Allis Chalmers m-100

Serial #: C-1038 A1100SB

Just bought it at online auction. Sight unseen. Put a lowball bid in and won.

Now comes the work of getting it home. Which I have to get it in two days.

If the thing won’t start, how does one get the blade up in the air so I can load it on the trailer lol.

Disconnect the blade to the arms that lift it and then just chain it up? Pictures look like the blade could be in the air still.

Only paid $715 for it after taxes and auction fees. Even if I can’t get it going I can sell it to someone for parts or for a pull grader project.

Nice find. I'd take loose the arms, and use a com-a long, or binders, to pull the blade the blade up. Were the numbers you gave found on a tag, or cast into iron, somewhere? they don't look like serial #'s to me...

https://www.mcdougallbay.com/bid.php?arg='{F97BC21D-3FAE-4CD3-AFEC-EAF9FE5127D1}%27#

Link coming up ng...

I have a M-100 C which is later. Also some manuals. PM me If you need help. Parts are getting scarce but a simple tough machine.

Got it home today, took my lowbed and my 973c and ripped it out of the Bush.

Owner said he drove and parked it 15-20 years ago in that spot.

One flat tire, one tire with a lug missing. Others are weather cracked but hold air.

Blades are worn down into the mold board in the crown area.

It has an extension on the blade. In cab heater. Recirculating engine heater.

All the tires turn, the blade rotated when I put a binder on it and spun the shaft into the gearbox for circle turn.

As is, this would be a good parts machine. Lots of good parts on it.

Any possibility that it might run?
I posted an old sales brochure on this thread.

https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/threads/back-from-the-dead.28734/

Queenslander said:

Any possibility that it might run?
I posted an old sales brochure on this thread.

https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/threads/back-from-the-dead.28734/

Click to expand...

That’s cool, crazy that this little grader weighs almost 26,000lbs.

When people say the roll away blade, aren’t all grader blades build in the last 40 years this design?


This video is quite the watch. It’s entertaining “modern technology has to offer”

The previous owner said he drove it to where it was parked. So there’s really no reason it shouldn’t run. Although it was parked for 15-20 years.

I tried to hook up a booster pack to the battery cables and then turned the ignition and there was no response.

Put the booster pack directly to the starter and it just free wheeled. It didn’t engage out into the flywheel.

I’m going to need to get the manual for it so I can see which lever is for what, and what pedal is which.

By the serial #, 1966 or perhaps later. Nice find. Battery is likely toast from age, you would to need to find one that is close to the original(s) size, and try jumping it off...

Playing around with it today, ignition doesn’t work the signal wire to the starter must be broken somewhere. But when I put cables directly to the starter and then hit the solenoid with 12v it engages the starter, turns the motor over very slowly, because the solenoid seems to be engaging and disengaging rapidly.

That many years of sitting, and your repeated attempts to start it with a boost pack(low voltage) can booger up the contact plates in the solenoid. Do yourself a favor, and hook a big battery up to it... Don't want to start any fights, just experience talkin, here...

DIYDAVE said:

That many years of sitting, and your repeated attempts to start it with a boost pack(low voltage) can booger up the contact plates in the solenoid. Do yourself a favor, and hook a big battery up to it... Don't want to start any fights, just experience talkin, here...

Click to expand...

Boost pack attempt lasted about 2 tries. And literally for less then a second each.

Second attempt when the starter was engaging and disengaging was with my duramax hooked up to it. For another few seconds.(later found that I had a bad connection on the signal wire to the solenoid)

Third attempt was with my duramax and a 7220 John Deere tractor hooked up to it. Both running, and with tractor in an elevated idle.

It turned over alright but still slow I feel.

The grader wasn’t even chugging any smoke trying to start, no popping or anything. So I took the fuel filters out and they were plugged up, cleaned the bowls up with a wire wheel and solvent and then cleaned with brake clean. Then I drained the tank of all the fuel. Pressurized the tank to force the fuel and impurities out.

So now I have to get two new fuel filters, new air filter. See if I can get this thing started. And if I can, then i’ll Try get the tire inflated, and see what works or not before I start thinking about getting into replacing things.

One thing I did notice is the levers, some have a return, some don’t. Is there springs in the valve bodies or whatever they’re called that the levers go into, that need to be replaced?

You need to put a set of batteries in it for it to spin like it should. Should also check voltage. Should be stamped in the starter housing somewhere. Could it be 24 volt?

Have you tried moving the levers? if they are froze in position, water might have got in and caused some rust in the valves. I would think that most of the valves on a grader would have a center detent (return to center)...

Filters should have bleed valves, above each. from there its bleed the pump, and then each line, at injector.

Sometimes it helps to take the old battery out of the loop, if they are dead shorted, they can add a load, to whatever jump battery you are using. I would hook a battery directly to cables via the existing (or new) clamps, and see if the starter spins faster...


There may be an issue with the solenoid, or starter could need brushes, also check grounds and wires, on something this old, wires can need replacing and sometimes starters will rust and lose ground. Sounds like this ain't your first rodeo, so keep at it. If the motor ain't locked, it should prolly be start-able, based on the history you have provided, and providing the previous owner didn't lie to ya...

Theweldor said:

You need to put a set of batteries in it for it to spin like it should. Should also check voltage. Should be stamped in the starter housing somewhere. Could it be 24 volt?

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Even with hooking up two other pieces of equipment with two sets of booster cables? I never thought about it being 24v. And you’re right it is 24v.

ippielb said:

Even with hooking up two other pieces of equipment with two sets of booster cables? I never thought about it being 24v. And you’re right it is 24v. View attachment 184114

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Well that's one problem down..

Check the oil and antifreeze with 24 volt that will be running in no time.

DIYDAVE said:

Have you tried moving the levers? if they are froze in position, water might have got in and caused some rust in the valves. I would think that most of the valves on a grader would have a center detent (return to center)...

Filters should have bleed valves, above each. from there its bleed the pump, and then each line, at injector.

Sometimes it helps to take the old battery out of the loop, if they are dead shorted, they can add a load, to whatever jump battery you are using. I would hook a battery directly to cables via the existing (or new) clamps, and see if the starter spins faster...


There may be an issue with the solenoid, or starter could need brushes, also check grounds and wires, on something this old, wires can need replacing and sometimes starters will rust and lose ground. Sounds like this ain't your first rodeo, so keep at it. If the motor ain't locked, it should prolly be start-able, based on the history you have provided, and providing the previous owner didn't lie to ya...

Click to expand...

The only one that is stuck is the circle turn. But it appears someone has hadn’t it open because the nut for retaining the lever is loose.

Some have the detent and a couple don’t. I’ll have to wait for someone to chime in that has had similar problems. And resolved it.

I’ll wait until I get the new filters in and everything and then i’ll Drag it over to where I can reach it with the pressure washer and spray all this junk off of everything that way I can see what you’re talking about on top.

And the reason why I am not mentioning anything about batteries is because there was no batteries in this machine. No Tray. No evidence of anything to see if it was 24v. Only two cables the ground and the power. So i’ll Just take a booster cable between the batteries for now to see how it runs.

Motor definitely isn’t locked, it turns over and has compression, makes the exhaust flapper bounce.

Previous owner was super happy to talk to me when I was picking it up. I bought it at an online auction. So I had already bought it when I was talking to him, said he ran a wrecking yard, and he tore apart a few dozers and hoes. Kept this grader instead of wrecking it to maintain the trails and push snow. He was excited when I told him I was going to try and get it running. Everything else that was bought was getting scrapped.

Theweldor said:

Check the oil and antifreeze with 24 volt that will be running in no time.

Click to expand...

Oil has no milk, no haze, and looks like it was changed before it was parked. It’s not even black. Antifreeze was low and I topped it up, I see the rad has a leak now, hence why it was low. No idea what I’m going to do with that.

I reckon you need to get two good batteries in there, connected in series, to have it spinning at a good rate... having it just turning over may not do the job.
The levers operate dog clutches and “should” return to centre, but are generally happy enough to be pulled or pushed into neutral and sit there.