Here is some info from my prints:
Starters were stamped with month and year of manufacture as follows:
MONTH
Jan.=1
Feb.=2
Mar.=3 and so on .

YEAR
1931= L
1932=M and so on

This matches up with the generator date codes.Also the armatures have the same date code stamped on them. Have a ball scratching off paint. don b

You bet I will get the scraper and wire brush out and go after the '39' '40 and '45. Thanks for the info!

As for my parts '40, I have to come to the conclusion that people have been making one tractor out of several junkers for a long time now. The hubs don't match and the starter and generator are painted different colors from the rest of the tractor. It will be interesting to see what code comes up, but I can hardly trust any date code on 'ol rustbucket to be correct.

Well, a slight modification to that. You can trust them to be correct, but only for the part they are on (and sometimes not even then, if mis-stamped). You cannot assume that a date code on a generator, for example tells you anything about the date your tractor was built. It requires a lot more evidence all agreeing on an approx date to pin it down.

You can say that again.....parts get changed,and way back when...they didn't worry about going by the book,just get it back in the field. don b