[AT] Massey Harris #1 & Challenger

Thu Mar 11 20:38:01 PST 2004

Hi Grant,
First off, I need you to email me your address. A few years ago, You and I
corresponded off list on the engine list about Wallis tractors. I told you
that I had a parts book for the K and OK tractors and that I would send it
to you. Since then, that catalog has been sitting on my desk because I
know I promised it to someone, but couldn't read my own writing on the
post it note stuck to it.
The number 1 is a family heirloom sort of thing. My Grandfather and
Great-Grandfather were pretty good mechanics, but their Scots-Irish
heritage showed in that they were tight with a dollar, if they bought it
it had to be priced right and they kept stuff till it was worn out. For
years we used John Deere 12a, 25 and finally 30 combines because they went
cheap on the auctions. We had a lot of them parked out back for parts.
So, we kept our old tractors as long as we could keep them running. We
used the #1 for grinding feed, the Challenger for filling our little silo
and for some field work. On our light sand, I could pull 3 14's with it
and did a lot of work with it. I got started with it first because it had
a hand clutch and later because it didn't have an electric starter and I
was a big kid, and could crank it. It was used all the time until the
early to mid 80's. We had other tractors, a 33, a 44 Special and a MF 165,
but a lot of time I wound up using the Challenger for stuff like raking
hay and pulling a grain drill. After I grew up and started spending all my
time in the shop instead of the field, we got some more modern stuff, a MF
2675 and the last one we bought before we quit was a John Deere 3155. I
wasn't happy with Pa for buying the Deere instead of a new Massey, but it
was his money and I didn't have to use it.
I got into engines by going to shows with my Grandpa. We went to a lot of
shows and I was fascinated by engines. So, we started collecting. I got my
first engine when I was 12. I owned several tractors and now regret having
gotten rid of many of them. Among them was a model K Wallis that I had
traded a f-20 for. THe Wallis was rough, but I got it running with the
help of a man named E.F. Schmidt, down around Sandusky, Ohio. I wonder if
he is still alive, he was guite old then, and that was 15 years ago. He
was an awfully nice guy and fixed me up with parts and information. The K
was neat in that the water pump acted as the governor. When the engine ran
fast, the pump pressurized the block and moved a rubber diaphragm against
a push plate mounted behind the fan bracket. On this push plate was boss
on which a lver was pivoted, one end of the lever had linkage going to the
carby and the other end went to a spring tensioned by the throttle rod.
The water pump was mounted in the bottom of the radiator and driven off
the front of the crankshaft. It worked, but it was not th emost responsive
governor they could have built.
On my K, the bottom of the radiator was rusted out and Mr. Schmidt sold me
a NOS radiator for a couple hundred dollars. It was very nice and I
rebuilt my waterpump and put it all together. 
My Wallis used a Bennett model J, 1 1/4" carby. The one on the tractor was
shot, filled with water and froze. I got very lucky and got one at
Portland in 1987 for $25. The magneto was a Berling EQ-41 and I bought a
hot mag with the bracket for $150. I have an extra bracket if anyone needs
one. I also have a tin air filter, in tough shape. The air filter was the
sort that used a mason jar to catch the dirt in.
My Wallis ran pretty good, but the carby really wanted to frost up, even
though there was a heater on the exhaust elbow to preheat the incoming
air. I would start the tractor and then let it run a few minutes until it
frosted up and quit, then let it sit a few minutes and the heat from the
engine would defrost it, then start it up again and it would run all day.
I never liked that about it and I guess that is why I sold it.
I called my Ma tonight and she is going to look for photos of the #1, the
Wallis and the Challenger. I will see what she comes up with and put them
on my website and send a link.
The water pump on the Challenger is not like the one on the Wallis
tractors. It is a little more modern with an oddball mechanical seal
instead of packing. I found a picture in the manual and will get it
scanned and put on my website in the next few days. My manual is like new,
I could scan it and put it on a CD in Acrobat format if anyone wants a
copy. I have done a lot of gas engine manuals that way and have a 520 page
John Deere master parts book that I want to do yet this winter. The JD
book is really neat and a buddy wants me to do it for him, so I will.
I need a seat spring for my Challenger, Grandpa threw the original away
after he had a little problem with it. He had a MH binder with a bundle
carrier, it was PTO drive and he had the rope to trip the bundle carried
tied through one of the holes in the seat. One day the rope got caught in
the PTO and he said he found himself squatting there hanging onto the
steering wheel for dear life after the seat dissapeared out from under
him. He replaced the original seat with a Velvet Ride, so I need to get an
original seat spring.
Sorry for rambling,
Joe

--- Grant Weir <grantweird at hotmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Wow, that's a super cool couple of tractors you've got there -
> especially 
> the #1 Massey!  I'm sure you are well aware of what a treasure you have 
> there Joe, even more so in that it's in it's original clothes. :-)  
> There's 
> one coming up for sale out this way this summer and they are touting it
> as 
> being one of three in Canada.  I think that might be stretching it a bit
> but 
> it's still a VERY rare tractor to be sure.  Any pictures?
> 
> I've never heard of anyone offering replacements for those pumps.  I
> only 
> have experience with the water pumps from the Wallis tractor, but being
> as 
> how the MH Challenger is just a Wallis in green overalls, I'll bet they
> are 
> much the same.  Mine was pretty simple inside and relied mostly on the 
> magneto drive gear to hold the shaft in position on the one end and the 
> water pumps own packing to hold up the other end near the impeller.  I 
> pressed a new shaft into the impeller, jammed some new packing in there
> and 
> called it a day.  The shaft could probably even be built up with some
> brass 
> and returned with alright results.  I've never seen water leaking out of
> 
> mine - yet. :-)
> 
> Good luck and get us some pictures man!  If your really stuck, I konw
> where 
> there is a Challenger at a wrecking yard near here.  I could check it
> out, 
> but I'll bet it need rebuilding too.  Hmmm....
> 
> Grant Weir
> Saskatoon, SK.
> Canada
> 
> 
> >
> >>From: Joe Prindle <joe_prindle2001 at yahoo.com>
> >>Reply-To: Antique tractor email discussion group 
> >><at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> >>To: at at lists.antique-tractor.com
> >>Subject: [AT] Massey Harris #1 & Challenger
> >>Date: Sun, 7 Mar 2004 23:27:37 -0800 (PST)
> >>
> >>I am actually an engine collector, but have two Massey-Harris tractors
> >>that have been in the family since they were new. One is a MH #1,
> built by
> >>Parrett in the teens, and the other is a Challenger, built in 1936. I
> dug
> >>the #1 out last week and got it running again, didn't take too much,
> clean
> >>the points in the mag, blow out the fuel line and oil it up. The
> >>Challenger is another story. I last ran it in 1992, and the Bosch U-4
> mag
> >>on it died. I am looking to send the mag off for a rebuild, but want
> to
> >>find a good mag guy to do the work. I had it rebuilt by Branson in
> 1990
> >>and it didn't last long. He charged me a couple hundred bucks and all
> he
> >>did was repair the coil, even though I paid for a total rebuild,
> including
> >>a new coil. I am not at all pleased with the work they did and would
> junk
> >>the tractor before giving them any more of my money. After all these
> >>years, it still really ticks me off.
> >>The other problem with the Challenger is the water pump is worn out
> and
> >>leaking badly. I suppose I can repair it myself if I have to, but
> would
> >>rather pay to have it done by someone who is a professional. Can
> anyone
> >>recommend a place to get it done?
> >>I am looking forward to getting both tractors in good running order,
> but
> >>will not repaint them any time in the near future. THe #1 has too much
> >>good original paint to mess with and the Challenger was repainted in
> 1967
> >>by a cousin who was in FFA at the time, he didn't use the right shade
> of
> >>green, but I don't want to have the time to do it right, so I will
> just
> >>leave it as it is for now.
> >>Many Thanks,
> >>Joe Prindle
> >>Wisconsin Rapids, WI
> >>
> >>
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=====
Joe Prindle
Wisconsin Rapids, WI, USA
Collector of Steam Engines
& Mechanical Antiques
www.tznet.com/jprindle

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