Cold Mn Tractors M IH Trans,

Repair

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I have 2 neighbors that have IH tractors one has a 300 & the other has a M,
They sit outside most of the time.
It gets real cold here down in the 25 to 35 below.
But 32 & below freezes & there tractors cant be moved till they thaw out.
from rain or condensation got in the transmission & rear end has ice in them & there all locked up.
Froze solid.
Have some of you guys ever had this problem?
 
I had that problem when I first got my H. I ended up pulling the deck off and cleaning it all out, but if you wait for warmer weather and let the tractor sit for a few days first most of the water will sink to the bottom and be easy to remove through the drains. I got the 300 in the spring and over the summer while I was getting it running I drained everything and put in new oil.
Zach
 
Yup,common problem.Especially on tractors that sit outside and have never had the rear end oil changed. Now.....Get that old watered down oil out of there! Replace it ASAP. Then Drain the water off annually. Your 'freeze ups' will be over. Condensation and leaky(or missing) gear shift boots allow water to enter.
 
had it this fall on a Ford 8N powering a corn elevator. had to hold a torch under the transmission for about 20 minutes to get it thawed enough to turn again. thawing out, flushing the system and new fluid is the cure.
 
Yup! My Super M locked up solid a couple winters ago.

When the weather finally warmed - about 3 months later - I drained the rear end. Was rewarded with 4 or 5 gallons of crystal clear water before oil began to appear.

Refilled the rear end with fresh 85W-90 after it finished draining. The tractor's worked perfectly in temps down to -15 this winter.
 
Seen it happen to most any brand of tractor out there. Rain snow and condensation take there toll on things in cold weather
 
The H's [ and I believe the M's ] have recessed transmission cover hold-down bolts, that collect water and can drip it rightinto the interior. Always seemed a dumb idea to me, better to have slightly elevated bolt heads, for drainage and a foot-gripper-no-slide feature. But they didn't ask me.
 
Impossible for water to go into the transmission through those bolt holes. The hole is a "blind" threaded opening and there is a heavy gasket around them besides. Take the top off the tractor & look.
Water gets in through the shifter & plain old condensation.
 
My MH44 did that when I first got it, I put a magnetic heater on the bottom of transmission and covered it up with a blanket.
 
MN starts warming up on Friday for the next two weeks. When they thaw out would be a great time to drain off the water in the cases.
 
I have never put much faith in the "condensation" explanation. For condensation to be much of a problem there would have to be a significant airflow through the transmission to bring in warm moist air once the air inside the transmission has been squeezed of its moisture.

90%+ of the water comes from plain old rain running in.

Isn't it funny how a car or truck's mechanicals are completely protected from the weather, yet people keep them in garages? Tractors are completely open to the weather but people leave them outside.
 
Wayne, I think I respectfully disagree with you. When I pulled off my H transmssion cover, and you are right the bolt holes are blind holes. However, there must be 10 or 12 bolts, and the old 65-year old gasket material between the cover and transmission, is what can shrink & deteriorate & crack, over the decades. I know all those recesses collect water, it just sits there, and then a few of those old gasket joints start to crack and seep and let water drip in. I can't believe that old gasket material is 100% good after what, 65 years?
 
sorry - having a password issue

that is common, trick is to drain in Sept or August, just the water, the lube is fine
Its not just the deck bolt, the seat bolt,the axle seals etc. All lead to water in the case.
Shade helps some.
I know a guy who says he adds antifreeze, about 1/2 gal.
Best to drain before cold comes. Back the plug out until the water starts to seep. let her sit over night, or...
 

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