Farmall A running again.

Near as I can tell, my Grandfather's A was parked in the barn within a year or two of his passing in '91. I lived several provinces away for most of that time but now that I'm closer I decided to get her going. I had used the hand crank to turn the engine over when visiting over the years so she wasn't stuck or anything. I grew up driving this A as a kid but this site and a manual have been very helpful.

The serial number would indicate a '44 built model however some sites list it as a '45. It is pretty origional except for the mag being disconnected and a 12v coil added. The generator is still on and the wiring will need further attention for sure.

I cleaned up the points, main ground wire, the starter switch, changed all of the fluids and oil filter, spark plugs, etc. The gas tank was empty and surprisingly clean. The gas bowl and carb were a mess so I cleaned them and rebuilt the carb. Yesterday was the moment of truth so with a fire extinguisher standing by I hit the starter and she fired right up! Ran a bit snotty at first but settled down after warming up and a drive around the yard.

The charging system will need some attention as it fluctuated between little charge and a whole lot (blew out both lights). The wiring is a mess.

Great old rig and I look forward to my girls learning to drive it like I did. It really wet my appetite for a Super C or Super M though. I'm looking for the right one.

Ya sort of funny how these old tractors can sit for years and with a little TLC be put back in service. Me when ever I get one that has sat for year I do an ATF treatment to them just to be sure the rings etc do not stick

(quoted from post at 19:22:12 12/05/10) Ya sort of funny how these old tractors can sit for years and with a little TLC be put back in service. Me when ever I get one that has sat for year I do an ATF treatment to them just to be sure the rings etc do not stick

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Since I still live about 2 hours drive from where the tractor is, my revival of it happened over about two months. During that time I sprayed fluid film in the cylinders and later some diesel into the head along with some hand cranking to free everything up. Once I put new oil and filter in, I cranked it until new oil came out the filter drain. Seems to have worked.

Now to figure out the tangle of wires.

That 12v conversion willl have meant some cobblin' on the wires, but nothing major. From stock magneto wiring, it would require only a two-pole switch on the hot to the coil to replace the single-pole grounding switch used to kill the mag. That and a bulb or diode inline between the switch and the alternator to keep the alternator from draining the battery. BobM has had a very helpful set of wiring diagrams posted for some time, showing each layout -- link is below. Follow the link, and compare diagrams 4 and 5. (5 is for an H/M, but the concept is the same - bulb or diode inline in the #1 wire from the alternator.)

I restored the '47 BN my grandfather and his dad bought together when new. Along time int he works, and a lbor of love, but the old girl started up on the third pull of the crank.

Nothin' quite like gettin' an old family tractor runnin' again. Have fun with it!

Sorry 'bout that.
Farmer Bobs most helpful wiring diagrams