[AT] Farmall Super M, Stage II, question down in the weeds

[Dean Vinson]

Hi Dudley.  Hmmm, interesting theory about the drilling/tapping being part
of the sequential progression.  I'd thought maybe the castings were only
drilled and tapped if the original customer ordered whatever attachment went
there.  But your observation seems to be correct, at least with our small
sample:  The tractor in the photo I'd posted had a serial number of 48xxx
and had the untapped mounting bosses, and there were two other
lower-serial-number Stage II SMs at the show and I believe both of those
were untapped as well (I'm certain about one of them but I didn't photograph
the other and can't remember for sure).  Yours at 49xxx and mine at 51xxx
have the bosses drilled and tapped.  

Even if they were generic to all of the Stage II SMs, that's a pretty
limited lifespan for something functional rather than aesthetic.

Speaking of which, your SM has the "transitional" blanks in the grille where
the MTA grilles have mounting holes, doesn't it?  I seem to remember you
answering a post of mine about that a few years ago.

Thanks--

Dean


-----Original Message-----
From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
[mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of
drupert at seanet.com
Sent: Friday, July 16, 2010 2:19 AM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: Re: [AT] Farmall Super M, Stage II, question down in the weeds

Dean,

Interesting question ... I wish I knew the answer -

>From what you've reported I take it that Stage I SM's don't have the
vertical Bose's, the early Stage IIs do have them but not the drilled and
taped holes, the later Stage IIs have the drilled and taped holes and
SMTAs (at least mine) does not even have the vertical Bose's ... an
interesting progression/regression.

My SM, which is SN 49xxx (that is a very late stage II), has the drilled
and taped holes ... they are 7/16" which, compared with all the other
drilled and taped holes on the side of the M, is pretty small so whatever
was intended to be mounted there must have been a relatively small
attachment and it must not have proved very popular.

Incidentally, Dean, what is the SN of your' SM?

Dudley>


Hi gang.  I've noticed something on my recently-acquired late Super M that
> I
> can't quite figure out.  Cast into the left side of the chassis, right
> above
> where the Lift-All ports would have been on an M or early Super M, there
> are
> three small flat vertical faces, each one drilled and tapped for a machine
> screw.  I assume they're mounting bosses for some type of attachment, but
> can't figure out what it might have been.  Any of you folks know?
>
> This evening at the Miami Valley Steam Threshers show in Plain City, Ohio,
> I
> checked out several other Super Ms.  The Stage I Super Ms, from both
> Farmall
> Works and Louisville, didn't have the mounting bosses.  The Stage IIs,
> from
> both Farmall Works and Louisville, did have them, although they weren't
> drilled and tapped like they are on my tractor.  Here's a photo of one of
> the tractors from the show:
> http://www.vinsonfarm.net/photos/Super_M_left_side.jpg.
>
> Anyway, I'm curious what they were used for.  There are no comparable
> mounting points on the right side of the tractor.  The belt pulley drive
> is
> on the right side of the tractor at about that same relative location, so
> I
> thought maybe they were used to help secure something that attaches to the
> pulley drive, like the Electrall generators.  But the Electralls didn't
> come
> out until later, and the Super MTAs and 400s don't have these mounting
> bosses.
>
> Anybody know the story?
>
> Thanks much.
>
> Dean Vinson
> Dayton, Ohio
> www.vinsonfarm.net