AC serial number, please help!!!
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Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Farm Equipment
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URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=114902
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Topic: AC serial number, please help!!!
Posted By: GregDee
Subject: AC serial number, please help!!!
Date Posted: 19 Nov 2015 at 7:31am
I purchased an Allis Chalmers WD and can not figure out it's true year. The serial number on the left brake housing does not match up with WD years, it falls into WD-45 years. The starting numbers of my serial number are 164*** All the information I find show my numbers as a 1954 WD-45. But on my motor (spark plug side) it has a cover plate with 6 large bolts, which from my understanding is non-existent on the WD-45, thus pointing my tractor to be a true WD.
What really confuses me is the last year the WD was produced in 1953 it was issued the starting serial number 131***. Then also in 1953 production started on the WD-45 and was issued the starting number 146***, and then in 1954 the WD-45 starts production with 160*** which is where my serial number falls (164***).
If anyone can shed light on this and help me figure out the year of my tractor it would be greatly appreicated. Thanks.
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Replies:
Posted By: Lonn
Date Posted: 19 Nov 2015 at 7:37am
Someone put in a WD engine
------------- -- --- .... .- -- -- .- -.. / .-- .- ... / .- / -- ..- .-. -.. . .-. .. -. --. / -.-. .... .. .-.. -.. / .-. .- .--. .. ... - Wink I am a Russian Bot
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Posted By: GregDee
Date Posted: 19 Nov 2015 at 7:41am
Thanks Lonn. I definitely wondered that. My serial number says WD in the beginning of it, does the WD-45's serial numbers also start with WD?
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Posted By: MACK
Date Posted: 19 Nov 2015 at 7:43am
Or put 45 housing in WD. MACK
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Posted By: GregDee
Date Posted: 19 Nov 2015 at 7:50am
Mack, isn't the rear housing all one piece, the whole entire axle? I'm asking because I am new to Allis Chalmers. But if it is all one piece it sure seems like a lot of work to swap that, yet not impossible I'm guessing.
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Posted By: DennisA (IL)
Date Posted: 19 Nov 2015 at 8:12am
GregDee wrote:
Mack, isn't the rear housing all one piece, the whole entire axle? I'm asking because I am new to Allis Chalmers. But if it is all one piece it sure seems like a lot of work to swap that, yet not impossible I'm guessing. | You have 3 castings that bolt together that make up the complete final drive and rear end assy. It is very easy to change. About dozen bolts and two brake rods.
------------- Thanks & God Bless
Dennis
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Posted By: GregDee
Date Posted: 19 Nov 2015 at 8:47am
Thank you all so much. I realize so much can change from one tractor to another in 60 plus years, farmers did what they had to do to keep them running. So for my records I think I will consider it an Allis Chalmers with a WD-45 frame and a WD motor. If I clean it up and put new stickers on it one day I will label it as a WD because that's what the motor is. Thanks again everyone!!!
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Posted By: Dmpaul89
Date Posted: 19 Nov 2015 at 9:04am
Could just be a wd block with wd45 internals also! Have to measure the stroke to find out what you have. WD45 had a stroked crank and different pistons. Its possible they just replaced a cracked block.
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Posted By: GregDee
Date Posted: 19 Nov 2015 at 10:41am
Dmpaul89, I never thought of that. I think you may be on to something because the previous owner told me the motor was rebuilt years ago. Thanks!!!
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Posted By: Jim Hancock
Date Posted: 19 Nov 2015 at 11:58am
Is your gearshift straight or curved?
------------- How blessed we are by HIS GRACE!
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Posted By: GregDee
Date Posted: 19 Nov 2015 at 12:07pm
Curved. I heard before that late model WD's switched to them and WD-45's had them as standard. Not sure it's true, just what I've heard.
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Posted By: TomMN
Date Posted: 19 Nov 2015 at 1:12pm
The change from WD to WD45 is the most confusing part of the serial number reference on this page. You can extrapolate the information if you try hard enough. The serial numbers listed are the last number for the year prior to the D series. There should be no entry in the 1954 column for a WD and the entry in the 1953 WD column should be 146606 since the first WD45 was 146607. The ranges for 1953 are:
1953 WD 126982 - 146606
1953 WD45 146607 - 160385
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Posted By: Lonn
Date Posted: 19 Nov 2015 at 1:45pm
If it has a 45 transmission and 45 engine internals I'd decal as a 45. But in the end you can do as you see fit.
------------- -- --- .... .- -- -- .- -.. / .-- .- ... / .- / -- ..- .-. -.. . .-. .. -. --. / -.-. .... .. .-.. -.. / .-. .- .--. .. ... - Wink I am a Russian Bot
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Posted By: ryanschott
Date Posted: 19 Nov 2015 at 5:03pm
all wd and wd45 tractors serial numbers start wd
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Posted By: GregDee
Date Posted: 19 Nov 2015 at 6:29pm
Thanks everyone for your replies, I truly appreciate it. You have all opened my mind to different possibilities that are very helpful. I tried visiting the guy I bought it from but he wasn't home. I was going to see if he had any information other than what he told me the day I bought it. I know he'll openly tell me what he knows because I've known him for 42 years, but I didn't ask these questions to him originally because I didn't know enough to ask.
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Posted By: Gary
Date Posted: 20 Nov 2015 at 6:10am
WD started with curved shifter and 45 transmission at ser. WD 127007 in 53.
I believe WD and WD-45 were both built in mid 1953 until most of WD parts were used up.
Gary
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Posted By: Lonn
Date Posted: 20 Nov 2015 at 6:27am
The WD and WD45 were never built concurrently. The last production WD was immediately followed by the first production WD45. I'm pretty confident in that.
------------- -- --- .... .- -- -- .- -.. / .-- .- ... / .- / -- ..- .-. -.. . .-. .. -. --. / -.-. .... .. .-.. -.. / .-. .- .--. .. ... - Wink I am a Russian Bot
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Posted By: Rltool
Date Posted: 20 Nov 2015 at 6:36am
Greg Dee where are you in MI. I'm located south of Grand Rapids. I have a couple WDs & few WD45s. To check the engine crank stroke length. Just put a long wire down a spark plug hole Roll it over by hand & measure the difference in length. The WD motor has 4" stroke crank. The WD45 has 4-1/2" stroke crank. All internal parts are interchangeable between them. As long as you keep the crank & piston of each as a set. That is my understanding of them. As stated above they where mix & matched until parts for the standard WD ran out in production line. Plus what farmers mixed & matched to keep them running. Ray W.
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Posted By: GregDee
Date Posted: 20 Nov 2015 at 12:16pm
Rltool, I am 60 miles north of Grand Rapids, close to Fremont. Thanks for the how to on checking engine stroke, I had absolutely no idea how to do it.
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Posted By: Steve Zidlicky
Date Posted: 20 Nov 2015 at 5:19pm
go to the main page, click on serial number box on right side and it will tell you what you want to know. wd ended in 1954 at 160384 and wd45 started at 146607 in 1953. you have to look at the whole chart to see this. so they were made at the same time for a while
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Posted By: Sugarmaker
Date Posted: 20 Nov 2015 at 5:39pm
As a example, I have a 1950 WD that had the center section of the rear end changed 25 years ago. So the serial number on the casting is from a newer tractor. I would recommend you talk to the previous owner and get as much info as possible. Sounds like you may have a WD45 with WD block. Carb will be bigger on a 45 than a WD. Regards, Chris
------------- 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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Posted By: ac45dave
Date Posted: 20 Nov 2015 at 5:47pm
Steve Zidlicky, chart doesn't make sense.how could tractor #160684 have been built in 1954 and tractor #160685 been built in 1953? my understanding was the wd production ended some time in 53 and then the production of the 45 was started.
------------- 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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Posted By: GregDee
Date Posted: 20 Nov 2015 at 7:30pm
I talked to the guy I bought it from and he confirmed that when he bough the tractor many years ago that he was told it was indeed a 1954 WD-45 frame/body, and a 1953 WD motor. He was told the motor was rebuilt and he just assumed it was rebuilt the same (WD), but now he too wonders if when the motor was rebuilt if it was converted to a WD-45. So I will check the engine stroke and see what I come up with. Thanks everyone, you've all been so helpful to me and I truly appreciate it.
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Posted By: Steve Zidlicky
Date Posted: 20 Nov 2015 at 9:47pm
AC45Dave- I know what you mean but if you look on down below the sn listing for the wd/wd45 it states that it was done that way. I must only presume that the 45's started with a sequence of numbers that were not consecutive to the wd's. I recall this before as I own a wd with the 45 transmission and had looked it up with the same result and I bought the tractor from the second owner who purchased it from his neighbor who drove it home from the dealership when new. other than having a engine overhaul by the second owner the tractor is original including the wd engine. the original faided paint matches on the whole tractor. Steve
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