Any tips for a stock farmall h

DanH

Member
We have a stock farmall h my fianc? pulls and
looking to see what I can do to get some more
power and get some better pulls for her. Any
suggestions would help.

Thanks Dan
 
(quoted from post at 10:51:29 09/26/16) We have a stock farmall h my fianc? pulls and
looking to see what I can do to get some more
power and get some better pulls for her. Any
suggestions would help.

Thanks Dan

How is it performing now? Any known issues? What weight classes does it pull? How far does it pull in each class on average? Does it spin out or choke out? What has been done to it so far?
 
It's pulling 4500 class. Pulls about 150 feet. Before
it looses power and just about stalls out. Built a
weight bracket for in front of the rear wheels for
suitcase weights. Running about 6 or 7 70 lbs
weights
 
(quoted from post at 13:24:39 09/26/16) It's pulling 4500 class. Pulls about 150 feet. Before
it looses power and just about stalls out. Built a
weight bracket for in front of the rear wheels for
suitcase weights. Running about 6 or 7 70 lbs
weights

Ok then, first thing, pay someone for a complete, professional tune up. The kind where it takes a couple days because they remove and clean the carb overnight, adjust the valves three times, rebuild the distributor, install a new coil and all that in addition to new plugs. Speaking of plugs, make sure they are properly gapped at .025" as well. Make sure the points get set properly too: .020" for distributor points, .013" for magneto points. Check the battery voltage, it may need replacing, and the generator/alternator output as well. As a comparison, I have a truly bone stock H that is still on 6 volt, positive ground and all, but it is good for 175 feet in 6000 at nearly any pull.

Now for the "extras", how much do you want to spend? But first you need to correct the fundamentals.

Your belly bar location is pretty much ideal.

Cheapest upgrade of all; go to Tractor Supply (TSC) or such, and find the replacement spring display. Purchase the one marked "C-175" and replace the governor spring with it, instant improvement!
 
Carb has been rebuilt and the mag was also rebuilt
will try adjusting valves and check voltage and
change governor spring. Thanks for suggestions
 
(quoted from post at 18:43:33 09/26/16) Carb has been rebuilt and the mag was also rebuilt
will try adjusting valves and check voltage and
change governor spring. Thanks for suggestions

The voltage check is only necessary if you run a distributor. Since a mag makes its own spark, as long as the tractor starts well, the battery is fine.

You said the mag was rebuilt, but was the coil in it replaced?

Set your valves on .017, and check them at least three times, with the engine hot.
 
Best, fastest, and cheapest on ANY tractor : after a good tune up: hook it to a dyno and tune it out under load. 2 or so degrees off on timing and/ or half a round or so on carburetor adjustment can rob several horsepower.
 
What gear are you running? What head do you have? Is it a distillate head? How big are the tires?
If its a gas head and not distillate, and if your running 11.2-12.4's in first gear you shouldn't power out.
2nd gear it will power out for sure.
 
Pulling in 1st gear. Not sure if it is a distillate
manifold how can I tell ?. It did have a distillate
manifold on it before I replaced it. What is the
difference between the two manifolds. Running
12.4 38 tires
 
Changing from the distillate manifold to a gas manifold would help (so I'm told). But the distillate head is a low compression head. Changing the head to a gas head is going to make a very noticeable difference.
Pull the valve cover and look at the head. Look for one of these numbers:
8776 is distillate
6186 is kerosene
8043 is high compression gasoline.
Kerosene being the lowest compression.

What are the compression numbers? Run a compression test.
 

As Farmaller says, looking for more power at this point is not the way to go. You are pulling against guys with nearly three times the power in 4500#. Even in 3500# you are pulling against guys with twice the power. Put it on a serious diet. Your mid mount weight rack is OK for when you are starting out, but once you get a little experience under your belt you will be saying to yourself, "I need 100# as far front as I can get it, or 250# as far to the back as I can get it. I have mid brackets on my big tractor but nothing goes on it until I am adding more than 3,000#
 
I have been toying with the idea of building an H up for farm stock pulling (1st gear only). The thing about a stock H is that even with 3 7/16" pistons and the good Super H through 350 gas head you are hard pressed to get 35 HP on the best gas and 35 HP will almost always kill out at 4500 lbs. If I build one I will be using a 350 block, head, head, manifold and carb. I also will be having the cam reground. I also would be pulling it in the 3500 & 4000 classes. Even with that setup I am unsure if I can get past 45 HP.
 
Don't use super h thru 350 gas heads on it. Mill down a 8043dc h gas head with either 3.5 or 3-5/8 bore. Don't port the head a lot. Don't really need to port at all. Get a oem super h manifold and m carb. 45 plus all day long on 87.
 
Seems to me that this guy is looking to pull stock classes. So unless that's not the case, suggesting big bores and such aren't appropriate and anyone will know its not stock when you see an H pulling 3rd gear in 4500lbs class.

And, at least around here, if you are pulling actual stock classes, then your H should be in comparable company with just swapping out to a gas head/manifold and a distributor.

If your pulling against guys with stroked out M's(or even stock stoked M's) and/or big bore H's then you've got a long way to go to be competitive. Even stock classes aren't truly stock, but they are a long ways away from an H pulling a sled faster than 3mph.
 
(quoted from post at 14:39:55 09/28/16)

Even stock classes aren't truly stock, but they are a long ways away from an H pulling a sled faster than 3mph.

Come on... you aren't saying that people bend the rules a touch in the pulling world... LOL
 
Theres no nearly stock or slightly modified H that can pull a 4500 lb class....As others have said you need to be in a 3500 or 4000 class preferably with a 2.5 or 3 mph limit..

Heres a stout little H that pulls real good in my area..Usually you don't see it that high in the air..
2qthmc2.jpg
 
(quoted from post at 01:29:05 09/29/16) Theres no nearly stock or slightly modified H that can pull a 4500 lb class....As others have said you need to be in a 3500 or 4000 class preferably with a 2.5 or 3 mph limit..

Maybe in your area. But around here H's are common in 4500 and they don't run out of power. Pulling is not the same from coast to coast.
 
(quoted from post at 20:29:05 09/28/16) Theres no nearly stock or slightly modified H that can pull a 4500 lb class....

One of mine does with nothing more than a Super H head, 3 7/16" dome pistons in thin wall sleeves, a gas manifold, an H carb and a reground cam. Spins out on 13.6x38's. Still runs a mag. My other one is a stock distillate model with a distributor, still 6 volt, goes over 200 feet in 4500 with nothing done to it except a replacement gov spring. It even still has flat tops in it. It'll go 175 feet in 6000 before running out of power, smoking all the way from excess oil consumption. There is another one around here that can full pull in 3500, 4000 and I think it does in 4500, but cannot remember at this time. It is built nearly the same as mine except it has a low hole. There is a video of it on YouTube if you want to look it up, pulling almost 317 feet in 4000 where they flagged him out because it was at the end of the track. Search for Farmall H Low Gear.

H's are anything but weak. It's all in the tune up.
 
Run a compression check to determine a baseline of the health of the engine. Adjust the valves to factory spec and run the compression check again. If the engine was ever overhauled with larger pistons, you might benefit from a larger venturi in the carb. Those are easily found at junk yards, ebay, etc. I would switch to a distributor that has been refurbished. You will get a lot more adjust ability for your timing. If you are able to weld, you could get a rocker arm set from a salvage yard and make your own high lift rockers. Just shorten the pushrod side and re-weld. I used a hacksaw and sawed 1/2 way through on the bottom side of the rocker near the threaded hole. Squeezed the gap shut with a vice and welded it solid. It made a noticeable difference. You really need to find a way to get some time on a dyno. It is the quickest way to fine tune for max HP. Loosen the alt/generator belt, disconnect the air pipe from the air cleaner at the air cleaner. If you cannot make the tractor smoke on the dyno by backing out the load screw, you will need to increase the size of the holes in the main jet tube. That process with the carb, trying bigger venturi and increasing fuel is worth the effort.

Now that you have the engine making all it can, get it to the ground. Make sure your brakes don't drag, make sure your hitch meets the rules for max height and close to the axle, make sure the hitch is rigid with no flex under load, go through the drive train and check for bad bearings, replace the trans/diff fluid with something with a moly additive. Make sure your rear tire pressure is even, make sure your wheels are the same distance from the center of the hitch.

Most important, have fun. If it becomes too much work, your not doing it right!
 
(quoted from post at 13:53:57 10/01/16) , make sure your hitch meets the rules for max height and close to the axle, make sure the hitch is rigid with no flex under load

All very good info. Only part I'll touch on is the hitch. Lots of people think that you must have it as close to the axle as possible. This is true on short chain pulls. Not every club in every region has the same length chain. You might pull in a club like mine that is predominately John Deere. These people like long chains as those tractors are rear end heavy. Having a Farmall in that situation would absolutely dictate a long hitch. Farmalls are front end heavy, so you need a long hitch on a long chain to get that front weight to the rear tires.
My hitch is about 30" back from the rear axle on my Super M. In 5500lbs class my SM has nearly perfect balance because of my long hitch setup in this club.
However when I pull with clubs that have somewhat shorter chains, I have to load weigh on the front.
You have to build to the organization you pull with the most. If everyone in your area runs the same length chain then that's a big plus for you. Here, the lengths vary from 3ft to 10ft.
My primary club pulls 6ft and 10ft.
It takes a long time, maybe a few years, before you'll have your tractor pulling good with the club you pull with the most.
I pull way farther than other Farmalls with short hitches, most of the time.
Making an adjustable hitch is a great idea.
 
(quoted from post at 05:40:15 10/02/16)
(quoted from post at 13:53:57 10/01/16) , make sure your hitch meets the rules for max height and close to the axle, make sure the hitch is rigid with no flex under load

All very good info. Only part I'll touch on is the hitch. Lots of people think that you must have it as close to the axle as possible. This is true on short chain pulls. Not every club in every region has the same length chain. You might pull in a club like mine that is predominately John Deere. These people like long chains as those tractors are rear end heavy. Having a Farmall in that situation would absolutely dictate a long hitch. Farmalls are front end heavy, so you need a long hitch on a long chain to get that front weight to the rear tires.
My hitch is about 30" back from the rear axle on my Super M. In 5500lbs class my SM has nearly perfect balance because of my long hitch setup in this club.
However when I pull with clubs that have somewhat shorter chains, I have to load weigh on the front.
You have to build to the organization you pull with the most. If everyone in your area runs the same length chain then that's a big plus for you. Here, the lengths vary from 3ft to 10ft.
My primary club pulls 6ft and 10ft.
It takes a long time, maybe a few years, before you'll have your tractor pulling good with the club you pull with the most.
I pull way farther than other Farmalls with short hitches, most of the time.
Making an adjustable hitch is a great idea.

It is evident that most guys subscribe to the ALWAYS short draw bar theory. That is fine with me and for those who know that it can be a big advantage under certain conditions to slide it out to the max.
 

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