IH 404 engine in Farmall C

IHCC51

Member
Beware: I put an engine from a 404 in my 1951 C to get the manufacturer recommended 35 PTO HP to pull a finish mower. My decision was based on advice from this site. My options were rebuild and power up the weak super C engine already in my Grandfathers tractor or replace its engine. My thinking was that for the long haul the 404 hold hold up better ( more modern design, 14 bolt head instead of 9 bolt, etc.). After using it for 1 season I wished I had gone the other way. If you are considering it here is some things to consider. 404 is rated at 36 PTO HP at 2300 RPM , for my tractor PTO to run 540 RPMs it's engine must be run at 1875 RPMs, it bolted up at the transmission and front end but neither 404 or C radiator would work, I bought a radiator from 140 but it does not cool effectively and the engine runs on the hot side. The C governor would not work so I had to buy the 404 governor. The generator would not work so I found and purchased a 6-volt positive ground alternator. The hydraulic lines would not work so I bought a pipe threader cut the lines and put in flexible lines. The 404 had more gauges than the C so I had to buy mechanical gauges that would work on the C. The front Grill will not work so I am running without it. If Grandpa could see it now he would roll over in his grave. These next issues are not a result of the switch but a poor past mechanic but it could happen to you unless you know the past owner. After hearing it run before I bought it I thought it sounded OK. After getting it home and giving it the once over I found a ground up distributor/governor drive bushing, timing gears 1 tooth off, bent push rods, a bad oil pump, stripped out oil pan bolts and roofing cement as an oil pan gasket. So beware if you are considering this I did enjoy the challenge but it ended being 4 times the money I had expected and a lot of extra time. GOOD LUCK!!!
 
Sounds like a fun project.

Now to modify the grille to make it fit!

"Gir 'er done" and post some photos!
 
I am putting a C153 in a C. It is not a straight swap as you have found. I had to find a water pump from a C135 and fabricate a new water inlet connection between the engine and the C radiator to avoid having to use a 140 radiator. I had almost bought a 140 radiator when I really started looking at the dimensions. It was a lot of work. I only did mine for a pulling tractor so I didn't worry about the PTO speeds. If I was going to use this tractor for actual work, I would rebuilt the C123 that it came with. The C153 engine is basically the C123/C135 without sleeves with a little more stroke thrown in. Many folks found that the 404's would not go very long before it had to be rebuilt compared to the C and Super C.

OTJ
 
Super C grille will fit right on there and they only made 70,000 of them so they should be easy to find. Raise the gas tank up the 2" and put the hood back on. It'll look much better.
 

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