Matching my serial # to engine

Just for example my SA is serial number 336977 with engine serial number 338597. My 130 is serial number 9313 with engine serial number 56651. My 140 is serial number 22157 with engine serial number 102230. I know those all have factory engine blocks. I have seen a similar spread in other tractors. As you can see the gap kept widening after the introduction of the C-123 block. On the surface it would look as though C-123 blocks had a sequence of numbers whether used in SA, SC, 100, 200, 130, 230, 140 or 240. I only have one problem with that idea, I think there too many SC and SA to make that idea add up.

The block did change again around 1954 to 56 so just maybe they started at 501 with engine serial numbers. The block part number of my SA is 354898 R1, 130 is 366204 R1 and 140 is 367825 R2. I have another example a tractor owner of a 100 sent me, tractor serial number 1666 and block part number 354898 R3. At that time I asked him for the engine serial number, just to give me a bit better understanding of what actually did take place. He never did send it and has now disappeared from YT forums. I certainly don't have all the answers. I've seen other folks who think they have the answers, but their reasoning is full of holes also. I guess we just strive for more examples, see if a sequence develops.

The 2 engine numbers are so different, that I think it is pretty clear that the Super A and Super C engines did not share a common engine number sequence. The last C was 80432 and the first Super C was 100001. With the Super C serial and engine numbers running so close in 6/52, it seems unlikely that the Super C engine numbers continued straight from the C engine numbers. Makes me suspect that Super C engines started with 100001 as well. By the way, the first Super A in 1/53 was serial 336880 engine 338358.

First numbers from July 1954 provide a few more pieces:
Super A 355639 engine 357449
Super A1 356001 engine 206628
Super C 197298 engine 206239
Based on the looks of those engine numbers and since the Super A1 used the C-123 engine, it looks like from the point production of the Super A1, it and the Super C shared a single sequence of engine numbers.

Looking at The start of 100/200 production:
Nov 1954
F100 501 engine 572
I100 501 engine 976
F200 501 engine 663
Dec 1954
F100 1070 engine 1389
I100 502 emgine 1694
F200 745 engine 1416
So yes, it looks like the 100/200 shared a single set of engine sequence numbers, but they evidently started the engine numbers over (at 501?) for those tractors.

In September 1956, the LAST of each model:
F100 18940 engine 35930
F200 15698 engine 35131

Looking at The start of 130/230 production:
Nov 1956
F130 501 engine 36046
F230 501 engine 36001
So it looks like the 130/230 shared a single engine sequence starting at 36001, about where 100/200 engines left off.

In May 1958, the LAST of each model:
F130 10209 engine 58560
F230 7671 engine 57745

Looking at The start of 140/240 production:
June 1958
F140 501 engine 65046
F240 501 engine 65032
I240 501 engine 65017
So it looks like the 140/240 shared a single engine sequence starting at 65001.

Cub and Louisville Super M numbers get to be another whole story. It looks like there were several intentional gaps in Cub serial numbers but not the engine numbers.

That is about what I can make from the numbers I have seen. I hope I didn't put any typos in all these numbers.

I remember once in early 1950s, being at a local fair with my dad who at the time was looking at a second tractor to team with his new H. He was looking for a tractor that could do row crops, mow and rake hay, plus pull the manure spreader. He had his first loader on the H. His three brothers each had an A or SA as an only tractor on their farms, milking 12 to 20 cows. Dad was milking 25 and had been farming with a W4 and a team of horses. He had traded the W4 on the H, then realized horses should have gone and kept the W4 just to pull the manure spreader. Could have mowed and raked with H or W4, but dad was also growing some vegetable root crops and wanted an offset.

Getting back to the fair and IH dealers display of new machines. His display was adjacant to the carnie rides. IH dealer was quick to point out that every one of those rides requiring about 20 hp had either a SA or SC engine. He had some great advertizing, 80% of those rides had an engine with a IH letter series grill. The dealer was quick to point out that if IH engines could withstand the abuse of those guys dished out, they would last most farmers a lifetime. How true, the dealer is gone to his rewards, so is dad, and his brothers, but most of those little Farmalls are still going. Can't accuse that IH dealer of false advertising.

Would these U or stationary applications of engines explain the spread in engine and tractor serial numbers that continued to grow both with SA and SC? I also have a nagging suspicion those stationary engine numbers may have been larger than the spread.

The idea that engine numbers were shared by tractors and power units seems reasonable. Replacement engines, when sold as complete engines probably had a shared sequence as well. I have never dug deep enough into power unit numbers to outright say they explain the rest of the engine numbers. Not quite ready to climb out on that limb.

I thought I had a power unit serial list here somewhere, but can't put my hands on it right now.

I will continue on another post.