TEA-20 engine puzzle

I have, I believe, a 1950 TEA-20 which MAY (says the previous owner) be a junkyard special. That is, assembled from several scrapped tractors. There is no ID plate. I'm confused by the engine. It has a Lucas starter and distributor (#40146D 1050 DBA4), water pump on the block, a 24T-2 Zenith carburetor, a rocker cover with un-recessed nuts and a banjo-bolt type breather pipe and a Tecalemit external oil filter body on the lower left side (under the distributor). I always thought the oil filter was either in the sump or on the right side of the engine.

I looked at the flat between the oil filler and coil for a serial number. Nothing. I scrubbed it down to clean shiny metal. Nothing. No identifying marks anywhere on the engine. How could that be? I'd like to figure out what engine I have without dismantling it to find out. Any ideas out there? I sure could use some assistance! Paul

It sounds like you have a TEA20. Look on the right side of the transmission case for the casting date, which will give you a month and year of manufacture.

See below "6 7 3" = 6 July 1953.

Sounds like a standard... Standard Motor co. engine. See picture.

The oil filter is in the right place. Everything else sound correct. too.

The sump oil filter is on the Contential Z120 engine used in the TE-20 and the TO-20. The Contential Z-129 engine on the TO-30 had the oil filter on the right-hand side.

Now the only question is... is it an 80mm bore or 85mm bore. I am not sure how to tell from the outside. Perhaps someone else knows how.

Jeff

This is where you will find the engine number - between the coil and oil filler.

Sounds like you have a TEA20 with a Standard Motors engine (which is what it should be). Try looking for the serial number just to the rear of the coil just below the junction of the head and block. For a date code on the tractor, look just to the front of the right side round inspection port on the transmission case (which should be an aluminum alloy case). The numbers represent day month year ie: 7 3 5 is March 7 1955. This will place assembly of the tractor about 2-3 weeks later. Of course, if different parts from different tractors were assembled it could make a difference when ordering parts. The engine serial number should help when ordering engine parts as to whether it is 80mm 0r 85 mm.

The engine number should be stamped in the block between the Coil and the oil filler. If there is no number there and it doesn't look as though it may have been ground off, then it has probably had a new Block fitted, when this happens the number from the original block should be stamped in its place, thats what was supposed to happen.You cant tell if its 80mm or 85mm unless you take the head off and look.Because everything else could be mixed up. It is possible that it could have 85mm sleeves in it but you cant tell by looking at it and the Block would have had to be bored out.All you can say is if it has a 40146 Distributor it could be a late type 80mm if it is the original one, but the prefix is newer than the original ones. The oil filter should be inclined on the left. No standard engine has the oil filter on the right of the engine, they do have the suction filter for the oil pump on the right on some.Nothing unusual about the valve cover or the Breather Pipe. The only chance you may have of getting an idea of the date of the block is to look for casting marks, usually on the right side at the back of the Carb and in the area of the Generator. If you post them on here I may be able to decipher them for you...John

The numbers on the transmission case say '24 10 0' so that means October 24, 1950, right? There are absolutely no numbers on that flat between coil and oil filler. That flat has never been stamped with anything. So that suggests I have a replacement block? Presumebly some previous owner cracked his block or something like that?

John, I had a look for those casting numbers high on the right side, behind the generator. Yes, they are there, but completely unreadable. I scrubbed down to clean shiny metal, but those numbers (four digits, space, one digit, space, one digit) are nothing but raised blobs in the cast. Odd. BUT... directly behind the carburetor, plain as day and about 1/2 inch high, is '80'. Is this my lucky day? Does that '80' mean I have the 80 mm bore? I can't believe I didn't notice those numbers before.

This is the engine casting date John was referring to:



"1 7 3" = 1 July 1953

Is this the "blobs" you can't read?

Bob, I pulled the alternator, scrubbed and rescrubbed, then a couple of us studied the numbers on the block. Using a great deal of imagination, we'd say the three numbers are '3 4 6'. I wouldn't bet my life on the accuracy of those numbers, but we're PRETTY sure. Any idea what that means? John, can you tell us what those digits refer to?

And what does that "80' on the block, behind the carburetor, mean? Could that actually refer to bore size? I thank all of you for your help. Paul

[i:f4dba2e0a9][b:f4dba2e0a9]IF[/b:f4dba2e0a9][/i:f4dba2e0a9] is is "3 4 6" it can only be 3 April 1946. (In which case the engine would be 80 mm bore.)

What casting date is on the right side of the transmission housing? (See my post, second from top.)

Bob in Oz

As I mentioned, the numbers on the transmission are '24 10 0', so that would mean October 24, 1950, right? So someone cracked their block and replaced it with the block from a junker, maybe. But a 1946 tractor would have had the Continental engine, and a 1956 tractor would have had a Standard 85 mm engine. and either way I would think the engine serial number would NOT be missing...... so I don't know what to think. I don't HAVE to know, but it's a bit of a mystery and I'd really like to know the story behind this little tractor.

I'd attach a picture, but I just cannot figure out how to do it. I uploaded a photo but could not attach it to my posting, only send it to a gallery. Is there an easy way to do this? Paul

"But a 1946 tractor would have had the Continental engine..."

No, not necessarily. The TE20 was first produced with a Continental engine, then with either the Continental or Standard engine and finally with the Standard engine only.

Your Standard engine may have been built in 1946 but the thought occurs to me that it may have been built in 1956, either for one of the last TEA20's, or I think the MF35 had virtually the same engine with greater power output (28 versus 32 HP?)

Jeff what is the Lucas distributor number on the photo that you posted.

I have a 52' TEA-20 with the same one and the ID plate has been removed.

I need to order a cap and rotor and my local AGCO dealer cannot find one without the dist #.

Thanks.

Hodgy

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Here is the data plate on the distributor in my 1953 TEA20 - Lucas model D3A4:



You probably have the same distributor, but no guarantee.

This is the distributor - I think the cap is as you described on your tractor?



And this is the distributor many years ago when I first fitted Pertronix ignition.



Bob in Oz

(quoted from post at 05:26:46 09/17/13) Here is the data plate on the distributor in my 1953 TEA20 - Lucas model D3A4:



You probably have the same distributor, but no guarantee.

This is the distributor - I think the cap is as you described on your tractor?



And this is the distributor many years ago when I first fitted Pertronix ignition.



Bob in Oz

Click to expand...

That is the one, thanks Bob.


Hodgy in Alberta.


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