Starter removal Farmall MD

lstra

Member
Friend of mine has an MD, starter has locked up twice and he has loosened mounting bolts and retightened. He would like to remove starter, but there is not enough room between drive and end of starter to get past cover plate where a belt pulley would mount. Any advice or clue that I could forward to him? Thanks, Leon.
 
I also have an MD with a pulley. I have had my starter out a few times. If I remember after you remove the bolts and pull the starter partially out, just twist it bit and it will come out. I think you also lift it up as you twist it and it will clear the pulley. Seems it should be even easier if you don't have a pulley but just have the cover plate. Hope this helps. Al
 
On early/mid production md's you need to remove pulley assembly or cover plate on later md's and supers the corner is notched to allow easier removal of starter but it is still a tight fit.
 
Jim,
I was not aware the starter could not be removed on the earlier MDs without removing the pulley. Mine is a 1946 and the starter can be removed without removing the Pulley. Thanks. Al
 
Not sure about mid production like yours but on my 41 I spent and hour trying to get it out then got ------ and removed the pulley drive. On my 51 md and smd they have the angled pulley drive where the corner by rear of started are cut off.
 
Jim need to check my notes for sure but think sometime in 51 was the start. Definitely not in 46. I have used a cut off wheel to angle some early ones on the corners.
 
I will look at my 1946 MD today and see if the corner is cut off. All I know is that I have taken the starter off twice since I bought the tractor in 1966 and never had to remove the pulley. Al
 
(quoted from post at 05:55:20 04/26/16) Jim need to check my notes for sure but think sometime in 51 was the start. Definitely not in 46. I have used a cut off wheel to angle some early ones on the corners.

Someone performed the modification on mine and it is still easier to take the cover off.
 
Attached is a picture of the starter on my 1946 MD. I have taken the starter off twice without removing the pulley in the last 50 years. I don't think this pulley has been modified but I didn't own this tractor until 1966. I think both the starter and pulley are original. Thanks. Al
a224950.jpg
 
Yes that's a original type top cover and belt pulley housing for a 46 MD. Bought a dead one once that they tried to get the starter off to sell. Since it wasn't bolted I was afraid it would fall off hauling it. I tried and tried to get it off before loading and failed. After unloading it set around and one day passing I thought try it once more. Don't know how I moved it that time but the darn thing come off. Think I remember taking a couple of screws out of the rear cover to get it squeezed back in.
 
Al this is a t/a tractor but the transmission top cover and later belt pulley gear box housings look like this. IH also changed the cover plate and gasket corner. Think when they started using a top cover 357141R1 was when the change happened. Early covers R1 had the casting number sunk in the casting instead of raised and can hard or impossible to read. Think it was later 51 before the change. Know some 51 weren't changed and some 52 M were equipped with 357141R1 cover.
Strange thing is IH shows the old 4 number and letters top cover through SM in parts list but stage 2 SM and SMTA used 357141R3.
a224990.jpg
 
All I can say it did come off twice. I do remember one time I took it off so my dad could get a new drive gear put on at our local auto parts shop. He couldn't get it back on but when I came home I was able to lift it and turn it and it went on. Seems it had to be turned just a certain way. Have to look at my 450-D tomorrow and see how that pulley is made. Thanks again for your reply. Al

PS: I really like these old gas start diesels. This one has about 7,500 on the hour meter and as far as I know, the head has never been off. Never pull them hard when cold and always let them cool down good before shutting down the engine.
 

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