RAH

When we put 3lm on ours, we had to grid/ cut to fit. Had the same exact problem you have. Was literally just taking little off at a time till was able to put boot on. That 1/4-3/8 number sounds correct. Hope this is helpful.

Karl does a great job!

Those look really nice!! Someone spent a whole bunch of time on the lathe, or are they aftermarket ones?

Chrome moly cage? Old one mild steel?

Will have to change front hub and damper from truck engine to the one from the 4386. They are different and truck one will not work with the front mount hydraulic pump bracket.

Yes truck covers front and rear.

Late 53 m could have had both live hydraulics and also live pto. second series super h had live hydraulics but never had live pto.

Atlas tractor could sell you whatever you would want for constant mesh gears.

That definitely makes for a bad day. On the bright side, an M would never let you down like that.

Be sure you have correct head gasket. Oil passage is different from an early one to a late one. My guess is there is no oil getting to top.

If the truck one has the coolant filter as part of the cooler, the frame is in the way of the filter. I don’t remember if it is just a little or a bunch. Hope this helps.

Google “Smith Brothers”. They make whatever you would like for pushrods and are very economical.

I’ve always seen them as a foot switch on the floor

To put it simply, power differences between them was mostly all done by different pumps and different pump settings.