Well Farmallers I had a setback with Old Rusty H. After getting #1 piston/sleeve assembly out, I noticed a horizontal crack in the cylinder wall about 4 inches down. I filled the water jacket with water and it is leaking. Coolant had to be getting into the oil when this tractor last ran. I have an email into another person who has a rough looking but running H for sale near my farm. If we make a deal, then the project will resume. I'll take parts off of Old Rusty and complete the other H. I'll have my buddy Slo Mo transport Old Rusty to the farm where I can help you all with some parts.

I will take a picture late Sunday morning, when the sun angle is just right, so you can see the sizable crack.

Red Their is a guy outside New Castle In. about 30 minutes away from indy. He would a block pretty resonable if interested email me .

The Red"

Would I be too presumptious to offer you special rates for a graveside service for Old Rusty? Please express my sincere sympathy to Old Rusty's family. Economically you might consider cremation for him in the blast furnace. Sorry I can't quote you current scrap iron prices, but they are declining I understand, so better hurry up afore he infects others with rust.

"TU"

Morning Farmallers. I did some measuring this muggy morning in Indy. The crack is horizontal and 1 inch wide. It is approximately 4 1/2 inches from the top of the block. Standard H pistons are 4 3/8 inches in length. The connecting rod is about 7/8 inch wide just below the piston skirt. That position of the crack would exactly coincide with a rod breaking just below the piston skirt as the piston passed TDC heading down.

Well it had to happen to some one, it's too bad it was you!
Some times it seems that everyone is getting off too easy getting thier tractors running.
Oh well I do need some parts if you get to that stage of the game let me know.
Zonie

I have had my share of luck. I bought both Old Red H with a New Idea Loader and Indy H in 1990 for less than $2,000 for the pair. Both have been very good runners through the years.

Cracked block isn't too bad.. There are some salvage yards in Southern Illinois that sell blocks for around $150 plus your old one.. The problem is that you have to disassemble yourself, either at the yard or at your home and return the parts to the yard. I don't think you are in too bad of shape, I bought a H out of georgia for $175 I had to do the following:

Line bore the mains in the block (someone had filed the caps instead of grinding the crank & buying new bearings)

3 of the connecting rods had to be resized for the same reason above.

as far as the transmission I had to replace the shift forks, detent balls & springs, main shaft, 4&5 slider, right hand bull gear, and all bearings.

I figure that after all the machining expense in the engine, I had probably $1200-1500 in the engine, and probably about $700 in the transmission. Now all I need to do is to paint it.. I found a good deal on a full set of steel, so I will be saving money as compared to if I needed to buy new "skins" for the tractor.

I just cleaned it off real good and was looking at it out in the daylight. There is a vertical crack that starts where it was mated to the 1 inch horizontal crack in the cylinder wall at 4 1/2 inches down from the top. The crack wonders vertically down to the bottom. It is cracked all the way through. Sounds like the engine had straight water in it at one time which froze and cracked that sleeve!

Justin at the moment I am in limbo on this one. I am going to catalog the various parts and establish prices for the various components.

Now that's a real bummer! I'm sorry to hear that it turned out this way. I hope you can get the other H from your neighbor and continue your project.

That's not like you, Red...to give up easily! Come on over and we'll unbolt the engine from my parts H. Nothing bad externally, and I think the internals are your favorite kind...stuck. The good part is...most everything has been removed that could be in the way. The bad part is...it is about 240 miles from Indy.

Charlie V. got the narrow front from it when he was here. He can tell you about it.
George Willer

Wouldn't you know...just when it apprears like you're gaining, Whaamo! Wouldn't doubt that the block has been cracked for a long time. Hope you find another block or even the close in other H.
The Red will not let this get in his way.//FB

SORRY RED,HOPE YOU FIND AN ENGINE SOON.IF YOU DONT FIND ONE SOON AND WOULD LIKE ME TO I CAN CHECK AT A LOCAL BONE YARD HERE AND SEE WHAT HE HAS.ED

That's a durn shame, Red. And just when it was gonna start gettin' fun. Oh, well, at least you'll have plenty of time to build that winder seat. ;o)

I agree...Dang! Want me to check with my salvage yard for a block? One never knows what he has available.

Dang....!

Bob you are being too kind. It makes me wonder if the 1948 engine block in this 1942 tractor was bad all along.