Farmall MD- Coil vs Magneto Ignition

[826BB]

I just noticed that some MDs I see have a coil ignition and some have magnetos. I know the basic UD-6 gas start diesel engine was offered both ways but what is correct for a Farmall MD?  And if it changed, was it different early vs late? 

[dale560]

3 hours ago, 826BB said:

I just noticed that some MDs I see have a coil ignition and some have magnetos. I know the basic UD-6 gas start diesel engine was offered both ways but what is correct for a Farmall MD?  And if it changed, was it different early vs late? 

Not super 100% sure but I think a magneto was available option yet on super ms. Or even later tractors. I know MDs up here had more mag than distrubutor.

[DWV]

MD were only shown to come with a magneto. SMD could have a distributor. Unless the MD manifold was changed or parts in it the power to distributor would need a switch added to send power to or off. Original switch was at front of intake manifold with two studs for electric wire hookup. MD manifold only had one wire to magneto. Wire was ground and unground inside manifold. Distributors did get added to some MD tractors. Can't remember for sure at the moment if the distributors had 8-degree advance until some later ones changed to no advance. Most of SMD, 400D and 450D had the distributor standard. 

[826BB]

9 hours ago, DWV said:

MD were only shown to come with a magneto. SMD could have a distributor. Unless the MD manifold was changed or parts in it the power to distributor would need a switch added to send power to or off. Original switch was at front of intake manifold with two studs for electric wire hookup. MD manifold only had one wire to magneto. Wire was ground and unground inside manifold. Distributors did get added to some MD tractors. Can't remember for sure at the moment if the distributors had 8-degree advance until some later ones changed to no advance. Most of SMD, 400D and 450D had the distributor standard. 

Been doing a little more digging in books, catalogs and online and this looks to be correct. I found "magneto" listed in an early MD spec sheet and when I look at period images, every MD I see has a mag, and Hundred Series have coils. Didn't find many SMD pics but the couple I found had coils. Seemed like a simple question but it was a hard one to answer. I found any number of restored early MDs with coils.

[DWV]

13 hours ago, 826BB said:

Been doing a little more digging in books, catalogs and online and this looks to be correct. I found "magneto" listed in an early MD spec sheet and when I look at period images, every MD I see has a mag, and Hundred Series have coils. Didn't find many SMD pics but the couple I found had coils. Seemed like a simple question but it was a hard one to answer. I found any number of restored early MDs with coils.

Thinking IH offered a battery ignition package at one time. Looked in a TC-28-H parts book printed in 1960. It shows a battery ignition attachment for a MD. But some parts of distributor in attachment not around when MD was built. TC-28-G printed August of 52 shows no distributor for a MD.  

[Diesel Doctor]

The early gas start diesels used magnetos when designed. 

Some time later, they changed over to battery ignition.

When I cannot say.

All I know is you will find them both ways.

You will have to dig deeper to find the serial number break when it happened.

[nepoweshiekfarmalls]

My 1950 MD has a magneto.

[DWV]

Found more info after looking on the subject dated 3-10-55.  Later TC 28-H shows both the 8-degree parts and 0-degree parts that came out later.

[hardtail]

My 55 TD18 has a distributor to narrow down your timeline

[826BB]

Mainly wanted to confirm that in the MD days (no Super, etc.) they were factory equipped with magnetos. I know of a '52 TD9 that has a mag from the factory and the spec sheet so indicates.