What tools are needed for farm tractor restoration?

FiftyCalAl · May 22, 2009

My Father-in-law wants to restore his 1970s (edited) model International Harvester tractor. He just bought a 1995 Ford 3930.

I plan on helping him restore the old one, and maintain the newer one. When he is no longer able, the full duty falls to me and my young daughter.

I bought the 5 piece large size Craftsman Pro wrench set and have some very large Knipex 22" Cobras. Any suggestions on "must have" tools to work on tractors? Thanks Alan

snapmom · May 22, 2009

fleetline restores tractors, you could PM him.

speed bump · May 22, 2009

Off the top of my head.

plug (square) sockets
OA torch
3/4" drive socket set
lots of thread repair tools and everyone of you favorite rusty fastener removal tools

Mr.Nutcase · May 22, 2009

I guess you would need basic tools...... Standard...
3/4 stuff... and 1/2 impacts

sk farmer · May 22, 2009

sae only. basic wrenches from 3/8 to 1 1/4 and sockets of similar sizes will do almost anything to those old tractors. 3/8 drive should cover all but the largest sizes loosening rusted fasteners will be your biggest problem. old timers maintained them with little more than a hammer, adjustable wrench and a pliers.

71Datsun510Wagon · May 22, 2009

Got Tools ? Check !

Now get this!... http://tinyurl.com/p3gg8k

Any of Roger Welsch's tractor books are worth reading!

A_Pmech · May 22, 2009

What kind of "International" tractor?

What kind of restoration? Are you planning to split the tractor?

ryan_289 · May 22, 2009

A blue wrench :bounce:

Seriously, A LOT of those bolts are likely to be rusted tight. So dont put the breaker bar and cheater pipe on them and just snap them off! Use the torch to expand the material around the bolts to get them to bust loose.

Restoring tractors is a lot of work but you will learn a lot in the process

walrus · May 22, 2009

If your going to split the tractor, jacks and blocking. I've split a ford several times and old tractors are heavy. I didn't have any issues with rusty bolts and you don't need that many tools like you do a new car

Diesel_Crawler · May 22, 2009

sk farmer said:
sae only. basic wrenches from 3/8 to 1 1/4 and sockets of similar sizes will do almost anything to those old tractors. 3/8 drive should cover all but the largest sizes loosening rusted fasteners will be your biggest problem. old timers maintained them with little more than a hammer, adjustable wrench and a pliers.

You must be fortunate, i did not got pliers i got vice grips an adjustable and the adjustable doubled as a hammer!

TRTOOLSUPPLY · May 22, 2009

Hey Alan,
My Dad ,as a hobby bought and sold over 250+ tractors in about 20years.We had alot of IH,case,IH cub's and some rare ones,like LEADER,LeRoy,CO-OP neat old tractors!!!!

Like alot of the guys are saying:

O & A torch!

Your friend the "Bloomfield" Jack (Hi-Lift) for wheel changes,spliting the case,etc...

FiftyCalAl · May 22, 2009

Here is a picture of the IH 454 (ignore the bee gums) and one of the Ford 3930.

I have had great success with Kroil in freeing rusted bolts and cleaning cruddy bores.

Will a handheld propane torch work to help the expansion or do we need the oxyacetylene torch to get hotter temps?

What about a sandblaster? Any good ones you can recommend that won't break the bank?

I am a novice with tractors - what do you mean 'split' the tractor. We already replaced the alternator.

My father-in-law is now 74yoa and used this IH when my wife was small. He wants to rebuild it to use and for my toddler daughter to have. It is gonna be a chore of love. He knows a lot, I do not, when it comes to tractors. I want to be able to have the tools that will make this easy and I will do most of the labor because his Parkinsons disallows good usage of his arms. Thanks for your advise. I want to do all I can to help him relive a time gone by and also to keep him active.

ryan_289 · May 22, 2009

Split the tractor means exactly what it sounds like! If the clutch is out or you need to work on the transmission, rear main engine seal, etc you have to split the tractor in half. I work at a John Deere dealership, I see em split every day

A_Pmech · May 22, 2009

Cutting torch for certain. There will probably be a few bolts and nuts you need to cut off. Some will be in awkward locations.

Tractors don't have frames like cars. The engine, transmission, and final drive ARE the frames. If you have to do any internal work, you'll have to split the tractor. A flat, smooth, concrete surface and a large rolling floor jack are your friends here, along with lots of blocking. A gantry crane is even better.

You'll certainly want a sandblaster. I suggest a 10-gallon Clarke brand or similar pressure pot unit from your farm supply. They work great, much better than a siphon blaster. Be sure to use a respirator with an N-100 cartridge.

Beyond that, large drive tools are your friend. The only thing you'll need a 3/8 ratchet for on a tractor is installing the alternator bracket. 1/2" and 3/4" drive are the order of the day.

On that IH, you'll want to drain out the drive and transmission. I bet they're full of water. Replace the shifter boot(s) on the top of the transmission, that's where water gets in when they crack and wear out.

Looks like the rims are rotted too. You can buy new blank rims. Simply torch out the old mounting hardware and re-weld inside your new rim. Unless you plan to pull hard with it, fill the tires with air only.

Have fun! :beer:

v8garage · May 22, 2009

The International 454 tractor is not a 50's era tractor. It had a two year model run in 1972 and 1973.
V/8

Autoguy · May 23, 2009

Let us see it after it is completely rstored.

FiftyCalAl · May 23, 2009

v8garage said:
The International 454 tractor (skip) had a two year model run in 1972 and 1973.
V/8

Thank you! Like I said, I am pretty much a novice when it comes to farm tractors, but am learning :pimpflash

safetyfast · May 23, 2009

Got to get some of those big jack stands.

Art From De Leon · May 23, 2009

Probably will be overkill for a one time restoration, but consider getting a set of splitting stands. The best will have a threaded adjustment to allow you to adjust the height when you go to roll it back together. Make yourself a couple of long guide bolts, and DO NOT use the attaching bolts on the bell housing to pull the tractor back together, often times you must either turn the engine, or PTO shaft to get the splines to line up, trying to force it is a good way to destroy some high dollar parts.
What you also need to watch is the balance point when you split a tractor, if you have a set of front end weights, if you remove the engine, things could turn to **** rather quickly. The same goes for blocking the wide front to keep it from pivoting, I have never seen this happen, but have been told of the necessity for doing it many times.

What tools are needed for farm tractor restoration?

FiftyCalAl

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snapmom

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speed bump

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Mr.Nutcase

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sk farmer

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71Datsun510Wagon

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A_Pmech

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ryan_289

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walrus

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Diesel_Crawler

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TRTOOLSUPPLY

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FiftyCalAl

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ryan_289

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A_Pmech

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v8garage

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Autoguy

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FiftyCalAl

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safetyfast

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Art From De Leon

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