[AT] Most wore out tractor (long)

charlie hill charliehill at embarqmail.com
Sun Jun 16 08:02:41 PDT 2013


My most worn out tractor is also my cheapest.
A fellow I know owns a small town hardware store.
I heard he had an AC B that a guy gave him to settle 
a bad debt and that he'd sell it cheap.  I went to see
him, looked at it and told him I'd buy it.  He looked at his
account books to see what the guy owed him.  I don't remember
but it was something like $34.17 and that's what he told me he
wanted.  I gave him two 20's and he gave me the change.
I think it's about a 1936 model.  It's rough.  I bought it for parts,
brought it home and unloaded it and it's sitting right where I unloaded
it about 15 years ago.  I figure I can get my money back.  grins.

Charlie

-----Original Message----- 
From: Ken Knierim 
Sent: Sunday, June 16, 2013 9:18 AM 
To: Antique tractor email discussion group 
Subject: [AT] Most wore out tractor (long) 

In an effort to get the list woke up, what's your most worn-out tractor...
and do you still use it?

Here's mine:
    '49 (I think) 8N that I use as a mower tractor.

"feature list"

Tires: front. Mismatched castoffs; one is larger than the other. One holds
air, the other gets aired up every time I use it. The leaking side leaves
chunks of rubber all over the yard as big pieces flake off. cords are
showing in several spots.
Back. weather checked, mismatched. right side leaks down every 3 or 4
months.

Radiator.
    Holds coolant. Looks like it was salvaged; it's all beat up and missing
a lot of fins.

Engine.
   Starts and runs; valves and cylinder walls in bad shape. burns a LOT of
oil. Usually about 2 quarts mowing my 1.2 acres. trails blue all over the
yard. #4 cylinder scored really badly. #4 plug fouls regularly (so I burn
the oil off with a torch and reinstall it); I run it until the oil pressure
drops, then refill it with "recycled" (used) oil. Uses nearly as much oil
as it does gas.
   Block is cracked behind the starter and seeps coolant from time to time;
looks like it was frozen. Front main seal slobbering oil profusely. Valve
train (valve spring retainers) has fallen apart several times and requires
complete rebuild (hammer it flat and reinstall). Water pump leaks
occasionally depending on its mood. Oil in coolant from somewhere. I took
the head off it to see what it would require for repairs, choked, held my
nose and reinstalled the head about 7 years ago.
    Exhaust manifold is cracked and gasket is broken on #4 making it noisy.
Actually quite handy to know when the plug fouls so I can clean the plug.
   Fan belt (which isn't the right width for the fan and engine pulleys)
has been soaked in oil for years and slips easily. Generator replaced with
alternator on homemade brackets; right tire steering link will bump into
the alternator (if you hit uneven ground) and loosen the belt causing the
fan to freewheel. workaround is to pry the alternator back into position
and keep going. If you don't it'll boil over.
    Carb works but the float sometimes sticks and leaks fuel. It has an
inlet valve that I shut off to keep the carb from overflowing while it's
parked.
    Governor may be off. If you use full throttle settings the mower
vibrates, rattles and chatters the tractor. use it a couple notches from
full and everything seems happy.

Transmission
     I believe this unit has a faster reverse gear for running a loader;
it's about as fast as third gear. The lift will pick up my finish flail
mower as long as the oil is cool.

3-point height adjustment arm is stripped internally and doesn't adjust
right. needs replacement.

brakes? on an 8N? ha!

steering wheel is covered in electrical tape; I don't know what's under it
but I'm sure it's in sad shape. The front spindles, which normally clamp to
the link going to the tie rod, have been arc welded in place.

Electrical. It's been hacked up to put a 12 volt GM 3-wire alternator on
it. (Probably the only reason it still starts.) Ammeter is falling apart
internally and does not work. Occasionally the charge circuit will stop
working (a couple years back it required charging every few weeks to keep
the battery up) but it's "cured" itself again and working. I've also had it
go a little high on voltage and boil the battery. Battery held in with
baling wire as someone bent the tray to allow removal of the battery from
the side. starter had to be replaced as coolant leaked into it (from the
cracked block) and it rusted out and died. 12 volts had broken the bendix
anyway so it was time.

Overall, the tractor is in terrible shape but I keep it running (for the
most part). If I tear it down to fix it right, I'll never get it back
together because there will always be something else to fix.

Anyone else got a tractor you know you should rebuild end to end but just
can't get a round tuit?

Ken in AZ
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