exhaust valve on Farmall A

joey sharp · Nov 3, 2008

we have a farmall A that has a valve on top of the exhaust manuifold ,under the muffler. It has a damper init that has a control arm on it .there is a pipe going to right side of tractor to a box with a contorl run up bt hand thortle by operator .It is not complet. Does anyone know what it is for .?

MikeinKy · Nov 3, 2008

exhaust operated lift

Janicholson · Nov 3, 2008

Prior to the use of Hydraulics on A-B Farmalls, IH made an exhaust powered lift system. It was composed of a manifold with a valve that could shut off the muffler, and a pneumatic cylinder that used the resulting back pressure to lift implements. It worked pretty well. but was not anywhere as competent or powerful as Hydraulics. The issues were deterioration due to corrosion/moisture,
Low power, poor position control, clumsy location for the "power" cylinder, and obstruction of view.
The only claim it could make is it was "live" (it worked with the clutch disengaged. JimN

randy297 · Nov 3, 2008

I am in the process of rebuilding (trying anyway) the exhaust lift on my 1940 Farmall A. I have tryed to find information on it to no avail. I have only seen one old picture of the lift cylinder on the front left side of the motor, but it was from a distance.
I have all of the parts but they are pitted badly. The cast iron valve assembly on the exhaust manifold is cracked and has a large hole just before the pipe threads. They to are gone. I plan to fix the cracks with either braze or cast iron weld.
I was able to get the valve on the right side apart today. It was full of crud. I'm not to sure how it works as of yet. My next step is the lift cylinder.
I have been told that it is rare to find these. Even if it doesn't work it will still be fun to have on the tractor.
If your interested in seeing what I have I'll send you pictures.
...Randy...

Anonymous-0 · Nov 4, 2008

The valve on the right side is used as a check valve to hold the pressure when the implement is up and to release the pressure when you want the implement down. These systems were unique as the A and B Farmalls were the only tractors that ever used such a system. The downfall was letting the tractor out in the elements. We had on on a B that was trouble free for 15yrs. I made some great money cultivating corn thru high school after we were done at home as that always came first. I would guess it averaged covering probably 300A per year. I now have a couple and show and use them and run into people at shows that had them also. I get a kick out of the bad reports about the systems as those who run them down never used them. If you need help i would be glad to help.

Anonymous-0 · Nov 4, 2008

How did it obstruck the view what implement did you have that caused the problem and which implement did you have trouble lifting.

Don in Texas · Nov 4, 2008

I have a lift cylinder off a Farmall A but do not have the other parts. Would sell or trade.It has primer. Have not took apart so do not know what is inside.

Jim Becker · Nov 4, 2008

(quoted from post at 22:51:10 11/03/08 ) I have tryed to find information on it to no avail. I have only seen one old picture of the lift cylinder on the front left side of the motor, but it was from a distance.

Parts are all illustrated and listed in the tractor Parts Catalog. Reprint of the Owner's Instruction manual is available from Binder Books ($9). I had a 4 page article in Red Power Magazine September-October 2003 that is still available as a back issue ($5). That should get you started.

The last I knew, a few of the most common repair parts were still available from CaseIH (not the pressure valve though).

Low power, poor position control, clumsy location for the "power" cylinder, and obstruction of view.

I don't follow these criticisms either. It wasn't very powerful but was adequate to lift the implements it was designed for. It was only intended to do up and down. Position was typically handled by separate hand controls that worked fine (same as was done with hydraulic Liftall on many H/M implements). Cylinder location was determined by the implement (same as is done with a remote hydraulic cylinder) and I can't think of any of those locations that obstructed the view.

It was a pain to change from some implements to others on an A or B, but that was more because of the implement design than the power lift.

Janicholson · Nov 4, 2008

Gene, it sticks up in front as an obstruction to forward sight. Not a disaster, but there. Depending on use, it was limited (not with IH tools or implements) in strength. Just general comments, not vast experience, our neighbor had one. JimN

randy297 · Nov 4, 2008

Gene, thanks for your comments. I went to our local IH dealer here in Fresno, CA. today. They gave me exploded diagrams of all three parts of the lift system. They did say that the part numbers all come up as "unavailable." I would love to find someone who might have parts but will try to make do.
The main problem is, as you said, the corrosion to the valve body on the manifold. It is substantial. I plan to braze the cracks and patch the hole. Do you think that will work? The valve assembly itself has come loose from the manifold and I hope to braze it back on as well.
I'll try to find the past issue of Red Power magazine with the artical. I would like to see how the lift cylinder mounts and cable attachments.
Thanks
Randy

Anonymous-0 · Nov 5, 2008

The cable system was used for the cultivator most other uses were just mounting it to the implement in different places like for a sickle mower, a middle buster,lister planter,front and rear planters. In no case did the cyclinder mount to hide visability in any way just another old tale. The system worked great for us on the cult and served many years. I have talked to other guys my age and without a doubt most will say how well it worked. It still is a treat for me to use the B on the neighbors sweet corn doing several passes in the different stages of the corn. I even rigged up the A-437 veggie on the A and did the 30in rows two rows at a time should have set it for three as he planted with a 6 row 30in on center. The bad news is he no longer raises sweet corn and planted soybeans instead.

CNKS · Nov 5, 2008

Well, not exactly. My dad had a prewar and a postwar B. The prewar one had a mechanical lift, the postwar the exhaust lift. Many tractors in those days did not have hydraulics. I drove the postwar for one summer. The lift worked fine. It was strictly a cultivating tractor and lifted cultivators as well as the lift all on our H. And it was "live". In those days we didn't think much about the live part. Crude compared to today's hydraulics, or even the live ones on the C, Super H and Super M, etc. But, it worked fine for us. I, also, do not remember any obstruction of view. For cultivators it mounted on the left side of the grille on the offset tractors.

exhaust valve on Farmall A

joey sharp

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MikeinKy

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Janicholson

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randy297

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Anonymous-0

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Don in Texas

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Jim Becker

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