British built Farmall Tractors

I have a picture taken in Mansfield Ohio the other year at the Red Power Roundup with a Perkins L-4 engine in the B450 Diesel. Was this the standard engine in those and was the Perkins L-4 used in other models as well. Thanks in advance. J.

J. Schwiebert: Standard engine in the B-450 was an IH built engine, manufactured in Great Britain. Unlike the US engine the British engine had glow plugs and started on diesel. That just might be what you saw, if so, you wouldn't be the first guy fooled by the engine.

In the history of IH, world wide only three times did they ever farm out an engine prior 1965. Early F-12 had a Wakashaw, 350 diesel was a Continental and the Cub was something else.

Perkins marketed an extensive range of repower engines, more popular in England that US. As Hugh mentions, standard was a IH engine.

Hugh. This one was a Perkins. It was same engine as a Golden Eagle Cockshutt. When I was in the UK a few years before that we went to a farmer that had some British built TD-6 crawlers. They were direct start but not like a Perkins. Now were any of the British built tractors imported to Canada? Yoder and Frey had a couple of them completer with the British License plates . That was 40 years ago. Also what was in the Cub then/ The C-60 engine) Hugh: Send me an e-mail address next week. I will send you a picture. J.

J. Schwiebert: I don't doubt you, I have heard of the Perkins repower units as Guy mentions.

None of the British Farmalls were ever imported to Canada. I understand a few of the British WD6 went to western Canada. The tractors we did get from Britain were B-250, B-275, 414, 434, British assembled 444 and the 384. That 444 has been a pain in the butt on discussion here at YT. Unless one is sure where the question is coming from it can be misleading. We got the completely British assembled 444,while you folks got the Louisville assembled tractor. Everything on the Louisville tractor except engine transmission and rear end is different from the British assembled tractor. IH sold only Louisville assembled 444 in the US, while they sold British assembled 444 in Canada.

Those B-450 you folks see around the US were shipped into Mississippi by IH around 1962-63. I expect the one you saw had factory 3 point hitch. The manufacture dates are different in Britain than US. Britain started off after the war with BM. Around 53 it became the Super BMD with factory 3 point until 1960-61, then it became B-450 and was built until 1966-67. They never had a MTA, or IPTO. I'll send you and e mail, and yes I'd like to have a photo of a B-450.

About the Cub engine, it was another engine manufacturer's design, however I think they licenced the right to build it to IH. I've forgotten whether that was Continental or another make.

J. Schwieberg: My e mail is open, just click on send e mail. We'll have to exchange one round before you can add a photo.

The Cub engine was all IH- some other authors reported it was a Continental, but this is incorrect. Continental was used in Allis G and some other small tractors.

There were several firms in the 1950s-1960s that would import used (and sometimes new) British IH tractors into Canada/US greymarket.

O. K. When was the cub engine modified from the flat top cast pistons to the aluminum domed pistons. At one time when I worked for Dana we made the aluminum pistons for those engine. Big difference in those engines compared to the N series Continental. J.

The only official Perkins conversion packs for the I.H. tractors that I know of, was the P3(TA) engine in to the H, the L4 in to the T6 crawler and L4 into the W6 tractor, a very popular coversion was the L4 into the M. I also have a photo in a book of the L4 in a brand new 300 taken in Perkins yard and a P6 in a W6 but I think these two were one offs. Perkins were a very cost effecive conversion and it does not suprise me that you have found one a B450. Don"t know what went to Canada but the McCormick B450 was launched in 1958, the Farmall B450 in 1959,(last British built tractor to carry the Farmall name) both models ended production in 1970. All were built in the Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England plants at Carr Hill (Ex Ford motor co) and Wheatly Hall Road.(new site in purchased 1938) The B250/275/414/434/ range were built at the Bradford (Ex Jowett car and van factory, near Leeds) plant exept for some very late ones transfered to Doncaster. At the end of production the tooling was sold to a company in India who still produce these smaller tractors.

Try copying this into your browser, you will be suprised at what International Harvester (Great Britian) made http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/gtrider/index.htm#anchor91530

They had some German tractors with MWM engines in the very early 1950s, not very many. Early McCormick Deering 15-30s had IH designed engines built by Waukesha. There were some British crawler tractors with engines buil by Rolls Royce.

Outside of tractors, trucks, implements, and construction equipment had non-IH engines at times. Hall Scott, Continental, Wisconsin, Waukesha, Lycoming, Cummins, Detroit, Cat, et.cetera could be found in IH equipment. Tractors were unusual in not having more outside engines- almost all IH.

Guy: I thought that grey market consisted of Fordson Majors, Ford 5000, Massey 135, David Browns and Leylands. At least that is all the ever had anytime I talked with them. I see much the same here across southern ON.

The Grey market guy in my area was an ex IH dealer. He claimed hed couldn't compete with IH on the 35 hp utilities, and no one in our area wanted to look at a larger tractor that didn't have live PTO.

I think the 475 was the UK version of the 474 with a Perkins in it.