McCormick IH B-23 sickle bar mower parts

John Q

New User
I acquired a McCormick IH B-23 sickle bar mower from my father in law. The bar is 5 feet. I want to bring it into working order. I need new sections, a knife head and a knife bar. I have the manual and have all the original part numbers but can't find a source that carries these particular numbers. Is there a cross reference to modern or equivalent part numbers or a supplier for this machine anyone knows of? Is this model common to other models, i.e. shares the same 5 foot knife assembly for example? :?
 
You might try " CT Farm and Country". They are outside of Des Moines, IA or the closeest IH_Case Dealer.
 
It fits on a Leyland 270, about 1976, on the 3 point hitch, but it probably from about 1960.
 
I need some or all of the following:
(1) knife head, p/n MD 334
(20) or more sections, p/n MD 333
(1) Back, 5' knife p/n M537A
(33) or more Rivet, Small Oval Head .206-.211 x1/2" p/n 14 749 R1
(10) or more Rivet, Small Oval Head .206-.211 x15/16" p/n 932 23 R1
[rivets to attach the knife head and sections]

The part numbers I am referencing are from the McCormick IH B-23 operator's manual.
 
Hi John, sorry I am unable to help you with the parts. The B23 mower was built at IHs Doncaster UK works and I have rebuilt
a lot of cutterbars in the past while working for an IH dealer. I recently bought a 1923 IH 10-20 tractor from an old tractor collector who was foreman on the B23 mower assembly line at Doncaster works. MJ
 
You know a lot about this machine. The mower is in Ireland where it was bought new. Do you know if the B23 may use the same sections as modern Case IH sections? I found a rusty cutter bar in my father in law's barn with some missing sections. It looks either a bit short or broken. Did the bars occasionally break and could they be welded to repair if you had the pieces? I found an unattached knife head and the ball seemed loose when installed into the end of the pitman. It is either the wrong knife head or maybe I didn't lock it in correctly. I suppose there should be no looseness when it properly attached to the pitman. The knife head and sections are held by rivets. I have seen YouTube videos demonstrating rivets being mashed with a hammer. Then a friend of mine said when he was a kid his Dad used a screw type tool to install rivets. What do you think is the best way to install the rivets? Thanks.
a153643.jpg
 
Hello
I think I may have found some sections and rivets for this model. Please contact me through E-mail at bottom right...classic view.
 
Common for bars to break and also to break the knife head as well. Best way to weld is gas brazing but can be done with electric. As far as loose sounds like you are still missing a piece. I do not know about parts for across the pond of if models used same parts as here in states but all the cutting and pitman parts are easy to get here. I have never used the bolts, just a heavy ball pien hammer for rivits. The mowers here all used the same cutter parts from 1895 (yes 1895) up and same knife head untill the balanced head models. And wor a mower that is worth big money get a horse drawn model No. 7 or 9 built from the 30's to about 1950. Part of it where the bar attaches looks like the semi mount no 27 mower so I am sure yours is not a balanced head but has a pitman. Can you post pictures of your parts to compair and if you have a parts page in book a scan of the pages?
 
Thanks very much for the information. It definitely has a pitman and it looks intact. I don't have good pictures of the mower at the moment but will be able to get some in the near future. For now, here are images from the manual. I highlighted the knife head, knife bar, sections and rivets in yellow.
a154067.jpg

a154068.jpg
 
Do you have any numbers of the head you found? Pitman knife head clamps? And sections should be 3" wide if normal and a 6' bar will have 24 sections, 5' 20 sections and 7' 28 sections. I don't have any idea about shipping parts to there but know parts are easily avaible here for the bar including new pitman heads.
 
I don't have the numbers for the head I found. I am sourcing what parts I can here in the USA and will bring them to the machine when I next go over there this spring. I think I have a 5' bar. The Pitman knife head clamps? If you mean what they call in the manual the "Strap, pitman socket front and rear", the thingy that cups the knife head ball on both sides, those numbers are MA 1 577 (front) and MA 1 578 (rear). The Pitman is M 22 184. I see a lot of references on-line to the MA999 knife head for a lot of Case I-H mowers. I wonder if that will fit the same as the MB534 knife head on my B-23 (per the manual)?
 
I have found my IH B-23 5 foot sickle bar mower uses Case/New Holland #604810 sickle sections with rivet holes that are 2.0625" apart, and it can accept the Case MA999 knife head. I found a new problem: the fork for the pitman latch is broken. The IH B-23 part number is MC 1 579 or MC1579. Does anyone know of a source or cross part number for this? Do forks for pitman latches break very often? I am including an image of the part from the manual. Thanks, John
a156553.jpg
 
Hi John,
I have a couple of those forks, though I am in Australia. They are available from various places both in the US and UK, as are sections and rivets. Not sure about in Ireland. They break very rarely if you look after the mower and set it up correctly. Broken knife heads and forks usually result from adjustment and occasionally from defective manufacture. E-mail is open; I think you have to go to classic view to see it.
SadFarmall
 
That is encouraging. I am restoring the mower in Ireland but I live in the USA and plan to get my parts from there. I have already obtained rivets, sections and a knife head in the USA and now need the pitman latch fork too. Do you know how I can get one?
 
Hi John.
Just like to see if I could get a copy of the parts manual, I too am trying to do one up.

Cheers

Robert
 
(quoted from post at 15:44:10 04/07/17) That is encouraging. I am restoring the mower in Ireland but I live in the USA and plan to get my parts from there. I have already obtained rivets, sections and a knife head in the USA and now need the pitman latch fork too. Do you know how I can get one?

Webb Cutting Components, formerly known as Webb's Sickle Service, at https://www.cuttingcomponents.com/.

They have everything you need, brand new, ready to ship.
 
(quoted from post at 08:43:01 04/06/17) Hi John,
I have a couple of those forks, though I am in Australia. They are available from various places both in the US and UK, as are sections and rivets. Not sure about in Ireland. They break very rarely if you look after the mower and set it up correctly. Broken knife heads and forks usually result from adjustment and occasionally from defective manufacture. E-mail is open; I think you have to go to classic view to see it.
SadFarmall

Sadfarmall, your email shows in modern view too.
 
(quoted from post at 02:54:15 09/29/20) Hi John.
Just like to see if I could get a copy of the parts manual, I too am trying to do one up.

Cheers

Robert

Robert,

I have the parts manual for the IH B-23 mower which I am happy to share. It is rather large (23 Mb) and 50 pages. Do you have any suggestions on how to get the information you'd like to you.

I have a new problem on my B-23: I broke my flywheel shaft while cutting. It is 1.25 inches. It looks like a fatigue failure that was bound to happen eventually. I should start a post to see if anyone has tips on how to extract and replace it.

John
 

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