My furnace guy has a 1947 Ford 8N tractor, hasn't run in a couple of years, wiring was in horrible shape.

Seeing as I'm one of those sickos that actually LIKES doing wiring, I told him I'd tackle it and he dropped it off.

Needed a complete new wiring harness. Did that. While I was in there, I charged the battery, reinstalled it with the proper positive ground (reverse of modern stuff, common on older 6volt systems) zapped the generator to repolarize it for positive ground.

He decided a functional oil pressure gauge would be handy. Did that.

Didn't even bother trying to start it without disassembling and cleaning all the gunk out of the carb. Did that.

Cranked on it a bit, no start. Checked, no spark. Can't really get at the front-mount distributor to get a good look at the points. Turns out it's a keyed drive so you can't put it back out of time so I pulled it, cleaned the points, gapped them, cleaned and gapped the plugs. Put it back together, gave it a little whiff of Start Damnya and it took right off. On three cylinders. Seems like a sticky valve as it'll fart pretty regularly. Gonna run it for a while and see if it frees up. Checked, charging system (generator and external voltage regulator) is working.

Talked to him about the bill (he was happy) and he said, next thing it needs is brakes, do you do brakes? A little further conversation revealed that at least one axle seal is leaking which oiled the brake on that side, so I told him I'd order full kits for both sides and gave him a ballpark price on that.

He's stopping by tomorrow to pay for work done so far, I'll ask him if he wants me to replace the start switch while I'm dicking around. Gotta pop the top off the trans to do that but shouldn't be a big deal.

Working on old tractors is a lot more fun when someone else is paying the bills...

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
My furnace guy has a 1947 Ford 8N tractor, hasn't run in a couple of years, wiring was in horrible shape.

Granddad had a propane powered 8N. No smoking while plowing.

But it was the later Jubilee that I really got into.

I've discovered that working on old vehicles is like pulling a thread on an old sweater.

A couple of weeks ago, I thought that I'd quickly slap in a new temperature sending unit on the Mustang. That turned into sending unit, thermostat, water pump, hoses, belts, radiator, and just for fun a new power steering pump.

I enjoyed doing a pretty big restoration of my old Ford 671 Select O Speed. Paint, seals, tires, rebuild engine, gauges, stickers,... It is much more powerful and doesn't vent oil and vapor like before. It isn't as nice to use as my hydrostat Kubota but it's been my old tractor for almost 40 years.

I wonder of something like GM Top Engine Cleaner, the stuff you get from the dealer, it used to be P/N 1050002 would help with the sticky valve?

quote:

Originally posted by shovelhead:
I wonder of something like GM Top Engine Cleaner, the stuff you get from the dealer, it used to be P/N 1050002 would help with the sticky valve?

It's a thought. Marvel Mystery Oil used to be my favorite snake oil. Pretty sure I've got a jug around here somewhere, I'll dump some in the tank when I finish putting it back together.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:

quote:

Originally posted by shovelhead:
I wonder of something like GM Top Engine Cleaner, the stuff you get from the dealer, it used to be P/N 1050002 would help with the sticky valve?

It's a thought. Marvel Mystery Oil used to be my favorite snake oil. Pretty sure I've got a jug around here somewhere, I'll dump some in the tank when I finish putting it back together.

You might try this to get the MMO directly to the valve.
My father (who was a heavy equipment mechanic) used to use a pump dispenser to squirt MMO directly into the carburetor then turn the engine off and let is sit for a while. When restarted, the MMO would burn off.

Heck, you might as well do an off-frame paint yob too!

quote:

Originally posted by LS1 GTO:
Heck, you might as well do an off-frame paint yob too!

I've got a broom and a gallon of latex around here somewhere...

Nice.

My neighbor restores old tractors. He has a huge shop with a museum type area with multiple ones he's restored. I haven't had a chance to actually see it in-person.

I have a 1952 8N with the original 6 volt system. Why the hell Ford produced these with a positive ground is beyond me. Since N-Complete in Shirley, Indiana is out of business where are you getting your parts from?

quote:

Originally posted by phil in indy:
I have a 1952 8N with the original 6 volt system. Why the hell Ford produced these with a positive ground is beyond me. Since N-Complete in Shirley, Indiana is out of business where are you getting your parts from?

Steiner in Michigan

Thanks!

Well, the good news is, all the brake hardware came out easily.

According to the guy I watched on the University of YouTube, there's a seal that goes around the axle shaft that keeps oil from creeping down the splines on the end of the axle. Not surprisingly, it was missing...

Got my kit from Steiner's today and guess what?

No axle seal, no shim gaskets. Had to order separately. My bad, I didn't look at the "kit" closely enough. Coulda saved the extra shipping had I been paying attention.

The gift that keeps on giving...

Finally collected all the necessary parts and finished the brake job yesterday. Today was remount the wheels, adjust the brakes and call the guy to come get it.

A common thing on tractors is to "load" the rear tires for extra weight, traction and stability. My Kubota has loaded tires. These days, the liquid used to load tires is often beet juice which is heavier than plain water and doesn't freeze.

Back in the bad old days, the liquid of choice was Calcium Chloride. Heavy, freeze proof and corrosive as hell. Okay as long as it stayed in the tube, but will flat EAT a rim if it leaks.

These tires were loaded with CC and the left side has obviously been leaking for years. As soon as I put some weight on the tire, it LAUNCHED the valve stem and a good sized chunk of the rim and puked CC all over the place.

So now he's looking at a new rim and tube, plus dismounting and remounting the tire. It's gonna ruin $400, if not more and that's if the tire is even reusable.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
As soon as I put some weight on the tire, it LAUNCHED the valve stem and a good sized chunk of the rim and puked CC all over the place.

That happened to me once (just the valve stem). Unfortunately, it was situated on the bottom and I succeeded in hosing down the wall inside my shop with beet juice. Soaked into the wall, the cabinets, all over everything. It took me weeks to get all that stuff cleaned up.

I wish I had a video of it, though, as I’m sure it was quite comical to watch. At one point I tried directing the flow out the door with a small piece of plywood. That just ended up making it spray everywhere worse. What a mess.

Lesson learned. Always have the valve at 12:00.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
The gift that keeps on giving...

Love these posts.

Back in 80-84 (I was 9/10), Dad and I rebuilt a 1940s John Deere Model H and a larger ‘52 Model 60.

Dad was a gear head as a teen in the 1940s, and together we worked those machines for the farm and my first truck, a ‘59 Ford F-150. We spent three years on that project…rebuilding and restoring an engine for it, total gut and rehab of interior once all the sticker vines and wildlife were removed, installed a bed on the back frame with stained white oak timber and step sides, and painted the whole thing a beautiful candy apple red. Learned how to drive an unsynchronized transmission and had one of the finest rides in High School.

If I were closer, I would pay you for the opportunity to apprentice alongside to learn some skills I have long since forgotten!

Godspeed and Good Hunting, Always

I notified the customer on August 29th. At that time he said he'd talk to his son (who actually "owns" the tractor) and get back to me.

To date: Crickets...

It will sit right where it is without so much as a passing glance until I get some folding money in my grubby little hands.