Looking at Farmall h to buy but says 5th gear doesn't work

GFF

Member
Hi so I found a Farmall h near me for sale for $700 with a sickle mower. In talking to the guy he said all works good for the age tires are ok and sickle mower works and he has some extra parts for it. It's original 6 volt. I'm told that it has been in his family for over 40 years but 5th gear doesn't work. He said that they have used it like this for many years without any issues. What are your opinions on this would it be expensive to fix and could it cause any future problems. Seems like a good deal for the price. Any thoughts? Thanks... Dave from NY
 
Ask him if he remembers if 5th gear ever worked. Tractors that came out on full steel had fifth gear locked out. Long shot, but one of many possibilities.
If not, tranny issues, anything from shifter rail fork issues to bad bearings to stripped gears or teeth. $$$$$
Good news is H parts are readily available, & very reasonable compared to some other models. The mower will probably off set the cost of the tranny repair somewhat....
 

Thanks! Do you think it is something that could be used as is until I'm ready to restore it. I won't be driving down the road just around the farm or I'd throw on the trailer to move it.
 
Check the archives of this forum. Fifth gear is direct drive, I think 5th was locked out on tractors with steel wheels for safety reasons. I think the lockout was simply a longer bolt that block the shift rail from entering 5th gear. Install the right length of bolt to get 5th gear back.
 
Dave - As long as the tranny doesn't make funny noises in the gears that still work it shouldn't hurt a thing to use it "as is".

When you try to put it into 5th, does the shift lever stop hard at the neutral position? Or can you move fully into the 5th slot?

If the former, 5th gear is locked out. Replacing extended length 5th gear lockout bolt a standard (shorter) bolt will get 5th gear back. Otherwise the problem is a worn out 4-5 sliding gear and/or transmission input shaft. Replacing both parts will get your road gear working.
 

I haven't gone to look at it yet but now I know what to look for and what I may be getting myself into if I buy it. Thanks for all the help. Hopefully someday I'll have enough experience and knowledge to help others like you guys have helped me. Thanks!!
 
5th is probably shot. It's common on old H's and comes from "grinding" into 5th from 4th. We had a '41 H under a
"bridge type" farm hand that we used to haul loose hay in racks from the hay field to the winter lot. Had to start two
loads in 4th and then shift to 5th after they got rolling. A couple of winters of this and 5th was shot. Used it for
many, many years after this without 5th. Never a problem, except you were limited to 6 3/4 MPH instead of 15 MPH on the
road. Like some of the others have indicated, early H's were locked out of 5th if they did come on steel originally, but
most have had the longer bolts replaced and the newer H's did not even have the lock-out bolt in the casting. (My $0.02
worth. jal-SD)
 

Thanks it helps to know that someone had it break which I'm thinking is the case with this one and was still able to use it. Thanks for the info!
 
(quoted from post at 18:58:54 04/21/15)
Thanks it helps to know that someone had it break which I'm thinking is the case with this one and was still able to use it. Thanks for the info!

Add me to the broken list. Mine needed about $900 worth of help to fix the problems. I think all the guys selling the lockout bolt idea are a little too optimistic.
 
YT sells a new 4th and 5th sliding gear for 109 and change and a transmission input shaft for 167 and change. Add a pilot bearing and maybe the input shaft bearings, a seal, gaskets, check the shift forks and put new oil in should keep you under 500 or 600 if nothing else is wrong not counting labor.
 

Thanks helps to know what parts would cost and that they're still available. Would make a nice winter project. Does the tractor have to be split or can it be done from the shifter plate?
 
Doesn't have to be split, but the clutch and transmission input shaft needs removed from the clutch housing bottom hole. Hydraulic unit dropped out and a few other things. Transmission top removed.
 
(quoted from post at 05:25:55 04/22/15) YT sells a new 4th and 5th sliding gear for 109 and change and a transmission input shaft for 167 and change. Add a pilot bearing and maybe the input shaft bearings, a seal, gaskets, check the shift forks and put new oil in should keep you under 500 or 600 if nothing else is wrong not counting labor.

I had to do the $200 inner axle bearings. That is how mine go so high.



Here are a few more pics of the project.
http://s1246.photobucket.com/user/sflem849/library/Farmall H
 
Check to see if the rear wheels are possibly cuttoff steel converted to rubber or ask if it was ever on steel. Tractors on steel could not stand up to the speed of using a 5th gear and I think they were avaible on steel from start in 39 but ones made during WW2 in 42 to 45 were mostly steel due to rubber not being avaible due to war use. A lot of owners when the steel was converted to rubber by cuttinf off the steel or buying new wheels were never aware their tractor was equiped with a 5th that was just locked out to keep them from being destroied by traviling too fast. At that time very few farmers could do any mechanical work, always had dealer do it.
 
A guy in our tractor club has an H that dropped 5th. Said that it was working fine for all the years he has owned it, and then one day, it was just a no go. Only uses the machine as a sprayer, so he isn't worried about fixing it that much...

If you need something, I have an H I am parting out... I bought another one for parts, so I have nearly a complete machine!!! :)

Bryce
 

Ok will do thanks I'm going to go look at it this weekend and hopefully it will be good endo ugh to be worth buying.
Thanks - Dave
 
The lockout bolt is one of the 3 bolts
holding down the steering post, can't
remember exactly which one though. Good
luck. Jim.
 
(reply to post at 23:43:13 04/21/15)

Here's a pic of the tractor a follow up question is how hard would it be to slide the wheels in to fit on a smaller trailer ... Just trying to avoid having to bring my big trailer but I think the way it sits would be to wide for my small trailer. Thanks again for all the help.
Dave
mvphoto19725.jpg


mvphoto19726.jpg
 

Rear wheels are not supposed to be hard to slide in or out, but if it has been years since they were moved, you may have your work cut out for you. It isn't complicated, but will require some muscle and grunt.
 

Just my lack of knowledge but guessing you jack it up, loosen, and slide in? Does anyone think this would be easier than bringing my bigger trailer or not worth the aggrevation? Thanks -Dave
 
Those rear wheel centers are cut downs from factory steel wheels. The lock out may be the reason for no 5th gear.
The wheels should move in without too much trouble, but be prepared. Take someone to help, it will take one to wrench, wiggle & pry while the other one catches their breath.
 
Rusty bolts will be difficult to loosen. Rusty axles will make sliding difficult. Calcium chloride in the tires will make them even harder to slide.

You may have won the lottery on 5th gear.
 
Depending on how far you have to go, it would certainly be easier just to use the wider trailer, if it's long enough you can just leave the mower hooked up. If it runs ok it will certainly make loading easier, if not I hope you have a winch.
 
Bolt that needs screwed up is in a depression to left of steering post mount and at the rear edge of the rear tank support. Clean out the depression and if the bolt head isn't rusted off screw it almost out and try. If it works put a short bolt back in.
Don't have much faith that's the reason for no 5th. When they put rubber on the first thing they would do is remove the stop to have something faster than 4th.
 

Thanks for all the advice I'll just get the bigger trailer hooked up not worth that aggrevation or effort. I think this will be a good deal for what it is and maybe I can even work him down a little. Thanks again for all the help and I'll let you know how I make out this weekend. Thanks - Dave
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top