Question for YTSupport

Richard G.

Well-known Member
Just curious as to why you choose AC tractors to work with.
Not saying that is a bad thing. Just wondering.
I have spent many a day on older AC's.
Richard in NW SC
 
Richard,

Sorry for the few days delay. Been really busy putting up a new server and with winter prep on the farm.

Many years ago we had a large collection of several brands, but with farm work and the business, it became shameful that they were just sitting and not getting used. It felt like I had a junk yard more than a collection. No way I could keep them all running. The ones I'd actually restored, usually were sold fairly quickly. We sold off most of the rest because it was crazy to not let someone else take a shot at them when it became clear we wouldn't have time. I kept my AC D14, a parts tractor D14, an IB (because it was so bad no one would want it), a B and my dozer and backhoe (both ACs). So it ended up AC. The D14 we kept because it was the YT logo tractor, and it seemed wrong to not re-restore it after I blew the engine.

I finally started getting time to where I thought I could restore again without starting a project and getting it half done, and decided I was going to drill down into something specific (brand and series) so I would not have more tractors than could be stored inside when done (and I'd be able to keep them and enjoy them rather than selling them the minute they were done). Too many tractors becomes a worry and burden to me. Since I had the D14, I decided the AC D series would be what I'd focus on. Now I've also grabbed a WF and a CA because they were in good shape, so I could end up wanting to go with the WC, WD, WD45 and a C too, but that would be stretching the limits of my storage. It ends up looking like I'm an AC fanatic, but I'm just trying to keep things from getting out of hand, yet still doing what I really enjoy with my free time, restoring tractors. Aside from limiting brands, I also am limiting myself to years, 39-early 60s, it's another issue of storage. If I went for the later ACs, they'd take up too much space and there were also too many models.

There is also the fact that if you are focused on a single brand and year range, there is some commonality of design, that lets you feel confident working on that brand, which is very important because I get no more than an hour a day to work on tractors and I need to move quickly. For example, I find working on my son's Oliver to be very time consuming. I have to study before tackling anything on it.

I've considered having other brands again, but building more outbuildings isn't something I'd be interested in, and the cost of building more is absurd. It's pragmatic to limit myself to ACs given that I still have to spend the majority of my time in front of this computer or the bare essentials of taking care of the farm. If I were Jay Leno, I'd probably have every tractor made from the late 30s to 1965, a warehouse Boeing would be proud of, and a staff to keep them running ;-).
 
Thanks for the answer. I used to have 7 tractors, but am down to 3 now. I use all of them on our farm and in the garden. My Dad's 52 8N which pulls my finish mower and a 5 foot Bush Hog, a 51 Case VAC I use to disc and pull my wood splitter around and a 42 H JD I use for cultivating and occasional belt work. Also have a 40 AC combine that is functional.
They are all easy to work on and fun to work with.
Thanks for your reply.
I spent a lot of time cutting, raking, and baling oat hay for my uncle years ago using his WD's and 2 D 17's.
Richard
 
I wish I could say I use all of them I have, but I plan to. My D15D and 17D still need rebuilding, the D12 is a sickle mower which really isn't that useful here. The D14 used to be my plowing, discing and cultivating tractor but is doing bush hogging for a living now (important with PNW jungle growth ;-)). My son's Oliver 1950FWA is our skidder/loader for logging, which is pretty important, the size of logs we deal with are fairly heavy and need the bulk of something like that monster. It's also to run our 3-point chipper (8 inch) but when I get the D19 here, it will take that over. It's needs 50-100 horse.

The kind of work here is mostly more like a logging camp with a garden and orchard, than a farm (in fact my place was a sawmill in the 50s and 60s). By the time all mine are restored, they'll each have a job though. I have lots of implements that remain unmounted and would like to be used. Changing implements burns time and I try to avoid it. For example, I can dig a post hole faster than I can mount the post hole digger so I don't end up using it. That will change when I have more tractors finished. It's not bad to have a lot of tractors as long as you can exercise them frequently.
 
My uncle that put up oat hay for his dairy operation had each piece of haying equipment hooked up to their own AC tractor. Never had to unhook anything during that time.
That has always been my idea of a successful farmer. One tractor for each implement.
Richard
 
(quoted from post at 09:47:36 09/29/18)

The D14 we kept because it was the YT logo tractor, and it seemed wrong to not re-restore it after I blew the engine.

Whoa, you blew the motor? What happened? :shock:
 
Short version: I overheated it put the coup de grace on an engine that was way over it's serviceable limit.

I was hogging on a very hot day at the top of my property, long climb up a steep hill followed by cutting of 4 foot tall grass interspersed with small alders and other tough brush. It started steaming and running badly so I headed down (since getting it stuck up there meant it would be likely left there for good, there isn't enough brake on an old tractor to safely come down this slope without compression). I discovered it had coolant in the crankcase (a lot of coolant), and thought I had a head gasket problem. Pulled the head and ground the valves for good measure while I had it off (because they all failed a leak test), then put it back together and it filled right up again. Pulled the pan and saw where it was leaking from the sleeve, though I don't think that was the real culprit. I was chasing a symptom of deeper signs of tiredness. When I went to rebuild it, bearings had completely spun on a couple of rods (I mean half the bearing was gone on one them, hard to imagine it was running at all).

I pulled the engine and there it sat for 9 or 10 years. Kim gave me a rebuild kit for my birthday and when I went to rebuild it last year, it was clear I needed a new crankshaft so I went through everything, even the oil pump was shot, cam and tappets needed grinding etc. I decided it wasn't coming apart again in my lifetime so I spent more than I should. It also had cracked the block between the sleeves, couldn't see that from the top, but magnaflux showed it. It was also probably leaking through the head bolts, I mean everything was letting coolant out, no one thing. I even replaced the block because even though it is supposed to be fine cracked the way it was, I was taking no chances. I wanted a perfect rebuild.

Like the Continentals, they have a pretty thin web between the sleeves on the G-149. Not overheating an engine is something you learn the hard way I guess (I may have been running it without a functional temp gauge ;-)), but frankly, the engine had been clunking in the lower end for years... it was very tired and needed a rebuild. I don't think there was anything left of that engine, distributor, governor, lifters, everything needed replacing or machining. To say "blew" the engine was a little strong, I think I just gently nudged it over the edge and it didn't take much.

It runs unbelievably well now though, and that is very gratifying.
 
I agree with that. I find that I just don't use implements I should because of the time to swap. Like the post hole digger example, there is no way I can beat the time of digging a couple by hand versus swapping the digger on. If you want to have a lot of tractors, you have to use them often, and having implements mounted guarantees that. Any engine on the farm is suspect if it's not run often (At least gas engines, diesels never seem to be as much of a problem). It's a win-win, keeps the machines running, in good shape and speeds up your work and all the while, lets you have the collection you want.
 

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