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ekjdm14 
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Joined: 20 Aug 2024
Location: Manchester UK
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 Topic: New member, first time Allis B owner
Posted: 20 Aug 2024 at 3:05pm |
As per the title, I've just joined the forum having purchased a basket case A-C model B. I'm based in the UK for reference. Cost- £195...
Initially I thought it would be a 1952 model as indicated by it's registration document but having looked up the serial number I think it's more likely to be a '42 US built tractor. Serial on trans housing is B54806 and engine block is (as far as I can make out) BE55888-6 
Not sure yet if this would mean a replacement engine block or not, the capacity is listed as 1904cc (which would make it a late 116ci if it was built '42) either way not important as it's in pieces currently, the tins are R.U.F.F. rough and it's missing several vital parts (rocker shaft/rockers, pushrods, head bolts & magneto not to mention the steering wheel)
So now I'm registered I've got some research to do, mainly if I'm going to be able to bring this tractor back to life within reasonable cost.
On the plus side, the engine was rebuilt many years ago although never assembled past a short block because the builder (presumably) neglected to shim the bearing caps because it turns smoothly but is way too tight for having no head installed. The pistons look like they've never run, bores are great minus surface rust on the very top 1/4" from standing open. Valves also seem to be "new" in that they've not been run, head and block surface also have surface rust from standing but overall it's looking like I should at least have a decent short engine on hand once the bearing clearances are addressed.
I'll try and get some photos of the pile of bits at least, no matter if I can save it or not.
Cheers, Dan
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steve(ill)
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: illinois
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Posted: 20 Aug 2024 at 4:40pm |
you can check the bore diameter to verify if the BE block has bigger CE liners installed, or the original BE......... are the pistons Aluminum ??
I think the LAST tractor built in 1941 was 56781 .. ? Check "serial number" at top right of this page..
Edited by steve(ill) - 20 Aug 2024 at 4:45pm
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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ekjdm14
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Location: Manchester UK
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Posted: 21 Aug 2024 at 7:30am |
You are indeed correct sir, my B is a '41 not '42! I blame tired eyes and a long day! :D
Thanks for the reply, will check the bore in a sec to see if it's 116 or updated to 125. Not 100% as not looked closely but I *think* the pistons are alu' yes.
I'm hoping the seller can dig out the missing parts as it's going to be expensive (or VERY redneck) to get her running otherwise. Probably better as a parts machine but I love a challenge & would love to see her do some work at least one more time.
Thanks again, Dan
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ekjdm14
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Posted: 21 Aug 2024 at 7:36am |
OK just measured bore to be 86mm (I'm English, please forgive my metric-ity!) so it does in fact have the CE liners.
The engine block number does have me intrigued though, would the engine/trans normally be matching or does BE55888-6 sound right? (I'm pondering whether the -6 suffix would be a factory replacement possibly?)
Thanks, Dan
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steve(ill)
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Posted: 21 Aug 2024 at 7:41am |
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Engine and Tractor SN do not match exactly... There were THOUSANDS of engines made for Power Units, replacements, etc... out of 55,000 , your numbers are only 1,000 apart.. I would say that is original... not sure what that "6" is on the end..
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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ekjdm14
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Posted: 21 Aug 2024 at 2:15pm |
Brilliant thank you :) Hoping to open up the bottom end tomorrow and see what we have going on. I'm hopeful that perhaps all that ails it is someone rebuilt it but just put back in whatever shims were left & that some had been removed previously.
That would be the ideal anyway, but assuming all looks good then I'll pop the pistons out & check the rings are still free/lightly hone the bores & when I get some shim stock and plastigage will set her back up to .002 clearance then hope for some good fortune with the missing bits.
Will also look closer at the engine number, could possibly be a weird paint run that looks like a -6!
Edited by ekjdm14 - 21 Aug 2024 at 2:17pm
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steve(ill)
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Posted: 21 Aug 2024 at 7:27pm |
clean the piston bores ( liners) and wipe a little oil on them.. Rotate the engine and see how HARD it is to turn.. Loosen up each connecting rod bolts 2 turns, then rotate again after EACH and see if one of them is tight.. Then do the same with the MAINS.. one at a time and see which one is the TIGHT one..
The BLOCKS can warp a couple thousandths over the last 70 years.. It is possible that all 2 mains have 2 thousandths clearance and it STILL TURNS TIGHT.. That COULD mean the 3 bores are not exactly in line with each other... if that happens, try putting an extra thousandth on the center main and see if it turns OK.
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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wjohn
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Posted: 21 Aug 2024 at 9:50pm |
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Could it actually be a letter and not a 6? I forget what the earlier engines used off the top of my head, but sometimes K, G, or PA designated what fuel the engine was designed to run.
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1939 B, 1940 B, 1941 WC, 1951 WD, 1952 CA, 1956 WD-45
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ekjdm14
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Posted: 22 Aug 2024 at 8:14am |
Thanks both for the replies. I've got the motor opened up now & first thing I noted (apart from the oil drain being chewed up and stuck & the pan being loaded with chewed up bits of what feels like bearing material) is the rod nuts are just plain nuts with no castellation & there was no pins or lock wire as with the mains. That alone warranted my next move of removing all 4 pistons/rods, which yielded *surprise surprise* zero shims, new looking bearings & a strange combination of rods/caps being one way or another (punch marks all line up on oil filter side, but 2 rods have the small end pinch bolt on opposite sides & caps had tabs on wacky as well.
For reference, I did turn the engine each time I loosened a rod & it appears #2 & #3 were binding a little although none were particularly good.
So it's pretty self-evident to my mind that someone with little knowledge or care has done a "farm refresh" and it's not run since. Good news is the liners, pistons, rings and big ends look to have survived the ordeal (I honestly think this work was done plenty of years ago and they gave up when it was tight).
Less good is that the crank has some scarring on #2 and #3 journals where someone let the rod bolts clatter into it, although I think with a polish it'll go again just fine & it spins really nicely on the mains which I've not touched yet. Will see what the mains look like & judge whether or not to replace those & then clean everything up for reassembly with proper clearances.
Next step though whilst I clean everything is to get hold of the IT manual so I can verify which way round things are SUPPOSED to be assembled!
Thanks for the guidance so far, really appreciate the help. I think this thread might warrant moving into the Farm Equipment forum at this point, seeing as it's drifted from my introduction more towards working on the thing now. :)
Cheers, Dan
Edit to add-: The material in the pan I believe is from the old rod bearings & was just never cleaned our properly. The crank turns freely and smoothly now, and the "eyecrometer" tells me around .030" end float which to me seems acceptable for an engine this age. Would appreciate any correction/confirmation on this while I wait for the manual. Thanks.
Further edit!-: I'll have a look at the engine number again, it could well be a letter/letters. Cheers, Dan
Edited by ekjdm14 - 22 Aug 2024 at 8:20am
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ac fleet
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Posted: 22 Aug 2024 at 11:07am |
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wont be reasonable cost!! --- parts are high these days and some of them are hard to find!!!
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http://machinebuildersnetwork.com/
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ekjdm14
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Posted: 22 Aug 2024 at 12:58pm |
 ac fleet wrote:
wont be reasonable cost!! --- parts are high these days and some of them are hard to find!!! |
You haven't seen the shade red that my neck is! 
The tractor, as mentioned is very rough & not really a viable restoration but I can certainly make her function well enough to put in some light work around the farm before she meets her fate. Heck if she does half decent I may even put some money into actually putting things more "proper".
For now, rain has stopped play (Because England...  ) but since I found a manual online to confirm all but one of the pistons/rods were assembled correctly, #4 piston was backwards, I've cleaned everything up & reassembled. Confirmed every single rod bearing was excessively tight & then sacrificed a couple of feeler gauges to make up shims. Crank must be reasonably good as I believe the bearings are standard & each took between .008-.010" worth of shims.
She now turns like butter so next up is pan back on, flip 'er right side up and find some head bolts. Bit between my teeth now, she WILL make noise again 
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Thad in AR.
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Posted: 22 Aug 2024 at 2:59pm |
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Keep after it and please keep us posted on progress. We love these kind of posts.
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steve(ill)
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Posted: 22 Aug 2024 at 4:42pm |
it will RUN with .030 end shake, but the number is SUPPOSE to be a bout .005 inch.. I have seen a few taken apart that were .040 -.060 ...
and look at the ROD CAPS... i think 2 face the cam shaft and two face the OPPOSITE direction ?? Not sure it will turn over if you dont do that.. and they will bind horizontally on the crank...
Edited by steve(ill) - 22 Aug 2024 at 4:45pm
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Like them all, but love the "B"s.
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ekjdm14
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Posted: 22 Aug 2024 at 5:32pm |
Yes thanks Steve, I managed to find the manual online for the moment so I got the bottom end assembled correctly. Not exactly intuitive the way these engines go together is it!
Also just spent some time researching the oiling system (Thanks due to Dick L for the excellent description of how the mains & rods are oiled, again not really as one would expect even for an essentially 1930's design so it's good to have a better understanding of the oil flow & what to expect regards oil pressure.)
So it would appear the main bearings are pretty well used up considering the end play, although given how simple these engines are to do a bearing roll "in frame" I think I''ll elect to leave them for the moment and revisit them if it starts clanking & grumbling.
Really quite impressed with the simplicity of the thing in general, but then I'm only 43 so have been much more used to working on machines/vehicles from the 70's upward. I can see why the B is popular as a small tractor. Anyway I'd best head off to sleep now before the better half thinks I'm having an online affair 
Cheers to all, Dan.
Edited by ekjdm14 - 22 Aug 2024 at 5:33pm
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