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bigredisb 
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Joined: 16 Aug 2016
Location: Racine WI
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 Topic: My D15 Series 1 Build
Posted: 16 Aug 2016 at 4:09pm |
Hello everyone. I have been lurking on your forum for quite some time as I prepared myself to start fixing up my very special to me Allis Chalmers D15 Series 1.
It all started as a very young boy when my grandpa and I would plow snow and if I was lucky he would let me run his WD. His WD was the first of a lot of firsts for me. Thats me already running the loader controls. I couldn't wait for seat time on his WD.
When it all started:
After a few close calls with the narrow front loader tractor he was quite determined to find a wide front tractor that I could get into less trouble with. We headed to Ella Wisconsin where he purchased a D15 and had it completely gone through (we were the second owners) and painted and a loader installed. When we were at the dealer trading in our WD he got me a toy WD to remember it by.
As soon as he had the chance he let me drive her. I always remember that day. I was about 7 years old or so and in those days these tractors felt like monsters to me.
Fast forward 30 years and we recently laid grandpa to rest. He went quick and we had some good times before we parted ways. At his ceremony only a handful of people saw me put my WD toy that he had got me the day we received our D15 into his coffin with him. He was a die hard Allis Chalmers fan to the end and he was even able to forgive me for going to work at Case IH.
After he passed some time went by and I was really concerned over the D15 and where it would end up. About a year after he passed my grandma realized how much it meant to me and even though I live smack dab in the city she gave me the tractor.
I have had the tractor for about a year and other than changing all the fluids and adding the 3 point conversion I just recently got started on the true repairs and restoration. I am removing the Paulson loader as we got every cent of life out of it. The loader frame had cracks all over it and the loader frame mounts were also cracked all over. The pump was also shot. I am wanting to restore the tractor back to a condition quality that still allows me to put it to use. Grandpa wouldn't see the value in a trailer queen. I have put my 49 Super A on hold for now to get the Allis back in shape. Most of my projects are all mechanically in great shape as that is what I am used to doing. Its the body work and paint that I am a total rookie.
Bad part is that the D15 is a smoker. It runs great and under the rocker cover she is spotless but again we used the hell out of it for a long time. I ordered a in frame kit with pistons, liners, and gaskets. The bearings are still nice and tight on it as she does not rattle at all and holds incredible oil pressure.
I just finished up getting all the gauges working again. New tach, new traction booster, tach cable.
The only sheet metal we were really missing was the right hand panel which I was just fitting up here:
The power shift wheel locks were fun to get broke loose but I got them and narrowed it up a bit. The tires were full of calcium chloride. When I say full I mean it. they would puke calcium even with the stem all the way up. I got most of it removed as I would rather run weights as needed.
New steering wheel installed loosely prior to getting her ready for paint and other work. I am planning to make a memorial that I can hang on the wall with his original wheel that had the creme well worn off it.
I also just converted it to 3 point so that I could use some other attachments easily. I didn't have the snap coupler hands but just ordered some so that it is somewhat complete. I would really like to put a 3-14 allis snap coupler plow on behind it.
Ill be posting questions and new developments as I go. Just waiting on parts to show up and busy hunting for headlights and 26x11 wheels (they are rotten from the the fluid).
Edited by bigredisb - 08 Sep 2016 at 8:05am
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1961 Allis-Chalmers D15
1949 Farmall Super A
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bigredisb
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Joined: 16 Aug 2016
Location: Racine WI
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Posted: 16 Aug 2016 at 4:15pm |
I found a couple of items on the tractor that were on it when we received it. Again we were second owners. On Facebook someone mentioned this was a for a toolbar depth control:
Also what appears to be some sort of homemade sway control for a 3 point possibly:
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hillmonkey
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Joined: 03 Apr 2010
Location: oville fl
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Posted: 16 Aug 2016 at 6:03pm |
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Nice, great story and pics. keepem coming.
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Sugarmaker
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Location: Albion PA
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Posted: 16 Aug 2016 at 10:10pm |
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Welcome and just a awesome start! (I am a picture nut so really enjoyed the story and the pictures with it!) You were very lucky to be here to tell this after that WD roll over!
Hope you have fun on the forum. Great tractor!
Regards,
Chris
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D17 1958 (NFE), WD45 1954 (NFE), WD 1952 (NFE), WD 1950 (WFE), Allis F-40 forklift, Allis CA, Allis D14, Ford Jubilee, Many IH Cub Cadets, 32 Ford Dump, 65 Comet.
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ACthunder
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Posted: 16 Aug 2016 at 10:55pm |
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Could you post a pic of your 3 point conversion that allows for your drawbar to be hooked up as well?
Thanks,
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Allis dave
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Location: Northern IN
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Posted: 17 Aug 2016 at 6:53am |
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That's a great story, and the tractor looks to be in very good condition. It'll be a great tractor once you get the motor freshened up.
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bigredisb
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Location: Racine WI
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Posted: 17 Aug 2016 at 9:08am |
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Thanks for the comments folks.
I will get some pictures of my three point as soon as my snap coupler ends come in so I can put the hitch back on it.
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bigredisb
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Posted: 17 Aug 2016 at 9:24am |
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Yeah we were really lucky using that WD Narrow with the loader. A lot of close calls.
Edited by bigredisb - 08 Sep 2016 at 8:09am
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1961 Allis-Chalmers D15
1949 Farmall Super A
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TimNearFortWorth
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Joined: 12 Dec 2009
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Posted: 17 Aug 2016 at 1:40pm |
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If doing an in-frame, do yourself a favor and roll the front away to check the everything for wear. Nothing like finding it later after all painted up and I'm bettin it has some wear from the loader size that was on it, especially since it did not have connector pieces run to the rear axle so the load was more distributed. May also want to check the front spindles internal bushings as they do get worn.
Good looking unit, 1960/61 from the aluminum name plates and the 149 c.i. is a tad cheaper to re-do, vs. the 160 c.i. in the D15 Series II.
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bigredisb
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Posted: 17 Aug 2016 at 2:10pm |
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Great advice I appreciate it. I didn't fully remove the front end yet on it but I did take a look at the front axle pivot and checked the spindles for play. Surprising the spindles were very tight. I would say the front pivot had no more than a 1/8th of an inch of play. I took the loader off the front end and checked end play in the pivots with a pry bar.
My wheel bearings up front are in need of adjustment for sure.
Looking at doing the in frame I think I have to remove the front end to get at the back two pan bolts which are tucked up under the rear axle pivot assembly.
Yeah that loader size and the way it was mounted really concerned me with all the leverage and forces being applied to the center of the chassis and bellhousing. I figured I would be better off ditching the loader to preserve the life of the tractor for generations to come.
Edited by bigredisb - 17 Aug 2016 at 3:43pm
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Tracy Martin TN
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
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Posted: 17 Aug 2016 at 2:33pm |
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If the loader was used much, you will need a new pivot shaft and support bushing. If support housing is not to bad,a quick bore job and custom bushing will work. The pivot pin ca be made about 1 inch longer also.You can check and see how much will work on your tractor. The factory deal doesn't have near the wear surface it could or should have. A grill guard would save your nice grill also. HTH Tracy
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No greater gift than healthy grandkids!
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bigredisb
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Location: Racine WI
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Posted: 17 Aug 2016 at 10:37pm |
Not specific to a D15 but I just got a few changes to my harness completed for my AFS Pro 300 being used as a lightbar and mapping. 
Edited by bigredisb - 09 Sep 2016 at 8:49pm
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1961 Allis-Chalmers D15
1949 Farmall Super A
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Allis dave
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Posted: 18 Aug 2016 at 7:58am |
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pretty cool. You may have the first D15 with a light bar.
We used to harass the John Deere dealership when they said they could add auto steer to any Deere tractor. Can we get Grandpa's old JD 70 updated?
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bigredisb
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Posted: 18 Aug 2016 at 6:38pm |
So I received my piston and liner kit today but they don't seem right. The Pistons look like these:  And the box says: beka1128-lcb (Diesel kit) and I ordered a Becka1127-lcb (Gas Kit) kit. These are from tisco and the gasket set appears to the same. Looking through the plug hole my Pistons look like dished or crater Pistons where the ones they sent are domed. Does the picture above look like gas Pistons?
Edited by bigredisb - 22 Aug 2016 at 10:19am
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bigredisb
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Posted: 18 Aug 2016 at 6:41pm |
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JeffMOnt
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Posted: 19 Aug 2016 at 10:25am |
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the Beka1127-lcb is a gas kit. the Beka1128-lcb is a diesel kit. You will get domed pistons with the gas kit as well, I have the A&I kit which came with domed and works great. But you will need to contact the guys you got it from and have it swapped out for the right kit.
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bigredisb
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Posted: 19 Aug 2016 at 2:01pm |
So here is what I figured out. I ordered the gas kit but got a diesel kit with gas gasket set and LP Pistons so I am told. They are sending me some dished pistons as well to decide which ones I want to try. 
Edited by bigredisb - 22 Aug 2016 at 9:03pm
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ACthunder
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Posted: 19 Aug 2016 at 9:48pm |
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Thanks for the hitch pics.. that helps out a bunch. One last thing, what is the length of that crossbar angle iron.
Thanks again.
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bigredisb
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Posted: 21 Aug 2016 at 9:16pm |
Next time I am out in the shop I will grab the dimension for you.
I have a graphics design guy creating this logo so that I can trace the image in Silhouette (my decal cutter) to recreate this image:
Edited by bigredisb - 22 Aug 2016 at 10:22am
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bigredisb
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Posted: 22 Aug 2016 at 9:55am |
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Finally found my serial number under a couple of layers of paint. It wasn't stamped real deep. Its 3952.
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bigredisb
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Posted: 22 Aug 2016 at 8:16pm |
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bigredisb
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Posted: 23 Aug 2016 at 4:20pm |
 bigredisb wrote:
They are sending me some dished pistons as well to decide which ones I want to try.
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Well the other pistons and kit showed up but they are obviously diesel pistons by mistake. I talked to a senior guy at TISCO and we went through all the parts and casting numbers and verified that I have what I need to get moving. The Diesel kit that arrived today was so badly damaged by UPS that one of the liners was bent at the bottom basically pinching the piston in the sleeve.
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bigredisb
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Posted: 23 Aug 2016 at 6:09pm |
ACthunder wrote:
Thanks for the hitch pics.. that helps out a bunch. One last thing, what is the length of that crossbar angle iron.
Thanks again. |
16.5 inches wide
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bigredisb
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Posted: 23 Aug 2016 at 8:51pm |
Well I got some work done on her. Tells me a bit of the story of her life prior to us. Cylinder #1 looked to have dropped a valve at one time. Witness marks in the piston but no marks on the valve and a aftermarket push rod on that cylinder:  Cylinder #2 had a bad score in it that will rip a finger nail right off. Hard to believe it was contributing much at all and explains part of the blow by I had:  Cylinder #4 had the most oil sitting in the crater of the piston:  lots of crap burned to the valves:  Where I left it at tonight: 
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ACthunder
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Posted: 23 Aug 2016 at 10:45pm |
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Thank you for the measurement.
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Allis dave
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Posted: 24 Aug 2016 at 6:55am |
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And the rebuild had begun! Are you saying they sent you the wrong pistons a 2nd time also?? if so wow. Good to see your progress. It will be an exciting one to complete. Unfortunately I don't know much about D15's so I'm not much real help.
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bigredisb
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Posted: 24 Aug 2016 at 7:53am |
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Yes they sent me the wrong pistons again but I discovered that TISCO does not produce a powercrater piston anymore. It has been replaced with the LP piston I have in the picture above. It's a direct replacement and bumps compression up. The first kit components they sent were right but mislabeled the box as a diesel kit. The second kit I got was labeled diesel and had diesel parts in it. I gave up dealing with yesterday's tractors and called TISCO directly to get the right info this time.
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Alberta Phil
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Posted: 24 Aug 2016 at 9:47am |
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Might be better off dealing with some of the suppliers on this site. I've had excellent service from any I've dealt with over the years. Also, they know Allis!
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ac45dave
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Posted: 24 Aug 2016 at 9:57am |
Alberta Phil wrote:
Might be better off dealing with some of the suppliers on this site. I've had excellent service from any I've dealt with over the years. Also, they know Allis!
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I'll second that!!!!
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54 wd-45gas ; 56 wd-45d N/F w/fact p/s ; 63 d-17 sIII N/F gas ; 60 D14 N/F ; 67 d-17 sIV N/F gas ; 63D15 sII W/F; 39rc#667 ; 2021 massey 4710 fwa ; gravely 2 wheel tractors
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peterh
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Posted: 24 Aug 2016 at 10:23am |
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awesome story, great tractor- love the advice on this site, but love stories like this even more
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1947 C, 1949 B, 195? CA
60 series cultivator
fertilizer side dresser
2 bottom snap coupler plow
1 bottom plow, Cole planter
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