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1939 Farmall F20
- Thread starter rmcshane
- Start date
Help Support IH Cub Cadet Tractor Forum:
Here is an update on this F-20 I bought a while back...
Since the last picture the engine took a turn for the worse. The engine would miss horribly and would hardly pull itself around. I ran it a several shows and it just kept getting worse and worse. I parked it over last winter and most of this summer due to college graduation and starting my new job. finally a few months ago I brought it to my new house and did some diagnostics. Switched mags, switched carbs, messed with points, valve clearances, etc. Not a thing changed. Finally did a compression test on it...only 30-50 pounds in each of the 4 cylinders...valve time!
Pulled the head off it...and looked at the valves. They were very sharp, had to be close to original valves. I ordered a complete set of new valves and a complete engine gasket kit from Rice Equipment. took the head in to a local machine shop where they ground the valve seats AND I had them mill the head down .060 for that extra "umph". I put it all back together and fired it up. It ran better but still missed and banged more than I liked. So next was a change from Champoin W-14 plugs to Autolite 3076 plugs...that made all the difference in the world. Been running like a champ since. It got too late this fall to try plowing with it, but my hopes are to pull a 3-16 bottom plow with it at a plow day. Many old time farmers have told me stories ( possibly strrrretched stories) about them or their neighbors pulling 3-16 plows with their 4" piston equipped 20. So, the theory will be tested.
There are no pics as of right now but I haven't done any painting on it yet. Still enjoying running it for now!
Since the last picture the engine took a turn for the worse. The engine would miss horribly and would hardly pull itself around. I ran it a several shows and it just kept getting worse and worse. I parked it over last winter and most of this summer due to college graduation and starting my new job. finally a few months ago I brought it to my new house and did some diagnostics. Switched mags, switched carbs, messed with points, valve clearances, etc. Not a thing changed. Finally did a compression test on it...only 30-50 pounds in each of the 4 cylinders...valve time!
Pulled the head off it...and looked at the valves. They were very sharp, had to be close to original valves. I ordered a complete set of new valves and a complete engine gasket kit from Rice Equipment. took the head in to a local machine shop where they ground the valve seats AND I had them mill the head down .060 for that extra "umph". I put it all back together and fired it up. It ran better but still missed and banged more than I liked. So next was a change from Champoin W-14 plugs to Autolite 3076 plugs...that made all the difference in the world. Been running like a champ since. It got too late this fall to try plowing with it, but my hopes are to pull a 3-16 bottom plow with it at a plow day. Many old time farmers have told me stories ( possibly strrrretched stories) about them or their neighbors pulling 3-16 plows with their 4" piston equipped 20. So, the theory will be tested.
There are no pics as of right now but I haven't done any painting on it yet. Still enjoying running it for now!
mhomrighausen
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2001
- Messages
- 3,133
- displayname
- Marlin Homrighausen
Ryan M. The stories aren't stretched in the least bit. I had four inch Gould pistons put in my F20 when I bought it. They were from Tractor Supply way back when I was your age. The F20 would pull the #37 fourteen foot disc in plowed ground in first gear with no problem. Now if you want some additional power then put a Super M carburetor on the tractor. A LOT of farmers told me their F20 would out perform the M they had purchased.
Now when looking for OEM style and quality decals... The original factory decals had two different colors of gold trim on the outer decal area and not one dark gold like most reproductions are. Hopefully one day I get back to that storage shed with the M&W and Heisler overdrives that you can install on your tractors. Plus some other neat F20 parts that if Janey and you help load I'll send home with you.
(OEM muffler pipe.)
Now when looking for OEM style and quality decals... The original factory decals had two different colors of gold trim on the outer decal area and not one dark gold like most reproductions are. Hopefully one day I get back to that storage shed with the M&W and Heisler overdrives that you can install on your tractors. Plus some other neat F20 parts that if Janey and you help load I'll send home with you.
Ryan, I'm glad your post had a happy ending. My heart sank after reading the first sentence in the first paragraph about the engine taking a turn for the worse.
Good to read that it has actually improved.
