2 Questions Regarding my Faramall M - Engine relat

The next question- I have heard of people puting a 345 V-8 IH engine in an M before. I"m assuming this is done for pulling or other competition tractors. Could this be done to a farm tractor, or would many other parts need to be "beefed up" to take the extra torque? Just curious.

I mounted my first tractor tire just last year on a C. I asked my local tire shop where they got their tools and they referred me to a retailer in town where I bought the irons and a bead breaker.

Breaking the bead is definitely the hard part! (And, the one thing that I never had to do on a bike. ;-) The tire guys sold me a sledge hammer with a blade-like end on it that you whack the tire sidewall with. I found it a tricky process -- you gotta whack the tire as close to the rim as possible with a lot of force, and dinged up my rims a few times before I found a better way:

My neighbor showed me a slide hammer designed just for this purpose. It's a big bugger...weighs probably 40 or 50 pounds, but it's really the way to go. Just put the blade end on the sidewall right by the rim, pull back the slide hammer and just let it drop. It still takes a bunch of whacks, but at least its accurate and easy.

fyi, you can find a pic and some prices on these tools from Miller Tire...link below. Click on the link for Repairs/Supplies to see the tools.

Good luck!

- David

• Link to Miller Tire

Getting the old beak broken may be the hardest part. Try driving your truck up onto a board laid across the tire but not over the rim. That can pop the bead right off the rim.

You can use auto tire tools to ease the new tire on. You don't need expensive tools. Just don't cut the new bead.

Put one bead on the rim, then put the tube in and secure the stem in place.

Use lots of baby powder in the tire to help the tube slip. Put the other bead on the rim. Double check for the tube being pinched between the tire and rim. Air up the tube to seat the beads, then let all the air out to let the tube re-position itself. Otherwise you may have it folded and it will fail in the fold.

I have changed them both ways, and for me it is MUCH easier to get it broken down on the floor. Also, you don't really have to lift the tire on the floor, just one side at a time. Putting the new tire on is a snap on the floor, standing on the sidewall you only have to pry the last two or three feet.

But either way works.

Since I try to prime the tire side of the rim while I have it broken down, and want it to cure a week or more before I put a tube on it, and because I work my tractors I try to keep spares around, so I'm usually fixing a tire which is already off the tractor.

I seldom have a flat with a good tire, it is usually a junker I've been struggling to keep going so when it finally craters the rim probably needs welding as well as painting and gets a new tube and tire.