Farmall Cub

I have an old Farmall Super C I think is about a 1959 that my father gave to me about 25 years ago. I am trying to adjust the valves in the head to make it run better. Turning it over with the crank to the TD 1-4 on the flywheel just after cylinder #1 intake valve closed got me to the position to adjust the valves on cylinder #1. The instruction book says to turn it over a half revolution to adjust the valves on cylinder #3. My question is, can I just guess at the correct position of the crank handle, rotating it half the way around? Or is there supposed to be another mark on the flywheel at this position? Then half way around again gets me to the flywheel mark and adjusting #4. And then there is the guess half way around to adjust #2 again?

with on # cylinder 1 adjust 1,2,3 and 5 valve 0n # 4 cyl. adjust 4,6.7 and 8 valve I believe
boss

lash is .014 on intake and exhaust up to engine # 95096 and .014 intake and .020 exhaust on engine # 95097 and up

Boss Hog wrote:with on # cylinder 1 adjust 1,2,3 and 5 valve 0n # 4 cyl. adjust 4,6.7 and 8 valve I believe
boss

I think last time about 2 years ago I tried using this pattern as suggested by someone on one of these tractor web sites. And the engine went from easy to start to cranking it for several minutes to get it started. And it never ran very smoothly or had much power. So I thought I better go back to the instructions in the user manual I have for the tractor, which is the same manual I found on this site. And I found most of the valves were grossly out of adjustment by the book method, except for cylinder #1. So I used the book method and pattern by turning the engine over by one half a turn each starting with cylinder #1 after the intake valve had closed and the crank had been advanced to TD 1-4. After adjusting both #1 cylinder valves, I guessed at a one-half rotation of the crank, and adjusted both valves of cylinder #3, then turned the crank another one-half turn to TD 1-4 and did the valves on cylinder #4, and then turned another half turn and did cylinder #2 valves. And my question is, is guessing at the one-half turn between flywheel marks good enough? Or should I figure something else to measure the rotation more exactly?

Boss Hog wrote:lash is .014 on intake and exhaust up to engine # 95096 and .014 intake and .020 exhaust on engine # 95097 and up

Do you happen to know what year this transition took place? And where is the engine serial number? O will have to take a flashlight out to the barn and look for it.

Serial number is on the seat base.

Super C was only made from 1951 to 1954
C was made from 1948 to 1951

mountain4don wrote:

Boss Hog wrote:lash is .014 on intake and exhaust up to engine # 95096 and .014 intake and .020 exhaust on engine # 95097 and up

Do you happen to know what year this transition took place? And where is the engine serial number? I will have to take a flashlight out to the barn and look for it.

Ok, I am back from the barn with the number. On the magneto side of the tractor, just above the magneto cast into the block is the following letters and numbers:

FCM G
179784

And I think the tractor is a 1954 year Farmall Super C if I remember correctly. I sure appreciate the help with this to get the starting back the way it should be. It used to be the fastest starting machine on our farm, even in the middle of the winter it would start. But not since I adjusted the valves about 2 years ago.

tmays wrote:Serial number is on the seat base.

Super C was only made from 1951 to 1954
C was made from 1948 to 1951

Ok, another run to the barn. I got the engine number before. I'll go get the tractor serial number.

Ok, I am back from the barn again. Its after 9:00 PM here and dark out and my PF-Flyers are soaking wet. But the tractor Model is listed on the plate on the seat as FC and the Serial Number is 173592

So, I guess that puts this engine up in the range of having the intake valves at 0.014" and the exhaust at 0.020"?

I gave you the correct way to adjust the valves right out of the International Harvester Service manual # GSS-1295-J
I am also a tractor mechanic at a Case?ih dealership. You can take the information and use it or do it your way.
Boss

The advantage of doing it the way Boss has suggested it that you start at the TDC mark for #1 and adjust half the valves, you then rotate the engine one full rotation back to the TDC mark, now on #4, and adjust the remaining valves. No muss, no fuss with rotating a quarter turn at a time. As long as you get #1 TDC right, it is a reliable, time efficient method.

Good luck.

Bill

Boss Hog wrote:I gave you the correct way to adjust the valves right out of the International Harvester Service manual # GSS-1295-J
I am also a tractor mechanic at a Case?ih dealership. You can take the information and use it or do it your way.
Boss

No offense intended and I appreciate all the help you have been giving me. So far the only information I have seen was the old manual that I think came with my tractor. So I didn't have any other source for what the valve adjustments should be or how to do them except for what was in the manual. And I knew I had done something wrong when I attempted to adjust them last time. So I need all the help I can get on this.

Your numbers track back to May, 1953.

The change in the exhaust valve clearance probably matches the change from C to Super C. Here is the manual page with the adjusting procedure as described by Boss Hog.

Yours should take the later specs. The break is at engine # not serial #

mountain4don wrote:

Boss Hog wrote:I gave you the correct way to adjust the valves right out of the International Harvester Service manual # GSS-1295-J
I am also a tractor mechanic at a Case?ih dealership. You can take the information and use it or do it your way.
Boss

No offense intended and I appreciate all the help you have been giving me. So far the only information I have seen was the old manual that I think came with my tractor. So I didn't have any other source for what the valve adjustments should be or how to do them except for what was in the manual. And I knew I had done something wrong when I attempted to adjust them last time. So I need all the help I can get on this.

no offense taken, I just wanted you to know that I was giving you the correct info.