New to Me Diesel 656 with a few Questions

656Farmall

New User
New to the forum but have read it for years. I have been able to find a lot of good information on here.
I finally have a couple of questions I haven't seen on here regarding my latest acquisition.

Serial Number Plate
mvphoto31793.jpg


Side View of Tractor
mvphoto31794.jpg



The first questions is about the Stamped Steel Wheels.
I know they made duals with 38" stamped wheels but these are 16.9-34.
Was this an option?

Second question is about the lights.
All the 656's i see in photos and the ones I've seen in real life have 2 lights in the fenders.
The only other variation I've seen is the high crop or narrow front with the lights by the gas tank and M style fenders.
Are the fenders on mine factory, or did someone swap them out?
Was this originally a narrow front?

Leak
mvphoto31795.jpg


I have read several places about fixing a leak that sounds like the location of this picture.
They talk about a stand tube/Plug being removed under the seat to help with this leak.
Is this small shaft the leak those posts are talking about?

The only major things I've done so far are replace all the glow plugs and build a set of steps.
The only gauge that doesn't work is the temperature gauge, but some previous owner added an aftermarket one.
TA, Clutch, Brakes work fine.
Shifter started off stiff, but sprayed down all the pivots with wd40 and it works fine now.

mvphoto31796.jpg
 
The lights are an option so can be either single or double lights. The fenders were also an option so either can be on them also. Those are the flat top fenders more commonly on row crop models. The ones like an M had were more common on utility models. As for the front end they came both ways wide and narrow. Depending on the person. Some liked wide fronts, and some liked narrow. For cultivating the shorter turning worked better on the narrow front. Back then those wide fronts didn't turn as short as they do today. Was it wide or narrow you would have to find the original owner or dealer that sold it to know that for sure. It looks like it was originally a wide. That was about the time when guys started buying more wide fronts.
As for the leak no idea.
 
Those steel disk wheels were an option on 560's and 656,666,686's. 15x34 rim made by Motor Wheel Mendota,
Ill. Was the only wheel Farmall used from them and only wheel with five points of contact Farmall used.
Rim had two valve stem holes, one inside and one outside. Farmall tried to use a loose sloppy fitting
rubber plug to seal the extra valve stem hole and use tubeless tires on them, all variations of 16.9 &
18.4x34's were tubeless. Because of that, that rim had the highest percentage of flat tires of ANY wheel
used at Farmall, about 35-40%. An inner tube would have fixed that, and Schrader Automotive in Dickson,
Tennesee made a brass screw together plug that sealed against the rim with rubber washers that would have
fixed it too.
Those wheel weights on those wheels are kinda rare too compared to the weights common on H,M, & C and all
the way up to 5088,5288, & 5488. Those wheels have a slightly different hole spacing than the common IH
weights.
 
Your fenders do look like the deluxe fenders that were an option . They either came with single or dual headlights again buyers
choice. However since your tractor has the side mount headlights , your fenders may have been a later add on

Was this originally a narrow front? The original owner would most likely be the one that could answer that question.

Where exactly is your leak? The remote valve?

Rather nice Farmall you have there, she looks good for her age! I am guessing it is a 1965 model.
 
I think the fenders are from a 66 series. the 56 fenders had 2 lights, both set in indentations. no sign of an inside indent on your fender.
your tractor may not have had fenders originally, and had just the lights on the sides of the fuel tank. Dad's 806 came that way when he got it.
 
The leak looks to be the shaft operating hitch linkage and would be the one referenced to taking the drain plug out of the housing under the seat. It is a whole lot of work to repair that leak and that is why some just let oil drain out of that compartment. I never did that but then they were not my tractors I was working on. Actually two places inside, actual drain plug, (tall hex) and a overflow pipe where oil normally drains back to rear end.
 
(quoted from post at 17:46:32 02/22/19) I think the fenders are from a 66 series. the 56 fenders had 2 lights, both set in indentations. no sign of an inside indent on your fender.
your tractor may not have had fenders originally, and had just the lights on the sides of the fuel tank. Dad's 806 came that way when he got it.

You are correct there is no indentations for the 2nd light.
Here is a closer look at the light area of the fender.
mvphoto31818.jpg



(quoted from post at 07:44:15 02/22/19) Your fenders do look like the deluxe fenders that were an option . They either came with single or dual headlights again buyers
choice. However since your tractor has the side mount headlights , your fenders may have been a later add on

Was this originally a narrow front? The original owner would most likely be the one that could answer that question.

Where exactly is your leak? The remote valve?

Rather nice Farmall you have there, she looks good for her age! I am guessing it is a 1965 model.

The leak is the small shaft just left of the valves and below the 3 point lift arm in the picture.
I believe Pete 23 calls it the shaft operating hitch linkage.
Yes based on the serial Number it appears to be a 1965.

It has been throught at least 3 other owners/dealers before me.
All I know for backstory is it had a loader on it.
That owner passed and was sold to a dealer.
The dealer removed the loader and sold it on auction.
A IH tractor collector bought it because he said it was cheap enough.
I think he sold it because he bought a different one and this one didn't look like it was original with the stamped wheels.
I bought it for light duty use, so it didn't matter to me.
 
(quoted from post at 04:45:56 02/22/19) Those steel disk wheels were an option on 560's and 656,666,686's. 15x34 rim made by Motor Wheel Mendota,
Ill. Was the only wheel Farmall used from them and only wheel with five points of contact Farmall used.
Rim had two valve stem holes, one inside and one outside. Farmall tried to use a loose sloppy fitting
rubber plug to seal the extra valve stem hole and use tubeless tires on them, all variations of 16.9 &
18.4x34's were tubeless. Because of that, that rim had the highest percentage of flat tires of ANY wheel
used at Farmall, about 35-40%. An inner tube would have fixed that, and Schrader Automotive in Dickson,
Tennesee made a brass screw together plug that sealed against the rim with rubber washers that would have
fixed it too.
Those wheel weights on those wheels are kinda rare too compared to the weights common on H,M, & C and all
the way up to 5088,5288, & 5488. Those wheels have a slightly different hole spacing than the common IH
weights.

Here is a closer picture of the weights.
So those weights have a different spacing than most of the others? I don't have any to compare to.
mvphoto31819.jpg
 
Your tractor either came with clamshell fenders or no fenders. IH did NOT put single headlight fenders on a 656 and it was not the buyers option. The headlights by the fuel tank are a dead giveaway of clamshells or no fenders.
 
I would like to thank everyone for passing on your knowledge.

I have one other question regarding adding loader hydraulics.

I have this plate so I can add a joystick loader control valve.
What port is pressure & what port is return to tank?
Or maybe a better question is what are the 3 ports that run through the existing valves?
mvphoto32113.jpg
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top