but with that being said it’s part of ur family history and if u don’t do it you will not be happy with yourself ! And if you say well I’m going to wait awhile before u do it parts will become harder to find and cost more yet. Sorry to say the old tractors r just like us . They r showing their age and wear and tear from years of work but, I hope the docs will keep fixing us so we can keep working . Sometimes you just have to let ur heart and memories guide you and not ur checkbook. 🤔 just something to think about

Pete, I would suggest replacing the mains and connecting rod bearings and prolbably the cam bearings. They usually are shot. Do it right the first time. Those are basically out of spec. I guess it depends what your going to use the tractor for... if ya do it right it will still be working in 25-50 years from now. I am in the same boat, bought a 1959 JD 430 crawler that was siezed. It is kinda rare has a mechanical reverser, and #90 loader. Ended up getting a new engine block as it was cracked. It needs, new pistons, and mains/ conn rod bearings. Cylinders bored out. Main and conn rod journals are just out of spec with slight damage to the crank. So that will get turned as well. I'm still in the parts gathering stage.. With engine rebuilds, I always have been told do it right the first time... good luck on your decision!

I sense some serious contemplation “Not one corney dad joke” so sad. Good luck with your project!!!!!

I think you should set up a fund for your parts its a shame to see it parked in a lot and not using its full potential.

Wow, I'm real sorry to hear that. I don't pray for tractors much but I'm praying for this one. I grew up with the green tractors but any classic is beautiful regardless of its color.

Just an observation, it looks like those pistons were knurled to decrease the bore clearance. It’s the old way to get a few more hours out of a set of pistons in a worn bore. The top ring damage is epic, but consistent and I can only speculate as to the cause, but only a few things cause that. One thing that can cause that is if at the last overhaul the ridge wasn’t properly removed and the new top ring crashes into the old ridge. The other is ether, I’ve seen it do similar things on other engines. Unless the MD has some other finicky things going on, I’m out of ideas. Never worked on an MD, but I have plenty of experience with the 282.

Dad joke: that MD needs a doctor!

Your knowledge of the engine working is very valuable. If you would have to pay for all the labor needed to get the motor going you might have to more than double the cost. Yet the cost is not making this an easy decision. Have a great Christmas and you and your family safe and healthy.

So glad you went forward.

Pete could you auction off the old Pistons to your followers to help recoup a few dollars ? As always Thank You Dear Sir 😇

That was really clean, good maintenace. I am surprised that there wasn't any cylinder wall damage. Very interesting video.

You will like driving that MD with the tricycle front. It's a very different experience with much more maneuverability. I hadn't driven a tricycle since I was very young and I really like my JD MT. It's probably not as stable on hilly ground but I'm not in a hurry and I'm not trying to make a living with it. Preserving history one tractor and one piece of equipment at a time! That's the motto of our club, The Chautauqua County Antique Equipment Association, in Stockton, N.Y. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Pete to you and your family. Keep up the good work.

Even tough i have no idea about engines, im still in love with these videos. I would also like to give you a tip for rebuilding that tractor, wish you wonderfull christmas, greetings from germany !

Love your videos . Wish I had your knowledge you have on motors .

When was in business with airplanes, there was a machine shop that would heliarc or weld up those pistons and re-machine them like new. Assuming you can't buy them new and/or they are more money than the repair job.

I'm really loving these tractor restoration videos

Others may have told you. It looks to me like some one used to much starting fluid. On a engine like that I use no more starting fluid that I would use on a small single cylinder lawn mower engine.

Hey Pete! Just rolled a old case 200B with a Dearborn loader off my trailer. I can wait to get into this project

I hope some creative funding comes through. It would be a shame to lose this piece of the family history of the farm. Please keep us posted on new ideas and how to participate. Keep up the good work and God bless you all

Sorry to hear about those pistons, Pete. I hope that is one of the only major things wrong with it.😕

Iv really enjoyed the md videos pete. Thanks for all the work on them

Wow, those pistons are in very rough shape! That is definitely discouraging sight to see when a person opens up an engine, but I hope it wont keep you from rebuilding this one. I can't wait to see the fate of this tractor, and hope that you will choose the rebuilding process!

I knew it was going too easy! Good luck in future endeavor!

Great old tractor it would be nice to see it run again 👍

Look on the bright side. At least it is not a race car. I had an issue (years ago) where the machine shop thought they were doing me a favor by seriously decking the block. When I was going through my initial assembly and tried to turn it over, the valves hit the pistons. What I did not know at this tender age was with a Ford Kent engine, that would be enough to bend a valve. 30 minutes later at the track, I had a useless lump and a lighter wallet. As for the crank, I put a Kohler together on the cheap this year that was only a thousandth out of tolerance at the crank and it did not go well. Best of luck with it, Pete, and Happy Holidays to you and your family.

I'll chip in too! love your detail coverage!

We’re you a teacher in a former life? I have NO interest in tractors but I love the way you explain and present the information. So, I watch anyway!

Thank you for sharing.

Just a guess but maybe with running with no thermostat the engine was running cooler than normal which could lead to a carbon buildup. Just thinking

Just a normal day with old tractors. My Nuffield Universal Four tractor had only 5psi of oil pressure, tore it down and everything was worn out...

You are really a great teacher. Happy Christmas🌟🌟🌟

Hey Pete! Love watching the teardown and rebuild process! The engineering history is certainly fascinating. I'm curious if you have ever considered reaching out to collaborate with fellow RU-vid creators before? I am a subscriber to Alec Steele and he is also interested in restoring old machinery (specifically powerhammers from the era that may have been used in creating these tractors). Its just a thought but I bet that both of your viewer groups would benefit from the content on each other's channels and maybe Alec can help you get this tractor up and running for a little cheaper. Regardless, good luck with the restoration and I can't wait for the next video.

I happen to stumble across your video. Wow. So informative and educational. I appreciate your honesty about the cost factor. Most of us don't have money trees growing in our backyards. Having to weigh the sentimental versus the financial cost of rebuilding can cause serious friction in a relationship if the sentimental "always" wins. Take your time to think on it, do your research (which it sound like you have), go for a coffee with a good friend preferably with your significant other and ask for some FREE advice. Looking forward to your next installment. I am now a new subscriber.

good point about ' sleeping on it ' . my brain absolutely kicks out the resolves ( right or otherwise ) after a sleep -- crappy sleep or otherwise .

Your knowledge amazes me! I’m a new sub and just wondering how you learned all this.

Love these videos, I wish you were my neighbor. Great content, great videography

Excellent video! Thank you!

When deciding whether to rebuild this tractor or paint the 656, you said there's little this tractor can do that the H can't do. But the reverse is also true, there's nothing the H can do that the MD can't, except perhaps slip into a very tite spot. As you said, many parts in an MD are made of that very illusive metal, unobtainium. And yes, you can use an M engine, but that's not the point for rebuilding the family MD.

Good luck Pete.

The last piston looks so bad, I hope you can manage to fix the tractor, good video!

Might check ring end clearance--may have been too tight when rebuilt..

This video is a great showcase on why maintenance of equipment is so important.

That's a worthy project even with the costs... And it's been in the family.... If it took longer, it'd be worth it to do.

This was such an interesting video, I learned a lot thank you!

impact wrenches are the best tool investment I've made yet. I know sometimes its nice to disassemble by hand to see if something was too loose or too tight tho.

Sometimes it's hard to know what to do with these old tractors. I think looking back now you might have been better off painting that other tractor instead lol

Nice video. Love seeing this tractor get some love. Honestly I’d just do bearings too. Your already in there. You should just do it now it’ll last longer. I know it’s more expensive but.

Sorry for the damages, let's hope you can find decently priced parts. Due to timing, this is probably the last time I check for updates for the next several days. So...... Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, Heather and the family.

Torque is measured in pound feet, not foot pounds. Fun watching you turn wrenches, etc. Thanks for the cool video, I also have worked on old tractors, and big diesel engines as well. eD

I feel your pain trying to find parts. I would go ahead and do bearings. We are overhauling 806 diesel in a few weeks so I know how fun this stuff can be. It might be just cheap to find a running md and swap the motor out and keep your motor for spare parts