John Deere B 1948 Mild Pulling Parts Wanted

My neighbor with a nice shop has a 1948 John Deere B and he asked me to help him soup up his stock tractor for tractor pulling to keep us out of the local taverns this winter. Does anyone have any JD B pulling parts for a mild build? Maybe something you took out to put a big stroked block in your puller? If you have graduated from step one stock upgrade to a step two or three, do you want to sell your step one stuff? Know what I mean? What have you got that he can afford? He doesn't have a computer - just a nice warm shop. Thank you all.
 

Neighbor, welcome to YT. JD Bs can be acquired pretty cheaply but the cost to make them into competitive pullers on a transfer sled can be very high. Much higher than other brands. If you really want to help him, help him to find an Oliver, or a Minnie Mo or an AC or a Farmall or a Ford or a Coop or a Cock shut, or a Massey or a Case, or a Graham Bradley.
 
showcrop: My neighbor says he would rather come in next to last with the JD B his Dad bought new and made a
living with farming then sell it and buy an easier to fix up into a specialized puller tractor that no one
in his neighborhood ever ran on his farm. He wants to overhaul his B anyway. Might as well put in one step
bigger parts. When I watch the local tractor pulls, I see more Olivers pulling now than we had in the whole
county when I grew up. Every farm went from horses to JD B tractors, to 4020's, to JD tractors with cab's.
Maybe a few McCormick H's and M's and a Ford or two. One or two AC 45's. Most of the farmers ending up
switching to JD's or went out of farming. Why pull with something not good enough to keep on the farm?
 
(quoted from post at 13:01:21 01/01/19) showcrop: My neighbor says he would rather come in next to last with the JD B his Dad bought new and made a
living with farming then sell it and buy an easier to fix up into a specialized puller tractor that no one
in his neighborhood ever ran on his farm. He wants to overhaul his B anyway. Might as well put in one step
bigger parts. When I watch the local tractor pulls, I see more Olivers pulling now than we had in the whole
county when I grew up. Every farm went from horses to JD B tractors, to 4020's, to JD tractors with cab's.
Maybe a few McCormick H's and M's and a Ford or two. One or two AC 45's. Most of the farmers ending up
switching to JD's or went out of farming. Why pull with something not good enough to keep on the farm?

Well neighbor, not to knock your neighbor or his B, but most pullers pull with whatever color they like rather than pull with something not good enough to keep on the farm, LOL.
 
I understand your neighbors loyalty
to his ride. Maybe he should
consider just using that B for shows
and parades. He may say now he
doesn't care where he finishes, but,
many a person has started with that
attitude only to find themselves
spending for that "one more thing "
until they realize how much they
invested. JD is near the most
expensive you can work on. If there
are some "pure stock " classes:
maybe. Not likely to find a pure
stock tractor in it but.............
 
I have in my possession for some unknown reason a powerblock, pistons and rods for a b john deere if you are wanting something takes 800.00 for all the stuff picked up here.
 
Make sure you have a good pulling cam grind to go with that. Also have the distributor set up for pulling. Might need a little carb work also. Cheap fix is to go with adding some pucks to the piston tops to add some compression but you need to talk to a good engine builder to get you set up right doing that. Port the head and manifold helps also but again get somebody that really knows what they are doing or you can mess up the head.
 

Your neighbor is going to have some good fun and he IS lucky it is a '48..the 1st year of the "Late Styled" with low 1st gear and decent power..

When looking for parts or advice, ask Ray (JD "B" Puller) who owns "Extreme Parts"..he KNOWS his JD "B"s...
 

Ditto on the replacement Power making Cam..

the head can be massaged to help breathing..

He MUST accept that there WILL be other tractors in his pulling classes that are well endowed with expensive parts and wins will be seldom enjoyed..but FUN can be abundant.!

Most "Serious" pullers, if you check them out, have gone to major extremes to alter their tractor for "Pulling"...(miniature radiator w/electric fan, aluminum platform plates, etc..).

I prefer pulls where the tractors MUST spend time that day Plowing in a field...if they cannot, they do NOT pull at the track..!
 
(quoted from post at 09:35:56 01/02/19)
Ditto on the replacement Power making Cam..

the head can be massaged to help breathing..

He MUST accept that there WILL be other tractors in his pulling classes that are well endowed with expensive parts and wins will be seldom enjoyed..but FUN can be abundant.!

Most "Serious" pullers, if you check them out, have gone to major extremes to alter their tractor for "Pulling"...(miniature radiator w/electric fan, aluminum platform plates, etc..).

I prefer pulls where the tractors MUST spend time that day Plowing in a field...if they cannot, they do NOT pull at the track..!

Well BushhogPapa, One pull I used to hook at every year there was a local dairy farmer who used to drive his straight out of the field, bone stock 4440 down the road to the fair. He used to win the top two places every year until some guys started bringing those nasty "hot" tractors. I did some business now and then with the local JD dealer, and one time we were talking about the pulls. He told me that the dairy farmer bought the 4440 from the midwest, and brought it in for them to check out before putting it to work. He told that after going over it they put it on their Dyno, which could pull down a maximum of 225 HP. It couldn't pull this 440 down. So there you have your "stock out of the field."
 
Been watching tractor pulls for 50+ years and NEVER heard such foolishness. All the pulls I've seen just require the tractor to be able to back up to the sled to pull.
 
(quoted from post at 16:45:59 01/02/19) Been watching tractor pulls for 50+ years and NEVER heard such foolishness. All the pulls I've seen just require the tractor to be able to back up to the sled to pull.

Awww come on, Dr. Evil. You have never seen a bunch of guys run up and push a tractor to the sled so that it can be hooked, LOL ?
 
showcrop, I gotta' admit that thar is some good advise. My pit crew members (pic attached) are in agreement.
cvphoto7909.jpg
 
now right tharr izz somm goodde ole bois to lift mii weits,lift some beerz and maybe somm shine,i like them boizzz,nice for daa nue yer
 
"Why pull with something not good enough to keep on the farm?"

Been on the farm for 60+ yrs - think It'll stay here.
cvphoto7942.jpg
 

I have seen local Farm Days events that require the tractors be put on the plow..WITH weighting AS will be used on the track..

It eliminates nearly all those with modifies (Cut) tires..( they can't get enough traction to pull the plow, or others Over-Heat or other issues..(too light in the rear for traction)..

It does tend to weed out the most radical altered "Pulling Tractors"..kind of makes everything a little more Honest..

Yes, we are talking generally older, smaller farm tractors and it makes for a REALLY Fun day...watching the action in the field, then on the track..

If you can remember, that was how Old-Time Horse Pulls were managed..If the team was not broke to Work, they were not Fit to Pull..
 

Dang, looks like the whole Town came out to help plow..!!

Gonna be a long day at the pulling track...!

Really, what a day that must have been..!
 

Well, a Late Styled JD "B" has enough engine AND enough of a low 1st gear to have a shot at a full pull....and I have seen it happen and win..seldom, but possible...
 
(quoted from post at 08:33:45 01/03/19)
Well, a Late Styled JD "B" has enough engine AND enough of a low 1st gear to have a shot at a full pull....and I have seen it happen and win..seldom, but possible...

Papa, there is a puller in my area that has a B that wins with it regularly. He doesn't use a low first gear, in fact, I believe that he uses second. He also works his throttle just right to keep from getting the horn, and he has the power to keep his wheels turning at very low RPMs. You have to cover your ears as he goes by if you are near the track. Oh, and he pulls it in stock classes.
 
here is east tn email is open if you are interested as for the head don't ask me I am a 6 cylinder guy just got these unique pieces in a trade.
 
not the whole town,the whole,no wait two or three counties,turned out. LOL Yrs. ago at the Iowa State Fair pull we pulled three sleds on three tracks and pictures were taken like that with three offset slightly -- side by side pulling.
 
Neighbor Put in 4.915 inch GMC truck pistons. Cut lengthen IH H rods. Offset grind crank for 1/2 inch stroke. Get compression to 9.5:1. 228 CI. Around 40 HP. Let me know if you want more info. Lynn
 

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