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1939 M Questions

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Mr. J

03-10-2002 20:02:28




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Well....maybe my lucky day, bought a 1939 Farmall M today, and brought it home from Arkansas. Serial Number 5501. Which makes it the 5000th M ever made...I thought that was neat. But, it came with a live hydraulic pump that drives off the mag gear. It has a magneto ignition which works great. It will run on all 4 cylinders with a little persuading from wiggling the plug wires. I plan on removing the head, re-lapping the valves, and fixing all the fluid leaks on the tractor. Underneath it, there is a grader blade mounted. The blade is pretty much wore out and makes the tractor look very bulky, but it works great. Should I keep the blade or lose the blade and get an aftermarket 3-point? My important question...The tractor will not go into 5th Gear...Was this gear locked out on early model M's? It shows on the shift pattern that there is a 5th gear. Right and down is where the 5th is supposed to be... If the 5th is locked out, and I think it is, what do I need to do to make 5th usable? It has the Heisler Hand clutch mounted on the left side of the tractor behind the clutch, it seems to work great as well as the other 4 gears too. Last thing....I've never seen a 1939 M restored... Are they rare?? Or at least to an extent rare??

Thanks to everyone in advance...

Jared Jeffries
Jasper FFA Advisor

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Tim Malin

03-13-2002 20:32:29




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 Re: 1939 M Questions in reply to Mr. J, 03-10-2002 20:02:28  
Hey, great to hear that!! I'm an FFA member from Westby, WI and I am pioneering a program for tractors and tractor events in my FFA club. I proposed a Drive-Your-Tractor-To-School Day during FFA Week for fun and learning, of tractor safety and show the rest of the school who really is crazy enough to drive their tractor in the Wisconsin winter to show it off. Hopefully it was the 1st annual. I am also starting a small club in the FFA for tractor restoration group. Although several people have tried restoring a tractor for our club, no one has made it to a finished project. I would like to acomplish that, too. I hope you enjoy being an FFA advisor, and I would like you to support tractor restoration and other tractor activities to spice up your school's interest in "old iron."

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randy hall

03-11-2002 06:39:40




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 Re: 1939 M Questions in reply to Mr. J, 03-10-2002 20:02:28  
we have a bunch of m's, four are '39s. justin weber can help you with originality questions. good luck.



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Ken Kaepernick

03-11-2002 06:20:22




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 Re: 1939 M Questions in reply to Mr. J, 03-10-2002 20:02:28  
Regarding the 5th gear problem -- One of the problems with the transmissions in the M's and H's was the front bearing on the main transmission shaft. It is the bearing that goes inside the constant mesh gear at the front of the transmission. The two shafts turn at different speeds except when the transmission is in fifth. In order to shift into fifth, the 4-5 sliding gear (on the mainshaft) must slide over the constant mesh gear. If the bearing is out the two do not align properly, and shifting to fifth is very difficult if not impossible. The problem arises in tractors that have been used primarily in fourth gear. If memory serves, the early M's had a ball bearing in this location, while the later tractors used a needle bearing which was better able to handle the side thrust of the shaft.

Good Luck

Ken Kaepernick

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Haas

03-11-2002 06:04:36




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 Re: 1939 M Questions in reply to Mr. J, 03-10-2002 20:02:28  
If the tractor was delivered from the factory with steel wheels, 5th gear was locked out. The lockout is a 3/8 inch cap screw(bolt) located on top of the transmission. My manual does not say where, but to remove the lock out, you take out the bolt and replace it with a 3/8 x 3/4 inch long cap screw. If that is the situation, I guess you have a brand new old stock 5th gear. good luck! Checked my parts manual. It shows the lockout screw directly in front of the gearshift lever on the transmission deck.

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Steven@nd

03-11-2002 05:48:17




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 Re: 1939 M Questions in reply to Mr. J, 03-10-2002 20:02:28  
Don't pull the head just yet. Try some new plug wires and plugs. Also get a new set of points in there and I'm sure it will run better. 5th gear was locked out on all tractors that came with steel wheels, does yours have spoke wheels out back or are they cast? Sometimes people just cut off the steel and welded rims on.

As for the blade, if it ain't broke, don't fix it is my motto. If it works for what you want to do keep it the way it is. Aftermarket 3 point takes away from the originality of the tractor in my opinion.

Try new plugs and wires and points before removing the head. Warm it up good then and do a compression check. If you are going to take the head off, get the valves and seats ground professionally.

Steven

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Farmallhunter

03-11-2002 04:49:05




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 Re: 1939 M Questions in reply to Mr. J, 03-10-2002 20:02:28  
Mr.J, I bought a 39 M Last December for a good buy at $500.00 dollars, A older fellow had it and it sat in the weeds. IT missed a little when i got it running. New Plugs and wires made it run better. But I mad it run better when I cleaned the Magneto and Carb. AS for the Lock out on 5th I am not shure of that, But mine goes into 5th just fine. I am working on Restoring it when I get done I will post picts for all to see. Have a good day. Jason

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John Ne.

03-10-2002 21:12:09




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 Re: 1939 M Questions in reply to Mr. J, 03-10-2002 20:02:28  
I'd wait for new plug wires before pulling the head, then do a compression check, to find a weak cylinder, the belly blade,, do you need a blade? drive way a long one? If you already got one that works, why spend the money for another and the three point that may not work as well? Just thinking of the if it works why fix it end of it. john in Ne.



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Farmall_Man

03-10-2002 20:58:34




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 Re: 1939 M Questions in reply to Mr. J, 03-10-2002 20:02:28  
Mr J - According to the H Operator Manual, 5th gear was locked out for tractors delivered on steel. I would imagine that the M's were built the same way. There is a bolt on the deck that is longer to lock the 5th gear out. I think I read that you could replace that bolt with a shorter one to prevent the lock-out if you changed the tractor to rubber. Hope this helps. FM.



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John S-B

03-10-2002 20:18:50




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 Re: 1939 M Questions in reply to Mr. J, 03-10-2002 20:02:28  
Is that Jasper, Indiana?



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Mr. J

03-10-2002 20:20:01




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 Re: Re: 1939 M Questions in reply to John S-B, 03-10-2002 20:18:50  
Jasper, MO I guess I should clarify that.

Jared Jeffries
Jasper FFA Advisor
Jasper, Missouri



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1206SWMO

03-10-2002 21:36:31




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 Re: Re: Re: 1939 M Questions in reply to Mr. J, 03-10-2002 20:20:01  
Jared,I'm just up the road from you at Nevada.My dad bought a brand new 1939 M Farmall and a full line of equip when he farmed at Falun,KS.He traded in a 1929 22-36 McCormick on full steel for it.He got drafted in 1942 and had a farm sale.We still have that sale bill with the 39 M listed on it.

A 1939 M is a real nice find and there arent very many around.By the way my cousin Loren Griggs lives 3 miles west of Jasper.He retired from farming about 5 years ago.You might know him.

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