MFWD Farmall M

Although the names are similar, the company that built the Ford front wheel drive is not the same as the one who built the IH conversions.

Elwood Mfg was located in Elwood, IL near the Army Ammo plant. They bought their axles as surplus. I believe that GMC Truck built the axles originally and placed them under the 2.5 ton 6X6. These vehicles dated from WW2. Elwood went out of business in the '80s. Their conversions eventually became a factory option starting, perhaps, with the 06 series and extending past the 86 series. Trax 4 from Wilmington, IL assumed the parts business for Elwood after they closed. They do not manufacture new units but will buy and sell used Elwood FWAs

I don't know much about the Ford units except there is a guy in Western MA who manufactures new FWAs for the older Fords. He uses the original plans from the manufacturer. The two original companys are not related anymore than the two successor companies.

I don't know what the ralationship was if any. I did have a short email correspondence with Jacobs and he knows nothing about the IH, JD, or Minnie Mo conversions. In fact, I thought the content of my email was new information for him. Moreover, I don't think that Elenco was located in IL but I have no proof.

Dr. Evil, who posts on the Farmall board and who was IHC's liason with Elwood MFG during the '70s, knows the whole story. Within the past year, he had a comprehensive post about Elwood. Unfortunately, I cannot find it in the archives.

This is an Elwood mounted on a 660 IH. All the hardware with the possible exception of where it mounts to bolster will bolt on the very first M (1939) all the way to the last IH 560-660 mfgd in 1962. That includes SM, SMTA, 400, 450, 560, W-6, SW-6, SWTA, W-400, W-450. It works in all gears including TA

The picture is not lighted very well but you can see where the transfer case is. Power is taken from the top side of 4th-5th slider gear on the mainshaft. An enclosed roller chain lowers the FWD pto about two feet so that it can couple with the front driveshaft. Installation of the Elwood precludes use of the belt pulley. There is no room for both gearboxes.

The axle is govt surplus, probably from a deuce-and-a-half. Everything else was mfgd by Elwood. They made kits for other tractors.

You will find more info by searching on Elwood on the Farmall forum.

Let me see how serious you are.

Has anyone ever seen something like that

MFWD

http://www.ytmag.com/cgi-bin/viewit.cgi?bd=farmall&th=531503

Nice looking tractor up there. Is that front end ran by the belt pulley like the kit for a 560??

Rob