Picked up a CA

YTSupport

Administrator
Staff member
This is my 3rd CA. I've always kicked myself for selling the others. To me the CA was the bridge between the D10/12 and the B/C eras and always seemed like AC smashed a D14 and B into the same tractor. I couldn't resist because it was relatively complete and I passed up one last year due to being overpriced.

I have a new seat, ops platform, front rims, and battery box so it will be totally complete as soon as I get it. I also have the template I made years ago to make the tool box door so I'll fabricate that. It runs perfectly and has no serious rust.

Anyway, I'm pleased. I have snap coupler implements so I'll probably just use this one without restoration for some time. It also looks like it might be a good home for the 82S I took off the D12.

And I will be using that wrong rim and tire, I have to replace one on my wood hauling trailer and needed a 15 tubeless. That was going to cost me $100 for a new tire so this one won't go to waste.

mvphoto11117.jpg
 
You know, I didn't actually check. The fellow I bought it from is extremely honest so I assumed. I guess I'll find out when I pick it up.
 
Here in Missouri the CA seems to be a uncommon tractor. I have only seen one ever come up for sale and it sold for a good bit of $$ at an auction I was at. It sold for more then the WD45 I got and I paid $750 for the WD45 and the Ca was 2 or 3 times higher
 
I have two a wide and a narrow front end, use a 6ft finish mower on one and break garden with 2-24's on the other. My next one will be a D-10 or 12 if I can find one reasonable.
 
Not common here either. Kim and I hauled two back from Eastern WA in the early 90s. I found one one county away last year, but the price was too high. It was perfect original, but didn't run and had a loader I didn't want (already have one for it and trip bucket loaders aren't my favorites anyway). It was 2500. We paid 750 for the two we purchased before, though I think those days are gone with the CAs. Frankly, even Cs are getting hard to find around here.
 
Bs and Cs are pretty common here. I have which I think is sort of odd 4 1946 C the fact I have 4 of the same years is the odd part but I also have 4 1940 Farmall Hs
 
Yes, the D10s and 12s are getting to be untouchable in any reasonable condition. We picked up the D10 and 12 last year, but at that time, I found a D12 high crop that is a basket case, and even though I have my D12, I was thinking I should consider it because of the rarity.
 
The difference between your area and mine, is that in the 40s and 50s, this was still heavily forested in second growth, there just weren't many small farms yet. This is a good place to find crawlers and skidders, but not ag tractors. We still found a lot of Bs in the 90s, but I have seen but one for sale in the last 10 years.
 
Used to be quite a few of them in southern Iowa. Most of them had the hand clutch bolted together. Great
little tractor.
 
My one Uncle had a AC "CA". His was a narrow front. He had the cultivators, plows and a small drag disk. HE bought it new and only ever used it for his LARGE garden/produce patch. HE was well into his 70s when he would have bought it. He sold home grow produce in Dubuque. He mainly did it to keep busy while making some money. I do not know where that tractor ended up. I was never around the tractor very much. I never have driven one either. I know the CA had the hand clutch and live hydraulics??, but that is the extent of my knowledge.

Is the hand clutch the main difference between the C and CA????
 
No, surprisingly, Transmission and back are all different, front support. I don't recall if there was any difference in the wide front but I don't think so. The engine RPM was bumped up. It also used the B fenders rather than the C type. For such a similar looking machine, it really was quite different than the C. If you look closely at the finals, they angle back rather than straight down like the C and B. I never measured the wheelbase, but I bet it's a couple inches longer

It used the WD style hydraulic pump and larger rams. In fact, I picked up extra CA rams at a scrap yard many years back, because they make excellent rams for a 3 point conversion on Bs and Cs.

Unlike the B, it has the drag link strung upward rather than down, that is just like the C, only even there, it uses a different cast front support. Both of them used a cast radiator support with the different style linkage from the B.
 
CA is a nice little tractor we had one on the farm growing up did a lot of 'big' tractor work with it.I have one now handy to use around the farm always starts easy and runs good.There
were a lot of them sold here in Virginia.Used to run across a lot of D10 tractors as there were many sold south of me in tobacco country have one runner and several parts ones now.
 
I have a 1952 narrow front CA, and rebuilt the hand clutch, with support from Tacoma clutch and brake. They also helped me rebuild the over center clutch, on my WD45
 
That drag link, you reffered to, sets too close to the generator, to make an easy installation, of a Delco alternator.
 
I really like the seat on the CA in the picture. The pan seat on my CA and how low it sits, is the one bad thing, in my estimation. My tractors are for use, and I would love to see how to replace the seat, with something better. If you could post a picture of your seat, with the support brackets, I would really appreciate it! Ralph
 
I'll get a close in shot when I pick it up, but here are a couple of views from an angle that shows the seat mount. Looks like a lawn tractor seat, I see only one bolt sticking down. I have another CA seat, spring and hinge I'll be using to return it to original.

It's up in Bellingham, so I'll be waiting till the weather warms to pick it up.

mvphoto11311.jpg


mvphoto11312.jpg
 
The hand clutch is the main difference.....it disconnects the right rear axle, allowing the hyd and pto to run. Very spendy to repair, so some bolt the halves together or take it out and replace the axle with a solid one. I have a C and two CA"s. The CA hyd pump/valve is the same as WD/WD45....4 piston, vs 2 on the C.
 

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