My new to me puller M

[bitty]

I tried searching for other M engine threads but no luck. If I stroke it 6" and bore it 4 3/8" it's a 360 . What are my best options for reliability and cost effectiveness? Is that too much to bore a M block? I don't want to spend a million but I would like to get something respectable to play with .

What RPM is that setup safe at ? 

Do I need to be 4 1/4 or something less ? 

[Finney]

Bitty, why the aluminum weight racks?

[bitty]

10 minutes ago, Finney said:

Bitty, why the aluminum weight racks?

They were on it when I got it. I have to set up my scale and weight it to see what weight it will squeeze in the way it sits 

[sandhiller]

On 11/21/2023 at 8:02 PM, bitty said:

Cranks but no spark. It has juice down to the points but not sparking at the plugs . I put a new set of 3116 I had on as 386 that were in are dirty looking. 

On the tach it is backlit whenever the battery is hooked up so I have to change some wires. What does the plug (green arrow) and the cylinder part to the right accomplish? 

Is that just a bigger add on shift light?

[bitty]

6 minutes ago, sandhiller said:

Is that just a bigger add on shift light?

Maybe..... I've never ran anything that needed a tach like this before . lol 

[Sledgehammer]

4 minutes ago, bitty said:

Maybe..... I've never ran anything that needed a tach like this before . lol 

If you build an M capable of 10K rpm I’d say you will place pretty high in the rankings……… at least one time 😊

[F-301066460puller]

360ci is not much it will be reliable. I assume you want to do 4mph or under classes? Did you ever find out what it is now? If it's built to 281 with a good head, cam, carb and header that's all you'll really need. Any faster than that and you'll want 400+ ci. Gary Baker was building them to 660+ but dem ain't cheap. 

Do not buy anything from Denny's carb shop! I belive Lemmons out of Indiana makes a good drop in kit and there used to be another guy but I can't remember his name that made a drop in kit. Cylinder head porting and a good cam is cheap hp. Once you start boring and stroking the $$$$ piles up. 

693ci F-30 SHORTBLOCK was $9k 15 years ago lol

 

[bitty]

1 minute ago, F-301066460puller said:

360ci is not much it will be reliable. I assume you want to do 4mph or under classes? Did you ever find out what it is now? If it's built to 281 with a good head, cam, carb and header that's all you'll really need. Any faster than that and you'll want 400+ ci. Gary Baker was building them to 660+ but dem ain't cheap. 

Do not buy anything from Denny's carb shop! I belive Lemmons out of Indiana makes a good drop in kit and there used to be another guy but I can't remember his name that made a drop in kit. Cylinder head porting and a good cam is cheap hp. Once you start boring and stroking the $$$$ piles up. 

693ci F-30 SHORTBLOCK was $9k 15 years ago lol

 

I definitely will be checking out what it is currently but I don't believe it is over 281 or 298 by the feel of it although I have not run it much. I have to clean the tank and carburetor again. Flow issues with gas although it doesn't look really bad 

[F-301066460puller]

Get the part number off the head. I think the 450 lp head is what you want but with a little work any of them can work. Back in the late 80's dad had a 495 ci F-30 (was HUGE back then) had to pull 2nd gear all the time at 5,500lb. Took the head to Indy Cylinder Head and when he got it back it was a 3rd gear tractor. Didn't know about cams for low rpm in those days just the high rpm cams that had no lug to them lol 88 Oliver's would turn high rpm until the end then it was like you turn off a switch lol

[bitty]

It's not currently a LP head. I'll have to look for the #'s. I have two 450 LP heads one on my pulling 450 and the second one is on a 450 I got to restore and found out that it was originally a LP. I'll try to get the rest of the stuff to convert it back to LP for my collection 

[bitty]

Question I'm wondering what it takes to eliminate the hydraulic pump on my 450 puller . I need to shave some weight off it and I need a pump for my newest 450. Figured I'd steal this one for that and kill two birds with one stone. The M distributor drive is different bolt pattern at the block isn't it? 

[F-301066460puller]

Marlatt was the other guy selling kits lol as for the hydro pump... idk lol

[bitty]

5 minutes ago, F-301066460puller said:

Marlatt was the other guy selling kits lol as for the hydro pump... idk lol

I know I sold a distributor from a M to a guy building a 450 but I think it takes modification if I'm thinking correctly. Thought the super M changed at some point when the live pump was added . M&W pump had two slotted holes .....  i think 

[hillman]

8 hours ago, bitty said:

Question I'm wondering what it takes to eliminate the hydraulic pump on my 450 puller . I need to shave some weight off it and I need a pump for my newest 450. Figured I'd steal this one for that and kill two birds with one stone. The M distributor drive is different bolt pattern at the block isn't it? 

M distributor drive can work without mods after a serial break , I could look it up but after 70 years who knows whats been changed. Just measure the top 2 holes. I think its almost 3/8" difference so not too hard to determine or take your gasket with you when you are looking for another drive

[bitty]

Our local pull would have been last Saturday but was cancelled for rain . We finally got finished planting Friday so I actually finally got to working on this again. Fuel tank was a battle with crud and rust so I decided to rat rod the tin and add an aluminum fuel tank. At our show last June I got this hood and grill. I plan to make it tilt eventually.

I'm changing the hitch and weight brackets and probably eventually going boat steering with a light wide front. I have to brace the hitch yet from each side. Drawbar will get a ring welded on yet so it will be pulling from the stock front anchor . I had it running 3 times last September for our pull and before getting out of the driveway it had dirt or rust move in the tank but I should be past that issue now. Just a few things to finish yet for now. I hope to get down to the rescheduled pull in July . Wheelie bars I had put on the one 4fiddy so I need to swap them back 

[bitty]

Still have a few things to do but I drove it out of the shop today. I have to change the wiring some and check if it charges the battery. Hopefully it will be pulling in 3 weeks. Been too busy with farming in the last few years to actually get a tractor out to a pull. Our local pull is 1 1/2 miles from home so I can just drive the tractor there since I don't have cut tires . I retapped the new sediment bowl and I have some fittings I had made that thread into the carburetor and the sediment bowl. They have 1/2"-20 threads by 3/8" hose barb made from brass .  The new tinwork makes the 16.9-38 look small 

[560Dennis]

 I like that idea for the hitch ! 

[bitty]

3 hours ago, 560Dennis said:

 I like that idea for the hitch ! 

I've seen many others similar. I had some Berrymans injector cleaner and I ran it some this morning and it's running better. I did find out it was positive ground. I will mount and alternator and change the wiring for it now 

[Alan Dinan]

On 6/16/2025 at 11:30 PM, bitty said:

 

 

 

Didn’t have a hole saw, Tim?!! lol 😂 

[bitty]

1 hour ago, Alan Dinan said:

Didn’t have a hole saw, Tim?!! lol 😂 

Not that size and no way to hold the hood under a hole saw either. I have to enlarge the hole some when I redo the hoods and fill in the unused holes 

[bitty]

I put different shoes on the ol M . I had these road shaved 14.9-38 Titans and I think I'll sell the 16.9's although I hate going away from Firestones but I wanted to not be in big tire class. It lowered the hitch by 13/16" changing the tires . 16" rims are wide for 14.9's . I need to order a hot 12 volt coil for it and I might be done for now. I might pull the oil pan to peek at the piston diameter and stroke to know what cubic inches it displaces

[bitty]

With the 14.9 Titans I went 27 mph on the flats going down the road 👀

Pull hopefully 10 am tomorrow morning