I had a similar dilemma with a 1964 Minneapolis Moline TLB machine that had a bad engine. I did a quick rebuild with new bearings on the rods and crank, reringed the pistons, and honed the cylinders. This was back in 1983 while I was building my new home, and needed the tractor in a hurry. The problem is that in my haste, I didn't do it correctly, even though I knew how to, I just cut corners. The engine started burning oil from day one of the rebuild, and after about 75 hours of the rebuild, the engine came apart. I sourced another engine, and this time I used the best parts of both engines and I didn't take any shortcuts in getting the engine done correctly. I had the cylinders bored and honed, the crank turned and installed new bearings to match. I also had to buy new pistons and rings to fit the bored cylinders. In the end, I spent a lot of money to fix that tractor correctly, and it cost me more than the tractor was worth, but it was worth it to me to have a large tractor that could do whatever I needed it to do. When I was done with my home and didn't need the tractor any longer, I loaned it to a friend who dug his complete foundation with the tractor and when he was done with it, he delivered it back to me in better condition than when I gave it to him. He painted it with a brush and it looked like a new yellow tractor. I then advertised it and the first person to come to look at it bought it for what I thought it was worth as a reliable machine, not what other similar machines were selling for that needed work. I bought it cheap knowing it had problems, but it wasn't a bargain when I think about all that I had to do to make it reliable. At the time it made sense because I didn't have the money to spend on a new tractor. I did recoup all that I spent, and the buyer got a bargain in the sense that he had a reliable tractor for his use. There are days that I still wish that I still had that tractor since it could dig a 12' hole with ease. It originally came from a cemetery and was used to dig graves, but the people that operated it abused it hoping that they would get a new tractor. If you fix your tractor correctly the first time and then maintain it properly, it will continue to serve you well long into the future. If you just patch it up, you will be doing the job twice and wasting money in the end. Learn from my experience and do it correctly the first time and you will have a reliable tractor for years to come.
