[Ford-ferguson] Re: Ford-ferguson Digest, Vol 24, Issue 10

cwi813 at earthlink.net cwi813 at earthlink.net
Mon May 22 10:49:33 PDT 2006 

Dear Mike,

Thank you so much for your fabulous response! I'm including it for anyone who may have accidentally deleted it and may need it later!

My tractor is kept 2 hours from where I work, but this weekend it will have a three-day spa treatment. I promise to reach you by email if I find something I'm not sure about. I want to improve what I've got, not just "hope it still runs" so thank you!

CJ


>Message: 2
>Date: Sun, 21 May 2006 18:33:33 -0400 (EDT)
>From: cwi813 at earthlink.net
>Subject: [Ford-ferguson] Draining radiator of Ford-Ferguson 9N
>To: ford-ferguson at lists.antique-tractor.com
>Message-ID:
>	<14088384.1148250813868.JavaMail.root at elwamui-rubis.atl.sa.earthlink.net>
>	
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
>My coolant is dirty and I need to change it. I've got the I&T Shop Service Ford SHOP MANUAL and paragraph 7  (page 13) says, "Check the condition of the coolant. If it is dirty or rusty, drain the radiator and cylinder block and remove the thermostat. Clean and reverse flush the radiator and engine block, and refill with fresh coolant." 
>
>How do I do that and where do I drain it from?
>
>It also goes on to say that I should add ethylene glycol antifreeze as it contains additives to inhibit the formation of corrosion and rust, and suggests using distilled water or rain water if the local water contains lots of lime, which mine does.
>
>What else do I need to do? The manual suggests I'm a mechanic, which I'm not. 
>
>Thanks.
>
>CJ Wilhelmi
>
>C.J. Wilhelmi
>515-278-5937
>515-707-4082 cell
>
>
>
>------------------------------
>
>Message: 3
>Date: Mon, 22 May 2006 06:34:39 -0400
>From: Mike Sloane <mikesloane at verizon.net>
>Subject: Re: [Ford-ferguson] Draining radiator of Ford-Ferguson 9N
>To: Ford-Ferguson mailing list
>	<ford-ferguson at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>Message-ID: <447193BF.7030601 at verizon.net>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
>
>
>cwi813 at earthlink.net wrote:
>> My coolant is dirty and I need to change it. I've got the I&T Shop
>> Service Ford SHOP MANUAL and paragraph 7  (page 13) says, "Check the
>> condition of the coolant. If it is dirty or rusty, drain the radiator
>> and cylinder block and remove the thermostat. Clean and reverse flush
>> the radiator and engine block, and refill with fresh coolant."
>> 
>> How do I do that and where do I drain it from?
>There are two places to drain the cooling system on the 9N, and both 
>need to be opened to completely drain the system. At the bottom of the 
>radiator, slightly to the left of center (all locations are based on 
>your view when sitting on the seat), there was originally a tap with a 
>flat "handle" that needs to be turned 90 degrees (counterclockwise) to 
>open it. The original taps sometimes got damaged over the years and were 
>replaced by different designs or even just plain threaded pipe plugs. 
>The other problem is that the engine should be at least warm when 
>draining, so you are almost guaranteed to wind up with a fair amount of 
>warm liquid running down your arm. Once you have opened the tap, remove 
>the radiator cap to allow the coolant to be released more quickly. The 
>second tap is located on the left side of the block, in the vicinity of 
>the starter, right behind the oil dipstick. Opening this tap will drain 
>the remaining coolant out, and, while you are less likely to get wet 
>doing so, the condition of the tap is even less likely to be good (due 
>to the operating heat of the engine, dirt, rust, etc.).
>
>If neither tap responds to your best efforts (due to damage or 
>corrosion), the next best solution is to simply remove the bottom hose. 
>But I suggest you wear rain gear, as coolant will go all over the place. :-(
>
>(The old coolant, assuming that is had antifreeze in it, is poisonous to 
>animals who might be tempted to drink it. If you manage to capture the 
>old coolant, be sure to dispose of it properly, but if it spills, hose 
>down the area to disperse the stuff and reduce the danger.)
>> 
>> It also goes on to say that I should add ethylene glycol antifreeze
>> as it contains additives to inhibit the formation of corrosion and
>> rust, and suggests using distilled water or rain water if the local
>> water contains lots of lime, which mine does.
>Virtually ALL modern antifreeze products are either ethelyne glycol or 
>propolyne glycol based (some folks used alcohol based antifreeze back in 
>the 1940s, which is why the manual has to make to comment). If you have 
>a water softener, you can use water from your indoors sink, but I have 
>extremely hard water and have not see a problem using it for the last 35 
>or so years.
>
>The bigger problems is that it is very likely that there is a build-up 
>of "crud" in the cooling system that no amount of draining will correct. 
>This material gets into the various parts of the engine water jacket and 
>prevents adequate cooling, especially in the rear two cylinders. When I 
>tore down my 2N engine (identical to your 9N), I found that condition 
>and ended up having the block "boiled out" while I was having some other 
>work done. You can buy and use cooling system cleaning products (from 
>any auto parts store), but I have not been overly impressed with the 
>performance of the products I have bought in the last several years - I 
>suspect that manufacturers have responded to fears of lawsuits and made 
>the products much weaker than the stuff we used to buy. But I still 
>think it is worth running through the cleaning process: closing the 
>taps, adding the product, filling with water, and running the engine for 
>20 minutes or so, then draining it all out. Plain tap water of any kind 
>can be used for cleaning. Then, assuming that you had some good results, 
>close the taps again and fill the system with a 50/50 mix of water and 
>antifreeze. After running the engine up to operating temperature, let it 
>cool off, open the cap, and add more 50/50 mix to the system.
>
>If you look at 
><http://public.fotki.com/mikesloane/1946_ford_2n/2n_overhaul_4_4_05_08.html>
>you will see the hole for the block coolant tap and also the black areas 
>where the core plugs were removed. Those black areas were completely 
>filled with "crud" that I scooped out but could not completely remove. 
>Core plugs are easy to remove and are inexpensive to replace, but 
>installing them takes a little skill and experience, so I would not 
>suggest you do that unless you have some guidance (they have to be 
>destroyed to remove them, so they cannot be re-used).
>> 
>> What else do I need to do? The manual suggests I'm a mechanic, which
>> I'm not.
>I suggest three other things: 1. carefully examine the hoses and belts: 
>they should be flexible but not brittle or soft. While you have the 
>cooling system drained, replacing them is not difficult nor expensive, 
>but you may need to cut the old hoses off to replace them. 2. Make sure 
>that there is a thermostat in the middle of the upper hose (a very 
>unusual place for a thermostat, but it was an inexpensive arrangement 
>for Henry Ford). If you cut the old hose apart note the direction the 
>thermostat faces before removing it. Then put the thermostat in a pot of 
>water on the stove and bring the water to a boil. The thermostat should 
>open well before the water boils (about 180-190 degrees F), which you 
>can determine using your household meat thermometer with the end 
>submerged in the water. If it is either always open or never opens, you 
>need to replace it. A working thermostat should always be present in any 
>water cooled engine (except for thermosyphon systems) and should never 
>be omitted. Replacement thermostats can be obtained from your local New 
>Holland tractor dealer, Valu-Bilt <www.valu-bilt.com>, or any number of 
>other replacement parts sources. If the hose clamps are not in good 
>condition, it is a good idea to replace them as well. 3. Make sure that 
>the fan/generator belt is properly tightened, which can be done by 
>adjusting the threaded rod on the generator mount. Examine the cap and 
>make sure the rubber is in good shape. Replacement caps with the fancy 
>"wing" are expensive, but you can make do with a standard cap rated for 
>the same pressure (which I don't recall at the moment - 5 psi sounds 
>about right).
>
>If you need more information, feel free to contact me at 
><mikesloane at verizon.net>
>
>I hope this helps,
>
>Mike
>> 
>> Thanks.
>> 
>> CJ Wilhelmi
>> 
>
>-- 
>Mike Sloane
>Allamuchy NJ
><mikesloane at verizon.net>
>Website: <www.geocities.com/mikesloane>
>Images: <www.fotki.com/mikesloane>
>
>We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.
>- Edward R. Murrow, journalist (1908-1965)
>
>
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>End of Ford-ferguson Digest, Vol 24, Issue 10
>*********************************************


C.J. Wilhelmi
515-278-5937
515-707-4082 cell

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