[Ford-ferguson] 50 tips for Ford N owners

[Mike Sloane]

[These items came from another tractor list, but I think it would be a 
shame not to spread them around. Note that most of them apply to the 
Ford 9,2, and 8N, as well as the Ferguson 20/30, but some of them are 
specific to the 8N. MS]

1.The governor has a long bolt & a short bolt; make sure that you
put the short bolt on the top. If you put the long bolt on top, your
next project will be to replace the timing gear.

2.Front wheel grease seals are installed with the rubber toward the
spindle and the metal toward the bearings.

3.The N tractors have a common sump for the rear end, hydraulic pump
and transmission. There are three drain plugs under the tractor and
one filler cap behind the gear shift. To change the fluid, start by
removing the pipe plug under the rear end and move forward to the
hydraulic pump and then the transmission. Use only Ford MC-134D
hydraulic oil or 90w mineral oil. The modern equivalent of 90w
mineral oil is TSC Traveller brand GL-1 or NAPA part number 65-205.

4.To add just the right amount of hydraulic fluid, remove the bottom
bolt from the inspection plate; unless you just cleaned out the
sludge in the pump base, it will only take about 4 ¾ gallons (not 5)
of hydraulic oil. When the oil leaks out of the bolt hole, it has
enough in it. Any more fluid will leak past the seals and onto the
brakes. Mark you dipstick accordingly.

5.It is not necessary to add .lead. to the gas or use hi-test gas.
This is a low compression (6.5:1), low hp (23hp) engine with hardend
valve seats.

6.The general . but not universal - consensus of N owners is to use
multi-vis detergent oil, with the weight of the oil being determined
by engine wear and outside temps; worn engines will require a
heavier weight and colder temps lightweight oil.

7.Use Champion H-12 or Autolite AL437 plugs as they run hotter than
the original spec Champion H-10s.

8.The muffler clamp has a big side and a small side; the big side
goes to the bottom. Putting some tin foil under the clamp helps
reduce exhaust leaks and coating the bolts/nuts on the clamp with a
never-seize compound will allow you to replace the tin foil without
buying a new clamp.

9.Henry Ford was a frugal man and would never install anything on a
tractor or car that was not essential to its operation. The fuel
shut-off valve on the sediment bowl is there for a reason; shut the
gas off when you turn off the ignition key . every time! If you
forget and leave it on, and the needle valve or float in your carb
is bad, and the intake hose from the air filter is secured tightly
to the carb, gas will flow from the carb into the intake manifold
and into the engine, filling your oil pan with gasoline.

10.The Napa part number for the sediment bowl gasket is 730-9506;
they are .50 cents each. Stock up. The Napa oil filter number is
1010.

11.If your tractor is sitting on frozen ground, BACK UP before
trying to go forward. If the wheels are frozen to the ground and you
let the clutch out in a forward gear, the tractor can flip over.

12.When removing the hood from the 8N, first drain all the gas out
of the tank and, second, ask the neighbor for help.

13.Always back up on to a trailer, so you don't flip over.

14.Have a trailer .fence. at the front of the trailer so you don't
roll off.

15.Carry (mount) a fire extinguisher and make sure you shake or tap
the powder loose about every two months. A fire extinguisher can be
easily mounted with radiator clamps to the left side lift arm (the
one without the leveling box).

16.Don't wear loose clothing that could get caught up in the PTO.

17.There is a right and a wrong way to putting the brake shoes back
on. Take pains not to get the springs reversed or the cross shaft
facing 180 degrees off.

18.Always use an Over Running Coupler (ORC). An ORC is a ratchet-
like device that fits over the PTO shaft. It prevents the
centrifugal force in a heavy piece of turning equipment, like a bush
hog, from pushing the tractor forward when you put the clutch in.

19.Avoid pulling stumps if possible. If you must pull stumps or
snake logs, hitch to the drawbar as low as possible or you are
asking for a flip over. Better still, pull in reverse, using the
front bumper or axle as the anchor point.

20.Adjust 3rd brush generators to produce no more than 15-16 amps
MAX when starting, and 0-2 amps charge with lights on and running.

21.Open the fuel two full turns for normal operation, all the way
out for the one-gallon reserve.

22.Have you adjusted your brake .widget. lately on your 9N/2N? The
9N and 2N (but not 8Ns) brakes have an adjustment wedge; by turning
the wedge with a wrench, you can adjust the breaks.

23.If you ever do any work on the charging system (remove the
battery, disconnect the generator, etc.), you should re-polarize the
generator just in case the generator loses its residual magnetism
when the battery is removed from the circuit. On the 9N/2N, with the
engine off, use a set of metal pliers to momentarily jump across the
cutout; when it sparks, it's polarized. On the 8N, use a flat-blade
screwdriver to momentarily touch the BAT and ARM terminals on the
voltage regulator, again with the engine off.

24.Don't overfill the radiator; fill just over the core, leaving
room for expansion.

25.Do use a thermostat. If you don't, the engine heats unevenly,
which means it wears unevenly. A cool running engine does not heat
the oil sufficiently; you will get sludge build-up in the pan as a
result. The tractor came from the factory with a 160-degree
thermostat; 50 years ago, must anti-freeze was alcohol based and
would evaporate at temps above 160 degrees. Some folks like to use a
180 degree thermostat because a hotter running engine is better on
the oil. When installing the thermostat in the upper radiator hose,
the .pointy. end goes toward the radiator. Don't worry if you put it
in backwards; as soon as the coolant gets to 212 degrees, it will
boil over, because installing the thermostat backwards blocks the
upper hose!

26.A $5 shifter boot is cheaper than five gallons of hydraulic oil
or a frozen hydraulic pump.

27.Copper core spark plug wires make a lot of difference in spark
quality as compared to automotive resistor wires.

28.A properly functioning OEM starter interlock is worth the time
and money to fix, even though it is easier and cheaper to simply
bypass with a new automotive starter switch.

29.Depressing the clutch when starting DOES reduce starter drag
especially when using thick tranny oil or in cold weather.

30.True 12v coils on 12v conversions provide hotter sparks than OEM
6v coils and dropping resistors combinations.

31.Periodic lubrication of your 8N steering box is much, much easier
than disassembling your steering box to replace the top unlubed
bearing. Look on the right side of the steering box, just above the
proofmeter. Remove the bolt and stick a piece of wire with a .J.
hook on the end in the bolt hole. You will find hole going into the
steering box. Get some plastic tubing, stick it on the end of your
bottle of 90W gear oil (or, 140W outboard motor oil) and fill it up.
No, you just can't take the acorn nut off the top of the steering
column and fill it from the top.

32.More lube tips: Service your air cleaner when you service your
oil. Water does collect in there and can block airflow if it
freezes. Also, the side mount distributors and the genny have an oil
cup that needs a drop or two now and then.

33.If you have a new round can coil for your 8N and it does not say
BAT and DIST on the top of it, just remember, for a POSITIVE GROUND
tractor, it's Positive Plus to Points, (PPP) the .+. wire goes to
the distributor. Hooking it up backwards reverses the polarity &
costs you about 25% of spark efficiency.

34.The top hole on the three-point rocker was intended ONLY for
light draft tillage equipment. DO NOT use it for plowing, mowing,
discing, etc.

35.Always use the fan shroud. It allows the air to flow over the
entire radiator.

36.If you need to remove the starter, always remember to have two
nuts to place on the two long starter bolts as soon as you loosen
them from the block. If you forget and the armature comes out of the
starter housing, you will learn how to hold the spring-loaded
brushes back with toothpicks while you put the armature back in the
housing.

37.The screws holding the points to the plate in the distributor
often wear out, causing the points to slip. Replace them with #8-32
x 3/16 screws, available at your local Ford dealer as part number
355047.

38.If you forget and leave the ignition key on and the points just
happen to be closed when the engine stopped turning, the chances are
about 99% that the points are burned up. If you are very unlucky, so
is the ignition switch and perhaps the coil. Turn the key off.

39.At a minimum, you need to have an operator's manual for your N,
as well as the I&T FO-4 shop manual. A parts catalog is a nice
addition.

40.The operating to maintenance ratio of these tractors is about
10:1, i.e., for every 10 hours of operation, you can expect to spend
about an hour on maintenance.

41.A small gauge 12v battery cable will not work properly on a 6v
tractor. Use a 2 or 1 gauge cable to go to the starter (negative)
and the OEM strap for the positive cable.

42.One of the least expensive and best projects you can perform on
an N tractor is to replace the wiring harness. You can also clean
all of the grounds properly as you install the harness.

43.Never jump a 6v tractor battery with a 12v battery. To jumpstart
a 6v tractor with a 12v battery, put the tractor in neutral, block
the wheels and turn the key on. Place one jumper cable on the stud
on the starter. Make sure the tractor is in neutral, because when
you place the other jumper cable on the frame of the tractor, the
starter will engage and turn the engine over. This bypasses the
neutral safety switch and the solenoid. The 12-volt battery will not
harm the 6-volt starter unless you crank it for three to five
minutes. However, if you jump the 12-volt battery directly to the 6-
volt battery with the ignition key on, you will put 12 volts into
your 6-volt voltage regulator. Then you will learn how to replace a
voltage regulator.

44.The hydraulic pump safety valve is set at about 1300 pounds.
However, the front wheels of the N will come off the ground at about
800 pounds.

45.The OEM fuel system had three fuel screens: one inside the gas
tank as part of the sediment bowl stem, one in the top of the
sediment bowl, and one in the brass elbow going into the carburetor.
The screen in the top of the sediment bowl and the one in the
carburetor elbow should be cleaned when you change the oil.

46.Getting a compression gauge screwed into the spark plug hole
underneath the gas tank is a tight fit. To make this job easier, get
a brass elbow from the local plumbing supply store, screw the elbow
into the spark plug hole and the gauge into the elbow.

47.digital multi-meter is a handy and usually inexpensive tool to
have around the shop. But, most inexpensive digital multi-meters do
not like the electrical .noise. produced by the N's generator; the
test leads act as antennas and the meter gives some erratic readings
as a result. Stick with the old analog meter for your old N!

48.Parking brakes are an inexpensive and wise investment for your N.
If you do not have parking brakes on your N, get in the habit of
turning the engine off when you get off the tractor. Under no
circumstances should you get off the tractor with the engine running
AND the PTO engaged.

49.The cheapest and easiest way to test your battery is with a
battery hydrometer; they are usually available at most auto parts
stores for under $10. They work by measuring the specific gravity of
the electrolyte in each cell of the battery.

50.Some items you will find handy to have in your N's toolbox for
troubleshooting are an old spark plug to test for spark, a 7/16 box
end wrench to remove the bolt in the bottom of carb to check for
fuel flow and a short piece of wire with alligator clips on both
ends to jump the easy-to-fail ignition switch.
-- 
Mike Sloane
Allamuchy NJ
<mikesloane at verizon.net>
Website: <www.geocities.com/mikesloane>
Images: <www.fotki.com/mikesloane>

At times it may be necessary to temporarily accept a lesser evil,
but one must never label a necessary evil as good.
-Margaret Mead, anthropologist (1901-1978)