My Sleeves Don't Fit! More Farmall MD Headaches 

Hi Pete thank you for keeping us all entertained during these though times I can't wait to see the MD run!!

Pete - your bad day was way better than my day. I would rather have the issues you are having than to have my issues (people related). At least you can yell at the engine and walk away. LOL

i love this channel and cant wait to see the md running i am 13 and love old tractors and currently in the process of getting my great grandfather’s 1950 john deere b and are making good progress

Wait a minute, not even one Dad joke? What a gyp! Love your channel!

Alternate title: "Pete Encounters Sleeves That He Can't Fix With a Pair of Scissors"

Well at least you can pass off the sleeve issue to the machine shop and get some help there. I'm sure that problem can be solved and you have a good plan. Glad you have a company like Bates to work with - they seem pretty flexible.

This is gonna be a great series

Don't forget to film at the machine shop - if they'll allow it.

You have such a great attitude about things. Maybe that's one of the things I like about this channel.

Probably a dumb question, but could the sleeves be machined to the specs you need?

"I'm gonna leave this off...because I'm afraid of it getting busted if it get's piled in with parts...oops" I've been chuckling over that for a while now... If that had been me, I would have dropped it on the floor and cried as it shattered LOL

Glad you enjoy challenges! Thanks for explaining the processes. You can definitely make those old tractor parts shine. 🇺🇸🚜👍

I like your approach to thinking about things Pete, and the attitude and your determination are inspiring. Please film the machine shop work if they let you.

I always have a problem with sleeves, once had a suit made to measure, all the measurements were for a long fit with an extra 1" 1/2 in the sleeves! Dad says I prove that we are definitely descended from apes!

I’m sorry about the sleeves. I have a 1948 John Deere A. They made them so long and made so many updates that parts can sometimes be a nightmare. I love your channel.

A tough day in the shop working on old tractors is still way better than a good day at work, good luck and thanks for the series

Thanks for showing me the trick with the vice grips and the vice on a round piece makes alot of sense love the videos and I hope alot of people pay attention to a dying breed you can learn alot from guys like him

Every project I ve done there's always something that goes wrong

The 4-1/4” OD sleeves are for a D264 or D281 Block. Dollars to donuts the sleeves you have are 4-1/8 ID and 4-1/4 OD which makes 281 cubic inches. (450 farmall). There are also sleeves which are 4” ID and 4-1/8 OD, which makes 264ci in a 248 block. I don’t recall finding 3-7/8 ID x 4-1/8 OD sleeves available. (248ci.) I’ve been doing TONS of homework about the subject, I have a 450D in the shop with 3 cracked sleeves. It’s waiting it’s turn to be my next money pit. Also- I haven’t watched every video about the project yet, but have you had the head magnafluxed yet? It is most likely cracked. Mine is, I was quoted $1800 to fix it, but when I was still farming with it, it only put a few bubbles in the coolant, and didn’t cross contaminate oil and antifreeze, or use antifreeze. I think I’m just going to clean my head up and use it as is. Good luck, I’m watching your project with my fingers crossed, and a lot of interest for my own tractor.

Sorry to hear of the sleeve mishap, but Bates is a great company. I know they'll do everything they can to work with you. Hope you get it remedied soon so it can get sent off to the machine shop! Also - paint thinner is a VERY good degreaser. I soak parts in it quite often. Also helps remove old fuel varnish very easily.

A good tip is if you dont change the copper washers. Glow them with propane burner to soften them again

Thank you for making your content. Such a positive force in such strange times.

Lots of fun yes I've seen gasket maker used alot in places that only creates more problems because it migrates to holes that need be open. Just a thought copper washers if you heat red hot then quench in cold water makes them soft again to reuse. Good thing you noticed the sleeves that's what rebuilding is all about and parts manuals there the bible in taking apart and back together. I know my comments are long sorry I enjoy your videos. Thanks have a great day.

Me and my stepdad just got a super md and we love watching your videos!

That was really clever the way you used the vise-grips to hold the filter housing in the vice.

Hopefully your friends at the Machine Shop fiqure it out for you. Seems like theres always something to set you back on a big project. 👍

I always need tunes to do this kind of work. Too quiet. Another great video. Thanks Pete.

This is an awesome series on the MD. I’ve really been intrigued with how that engine works. Previously I’ve always grown up with Fords and John Deere’s on my grandpas farm, but now I have a new found interest in the Farmalls. Specifically I really like the McCormick Deering 10-20, the MD, and the F-20.

Very interesting! When I was a 6 year old, our MD was returned to the farm after an overhaul at the dealership and it dropped a piston as the delivery truck drove away. It was determined that they used the wrong head gasket. Fast forward 56 years and I now understand why!

I really admire a detailed mined person no matter what they are working on, i.e. simple or otherwise. Enjoying this project very much, interesting, educational and informative.

Hi Peat. I rebuilt a M. D in high school. 1975. It was fun watching you do the tear down.

Super sleeves will not fit. The parent bores are different on the Super. If you want to go bigger, you must get oversized sleeves and pistons for the regular MD.

On our 1206, CarQuest uses the same filter in the primary and secondary. CIH has the primary and secondary filters. Wix has the primary and secondary filters.

I ssy instead of cutting the engine block bigger to get the sleeve to fit. Cut the sleeve to fit the engine block.

When you've made your decision on which sleaves to use, make a note in your parts book for future reference. That way, if you or your son has to do this again later, you'll know what to get.

Love the vice grip to hold the filter housing in the vice! Why didn't I think of that? Enjoy your channel. I'm across the lake from you in Romulus.

I Just Love it ! I wish I could help you , Once I retire that's my plan to re build My Dad's Old 62' Chevy C-10 Long Bed ! Good job Pete ! Taking it apart piece by Piece and cleaning and painting it !! is the only way to go ! giving me so great Idea's ! Thanks

Brian is my go to guy I’m about 15 20 minutes from bates corporation

Don't feel bad when my dad , me and friend of family heated garage plus head mechanic to rebuild engine on 1978 724 International tractor had a 72 hp 265 Cubic Inches 4 cylinders Desiel motor and gave in kit 824 seelves for cylinder plus head gasket was wrong and did get right parts dealer took wrong back too ! Also got a fix up work right to and that was back 1993 year too ! But agree shop manuals with pictures and information help out lots too ! Also excellent video too and very informative to help to!

Instead of grinding/wire-brushing off the rust and dirt, do it with electrolysis instead. Much easier, cleaner and does a great job without destroying any of the good metal. Also you may wish to contact Rice Equipment for Farmall Parts.

Hi Pete, here's a joke for you, old farmer visited his local dentist here in clare for his check up and asked how much would the implants cost, dentist said around two thousand euros, farmer replied l could get a good tractor for that, dentist replied I don't think it will fit in your mouth 👄.. 👄🚜. Liam kilkee clare ireland 🍀

Man years ago we done a Super MD. It has the deep dish groove. Dad tore it down. We both were on the road and in at different times. When the sleeves came in I chilled them and installed them , not knowing that they had a small ring around the top , and he had taken out a set of large ring liners. It ran for a while and started skipping. The cylinder had zero compression , like read completely zero. It didn't knock or do anything suspicious, the valves worked fine. We suspected the diesel valve had somehow messed up. Pulled the head , nothing there. Finally looked and realized the entire liner or sleeve was M.I.A. It was shattered like glass in the oil pan. Being it was a new parts person who sent us the parts Styner , Stiner (however it's spelled) sent us a complete new engine kit. It had already ruined the bearings with liner guts.

Squatch 253 ran into this this sleeve issue not fitting into the block. They fixed this by honing the block cylinder bores to allow the liners to fit into the block. This appears to be a problem with the newer jobber liners.

Next video wear camo and really smear the grease on your face and you can be the tractor commando. I'm just messing with you. Anytime I work on something greasy it ends up on my face somehow.

Good video, I would have been afraid of the water bowl or the gas bowl. With my luck I would have dropped them.

Anyone know what needs to be done with a Farmall 656 Diesel that blows head gaskets out the side! second replacement last year was an extra thick gasket with new head bolts! IT Still blew out the side! not even used that much!

I cant wait to hear it run

I would bet that the reason that filter bolt has the center hole and vent is so you don't hydrolock it when you run it into a blind hole in the casting that is full of oil. (best case is you would not get it tight, worst case you would crack your casting.. The clean oil would just run down around the outside of the bolt, guessing it has clearance all the way around. I have seen the type of bolt you are talking about, my Honda motorcycle has one, but it has many holes, and the bolt it very thin and hollow the entire length.

A suggestion. Why not machine the sleeve to fit the hole instead of maching the block to fit the sleeve.

I also restore tractors. Get a gallon of POR Marine clean! It melts the toughest old goo off. Oh yea you have a grease spot on your face.🤣

I would not bore the block. I think it be risky. Just find some that fit and go with different head gasket etc.

15.47 Hi Pete, why didn't you just push the whole sleeve out?

copper does work harden, so not a bad idea to anneal crush washers if you are going to use again, just heat up red hot and quench in water and they will come out dead soft.

all inkow your just a farmer but you are allsow a good mechaneck

Pete, your amazing!!!. Aloha

That thing looks like a bullet from super mario

what do you use for a cleaning solution in your parts washer?

Just remachine the sleeves not a big job

Ever try using an Ultrasonic parts washer?? They can be another handy tool in your arsenal.

I had a dead mouse in the water trap of a 504

Do you like doing that stuff

I wish I had the money I’d send you a ultra sonic cleaner, I’ve been out of work from being sick from covid so money is tight rite now

have you ever done breaks on an older tractor ?

Thank you for sharing.

Please restore the 756 next

You comment that you hate breaking off the sleeve edge in the way that you did and I agree it risks damage to the parent boor. A much easer way which we regularly used in the workshop was to turn the block upside down and with a block of wood and a hammer give the bottom of the sleeve a sharp smack. More often than not they will drop straight out on the floor. For any that refused to budge we would turn up a lipped alloy block to fit inside the boor and over the bottom lip we would either smack that or resort to the press. Your comment about how much oil passes through the by-pass filter, it is normal for it to be 20% on each pass. This system is common in diesel engines.

I bet someone mentioned this below but on the fuel filters, coarse filter upstream of the fine. 2 of the same won't do you any good unless you can bypass the first into the second. Great stuff, keep going!

Just noticed you have a Quincy air compressor. They're great! Super performance, quiet! Love mine; have the 60-gallon & use it mostly with my sandblaster. Hope you love yours too. Thanks so much for the videos! Much appreciated!!

Quite the puzzle Pete. Isn’t it great when companies work with you to solve problems. Likely the previous rebuilding of this motor was an issue and that’s the differences your finding. Two Dad jokes next.... you owe us. Buts understandable that you may not be in the joking mood. With the current issues at hand.

Pete, I'm far from having a qualified opinion but I wonder if you might introduce too much pressure on the head gasket if you go with the flush mount vs the way it was? Maybe the gasket fitting around the top of the sleeve prevents head gasket failure with the higher compression of the diesel? Maybe I'm all wet too.

I am not a mechanic by any sense of the word. I hate turning wrenches! However, I am enjoying watching this series. I admire your knowledge and in-depth job you are doing by explaining all the steps and parts of the process.

Around 1959 I "helped" ( I was 20 y/o)an in-frame rebuild a WD-6 International engine which seems the same as you have. The head was cracked between the water jacket and small valve that isolated the gasoline start-up chamber and he had a new head already. He had a home made sleeve puller that bolted on the top of the block and pulled the sleeves up. After we got it all together and started it up steam came out of the crankcase breather. We took the head off and redid the head gasket but the same thing happened. The sleeve puller had broken into the side of the blocks cylinder wall. He take the block to a machine shop in Rochester Indiana that specialized in antique cars. They bored out that cylinder and create a tight sleeve and then put the regular sleeve in after that. That cured the problem but the tractor got demoted to stationary power from it's previous plowing and discing and ran for 30 years after. The tractor was a "Wheatland" version, both short and narrow with the seat cantilevered behind the differential. It was a rough riding machine and wore wore you out because you had to hold on as it pitched about.

Like I've heard said, Pete, "Ya don't know patience, till it's tested". Speaking to what you HOPED would fit in the engine and the reality of it NOT fitting. And, I'm so proud of you for maintaining that "can do" attitude of yours!! ;o)

You have a constructive attitude to obstacles. Glad you have a good vendor to communicate with, but I suspect you created that with your "training" the vendor to be that way. And any smart vendor will want to work with a multi-generational customer.

Interesting to watch the restoration going forward. I have a 1969 Massey Ferguson 175 on my small farm that I am considering restoring. The 175 and 656 look a lot alike.

I was just thinking of all the money you are saving by doing the majority of the labor yourself. Great job.

Hi Pete, why not send the block to the machine shop in the first place, and let them deal with the sleeves, hate to see a chisel being used anywhere near the head look what damage can be done, worked as a fitter for many years in England but never would use a chisel in such a critical area of any engine. Sorry to be so critical. Love all your videos and the best of luck with your rebuild. Happy New year to all the family 👪. Liam kilkee clare ireland. 🚙 😀🍀

Peat cant wat to hear it run

I guess if you still reily wanted to have the same type sleeve you kood get the over size ones mashined, the only problem would be that it would be quite expensive, you know, the whole thing about sleeves being made of very hard metal.

My dad was working on the washing machine for nth time. My mom wanted a new machine but my dad was frugal (cheap). So she took some random pieces from the garage and put them in the pile. New machine for her! Oh, try turning the Channelocks the other way.

I would machine a plate to fit the bottom of the sleeve and get some threaded rod and make a sleeve puller to pull the old sleeves. i watched a guy try to chip out sleeves and he broke a hole in the block. it would be better to do it right than to ruin the block

How did you know I was going to ask how you keep all those parts organized? Kudos to you for rolling with the unexpected challenges!

I run into problems like this all the time when working on old trucks and tractors. Just have to keep working and you always find a way to fix the issue.

When working with "Older" equipment and the OEM parts for it is not made any more, or they made little changes during the time it was in production, getting the right parts can be a pain. Or modifications have to be made to get it to work properly. Good luck, and keep the vids coming

I wonder if woodash would cleanup the carbon deposits on the glass fuel housing.

Pete, will the main body of the sleeves fit in the parent bore? Why can't they just turn down what they need to on the upper part where the lip is? They should have a way of jigging it into a lathe or cylindrical grinder that they can turn the outer diameter of the lip down to fit, and cut in the lip as needed.

Pete,we all been there with the wrong parts,more than once for me,however you will adjust as we do,exchange and move on. I envy your challenge,I enjoy it also! See ya soon.

Tough break! Things were going so well. That's what i like about your channel. I always get new info or serious dad jokes. Lol 😇🤣👍💘

If the extra sleeves are returnable, you’re ok even though you lost a few days. The road to satisfaction doesn’t come without a few bumps in the road

Enjoying your progress/adventure,very educational to me.

Good morning Pete

You should try to get some brass soft jaws for your bench vise so you don’t run the risk of putting marks in a part you are trying to clean. I love the this series keep the videos coming!

Some steel wool cleans up those glass sediment jars easily. I make photo copies of the pages that are pertinent to the parts that I am working on to ensure I don't damage or soil the original parts book or manual. Photos and your videos can be priceless when it comes time for reassembly.

So important question is will the pistons you ordered going to fit both sleeves or do they require different pistons? Does the fire ring on the gasket make up the height required to keep compression ratio the same or will that be affected too?

I'm wondering how much oil ever went through that oil filter. Have you cut open the old filter to look for deposits? Not that something that has been on for years is ever the best guide.

You have a very good channel. Thank you for posting.

Must be set up to handle really bad fuel, there's a lot more filtration for the fuel than for the oil. I guess it's reasonable though since the oil usually came in sealed cans while the fuel goes from tank to tank repeatedly so it can collect detrius from many locations.

I thought I was going to nail you for using your water pump pliers backwards, then noticed you did on purpose so not damage the brass

Keep pushing that Rope Pete You discovered it early before the trip to the machine shop, that alone is a blessing to me. Thanks Pete

Thank you! You have a nice workshop. Just a friend, Ron