I resisted ( easily ) the idea that  "more power" ,  more rpm,  taller tires (38's ) , and pulling faster class's would be more challenging i.e. "more fun "  Of course , I had to pay more attention to track conditios, tire pressure, drawbar and weight position to win.... but I did win.... sometimes against 30+ tractors in my "slow,  3.5 mph, uncut tire stock appearing engine class".    Never had the head off my WD 45 or my D17, so both of my old pullers were  " right off the hay rake" stock as far as I know.    I always tuned my tractors, so as not to be embarrassed to have it  flub its way down the track, but never used a timing light on either,  I prefer using a vacuum gauge as my tuning tool. Probably shouldn't mention that little secret.    Any way, what do others on here think?   Is it really more fun to spend  multiple thousands to compete against a half dozen or so in a class ? Or is it more fun to  "run what ya brung , hope ya brung enuff" and win  a class with  a couple dozen entries?

  I will admit to building a new tractor... An unstyled WC with Gleaner/ D19 power,, but again the head has not been off... its fresh off the C-2,   but  I am building this for the fun of it....never seen a 6 cylinder in a WC ,and it is to be as much a "touring "  tractor for going on rides, such as the Big Mac ride here in Michigan , As a puller only one club that I know of will allow me to pull this thing when its done.

   I will add that the WD45 ran 14.9 X28's on 12" rims, the D17 ran 16.9X28's ( which are on my WC now) and 18.4 X26 at the end .  How I have  setup my tractors defies what I hear so many say is just plain wrong  if you want to win......

 I reckon  sometimes its better to be lucky ,    than  good, eh?

 

 Is spending more money, going faster ( maybe) equate to more fun in pulling?

  If you reply, give the particulars on rules , speed limits, so we compare apples to apples.

I'd like to tune my 17 better though.

This is a "stock" Ford

[TUBE]http://youtu.be/I1KHk5lHmTs[/TUBE]

 

The 2nd gear rule was far to a degree, its just some tractors have a faster 2nd gear than others and we had some upset people over the deal. The 2nd gear rule was invented for our old stone boat, and it worked fine for that, but the rule became obsolete when we built the "Stress Test"

 

One thing I take into account is that these tractor engines are CHOKED.  11 to 1 in the Allis is like 9 to 1 in a Chevy.... sort of.

 

There was a fella here that took an old D-17 diesel out of the weeds.  It didn't even have electronics other than a rigged starter soelnoid.  Put some pressed steel wheels and good tires used for duals on one of the working tractors on it and went pullin.  Nothing in it and the sick old diesel wouldn't make 50 hp on the dyno.  He did more winning with that thing as it would never kill and didn't have enough to break the tires loose.

 

I send a lot combinations out, and most of them are in the 10 to 10.5 to 1 compression ratio for people.  Those motors lug well and people don't have to be so fussy about them.  12 to 1 and you really need to pay attention.  I really like shooting for 10.5 to 1 and if they come out a little shy, that's better yet.

 

I'm restoreing an Unstyled WC and building a motor for it right now.  It was either buy an OH kit or make my own.  Useing free, leftover, otherwise junk, and cheap parts. I made a 4.28 bore, 4.85 stroke engine.  It's targeted at 8.5 to 1.  I don't want to have to pay attention to the gas..... or really anything on it.  BB Chevy pistons, a few hours makeing John Deere liners fit the block, offset grinding an otherwise junk crank and a trial set of billet connecting rods getting the tooling and processes figured out. It's more of an overhaul but if it's got a little snap and gets to go play once in a while that'll give the kids something to pull with when they get older. 

  Thats why for the small fish in a small pond pulling I do, I think its hard to beat the way  "Mother Allis "  engineered them. 

 Case in point , a few years ago I restored a "57 Chevy , engine was junk...old truck block with two different heads etc.  So I installed a turn-key  ZZ4 crate engine. Came with a 750 Holley, owner thought it ran stong, until I borrowed a 650 Holley and put that on.... It was amazing how that engine woke up.  Probably would suffer  above 5500 or so  but for the street it was sweet.

as i'm still planning my puller i've been reading the rules from many pulling clubs and have seen none that allow methanol in a "stock" type class...most won't even let water meth in hot farm diesels

 Is your problem solver really methanol?   Or are you running a  meth lab in the back room? and again , simply confused the two? They are not interchangable you know....

 

We are trying to attract the people who took dads tractor from the fencerow, got it running, and wants to pull it and be competitive.

We look at it as "does the modification cause and increase in HP or pulling distance?"

 

If a puller has a 100lb IH hanging off of his WC, or an 100 Allis weight hanging off of his WC, it doesnt matter, 100lb is 100lb

 

We are trying to keep this fair for the poeple that dont have the money to "sup" up there iron.

 

We dont DQ anyone that chages to a 12Volt Alternator setup or deletes the sediment bowl either as these mods dont increase HP, they are a "functional" modification

  The thing that makes me shake my head is the people that will CHEAT for a $5 trophy and beat his chest when he out pulled a stock tractor.

 I have been put into a "Farm Stock" class because there wasn't but two of "US" there for the FS2. I wanted to pull, had drove 80+ miles one way, I payed my hook fee, pulled finished 2nd, behind the other FS2 tractor but refused to take the trophy. I felt the Farm Stock tractors deserved it since it was there class.

 I have begged the guys to stick to your guns on the rules, pleeded to them it would help build the pull up. When two show up let them settle it, winner take all. When one shows up grant him a "free Hook" in the Open Antique.

 I guess as long as there is competition there will be cheating, but a guy at the scales before the pull, checking weight and hitch height, a guy hooking the sled checking hitches again will make it alot more competive.

We dont have enough tractors to do all of the suggestions from cotncrzy, and they are all good suggestions, so we have to kind of feel things out so to speak and taylor our pull to the tractors available.

There are alot of things I would like to do, 10,000lb "Battle of the Standards" 12,500lb field farm stock,  and the list goes on.........

 

Regular class is 3.8mph

   We more or less must follow EDGETA guidelines to be covered by insurance.

   We pull stock vintage farm tractors for fun and bragging rights. NO HOOK FEES! If the pull is not a Official EDGETA National sanctioned event the pulling rules are a bit looser. Non stock drawbars and stock tire size limits are not as strictly enforced.

   I pull a stock engine Bareback CA with a custom built combination drawbar with weight brackets. I run 13-6 x 24 tires on 11" rims on D10/Farmall A steel wheels with Farmall Wheel weights in #3500 and #4000. Tire ballast allows me to pull both stock and competive stock classes in 3500  and 500# of suitcase weights puts me into the  #4000 competive stock class.

    The last pulling outing at the LA State Fair pull in Shreveport got old me and the old CA a first in 3500 stock.  A second in 3500 competive stock and a second in 4000 competive stock.

    Not exactly shur but I think the speed limit is 3.5 mph. 1st gear in stock and 1st or 2nd allowed in competive stock.

    At my age those 100# suitcase weights are getting heavier to toss around. Would like to trade these 5 for 10 #50 weights before I drop one on my foot.

  I ageree on 100 # weights, I have 2 doz. 44 # weights ...used on belarus tractors. easier to carry two at a time for me.