Hello everyone. Been poking around and reading a bunch on here. I'm looking at a 1960 OC-46. No engine, aux trans and pto assembly have been removed. Asking price is $650. I was thinking of a Chevy 4.3L/TH350 transplant hooked to the OC Trans.
Welcome aboard Dave! If it were just a plain tractor, I would agree with your transplant, but being a loader, I don't think it would be a good choice. You need an engine with the torque down at the rpms where the original engine was. Plus you will be reversing all the time, so it will put a strain on the drivetrain.
Ask yourself, why was the engine removed? Is the rest of the tractor worn out and junk? If the rest of the tractor, especially the tracks and undercarriage, is good, then it may be worth finding the original engine. Otherwise, maybe it's just a parts machine.
Blake
Hi FireEMT Dave,
As Blake said "... if the unit is not completely worn out,... it is a likely candidate for rehab. Pity the motor is gone; for a 1960 tractor it would have been a GO-130 (gas) or DD-130 (Diesel) Hercules. These motors are scarce and quite pricey to rebuild. Also a pity that the reverser is missing, although if the bell housing is still there you can get a "straight through" pilot shaft and hopefully the transmission has the reverse idler. They came with and without a reverse gear in the main transmission. I cannot recommend the two "likely" bone yards in West Michigan for Cletrac parts, even though they may have them. Far and away the best source would be Landis Zimmerman in PA.
Good luck with your project if you bite off an OC-46. They are an extremely handy tractor ... useful and fun to operate.
Bruce