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D. Hinton 
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Joined: 20 Apr 2019
Location: Alabama
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 Topic: Restoration Advice
Posted: 22 Apr 2019 at 1:57pm |
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Hey Guys. I’m new to the forum.
‘Getting ready to begin restoration of my grandad’s 1953 Allis Chalmers WD - later converted to WD 45.
The engine will still turn over (hand crank).
Any advice on where to begin. Things to look for and things I should stay away from ?
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WF owner
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Joined: 12 May 2013
Location: Bombay NY
Points: 5035
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Posted: 22 Apr 2019 at 3:22pm |
Personally, and other people will have different ideas, I would probably try to get it running and then go from there. Does it run well, smoke excessively and does it have a lot of oil leaks ? This will tell you what needs to be done next.
I would prefer to get it right mechanically, before I would try to make it pretty !
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HoughMade
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Joined: 22 Sep 2017
Location: Valparaiso, IN
Points: 709
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Posted: 22 Apr 2019 at 3:34pm |
What do you want to do?
Are you looking to do a nuts and bolts complete restoration?
Do you want just a good runner?
I agree that getting it running first is the best idea. I would do this even if you were going to completely rebuild the engine later. It'll tell you whether the block, head, trans, etc. are good bases to build upon.
For me, it's always cosmetics last.
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1951 B
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D. Hinton
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Joined: 20 Apr 2019
Location: Alabama
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Posted: 22 Apr 2019 at 3:43pm |
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Nuts and bolts complete
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CrestonM
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Joined: 08 Sep 2014
Location: Oklahoma
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Posted: 22 Apr 2019 at 3:51pm |
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Some folks tear a non running tractor completely apart, replace worn parts, paint the pieces, and reassemble. I don't think there's anything wrong with that, but I rebuild everything and make sure everything is going to work well, then while everything's still clean, I'll remove wiring, rubber, etc. and paint. Takes a little more effort because I have to add and remove things before painting, but it works for me.
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Dave(inMA)
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Grafton, MA
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Posted: 22 Apr 2019 at 4:04pm |
if you haven't read the restoration book on here, check out: http://www.allischalmers.com/forum/wd-45-next-yes_topic143835.html That'll give you an intro to what you're in to!
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WC, CA, D14, WD45
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DiyDave
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Joined: 11 Sep 2009
Location: Gambrills, MD
Points: 54276
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Posted: 22 Apr 2019 at 5:42pm |
Get it running, as is. It will give you a better understanding of how things work, and what areas may need extra attention... Then you can get fancy, and do the resto...JMHO! 
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Source: Babylon Bee. Sponsored by BRAWNDO, its got what you need!
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DSeries4
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Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Location: Ontario, Canada
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Posted: 22 Apr 2019 at 7:54pm |
Things you should stay away from??? I have no idea what you are referring to. To me, my definition of a restoration is to tackle every single issue of the tractor, no matter how big or how small. Get the tractor running first, use it and make notes of all the issues that arise during its operation. Test out everything to make sure they work properly. Make notes of oil leaks, worn bearings, sloppy pedals/seats/steering shafts.
Once you have that list, add long neglected maintenance items: new wiring harnesses, gauges and controls, carb rebuilds, starter rebuilds, generator rebuilds, gas tank cleanings, radiator cleaning and testing (or recore if needed). Don't forget new tires after that. Also track down any parts that may be missing or beyond repair. Then tear the tractor down as far as possible to get maximum paint coverage. Paint other pieces separately and then reassemble everything. Some people call slapping fresh paint over top of rust a restoration. I surely do not. If you are going through the effort and expense (paint is not cheap), do it right. There is no worse feeling than having to take the tractor apart to fix something immediately after painting it. That's my 2 Cents.
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'49 G, '54 WD45, '55 CA, '56 WD45D, '57 WD45, '58 D14, '59 D14, '60 D14, '63 D15D, '66 D15II, '66 D21II, '67 D17IV, '67 D17IVD, '67 190XTD, '73 620, '76 185, '77 175, '84 8030, '85 6080
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Sugarmaker
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Joined: 12 Jul 2013
Location: Albion PA
Points: 8534
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Posted: 22 Apr 2019 at 8:36pm |
Welcome D I started similar to you with a family tractor. It was a WD too. Learned a bunch from these folks on the Forum! The projects can be a little overwhelming. I have been able to work on several WD's and currently have the thread going about some work on a similar model WD45. Still learning! I will help any way I can. I am not a expert on these tractors. I just own several. We will need some pictures! Regards, Chris
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D17 1958 (NFE), WD45 1954 (NFE), WD 1952 (NFE), WD 1950 (WFE), Allis F-40 forklift, Allis CA, Allis D14, Ford Jubilee, Many IH Cub Cadets, 32 Ford Dump, 65 Comet.
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