Will this ABANDONED John Deere Model M Run!?

Today on the farm we revive my dad's 1950 John Deere Model M tractor that has be abandoned for over 15 years. Will is start and drive .138 miles!? We will over come a customized starter configuration, an unknown electrical system configuration and the worst carburetor that I've EVER seen.
00:00 Opening
00:26 Setup
01:53 Sit Rep
04:50 Health and Safety
05:22 Preparation
08:58 CONTACT!
09:57 A Discovery of Electrons
12:24 Starter Maybe
13:36 After the Break
15:52 Day 03 (Week 2)
18:08 Starter Button
18:45 The Solenoid
21:18 Ignition
23:26 Start-ish
25:06 Boat Tank
26:06 Carb-O-Crap
26:54 Carb Rebuild?
27:46 ReStart
28:18 The Drive Home
#revival #homestead #farm #cows #ranch #vehicle_maintenance #car_maintenance #pasture #hobby_farm #family_farm #tractor #john_deere #model_m #tractor_revival #abandoned_tractors #will_it_run #6v_to_12v_conversion #starter_solenoid #positive_ground #positive_ground_vs_negative_ground #abandoned #abandoned_tractor #abandonedtractor #willitrun #greenpower #sickelbar #will_it_run

[@79fordblake]

We had a 1950 M. Nice little tractors. Ours had an adjustable front end. Yours does also. That’s a nice addition. Most of them I’ve seen have been a non adjustable axle. One drawback to them is they are hard to get on(pretty much all the small tractors back then we’re). We got rid of ours and got an H John Deere. The M are originally positive ground 6 volt. Starter doesn’t care if it’s positive or negative or if it’s 6volt or 12volt.

[@SCHomestead]

This one has a ‘repair’ done on the front axle. I plan on widening it in the future but I do not look forward to it. I bet it is going to be all junked up.

[@JohnKnight-de6ul]

😊

[@dispatch444]

That little 2 cylinder doesn’t seem like It would be big enough to power that size of a tractor to some folks.

[@SCHomestead]

but man let me tell you what, if you can get the tires to hook up AND keep the front end down, it will pull. The two cylinders fire one right after the other (120 degrees apart not 180) that combined with a very heavy flywheel and 4x4 bore and stroke make it a little powerhouse. Also on my list of things to revive/restore is a four disk turn plow. You'd never think that it would pull it but I saw my grandmother clear ditches with it in the 70's.

[@dispatch444]

@@SCHomestead Wow that’s cool.

[@JohnKnight-de6ul]

Alternators I think are always negative ground. 19:59

[@SCHomestead]

It depends on the electronics of the voltage regulator. I’ve not researched the GM one wire ( really three wire ) regulator as I’ve not had one since my 84 Camaro so I’m not sure if it could operate in a positive ground orientation. Point is, I agree with you in principle; I’m pretty sure that it’s negative ground. Thanks for the comments! I appreciate the feedback!

[@raven8472Chickens]

U been busy. Happy bday

[@SCHomestead]

Thanks Raven!

[@GlenOosterman]

I have a 1948 M that i tractor pull with At night it is kept in our toy shed

[@SCHomestead]

When you say that you pull with it, are you competition sled pulling? (Tractor Pull)

[@JohnKnight-de6ul]

If you overhaul it reuse the cast-iron pistons if it still has them. Aluminum pistons will cause a drop in power. 30:15

[@SCHomestead]

Really!? I don't have plans to go that far into it but do you know why Aluminum pistons would cause a drop in power?

[@79fordblake]

That’s not true at all. It all depends on the make of the pistons. My A makes way more power with aluminum pistons than it did with cast iron. Compression is a lot higher on the aluminum ones.

[@SCHomestead]

I have a hard time reconciling the material of the piston making a difference in power. The only thing that i can come up with is, maybe, the aluminum conducts heat to the coolant better/faster. Heat is energy; energy is power, but I have a hard time believing that you could tell the diff. I suspect that the difference in is the shape of the piston or the position of the wrist pin. I've worked with various steal, aluminum, and ceramic pistons. They all have their oddities, but I have found that their geometry is more important when it comes to power, but I could be wrong.