Malcolm:

Glad to see you back!! Oh yes Twin Disc is very much still in business making clutch drives but their big money maker is making drop boxes for large boats. Almost every boat out there that has any name at all has a Twin Disc transmition lower end in it. If you would like to see what one of these looks like just go to ebay and search Twin Disc and click on highest prices first. They range from $7,000-$15,000 so they must be good.

Are you close friends to the man that owns the GP with 6 cylinder? Just wondering if he might have a part number for the clutch he got from them as it would be easier to ask for a part number than try to explain to them what a Massey Harris GP is.

John:

I found a couple pictures I snapped of your Industrial front cast drop housing. It is made of one piece verses this one is made in two pieces and bolts together just like a normal GP housing. Yours looks to be alot more beefier but keep in mind yours is the earlier model and this is the new improved 1936 model and somethings may have been cheapened up a bit like this. Don't know what the application was for this tractor but it came from California so I am guessing it was used in the vinyards or orchards. The front wheels are the same width as the rear so it is definatly an Industrial just has the wheels switched to tip toe steel.

Joe

Joe,

There really is only one way to sort all this out - you just have to get your little book out or some freshly printed $$s and get hold of that tractor!!!  SOONEST!!

Are these two types of housings/brackets listed in the parts books?

You say the ohv version was "improved".  As far as I can see the specs are much the same except for the engines.  What's your view on this?  Must admit I haven't critically compared castings etc on my sv and ohv.  But engine powers are probably about the same.  I did note whilst compiling the article that the ohv has a slightly longer wheelbase and was of course additionally offered as a 56 inch track.

Still snowing here ............

John

Joe,
Forgot to ask in my last post - do you think those are genuine MH wheels on that tractor?  Remember also those odd ones on that GP in Yuma - have never established if they were genuine MH
John

The only two GP pictures I have from Yuma....

Thanks  for the pictures Drew, I just looked in my book and the one on Steel sold for $17,000 but I don't know where it went to and haven't seen it since, Any Idea who bought it?

John:

I do believe those lugs are genuine MH lugs I am sure they are the same as the ones on the tractor from Yuma but I can't find my pictures right now to prove it.

There were alot of updates on the New 1936 model one of the most noticable was the larger fuel tank so the hood had to slant down just a bit another is they got away from the old Wallis steering box and went to a larger one with Ball joints to grease on the ends rather than the old piece of tin wraped around the end held down by 4 bolts. Here is some pictures of the different steering box and tie rod ends.

I believe they beefed up the entire transmition housing by making it just a bit thicker also here is one of the major differences between the early housing and the New 1936 housing.

If you look to the left of the picture you will notice an oil trough that catches the oil as the flywheel spins and lets it flow down a pipe back into the transmition where it should be. This keeps the oil off the clutch to keep it from slipping.

The first picture is of the old style with no oil return or trough. The second is with the trough and the 3rd you can see the pipe going down to the transmition box.

Here is another design flaw that they fixed by drilling more holes and bolting with hardened bolts and locked them with metal tabs.  This is the ring gear that couples the clutch to the flywheel, on the early tractors this ring gear was held on by six tapered headded screws they often came loose and had catistrophic problems.

The first pictire is an example of what they look like when the screws come loose.

The next is a pictuer of what it should look like not broken up and the 3rd is a picture of the newer gear with Twelve bolts with locks.

Although this Coupler is a Patented Twin-Disc design and for the most part is pretty good but I think this is one of the weaker points on the Massey Harris GPs. After they start to wear they really start chewing up the teeth on both the ring gear and the clutch backing.

Hear is another added update, a shroud arround the top of the wheel to keep the dirt from grinding into the seal.

First picture is of old style then the updated version with shroud. Also in the 3rd picture is the new shroud on the bottom of the gear case to keep it from wearing a hole in it from dragging on the dirt on the wall of a furrow when plowing.

Here is one that really stumps me, this is on tractor #300605-76 it is a stub nosed rearend. It is about 2 inches shorter than most. I believe I have seen some other tractors like this before but can't recall whear they are right off hand.

Measuring from the back of the transmition proves it is not just my imagination.