Farmall Guy Got A Big Allis - HELP What Do I Have Here??

RTR

Well-known Member
I recently got this Allis Chalmers D-17, Series 4 tractor. Can someone here with way more knowledge on these tractors educate me on what I have here? I know Farmall tractors like a book but know very little about an allis d-series. Currently trying to get it running.


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It's exactly what the sheet metal says it is. D17 series 4. The most sought after of the D17's. Nothing special about making them run. Fuel, air, spark. Just like the red ones. Operators manual will be very helpful.
AaronSEIA
 
Looks like a 1964 thru mid 1967 series 4 D-17 gas, wide front, snap-coupler hitch (converted to some kind of 3 point hitch) single remote valve, with power steering and a pair of non-adjustable rear combine wheels. It has been used and abused and good quality repairs haven't been the norm. It will be a very expensive rebuild if your intention is to make it like it was when new.
 
One of the best AC tractors. Owners and repair manual will be worth the money. When checking/changing the oils don't forget the often overlooked final drives- I don't
think many red tractors have them.
 
(quoted from post at 15:53:15 09/12/22) Looks like a 1964 thru mid 1967 series 4 D-17 gas, wide front, snap-coupler hitch (converted to some kind of 3 point hitch) single remote valve, with power steering and a pair of non-adjustable rear combine wheels. It has been used and abused and good quality repairs haven't been the norm. It will be a very expensive rebuild if your intention is to make it like it was when new.

Combine Wheels? Were they an option? Are they preferred? I will be getting new tires in the future so I want to make sure what I have for rims is ok.

Used and abused? It really didn't seem to be in rough shape to me. Do you see anything in particular that makes you think so? I haven't found a single dent in the hood and grille tin!!

Very expensive rebuild? Do you mean the engine is an expensive one to build, or you mean it would cost alot to restore? I was thinking about doing the repairs it needs and stripping it down, fixing the leaks, and doing a cosmetic restoration on it.
 
We are a Massey Dealer (only for about another month actually), and I was trying to look up the Service Manual through AGCO publications. The only Service Manual they show is for an Allis Chalmers D-17, Series 4 with serial number 75,001 and up. Am I reading the stamped numbers correctly showing my serial number to be " 53,338 " , or is this not the serial number of the tractor?


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(quoted from post at 13:11:52 09/12/22) We are a Massey Dealer (only for about another month actually), and I was trying to look up the Service Manual through AGCO publications. The only Service Manual they show is for an Allis Chalmers D-17, Series 4 with serial number 75,001 and up. Am I reading the stamped numbers correctly showing my serial number to be " 53,338 " , or is this not the serial number of the tractor?

You are looking at the engine serial number, not the chassis. Chassis s/n to the rear of the engine s/n stamped on the bellhousing. Anytime I see two hydraulic hoses sagging down under the belly, instead of the original steel lines, that is an indication of the type of care. At least if you weren't going to get the original steel lines, wouldn't you make some brackets to secure the homemade hose job so the hoses are tucked up under the belly out of the way ?? The rear wheels and tires are from a junked out combine !! The OEM wheels are spin-out wheels with (usually) 16.9 x 28 rear tires on them.
 
That's the engine serial number. Tractor serial number is on the bell housing above the clutch pedal.

Combine tires were a cheap replacement for the most likely rusted out original rims. Should have 4 rail spin out rims with 16.9x28 tires.

It'll be expensive to restore. Just to fix what breaks isn't bad. The Dr has better eyes than me. I didn't think it looked terrible in the pictures.
AaronSEIA
 
You are looking at the engine serial number, not the chassis. Chassis s/n to the rear of the engine s/n stamped on the bellhousing. Anytime I see two hydraulic hoses sagging down under the belly, instead of the original steel lines, that is an indication of the type of care. At least if you weren't going to get the original steel lines, wouldn't you make some brackets to secure the homemade hose job so the hoses are tucked up under the belly out of the way ?? The rear wheels and tires are from a junked out combine !! The OEM wheels are spin-out wheels with (usually) 16.9 x 28 rear tires on them.

Ahh, you have a good eye - but that is why I'm asking y'all because you can pick that stuff out where I could do the same with a Farmall. Maybe I should look for the original wheels and the original hydraulic lines for when it is fixed up, I could change it then. I guess I would need wheel centers too.
 
(quoted from post at 02:03:21 09/13/22) That's the engine serial number. Tractor serial number is on the bell housing above the clutch pedal.

Combine tires were a cheap replacement for the most likely rusted out original rims. Should have 4 rail spin out rims with 16.9x28 tires.

It'll be expensive to restore. Just to fix what breaks isn't bad. The Dr has better eyes than me. I didn't think it looked terrible in the pictures.
AaronSEIA

Expensive as in how? I know I'm restoring (using lightly) a Ford 8n right now and my needed parts for repairs and cosmetics will be about $1600-1800. I don't charge myself for the labor. That doesn't include tires - they were good.
 
Rear wheels would be $350 to $400 each, so there's $700 to $800. Then, there's the matter of you have no correct wheel centers or the clamps or any of the hardware. I'd suspect two new 16.9 x 28 rear tires to be $1,000 bucks. I see a seat that is in tough shape and I'd expect the seat shock, coil spring and all the seat bushings to be worn out too. I see no head lites anywhere. I see an incorrect muffler above the hood. I'm picky. It may well be a great tractor, but combine wheels and tires are a no-go for me.
 
(quoted from post at 02:34:51 09/13/22) Rear wheels would be $350 to $400 each, so there's $700 to $800. Then, there's the matter of you have no correct wheel centers or the clamps or any of the hardware. I'd suspect two new 16.9 x 28 rear tires to be $1,000 bucks. I see a seat that is in tough shape and I'd expect the seat shock, coil spring and all the seat bushings to be worn out too. I see no head lites anywhere. I see an incorrect muffler above the hood. I'm picky. It may well be a great tractor, but combine wheels and tires are a no-go for me.

Maybe I need to find me a parts tractor!! Haha
 
Looks straight and decent shape.. Just fix whats broke for now. As mentioned, it just a
distributor/ coil on a 4 cylinder motor.. Not magic.......You can do tires and wheels down the road
if you WANT to do it... If your RESTORING it, you need that... If its a general purpose utility
vehicle, your fine the way you are.
 
Is there an online free pdf of the owner's/operators manual, and the service manual? I've looked on my dealer site for AGCO and they don't show anything. Just the manuals you can purchase. That is find but in the meantime before I get my serial number, I was just wanting to browse and do some reading.

This post was edited by RTR on 09/13/2022 at 05:35 am.
 
Why don't you just get it running if it isn't. Change or check all the oils. grease everything and see how it goes before deciding to spend thousands. And what is wrong
with the rear tires/wheels as they are. I admit they aren't original but they look to be in good condition, why not just run them? If you want original rear wheels (spin
outs) later just keep looking and you may find them, you never know what will come along.
 
Combine wheels are preferred to the rusted out rims that it seems are on half of all D17s have. Unless you have big plans for plowing or restoring to original the wheels and tires it has are in good shape and
have years of wear left on them. I patched the rims on my d17 and put the 16.9 X 28 tires back on them - the patch was about 25% of the sheet metal of the rim. Never did put them back on - the tires were
in such rough shape, sold them and the wheel centers for $400. Should have gone higher as they were sold in less than 4 hours and the guy was there that night to pick them up - he wasn't about to lose them.
The combine rims (from an IH 303(?) I think) on my D17 worked well for years and I just sold the tractor with them on it.

After you get it running you will find the power direction is like a TA in IH tractor - only much better. It doesn't free wheel in the high or low side. It also enables you to use the live pto like an
independent PTO. Took me forever to learn to quit using the foot clutch and use the power director to stop in the field while mowing or baling - it was a good baling tractor. The biggest issue I had with
the D17 was its slow road gear - about 12 MPH. The other downside of the D17 is the brakes. By now it seems all them are worn out and replacing the brake lining is a HUGE job - while replacing the brakes
pads on a Farmall usually involves a 9/16 wrench and a half an hour of time.
 
(quoted from post at 07:53:50 09/13/22) The biggest issue I had with
the D17 was its slow road gear - about 12 MPH. *** Road gear on any D-17 with 16.9 x 28 tires and the engine running full speed of 2,000 RPM is 14.5 to 15.0 MPH. Depends a bit on the actual tire brand/diameter, but much better than 12 MPH.
 
(quoted from post at 19:06:38 09/13/22) Why don't you just get it running if it isn't. Change or check all the oils. grease everything and see how it goes before deciding to spend thousands. And what is wrong
with the rear tires/wheels as they are. I admit they aren't original but they look to be in good condition, why not just run them? If you want original rear wheels (spin
outs) later just keep looking and you may find them, you never know what will come along.

That is exactly what I am going to do. I actually got it running last sunday and had it running for a couple minutes. Starter is bad and in the shop, so I was pulling it off trying to get running which is much harder cause you have to stop, get off, and try to diagnose then. I'm waiting until the starter is fixed to try to start it again as that will be much easier when trying to tune it so it runs longer than 2 minutes. Engine sounded pretty fair!
 
I had 16.9 26 tires on my D17 (combine wheels) and its 55 years out of the factory. Running it down the road it seemed like I could get off and run ahead to the top of the hill to see if any traffic was
coming and run back to the tractor and get on without missing a beat - never tried it but it just seemed to crawl down the road. My Farmall 460 in road gear with a slightly adjusted governor runs right at 19
MPH - its only 6-7 MPH more but it is about 50% faster. Both speeds checked with GPS on my phone.
 
(quoted from post at 09:05:01 09/16/22) I had 16.9 26 tires on my D17 (combine wheels) and its 55 years out of the factory. Running it down the road it seemed like I could get off and run ahead to the top of the hill to see if any traffic was
coming and run back to the tractor and get on without missing a beat - never tried it but it just seemed to crawl down the road. My Farmall 460 in road gear with a slightly adjusted governor runs right at 19
MPH - its only 6-7 MPH more but it is about 50% faster. Both speeds checked with GPS on my phone.
**** Well now, when you have 16.9 x 26 rear tires instead of 16.9 x 28 tires it will go slower !!! While they were never as fast as a 460 Farmall, having a smaller diameter tire makes it even slower.
 
(quoted from post at 05:35:06 09/13/22) Is there an online free pdf of the owner's/operators manual, and the service manual? I've looked on my dealer site for AGCO and they don't show anything. Just the manuals you can purchase. That is find but in the meantime before I get my serial number, I was just wanting to browse and do some reading.

This post was edited by RTR on 09/13/2022 at 05:35 am.

Not that I know of. The parts manual can be viewed for free. https://parts.agcocorp.com/ Just search by part book.
AaronSEIA
 
(quoted from post at 08:15:42 09/14/22)
(quoted from post at 19:06:38 09/13/22) Why don't you just get it running if it isn't. Change or check all the oils. grease everything and see how it goes before deciding to spend thousands. And what is wrong
with the rear tires/wheels as they are. I admit they aren't original but they look to be in good condition, why not just run them? If you want original rear wheels (spin
outs) later just keep looking and you may find them, you never know what will come along.

That is exactly what I am going to do. I actually got it running last sunday and had it running for a couple minutes. Starter is bad and in the shop, so I was pulling it off trying to get running which is much harder cause you have to stop, get off, and try to diagnose then. I'm waiting until the starter is fixed to try to start it again as that will be much easier when trying to tune it so it runs longer than 2 minutes. Engine sounded pretty fair!

+1 I'd get it running, tune up any problem items, and work the tractor. Show/parade/restoration efforts can always get done at any time. These old tractors fed a nation once and can again.

No worries about 'chip shortages' or anything like that hindering their ability to perform and put seeds in the ground and collect the harvest.

.
 

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