Creation of the new 170/180 tractors

Where did these two new models in the summer of 1967 come from?? It wasn't really all that difficult for the engineers to do. The new 54 HP One-Seventy was essentially a series 4 D-17 tractor with hydrostatic power steering (new front support, orbitrol and triple section hyd pump) and new sheet metal. The Perkins diesel engine was new to Allis, but was already a proven product elsewhere. The only part in the driveline that was new, was the axle tube castings connected to the final drives. Much thicker and stronger and were an obvious change to look at them. Right at the start, this tractor was a proven reliable unit at 54 HP. The new 64 HP sized One-Eighty was a bit more of a challenge, but still not too tough to create. From the instrument panel forward to the front axle, the new One-Eighty tractor was basically just a One-Ninety with shorter axle spindles. Everything inside the torque tube and the de-rated diesel engine (and eventual 6-cyl gas engine) was 99% One-Ninety components. Now, from the instrument panel on back (transmission/differential), it was still 100% a One-Ninety tranny and differential, but stuffed inside a brand new transmission/differential housing that externally LOOKS LIKE a One-Seventy, but internally is much different. The truly "new" parts were in the final drive area, as the bull gears/bull pinion gears were a different ratio and were much wider and stronger than the One-Seventy tractor. The wider final drive gears then required a new final drive housing for them to fit inside and the heavier axle tubes to connect them to the rear end housing were then utilized on both new tractor models. The hydraulic valves/console and 3-point hitches were identical between the new 170/180 tractors. The One-Eighty then had to have unique sheet metal and a new higher platform with taller brake/clutch pedals and a new seat suspension and angled track taken from the One-Ninety tractor. Remember, A-C had just come out of the disaster of the One-Ninety transmission/rear end/torque tube gears updates and so all the newer stronger parts were being used in the new One-Eighty tractor. I feel if the One-Ninety series hadn't been plauged with all their needed updates, the One-Eighty would have been a couple years sooner. So, the only thing really brand new was the final drives which allowed them to stay with 28 inch rubber on the back. The One-Eighty driveline had to be much stronger than a One-Seventy, as working weights in the field were usually always 9,000+ lbs, versus 7,000 lbs. So, where did they come from?? Just utilizing existing parts off the shelf with a few new tweaks !!!

Our 180 diesel has over 11000 hours on it and the transmission rear end and final drives are all original. Never been apart. Engine has never been overhauled. One extremely tough tractor. Wish we could still buy them new. Always thought it would do more work than most any other completive tractor in that horsepower class.

I agree Jason , Doctor, you should write an article for The old allis news.

I have always been intrigued by the AC 170 and the 175 tractors and the Perkins engines in them and learning more about them. When I learned the 170 and 175 tractors had Perkins engines and they were 236 and 248 cubic inch displacement I just thought they were like the same Perkins in Massey Ferguson tractors built during that same time period. I after reading posts on this site they were a different engine, at least that what I understand it to be. It was my understanding a 248 Perkins was different engine in a AC 175 tractor than that same displacement Perkins engine in a MF 275 tractor. Please correct any of this if I wrong.

I enjoy DrAllis story on the development of the 170 and 180.

The perkins are still very similar from a massey to the 170/175, with the exception of the crank flywheel bolt pattern may be different, front cover and accessory drive differences. The injection system is actually the same as certain massey tractors. I am certain no perkins 236/248 has wet sleeves, that part of the engine didn't change when used by various tractor manufacturers. There's lots of small differences for various applications, but the overall design is the same. 

If only they would have had completely independent pto. The 190 should have had it as well. My dad talked about how he hated my grandfathers 190XT on a forage harvester as it was so hard to change gears on the headlands to speed up.  It didn't help that dad had a brand new 4020. Tom

tomstractorsandtoys wrote: If only they would have had completely independent pto. The 190 should have had it as well. My dad talked about how he hated my grandfathers 190XT on a forage harvester as it was so hard to change gears on the headlands to speed up.  It didn't help that dad had a brand new 4020. Tom

I feel like the whole PTO debacle is something that had to have really hurt Allis over the years, even to the end with the Fiat 6000's. Sure the power director had some advantages, but nothing like a lever to simply turn the PTO on or off whenever you wanted.

Having done a bit of research on the Perkins 4.236 and 4.248 engine as supplied to Allis - Chalmers I asked  with their U.S.A. support team Clarke Power Solutions if they would check their archives on a spec. build sheet for both engines as supplied to AC and importantly if they could supply it for purchase.