08/24/08: Groaning, this month I did something totally different, I rode a 5 Star off the side of a trailer, backwards.  I would not recommend this trip to your travel agent!  Fortunately I'm still around to feel the pain of my stupidity.  In order to make the hurt go away we now have those KE534A water pump seals that have long been promised.  These seals are made by the same manufacturer that made them for Minneapolis-Moline in the 60's.  The only update in all these years has been in material improvements.  Both the spring and ferules are now made of corrosion resistant stainless steel.  The sealing diaphragm has also been made of a new, tougher, and more resilient material.  Now there are no excuses for a leaky water pump on any Minneapolis-Moline tractors.  We now stock every water pump seal that Minneapolis-Moline used on their tractors.

Speaking of water pumps; we now stock that little 10A5956 seal that is used behind the water pump on the 335, 445, JetStar, and similar tractors.  This is the same seal ring that is used between the heads and cylinder blocks.  You will like the price at just $0.89 each.  If you buy the full set of 8, you only pay for 7 which will replace all the water tube seals in the engine.

For those of you that don't want to tear a pump seal bellows or destroy a wear face.  We are working to find proper water pump seal installation lubricant, in a convent package.  Currently all we have here are pint bottles. It takes just a few drops to make a water pump seal seat properly, and grip the shaft and case.  Quit a few water pump seals have been ruined by people using silicon, PTFE,  and petroleum based lubricants for this purpose.  Petroleum and PTFE lubricants attack both the bellows and wear faces.  Silicon base lubricants attack the wear faces with a great zeal.  There is only one pump assembly lubricant available and it is not available to the general public.  In the next few days we hope to have water pump seal lubricant available in small packages.  Regrettably the packaging costs are pushing the price to over a dollar for a small pillow pack.  We also will have available a 14ml (about half an oz) tube for those using it quite often.  For those that want the full pint bottle, you are in luck.  You can be slicker than a Philadelphia lawyer with that much!

For those people asking about exhaust manifolds for U tractors; we are stocking a KE821G equivalent and KE823 turn top.  We are buying them from a USA supplier, but we are not sure of the country of origin.  The fit up very nicely, but due to the price we suspect they are imports from the far east.  At the current price of castings I cannot afford to pour the iron alone for the retail price.

Just to let you know, due to popular demand, for you early U solid block fans; we are stocking your engine gaskets.  We can supply you with full sets on request.  Please call for pricing as this is a Moline Parts exclusive set. 

Keep those suggestions coming.  For those of you that have asked for top link holder clips, we hear you, they are in the pipeline.  It is a nice safe thing to have.  No more searching the field for lost top link ends and banged up PTO shafts.

A lot of people have been calling for technical information.  Due to popular demand we will soon have a technical section on this website.  Please look for it in the next few weeks.  If there is any subject you think should be discussed please let us know.

Back to work..................................................................................

 

07/12/08: This is the Webmaster, I regret to say that Charlie got himself hurt the other day so the orders & e-mail replies are going to be a bit slow.  As it often happens it was the fault of a "hurry up" type, but Charlie is the one that will pay the price in pain pills & muscle relaxants for some time.  If there is a matter of great urgency send the mail to webmaster and I'll do what I can.

Finally got the garden looking like a garden and not a swimming pool or weed patch.  I hope everybody is drying out too. 

We have many new parts on the shelf and the web site has to play catch up.  After the shows you can expect some big changes.  In the mean time drop us a line if you need magneto parts, carburetor kits ignition parts or clutches not already shown.  Please be patient with orders until after the 2 big Moline Tractor shows are done.  If you want to pickup parts at the shows, please let me know, I'll be happy to help you save on shipping by meeting you at the show. 

If you are attending the Prairie Gold Rush or Minneapolis-Moline Collectors shows, look for this bag.  This is our first merchandise offering.  This heavy duty 10-ounce 100% cotton duck bag was dyed, cut, printed and sewn in the USA.  The bag is a generous 18"W x 12"H with a wide 6" bottom gusset for extra capacity.  Two thick, comfortable webbing handles are long enough for shoulder carrying.  There is also an inside Velcro® closure 4" x 4" pocket - great for those little parts you don't want to lose.  At $14.99 each they could double as a tool bag for you or a tote for your Misses.  Maybe you should order two so there won't be any fights!

Magneto parts have been a sticky issue for some time.  We are currently building up stock so we can offer quick service on all the magnetos used on Twin City and Minneapolis-Moline tractors.  If you have a non-standard magneto or need parts for something else, we will be more than glad to special order parts for you.  The same goes for carburetor kits and ignition parts too.

We are still searching for quality clothing and accessories to offer.  If you know of any companies please drop us a line.  See you at the shows!

 

06/20/08: Summer is finally here, hopefully soon everybody's fields will be dry. 

Take a look at our 10A26466 and 10A3046 water pump seal kits.  These are made in the USA to the original specifications, because they are made by the original manufacturer that made them for Minneapolis-Moline, back in the day.  We have them to fit virtually all the unitized seal water pumps.  We are holding the line on price.  Who knows, maybe those 'WIN' buttons President Ford was handing out in 74' may come back into vogue! 

We also ordered a large supply of water pump shaft, bearing, and oil seal assemblies, to fit these same pumps.  Prices were going up drastically, so we stocked up and will pass the savings on to you.  Our pump bearing kits are made in USA and Canada.  We did not scrimp on quality to get a slightly better price.  Water pump rebuilding is something I only want to do every 30 years.  I bet you feel the same!

The KE534A water pump seal kits are in production as we speak.  Once we have these 3/4" seal kits in hand, no one will be left out with a leaky water pump.  We will finally be stocking all the water pump seals, for all Minneapolis-Moline tractors ever made!  We have been promised the KE534A seal kits by the 4th of July.

I am planning on attending the PGR Summer Convention in Minooka, IL come unemployment or high water.  I will have samples of all the water pump seal kits, in case anyone wishes to view or buy.  I will also be attending the Minneapolis-Moline Collectors Summer Show in Burnett, WI.  Things are going really slow at the day job so for once I can attend the summer shows, instead of working 12 hour days.  I'll be packing my samples around in those snazzy new American made MM Tote Bags.  Those tote bags will be on the web site just before the PGR Summer Convention. 

Gotta go now, the webmaster's caffeine level has dropped to a dangerously low level and he is about to doze off at 4 in the afternoon.  Shhuuuushh....  Let us not wake the webmaster.

 

05/29/08: Planting season is underway around here.  We got most of the root crops in the ground.  As soon as stops frosting we will have to get the above dirt crops.  Hopefully this season will soon be over.  And you know what comes after planting season, Tractor Pullin' Season! 

With the higher cost of motor oil, you can't afford to burn oil with those old goose egged cylinders.  As you can see we are starting to stock pistons so you can true up those old cylinders.  Let us know what you need, we have different sizes of pistons available, but not in great enough quantity to list on the web site.

For those of you that want to true up those old cylinders, or add a little room in there...  Make that a lot of room.  We have what you need.  We are now stocking Big Fat Honkin' Pistons for all the 165 thru 206 engines.  You won't need a micrometer to tell the increased bore of these babies, a yard stick will suffice!  These pistons are made for a true 3.8 inch bore, balanced at fly weight 700 grams each, and machined from aluminum alloy forgings.  They come to you with new ground wrist pins and locks made to original Minneapolis-Moline dimensional specifications. To put the cherry on top, we are stocking gapless rings to fit these pullin' pistons.

Speaking of oil, we are burning the midnight oil.  We are working hard to get oversized pistons for the 4 5/8 inch bore engines.  We are currently pursuing two sizes, one size will be 4 3/4 inch bore and the second will take the bore out to 4.8 inches.  That is as far as we dare go without bustin' into the water jackets.  Drop us a note and vote for your favorite size!

Our pulling pistons will still allow you to work the fields with your tractor.  You will just be making the dirt look good faster.  As we all know, making dirt look good is what we do best.  Now kick up some dust!

As always, we have a number of irons in the fire and the handles are starting to get hot; so we gotta' go, don't forget to write.  Bye now.

 

05/09/08: Happy Spring Planting!!!  How is that fuel bill?  Do you debate on whether the kids need to eat so much?  At least we are not paying heating bills too. 

Back to that tractor thing.  This month we have the RE521 water pump baffles for the 'Z' & 'R' tractors.  We have imported these from the far off land of Colorado for your enjoyment.  Except for the lack of a logo, they are a beautiful fit and work perfectly.  While we are on the subject of water pumps, take a look at the photo of the RE522 pump seal.  We are still tweaking a few details but it is progressing well.

The 10R554 front crankshaft seal is once again available.  I am pleased to say we are the exclusive supplier cause' we had to pay for that there new tooling!  We have held the line on the price because we hate oil drips even more than you do.

You will notice the 'Clutches' section has expanded quite a bit.  As we find cores we will keep expanding.  We would like to offer pressure plates, but a lack of rebuildable cores has made progress very slow.  Never fear, we are searching every barn, fence row and salvage yard.  It is a dirty job and I'm going to keep that task just for me.  Gotta have some fun.

On the subject of pistons, the Big Fat Honkin' Pistons type.  Pistons for the Z tractors are just about here.  First I have to stuff a set in my formerly 206 engine.  From now on I'm going to call that engine a 227!  I dare not make the cylinder walls any thinner.  In a few weeks we will let you know how she runs with fly weight pistons and a 3.8 inch bore.  Yummy!

For those of you interested in Moline [Parts] logo wear, I have found one manufacture that does Made in USA goods.  I should have them up in the coming days.

Honest Injin, I got carb parts!  I just don't have the time to put the web page together this month.  I promise the page will be up before the summer show.

If there is anything you think we should start making, drop us a note we just love ideas  ;)

 

03/23/08: Hallelujah!!!  A three year journey has just come to an end.  The first photo shows our very first batch of RE522A water pump seals on the press fixture, sittin' on mom's kitchen table, as always, you may click on the photo to enlarge.  These are the water pump seals used in the R and Z tractors and all the other EE and RE side valve engines.

You may think a water pump seal is a simple thing.  This next photo shows the components of this simple seal.  Once again, click on the photo to enlarge.

Notice the heavy Buna N bellows, the two stainless steel ferrules, the parallel ground stainless steel spring and the linen phenolic wear plate.  Our competition does not use stainless seal springs and they skip the ferrules.

At $15.97 each there is no longer an excuse for a leaky water pump.  If you wish, the phenolic wear plate can be shipped loose and not bonded to the bellows.  Minneapolis-Moline never bonded the wear plate to the bellows, but White Farm Equipment began bonding the assembly and the tradition carries on with Whites successor.  Unless specifically requested we will ship only bonded seal assembles.

We are still working on the earlier RE522 water pump seals. 

Our KE534A water pump seals for your U, G and similar engines are still in process.  If all goes as planed, we will begin shipping in June 2008.

If there is anything you think we should start making, drop us a note...

 

03/01/08: One more note from the Webmaster.  Charlie got the fuel pumps in so I just posted the prices and a picture of the 10A16838 pumps on the 'General Parts' page!

Greetings from Ice Station Fayette.  Last week I screwed up big time.  The RE522A water pump seal package was not available until mid 1940.  The RE522 water pump seal package was produced from 1937 until mid 1940 when it was replaced by the RE522A seal package.  Minneapolis Moline supplied the RE522A water pump seal package for all repairs.  Sorry about the bad information last week.

We are still waiting for the die shop to finish grinding the dies for the RE522A seal face.  The good news about this is I get free dinner & drinks every two weeks until they fulfill the work order!  Everything is ready in all other respects.  We will start shipping product the day the dies arrive.  Screaming and beating me does not make it go any faster as me screaming and beating them has done me no good.

I have found the company that produced the KE534 water pump seals since 1960.  The company has changed names four times since then but they still have the original dies.  They have agreed to start production for me.  I have reviewed their specifications and I am satisfied that they are of highest quality.  They have even updated their material quality.  You will be happy to know, since we are cutting many layers of middle men, the savings will be passed on to you.

Good news for all you tractor pullers!  We have found the last lot of the original 10A16838 and KE1075C mechanical fuel pumps for Minneapolis Moline tractors.  They have been waiting patiently since 1960 to be put to work.  We will also be offering new factory fresh fuel pump rebuild kits.  The materials in our kits will be compatible for the new alcohol blended fuel of today so you have no need to worry.  Guess it is now time to dig out those old fuel pump cores and get them cleaned up and pumping again.  We are now accepting pre-orders on rebuild kits so we may adjust production to fill your needs.

For those of you that want to make pulling tractors out of a Minneapolis Moline Z; we are going to offer forged aluminum racing pistons in "Big Honkin" sizes.  We hope to be able to deliver them in early April.  Drop us a note & let us know what you need.

 

02/28/08: Bad News:  Once again my phone & dialup service has quit.  No, I pay my bills, this is Verizon not spending any money out here in the sticks.  The service guys quietly admit that the wires are from the 1950's and the switch gear not much newer.  The trouble is there are more people than there are good phone lines, so every two weeks they kill a different household.  Don't worry, they have this area slated for upgrades in 2017!  I'll tell you, I lie awake at nights thinking what body parts I'd trade for high speed, and would those Verizon managers notice I took them....

If you would like to contact me please e-mail webmaster@molineparts.com, he will relay mail to me.

 

02/15/08 : Howdy... and Doodie!  This month we are pumping along.  In addition to our water pump seals 10A26466, 10A3046, and others; we will soon offer the water pump seals for all Minneapolis Moline water pumps ever made!  The RE522A pump seal that was used in the Z, R, and all similar tractors should have been available last week.  The 304 stainless steel ferrules are stamped, the 17-7 stainless steel springs are wound and the buna bellows are cast.  The face seals will be done as soon as the boob that promised to grind the punch die last month gets it to me.  The assembly fixtures are patiently waiting on the parts to be assembled.  If the suspense is killing you, just imagine what it is doing to me.  The pump seals will be well worth the wait, they look identical to the Minneapolis Moline pump seals of 1938.  The materials we are using are far superior to what was available then.  The availability will be easy and the price will be half of what you are paying now.

Currently we are offering the KE534A pump seals under the 'General Parts' page.  We cannot post a price because we are at the mercy of our supplier (you know who).  We are selling these seals at our cost, but in a few weeks we will be the ones supplying seals at a new and lower price.

There are about 15 parts additions to the 'General Parts' page coming up, but I haven't gotten that far yet.  All you tractor pullers will be more than happy with our original old stock fuel pumps and new rebuild kits to fit your U and G pulling tractors.  Now you can get rid of that ugly block plate and put the mechanical fuel pump that belongs there, no more hiding electric fuel pumps under the hood!  Cross my heart, it will be done next week.  Next week we will also have a new page filled with carburetor parts. 

12/17/07: Hi Guys!  This month we have sprung into action!  The 10A7725 clutch throwout spring is available again.  Made in America and with the same finish as the original Minneapolis-Moline spring.  How many times have you had to split your tractor to replace a throwout bearing or pressure plate fingers damaged due to a missing, damaged, or weak spring?  This spring is an absolute replacement necessity when splitting a tractor and you are going to love the price. 

Due to popular demand we have started stocking decal sets, and logos, for the Minneapolis-Moline line.

We have the 10A7075-S shifter springs in!  This spring has been unavailable for many a year.  All of them are broken and rusted to mere twigs.  The shifter spring we will be offering will be made from highly corrosion resistant stainless steel.  The original Minneapolis-Moline springs were made from carbon steel with a lacquer finish.  After a few months, sitting in the elements, the lacquer finish was gone and its last journey to iron oxide had begun.  Doing better than original Minneapolis-Moline specs is hard to do, but we try.  The regular price is just $12.39 each,

We are still working diligently on brake and clutch linings.  Rock hard Chinese clutch linings will not be sold here!  We are traveling to the far flung Ohio country frontier to get quality soft brake lining.  While Santa has not deliver the lining, we hope to get it before Baby New Year needs the first diaper changed.

12/01/07: Hi Guys!  This month we have sprung into action!  The 10A7725 clutch throwout spring is available again.  Made in America and with the same finish as the original Minneapolis-Moline spring.  How many times have you had to split your tractor to replace a throwout bearing or pressure plate fingers damaged due to a missing, damaged, or weak spring?  This spring is an absolute replacement necessity when splitting a tractor and you are going to love the price. 

Due to popular demand we have started stocking decal sets, and logos, for the Minneapolis-Moline line.

Before Christmas Santa has promised we will have the 10A7075 shifter spring.  This spring has been unavailable for many a year.  All of them are broken and rusted to mere twigs.  The shifter spring we will be offering will be made from highly corrosion resistant stainless steel.  The original Minneapolis-Moline springs were made from carbon steel with a lacquer finish.  After a few months, sitting in the elements, the lacquer finish was gone and its last journey to iron oxide had begun.  Doing better than original Minneapolis-Moline specs is hard to do, but we try.  The 10A7075 springs are at the heat treat shop as we speak, but we have the final cost now, just $12.39 each!  We said you were going to like it; photos to follow.

We are still working diligently on brake and clutch linings.  Rock hard Chinese clutch linings will not be sold here!  We are traveling to the far flung Ohio country frontier to get quality soft brake lining.  While Santa will not deliver the lining, we hope to get it before Baby New Year needs the first diaper changed.

Now, back to work.  Santa's subcontractor is working a double tonight!

 

07/04/2007: As you can see the CE505 accessory drive shaft, for the U & G engines is finally in stock!  I had planned to have them zinc chromated but the plating engineer advised me that the zinc chromating would not hold up as well as the copper plating called for in the original Minneapolis-Moline specifications.  The copper plate specification went back to the days of Twin City Tractors with gland water pump shafts.  This meant we had to go back and find a plater that still had the ability to selectively copper plate to original material specifications.  Here is a beautiful photo of the result.

We have finally got the 10A6006 water pump impeller project under way!  A journey of 1,000 miles, one way, was rewarded with the retrieval of the original Minneapolis-Moline 10A6006 foundry patterns.  Currently the patterns are being cleaned and restored for use.  Within two months we hope to have 10A6006 water pump impellers available to you.

Within two weeks we will have new RT604 rear wheel studs for the 9 bolt, 9.5" circle, pressed steel wheels.  The original specification called for a grade 5 fastener.  What we stock will be American Made grade 8 certified with clear zinc chromate finish for corrosion protection.

We have been getting requests for quality exhaust studs and nuts.  The original studs were carbon steel with brass nuts.  We are going to stock stainless steel studs and brass nuts.  This combination should stop the thinning of the studs due to corrosion and reduce the chance of seizing.

I am currently testing urethane enamel paint in Prairie Gold and other Moline colors.  My source is Americas largest paint manufacturer and they wanna' just cover the world.  Specific clear coats and hardener, as well as temperature sensitive thinner promise quality finish and deep luster.  I personally am getting tired of my latest paint job fading out and corrosion taking over after I get done painting my tractors.  Spoiled long weeks of preparation and sanding are getting on my nerves.  This will be the best paint or I am not using it, let alone selling it to you.  I regret to report that all attempts at finding a suitable spray can paint have failed.  They all suck!  Even the pricey custom canned products have started to fade after only a few months.  I am going to attempt to get this urethane paint packed in spray cans to see if the results are any better.

This month we added a small page for clutches.  We are currently in the process of replicating the auxiliary brake lining.  This brake is engaged when you pull back on the clutch handle.  Most Moline tractor owners do not even know there is a brake on the clutch lever!  Next month you will be able to make it work again! 

With all this activity; the ignition parts, carburetor data and spark plug information pages have been pushed back until next month.  This and many more exciting parts in the pipeline are coming soon.  Take care.

 

07/04/2007: This month we are working hard on a new project many of you have been asking for!  The CE505 drive accessory drive shaft for the U & G engines is almost here.  The tool steel has been blanked out, turned, threaded & ground.  We searched nationwide to find a shop capable of cutting the gear portion as modern CNC machines are incapable of producing this gear form.  As soon as the last of the gear teeth are generated, we will clock the shafts, cut the key seats, and get them to the heat treat furnace.  The last step will be zinc chromating the shafts for corrosion resistance, this will be easy compared to the previous steps.  This has been long in coming but I think you will be happy with the Made in America quality.

The new stainless steel water pump shafts, made from the original blue prints, will soon be available for the R and Z engines.    We have been testing various grades of stainless steel for corrosion resistance while keeping the original wear ability and toughness.

We now have front crankshaft seal EE5363 for the RE engines on the ZTU tractors.  We are also working very hard to produce the rear crankshaft seal, RE365, for the same RE engines.  Sorry guys, it is still going to leak from one end for a little while longer!

Take a look at the new pages we have added.  We have added new pages for bearings, seals, gaskets and engine bearings.  Next month we will be adding ignition parts, carburetor kits, carburetor parts and spark plugs for your Minneapolis-Moline Tractor engines.

01/04/2007:New for December is the RE45256C-AL aluminum piston set, to replace the pistons used in the 186 and  206 cubic inch engines.  The RE45256C-AL aluminum piston set includes four RE256-AL pistons with a diameter of 3 & 5/8" + .040", four RE252 piston pins, and eight RE253 retainers.  These pistons are virtually the same piston as optionally used in the 206H-4A engine and as standard  equipment in the upgraded 206H-4B engines.  These pistons are a perfect upgrade for 186 and 206 cubic inch tractor engines.

Minneapolis-Moline rated the 206H engines with the old cast iron pistons for 51 HP at 1500 RPM.  With the new aluminum pistons Minneapolis-Moline rated engines to 1800 RPM .  This is a 20% increase in RPMs; in addition, aluminum pistons reduce the stress on the engine bottom end. 

These pistons are New Old Stock.  Due to drastic increases in manufacturing costs we do not foresee them being made again.  Coming in January both original and gapless rings will be available for this piston.  Also in late January gaskets and engine bearings will be available for most tractor and power plant models.

10/14/06: New this month are oil seals for water pumps, hood latches, stainless roll pins and best of all the water pump pulleys.   The original RE505A pulleys were cast iron and tended to break when you try to remove them from the water pump shafts.  Between wear and breakage the price on a good used pulley was up to $150 from some dealers.  Enough of that, our new water pump pulleys are CNC machined from solid alloy billets and a steal at just $48!