H Transmission Bearings - Replace or Reuse ?

The bearings in my '49 are shot, however the bearings in the donor tractor are in good shape. Is it foolish to replace just the pilot bearing and use the rest of the bearings from the donor?

What you guys think? Is trying to save $100 by reusing the bearings going to cost me big later? I will definitely be replacing the seals and am scared to reuse the pilot bearing so I will be purchasing it new.

One little side note: When did they use a trans top plate with the shift pattern cast into the housing? The tractor with the cast pattern was missing the serial tag so I couldn't determine it's year. I've seen a '40, 42, '49, & '50 without the numbers cast in, so when did they change?

Thanks guys.

I spent about $500 to do the same job on my H, but that may have included a clutch too. At the time, I was down on the local dealer and used aftermarket bearings. The pilot bearing was on it's way out after just a few weeks, so I would suggest that one be a genuine IH bearing. Also, put a magnet in the bottom of the gear case to collect any metal chips that did not get flushed out.

However, if you were planning on using this tractor occasionally for yard work, bush hogging etc, you might be just as well off to use the donor bearings IF they pass the following. First, clean and inspect the bearings you want to use very carefully. Make sure that the balls and races don’t have any signs of rust, pits, or missing flakes on them. Check the ball retainers for cracks, missing attaching pins between the balls etc. When clean and dry the bearings should spin easy by hand smoothly and quietly. If they click when they spin or have any rough spots, I would replace the bearings. If they are excessively loose (ball bearings by nature have some play to allow for heat-related expansion and lubricant) replace them. If they run smooth, don’t click and run as quiet as a new one, I would use the old ones. With good lubricant in the gearbox they will probably last a very long time.