The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

Well my engine breather has arrived from Vintage Tractor Spares (VTS) but it’s not plain sailing. I would like to push the breather fully home but basically the hole in the breather is about 12mm in diameter and the spindle on the tractor is about 12.5mm diameter. Another manufacturing problem! Look...

Thanks for the explanation Sandy. As I said, both my oil baths had holes in them. Would you say that is due to a lack of oil or do they rust from the outside? I believe I have actually found a supplier in England who claims to have 3 of the type of engine breather that I require. I have paid a total...

Thank you for the information Sandy. Are you showing the engine breather in your photograph as what I think is the breather does not look like mine? The 18 mm and 13 mm breathers are very similar in appearance and it does look as though the 18 mm one could be substituted for the 13 mm type with some...

Thanks for the explanation Sandy. Just to pursue this to a conclusion, what route do the ‘hot oil gases’ take from the crankcase in order to be re-combusted or vented? By the way I recently cleaned out the small bore pipe which goes from the top of the rocker cover to the air intake. It was blocked ...

Sandy, you say that the engine breather acts as an air intake? I understood it relieved the pressure in the crankcase and thus it let air out. However I guess if it was an outlet then it wouldn’t need the oil bath? Just explain a little more please if you would. Just fired off a number of enquiries ...

No comment on using the 18mm type? The main oil bath had pinholes in after cleaning out so I had to replace that too. Am I correct in thinking that the engine breather is basically a pressure relief valve for the engine crankcase and that there is no admittance of air into the crankcase via this bre...

I do have the engine breather attached to the tractor but it won’t hold oil due to a couple of pin holes in the bottom. I may have to get an 18mm spindle type and reduce it down to 13mm. Presumably this will be okay? Another advantage is that the larger spindle types are invariably blue whereas the ...

Hello Miles. I do have the publication you refer to and a number of other Fordson related books but what I really want is original information that was current at the time, user manuals, repair manuals, service bulletins, etc. I recently spoke to a person who even had the training material her fathe...

I had installed a new drag link Sandy. APUKOnline have collected the kingpins and I have had a few conversations with them and they are going to look into the kingpin issue. Seems strange that both of their kingpins bore the same ident (FNM977). Old20 Parts checked their kingpins and they had idents...

I am trying to source an engine breather of the later type, 13mm, but they appear to be in very short supply, extinct even. Some suppliers say they have not had any for 3 years and Sparex told me they are not supplying either type now. Does anyone know where I can get this part or is it expected tha...

Please see my thread ‘FSMajor wheel wobble’ which discusses the problems I subsequently had with wheel wobble and getting the correct kingpins. I hope this will prove useful.

Please see my other thread as I have now solved my kingpin problem and it may be beneficial to someone who is about to change their kingpins. It could be a bit of a lottery getting satisfactory kingpins but it’s worth noting the kingpin numbers that I mention and the suppliers.

Problem solved! As suspected the APUKOnline left hand kingpin was not as it should be. The splines were slightly rotated (probably 6 degrees or so) from where they should have been. I have just installed the Agriline left hand kingpin and the front wheels are now parallel. So there are good kingpins...

I noted that both kingpins from APUKOnline were stamped ‘FNM977’. I had assumed they were the same from Agriline as the left hand kingpin bore that signature. Just opened the right hand one and it is ‘FNM981’. Good sign? Not sure what the number signifies. If you imagine a line from the centre of th...

I will try the original left hand kingpin and see if the toe-in is reduced, preferably eliminated. The steering arm on that side is 3/8” further from the tyre than the right hand one (this has the effect of causing toe-in). By my reckoning, if I could somehow turn that steering arm towards the tyre ...

I read somewhere that for each front weight attached to the tractor there should be an increase of 3psi in the front tyre pressures. This applies for up to 3 weights at least. Can anyone confirm that please and possible tell me where it is stipulated?

Yes, the wheel wobble is still there but possibly at a higher speed. Will have to put the old left hand kingpin in to check the toe in and if that has little or no effect then I will probably have to bodge it. I did ask Matt at Agriline if all their Kingpins bore the same manufacturing number. Don’t...

I will do that Sandy but I don’t expect the left hand one to be sufficiently different to offset the toe-in. I am beginning to suspect that this discrepancy has always been present. It will be interesting to receive your dimensions for comparison and to see if the wheel wobble is still present.

I have now got a pair of Agriline kingpins. I installed the right hand one and the toe in was still the same. I then changed it for the original kingpin and toe in was still the same. I then put the APUKOnline kingpin back in and set the wheels to the narrowest setting. Again the toe in is still the...

Hi Sandy. Yes it would be high but I have seen a picture of an industrial tractor where the front attachment sweeps down to a low level and that is the type of thing I am looking for. This particular attachment is actually bolted each side of the tractor. A front attachment will give much better con...

I am looking for a car type tow hitch to attach to the front of my Super Major. This to help manoeuvre my caravan and trailers.

I spoke to Jim Fletcher of J.E.F. Engineering and he told me that years ago components were made in a particular country (can’t remember where) and the quality was consistent, unlike nowadays where it varies between suppliers and within suppliers. He also told me of a problem which has caused kingpi...

I intend to call one or two tractor repair/refurbishment specialists next week to see what their experience is regarding kingpin replacement and I know someone locally who may have second-hand spindles. I will take my vernier gauge with me. I have still not decided how to temporarily set the wheels ...

I have a thread running entitled ‘FSMajor wheel wobble’ which provides some background to my request. Does any member of the forum have regular/any dealings with replacing kingpins. I am looking to purchase genuine kingpins from somewhere that are as per the originals such that they don’t present th...

Thanks Sandy. Not sure which way to go on this job now. One kingpin needed replacement as the splines are worn and was quite sloppy. The associated steering arm was okay and that’s why I sent it back. I tried pinching up the steering arm but was afraid it might fracture. Any suggestions here please?...