# My IH b-414



## pYLON1357 (Dec 2, 2016)

I have resisted buying a tractor for about 22 years. I am now just north of 50 years old and find I cannot do all the physical things that need to be done. 

My wife has 8 horses, down for 12, so there is improvement. Our lane is 500 meters from the road to the turn to the house, total about 510 meters plus the turn around. Using a walk behind snow blower is not an option. 

I have grown sick and tired of relying on a "snow guy" to clear the lane as he is always late. Also rolling round bails for the horses is not something I enjoy doing. 

So, I gave in and bought this tractor. I will be fixing a number of things on it over time. For the time being, I will be likely just using it. Winter is coming and time is short. 

Here are a couple of photos of my tractor as I saw it for the first time. As I said to my wife "it may not be pretty, but it is functional" unlike me, I am pretty dysfunctional.

I will post any mods or repairs I do as I get them done. Next post will be a quick one about the headlamps.


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## pYLON1357 (Dec 2, 2016)

One of the first things I did was to highlight the gear shift pattern, after almost smashing through the trailer with the rear draw blade. I thought I was in 1st gear, nope, was in reverse.


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## pYLON1357 (Dec 2, 2016)

The LED headlights I installed on the weekend, brings up to date all I have managed with this so far. I built the switch bracket out of aluminum and put a safety cover over the switch so I make certain I turn them off. 

I wanted to go with LEDs primarily due to the brightness of them and the fact that my charging system max spec is 11 amps. If I were to have used 100 watt off road lights, I was afraid I would be in a discharge condition most times, I use the tractor most of the time after dark. 

I had hoped to use the existing headlamp switch, but with this unit being positive ground, the LEDs would not work. I ran a separate fused harness right from the battery. Everything is loomed to keep it neat and protected.


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## sixbales (May 18, 2011)

Howdy pYLON1357,

Welcome to the tractor forum.

That looks like a good old workhorse tractor, and you've done a lot of good work on it already. Continue to fix it up the way you want it and take good care of it. It should last you a long time.

Most of all, have fun with your new toy!!


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

Great old tractor! Looks like one of those old triumph bugeyed sprites! Like the old Ford Back blade. My brother in law just picked up one just like it. Way better than the off shore unit that I bought!!
Nice to see the gear shift pattern highlighted. They are not all the same!


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## pYLON1357 (Dec 2, 2016)

This bloody thing is driving me around the bend. I am rapidly approaching mental melt down in regards to parts. I ordered a new tach and cable, as my cable was broken due to the head being seized. The head looks great, but the damned cable is wrong. The end for the drive too large. I figured heck no problem, just swap out the inside cable, nope too easy.... the internal cable is to long for the existing housing. Here we go again, back to ordering a new cable. Parts for this thing are a pain in the butt. 

I have attached a photo of the VIN plate, to me it is an unit built in 1962, if I understand correctly, number 2075 to 14837 are all 1962 year run??


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## pYLON1357 (Dec 2, 2016)

Ok all here is a quick update of what my last repair was. I was leaking hydraulic fluid from the left loader cylinder for a while. Progressively getting worse until it was making 8 to 10 puddles on the cardboard. 

With the help of my wife ( who is just learning how the tractor works) I sourced the leak to the base weld of the cylinder itself. I had expected it to be the fitting or the hose crimp but nope. The cylinder itself was cracked. 

I removed the cylinder in hopes of getting a new one, these were dashed as everyone I looked at had the fittings that were perpendicular to the cylinder in stead of parallel. In the end, I had the cylinder welded at a local shop we deal with through work. 

When I removed the cylinder, I found the pin boss was broken and fell out. This was not going to be the quick fix I had hoped. Here are some photos of the broken pin boss and the repair I did. I only have a 110 mig welder so the splatter was quite disgusting. I honestly don't care at this point, as the weld is solid and deep. 

The first image shows the broken boss from thee inside of the channel, the second from the outside, and the final one, is what it looks like now.


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## tcreeley (Jan 2, 2012)

Maybe this will help- popped up on a google search.
http://antique-tractor-parts.steinertractor.com/tractor/B414?gclid=CKr7hbPyvdECFQ-Bswod_NoHrA


Nice tractor!

http://www.tractordata.com/farm-tractors/000/3/2/329-international-harvester-b-414-engine.html


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## pYLON1357 (Dec 2, 2016)

tcreeley said:


> Maybe this will help- popped up on a google search.
> http://antique-tractor-parts.steinertractor.com/tractor/B414?gclid=CKr7hbPyvdECFQ-Bswod_NoHrA
> 
> 
> ...


Sorry for the slow reply. I thought I had thanked you for these links. Always on the hunt for new sites in regards to this tractor and parts supplies. 

I found a guy about 1/2 hour from me, who has a used tractor parts yard. I was able to get my PTO shifter from him. Seals and the like though are different story.


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## pYLON1357 (Dec 2, 2016)

Latest updates on my tractor. This thing is almost a full time job in its own right. 

I had a small leak at both the flow control valve and on/off valve. Well the minor leak at the flow control valve became a LARGE leak. sorry should have taken a photo of it but I was a little preoccupied with getting it sorted out. 

I have a few photos to show though. The first shows the leaking valve, about 5 minutes after cleaning off the oil. 

The second photo, not very well, but it shows the split O ring and the nasty little spring pin that caused me much grief when it fell out. (I thought it fell inside the control valve head). After searching the surfaces of the tractor in the area of the valve, and shop floor, I was convinced it had fallen inside the control head. Not amused at what I had to do next. I was going to have to remove the fender and get a square on look inside the valve opening. With the loader on this tractor, I was going to have to support the one side of it as it uses the same bolts that secure the fender to the chassis, also my 3 point chain couplings as well. The nuts were so rusted to the bolts ( I have no torches) I was not able to remove the nuts without a lot of extra help. As I was getting up off the shop floor,(now so frigging pissed off I thought for a second about lighting the tractor on fire) I saw the silly split pin under the control valve head assembly and the shifter housing. 

The next photo shows the thing all back together. After running it up checking for leaks, then moving a couple large square bails out into the field and 2 others to a different location. I think I am safe to say, leaks fixed.


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## pYLON1357 (Dec 2, 2016)

While I was waiting for the flow control valve seals, I decided it would be a good time to install the PTO shifter I got on Friday, the day before my valve seal problem manifested. 

The flow control valve issue came to a head on Saturday about 11:30, too late for me to get parts. No one I did check had the correct seals I required. 

Anyway, I painting and installed the PTO shifter without too much trouble lining it up. I also painted the left foot rest, as I had to remove it to install the PTO level. 

Now that I have the lever installed, I tried out the PTO a little more, and true to my form and luck, the PTO shaft seal came apart. Can I catch a break at all?? 

Parts are on order from the USA and should be here next week sometime. Note the sickly colour of the fluid. I am going to flush it out obviously but will wait until I have the new seal.


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## willys55 (Oct 13, 2016)

Well you certainly have come a long way with this tractor. 
Looking good so far........I kinda know how you feel when something doesn't work out for you, it seems on some days everything I touch breaks or won't start.


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## pYLON1357 (Dec 2, 2016)

Thanks for the kind words. It has been frustrating simply owing to the fact, I need the tractor operational most of the time. I use it to plow my 500 meter laneway, and to put the square bails out for my wife's horses. It seems to go down at the most inopportune times. 

I knew what the problems were when I got it (other than the pin boss) and was planning to pretty much reseal it in the spring. At the rate I am going, I wont have to do that.

I noticed this morning that the right loader cylinder leak is getting worse. I need it to hold till the end of the month or so, then pressure will be off, as I will have expended all the large squares and will using small bails that are due in a couple weeks.


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## pYLON1357 (Dec 2, 2016)

*Today's update February 10, 2017*

Well I have had a leaking PTO shaft seal for quite some time, in fact it was leaking when I bought it and just progressively worse. Lets face it, has anyone ever seen a leaking seal stop leaking on its own, other than when the unit runs out of fluid?

So last night I arrived home and the seal assembly I had been waiting for arrived. Today, being my day off I decided there was no time like the present to get it replaced. The first photos show the old seal and hosing, note it is multi piece, having come apart. Also note the spring part of the seal is also in multiple pieces (never a good a thing).

I also drained and refilled the transmission and the differential. I need to get more fluid as the spec I has was 18 liters for the transmission. I drained more out than that for sure including the differential, but have no spec. NO the unit was not overfilled, quite the contrary, it was low. When I changed the PTO lever, I noted the fluid was poor and low. 

The last pics are of the ugly arsed fluid that came out of the trans and diff.


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## pYLON1357 (Dec 2, 2016)

*Part 2 of February 10 2017 updates*

Something I had been wanting to do to the tractor was to fix the bent steel pipes to the loader, and re secure them. Of course this didn't have so much to do with smooth operation of the tractor as it did with my bloody OCD.

I straightened the steel pipes using a pipe wrench and 2 small pieces of wood to act as cushions so I would not kink the lines. It is not perfect, but it worked good enough for me.

I also painted the pipes black and painted the loader yellow. The black paint that was sprayed on the one part of the loader brace was making me crazier than I already am.

The first photo shows the lines before I worked on them. It is the same photo that I posted above showing the installed LED headlights. The last series of photos shows what it looks like now.


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## pYLON1357 (Dec 2, 2016)

I have been busy using this lovely tractor as opposed to fixing it. I have an issue with the PTO being engaged even with the lever in the disengaged detente. It was suggested to me that I remove the lever and see if the pin is broken. Seems like the simplest and quite logical place to start, just have not had the time. The PTO works great, I just bought a 5 foot rotary cutter and the tractor performed like a dream. 

Sooner than later I do hope to get on this issue. I had planned to do it while on vacation last week, but the world had other plans for me.


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