In stock: 44 Farmall M and $1000

I have a stock, rebuilt Farmall M and about $1000 to spend on the motor. Where should I put the money? Build my motor. THen, what would you do with the next $500 (available later).

you need more money

Go get at least $5500 more, then build your motor. Then buy some tires/wheels, have lightweight parts made.....

(quoted from post at 23:35:52 12/26/11) Go get at least $5500 more, then build your motor. Then buy some tires/wheels, have lightweight parts made.....

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Its not a division tractor. Just looking for 50-60 hp.

im not being smart or anything but with the price of parts these days i dont think that will do much work to the engine. if you buy mostly used parts you might be able to get a pretty decent engine but not sure.i think it will take at least 2000 to get that hp if you do the work yourself.

Best bet is custom pistons. A set and some gaskets will be every bit of $1000, maybe as much as $1200. If you go with high compression, you should get 60-65 hp with a 264 overbore.

After that, a cam will cost $200-$300.

A good, fresh valve job is important too.

If you have any $ left over, spend it on a carb rebuild and distributor rebuild.

Next, get in some dyno time and tune it. Tuning can cost you as much as 10 hp if the tuning is off.

Thanks for the info. That's just what I was looking for. This tractor is a project that one of the classes I teach in school is working on. It doesn't need to be top of the class, just not totally non-competitive.

(quoted from post at 20:35:05 12/26/11) I have a stock, rebuilt Farmall M and about $1000 to spend on the motor. Where should I put the money? Build my motor. THen, what would you do with the next $500 (available later).

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John, if all you want is 50-60HP, you can get there with custom pistons and a cam for right at $1000. Keep in mind if Stroking it is in your future, then the pistons will then not work.

Well, if your engine is already rebuilt as you describe, you've got something decent to start with and you might be able to "get some special prices" seeing as it's a school project. Check around with local auto parts stores and Ag Machinery dealers. High compression pistons might be found fairly cheap and a little head work shouldn't cost too much. Maybe a local shop has a dyno you could use to get a good tune....don't be afraid to be "humble" and check around. You've got the right tractor as far as cost of stuff to build it up...Farmalls are about the cheapest there is for that.

Guys, I appreciate it very much. These constructive answers are very helpful. I do have a couple of cards up my sleeve. I worked at NAPA throughout HS and College, and my bosses still let me have the employee discount, which helps out a lot on things like gaskets, filters, fluids, etc. Our school has a dyno that I use quite frequently. We do tractor drive-in days at the school and break out the dyno for each of them. Tuning on a dyno is something that I need to get some more practice on.

I should have said originally, our FFA has a monthly truck and tractor pull, and I wanted my equipment class to build a tractor to pull basically an uncut tire 3.5 mph class. The catch is, that it has to be on my dime, which I don't mind, I'm just short on dimes. I think this is one of those projects that will really envolve and engage the students.

jd b puller - Don't you make pistons?

it would be cheaper if you check around and get a good used set of pistons the size you need. there is probably alot of used stuff for a m laying around peoples shops. a guy built me a moline in 2009 and he had new pistons made and he checked on a set not long ago just like the ones i had and they went up 75% on the price in 2 years. stuff is going out of sight these days.

John, jdbpuller is the owner of "extreme tractor parts". He does make pistons. So does Murphy's motors, and Lemmons. Gary Baker is a Farmall engine builder. I don't know if he actually makes pistons, but he can get them too. You actually have a lot of choice when it comes to Farmall M parts.

If you are already using the dyno, what is your HP now? What is the cold cranking pressure of each cylinder? You don't need custom pistons to get the power you are looking for. Check the salvage yards for a 450 cam. Can you weld/do you have access to good welding equipment? If so, you can make your own high ratio rocker arms by cutting 3/4 the way through the bottom of the short side of the arm and squeezing the gap closed and welding it. You will need to reduce the size of the mushroom end of the push rod to maintain clearance, but that is eash to do on a bench grinder. All IH carburetors that size have removable venturis and there are a lot of different sizes. Get a couple of junk carbs of of ebay and try increasing the size of the venturi, enlarging the holes in the main jet and air bleed. Make sure you govenor is working good and put a new spring in it. Take off your air cleaner and clean it out really well to make sure you remove the years of dirt and mud dauber nests. Adjust your carb and timing on the dyno and try different heat ranges of spark plugs. Change the oil in your tans/rear end to a quality lubricant. Over-build your hitch to make sure that it is solid and will not flex under a pull. There are literally tons of small things that will increase your hp in small incremental ammounts or help maximize the hp to the ground.

John, North Puller is correct. Your IP address says Columbus OH, is that right? I grew up about 1/2 hour north of there.

E-mail me offline and I'll see if I can help with some "student discounts"...

I have only owned this tractor for a week or so, so I haven't had it on the dyno yet. When school starts back up, I'll get it uP there. The guy I got the tractor from had it on his dyno after he re-ringed it and I think he said it was mid 30's. The reason I went with an M is for the availability of parts and relatively low cost, especially the tractor itself. I am actually more of a JD guy, but building a 2 cylinder to be somewhat competitive isn't in my limited budget.

Ray, I'm actually in New Lexington, which is about an hour SE between Lancaster and Zanesville. I went to OSU, so I did spend some time there. I'll get ahold of you.

Thank you to everyone for your help. I'm very excited for this project and I know the kids will be when they find out about it.