HG or OC3

[duckft]

Hello, and I apologize for posting my first newbie question on the wrong board. Just bought an Oliver crawler  and was told the man thought it was an HG, however there is no tags on it and no frame serial numbers. I was told the mans' father bought it new and the engine is original. On the engine it says IXB3  and serial number 2447550. It has a Wico mag #1113b and a tillotson carb model #YC10A. can any one tell me if this is an OC3 or a HG and what year it might be ?
      Thanks- Kel

[Mike Shanley]

Kel -- can you show us some pictures so we can help you out?  Detail of the front wheel and rear sprocket will help.  There are people who monitor this site who can give you an educated guess based on the right picture.  Mike Shanley

[duckft]

The front sprocket is 2 piece stamped steel with bolts holding them together. on the engine under the wico mag, it has what looks like a cast in foundry date of 5  23  50, which I assume means May of 1950. What puzzles me is the tillotson carb-were these ever standard equipment or might this be a replacement?   The engine was out and had been recently rebuilt in an automotive machine shop along with a rebuild on the Wico mag. I  paid $1000 for it-is this a good price?
                                     Thanks for answering my post- Kel

[mikegt4]

HG or OC? is probably the most asked question.
Actually the hg/oc crawler was always a "work in progress" with a constant steam of running changes. Some of these changes were to address problem areas, others to react to a changing market. At one point in 1951 Oliver drew a line in the sand and started calling it an OC3.

From Landis Zimmerman's HG/OC Teck Tips in the Sept/Oct 2000 issue of Hart-Parr/Oliver Collecter:
Wico XH 1113 mag introduced 1947
IXB3 and stamped outside flange front idler wheel introduced 1950
Numerous frame improvements throughout 1950 (& 1951?)
Full frame transaxle mount introduced in 1952

There were several different carbs used and "non factory" replacements were widely used so it isn't a reliable data point. With your front wheels and IXB3, it appears that it is a 1950 or later. If your transaxle is attached to the frame with 4 bolts (2 each side of the case, not including any U bolts) then it would be a 1950 or 1951.

A 1950 would be an HG, a 1951 could be either.

Does that clear it up?    

[walter hudson]

If the IXB is original ,chances are it is an oc3. Try to find some original paint some where . If you find yellow ,it has to be an oc3. If you find green it could be either but most likely a hg.

[Mike Shanley]

I have an OC3 with an IXK3 motor, a Ware Loader and a Tillotson Carb... The motor has a Montgomery Ward rebuilt ID plate attached to the bell housing.  The machine also has a Trasco shuttle transmission.

I believe the original motor was replaced (as was the original carb.) when the rebuilt was installed.  The Oliver-Cletrac serial number is nowhere to be found.  It is in Industrial Yellow with no other paint obvious.  

Many of these machines have a history known only to them, unless it has been in the family for many, many years.   Mike Shanley

[duckft]

Quite a bit of original green paint left with what looks like yellow pin striping on the hood or engine cover. Kel