[AT] Farmall A? question

[Mike Sloane]

Again, you need to verify this with someone like Guy Fay, but I believe 
that it was IH's practice at that time to age the engine castings for 
several months after pouring. The purpose was to allow the internal 
stresses to relieve themselves. So a block cast in May might not be 
built into a tractor until perhaps November (allowing some time for rail 
shipping from the foundry to the assembly plant). This was also in the 
days before JIT ("Just In Time") production inventory management, and 
you can never know how long components sat around at the assembly plant 
before being built into a tractor.

Relative to other production dating schemes, it was also IH's practice 
to use up all of the parts inventory on hand before making a changeover 
to a replacement production part. So if engineering wanted to change to 
a different magneto switch, for instance, the change wouldn't occur 
until the factory had used up all the old switches they had on hand. 
And, of course, you can never tell what failed parts were replaced with, 
either in the field or by a dealer, over the 60+ years of a tractor's 
life - "if it fits and it works and the tractor can be used, it is the 
correct replacement part".

Michael Miller wrote:
> Also, while in the barn, I looked at the date code on the motor and it 
> is 4-17-J, making this tractor built in late April or early May.
> 
> 

-- 
Mike Sloane
Allamuchy NJ
Email: (msloane at att.net)
Website: <http://www.geocities.com/mikesloane>
Tractor images: <www.fotki.com/mikesloane>
Work: none - Retired!

Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.
-Albert Einstein, physicist, Nobel laureate (1879-1955)

_______________________________________________
AT mailing list
http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at