1957 Fordson Major Question - Please help

lwright · Post by **lwright** » Thu Mar 18, 2010 9:33 pm

I have been restoring an old 1957 Fordson Major that's been in my family for 30 years.
I have everything done except paint. I did not rebuild my Simms injector pump and now can't get it to work.
Photos of my tractor: http://www.pbase.com/wrightsphoto/fordson&page=all
I think the plungers are stuck due to the pump not having any fuel in it for a couple years. (from reading on this fourm)...

Do you know where I can buy another injector pump or get mine rebuilt in the USA?

I live in Cherryville, NC.
This is the last thing I need to get it running.
In fact, it was running a couple years ago.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Larry Wright
www.wrightangusfarm.com
(704) 214-1162

lwright · Post by **lwright** » Thu Mar 18, 2010 9:44 pm

I forgot to mention that it will turn over fine, when I take the lines loose from the injector pump theres no fuel coming up out of the injectors. I have bled the injector pump as stated in the owners manual. I am getting fuel up to the bleed valve just no fuel coming out of the injectors.
I'm thinking the plungers are stuck or the fuel cut off thingy on the injector pump is broken. (where the cut off cable hooks too)

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Larry Wright
www.wrightangusfarm.com
(704) 214-1162

Foxen · Post by **Foxen** » Thu Mar 18, 2010 10:16 pm

lwright wrote:I forgot to mention that it will turn over fine, when I take the lines loose from the injector pump theres no fuel coming up out of the injectors. I have bled the injector pump as stated in the owners manual. I am getting fuel up to the bleed valve just no fuel coming out of the injectors.
I'm thinking the plungers are stuck or the fuel cut off thingy on the injector pump is broken. (where the cut off cable hooks too)

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Larry Wright
www.wrightangusfarm.com
(704) 214-1162

If it's a 1957 model this is the wrong section of the forum, you have a E1A Major and not a E27N(both are called Major tho).
Paint I can't help you with, if I gave you the colour codes I got for mine you would probably get the wrong paint if you'd get anything at all from them(I'm swedish, that's why). As for the injector pump, clean it up nicely on the outside and remove the plate on the side(either four or eight bolts) and gently pry it off, then you can see if the stop mechanism is working by pulling the arm and check for movement in the rack, if it is stuck you will need some good ATF oil, squirt it on the plungers, rack and the springs(might be a good idea to check if there are any signs of rust in here too), then you can work the rack back and forth while lubricating the ends of it more, it should move freely. I know the plungers can be freed by tapping them lightly from above(or trying to push them upward from underneath), however I am sure that someone will oppose to doing this, I am only describing the "quick and dirty" way to do it... make sure the injector pipes are not connected when you crank her the first time after doing this as any junk that have formed over the years(or rust) will be pushed into the injectors if they are connected and that's not what you'd want... Good luck!

Kiwi Kev · Post by **Kiwi Kev** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 2:50 am

I have moved this topic to the Major site.
Kiwi Kev

Post by **Brian** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 8:57 am

Remove the sideplate of the pump after first ensuring that everything is very clean. Check to see if the rack inside moves by carefully moving from side to side with a screw driver.

Crank the engine and watch if the plungers move.

Remove the pump from the tractor, place it on its side with the open plate upwards. Fill the cavity with Automatic Transmission Fluid and leave for a few days, then try agin to see if the plungers move.

Do not try and force things but after soaking try a screwdriver under the plungers and in the springs and carefully lever the plungers up and down.

Dandy Dave · Post by **Dandy Dave** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 1:13 pm

As far as paint goes, if you want colors that are close, just go Tractor Supply and get Ford Blue, and Allis Chalmers orange. It is a good tough farm duty paint that is reletivly inexpensive. Easy to touch up if it is a tractor that you are using and scratch it a little. If you want a real show stopper, then you will need to get the expensive stuff. How about the serial number so the fellows here can check it for you and pin down the month of production. Dandy Dave!

Gman · Post by **Gman** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 1:27 pm

Hello Larry, you might want to look at my old post"stuck control rod", I had the same problem and was able to free it up without removing side plate, it was very easy. I did this because of my concern of getting dirt inside pump and as I understand, if you do then the pump is destroyed. Others on here are a lot more knowledgeable than me but it may save you some work.
Good luck.

lwright · Post by **lwright** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 2:05 pm

Dandy Dave wrote:As far as paint goes, if you want colors that are close, just go Tractor Supply and get Ford Blue, and Allis Chalmers orange. It is a good tough farm duty paint that is reletivly inexpensive. Easy to touch up if it is a tractor that you are using and scratch it a little. If you want a real show stopper, then you will need to get the expensive stuff. How about the serial number so the fellows here can check it for you and pin down the month of production. Dandy Dave!

Hey Dave,

I had posted some engine numbers last year or so and someone looked it up for me.
http://www.fordsontractorpages.nl/phpbb ... highlight=

lwright · Post by **lwright** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 2:06 pm

Thanks for all the replies...

I plan on removing the cover and seeing if the plungers are stuck in a few mins.
I will post some pics and videos so maybe we can tell whats wrong with it.

Thanks so much!!
Larry

lwright · Post by **lwright** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 2:10 pm

Gman wrote:Hello Larry, you might want to look at my old post"stuck control rod", I had the same problem and was able to free it up without removing side plate, it was very easy. I did this because of my concern of getting dirt inside pump and as I understand, if you do then the pump is destroyed. Others on here are a lot more knowledgeable than me but it may save you some work.
Good luck.

I think you could be right! I will check this also.
I will try to find your old post on this and print it out.

This website is awesome!! So much help from you guys!!
I hope I can help someone sometime!

Thanks!!!

lwright · Post by **lwright** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 4:23 pm

Update on my tractor!! Good News!!!
The stop control lever was froze up and the plungers we pretty dirty and rusty. I cleaned and oiled them, blowed the out.
I haven't started it yet but when I turn it over it shot fuel up through all the injectors...
I used some high temp silicon sealant to put the cover back on.
I plan on priming it and letting it pump some fuel before hooking the lines back up just incase theres any trash that comes out.

I took lots of photos and a video I will post later this afternoon.

Thanks so much for all the help!!

Larry

lwright · Post by **lwright** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 4:25 pm

lwright wrote:Update on my tractor!! Good News!!!
The stop control lever was froze up and the plungers we pretty dirty and rusty. I cleaned and oiled them, blowed the out.
I haven't started it yet but when I turn it over it shot fuel up through all the injectors...
I used some high temp silicon sealant to put the cover back on.
I plan on priming it and letting it pump some fuel before hooking the lines back up just incase theres any trash that comes out.

I took lots of photos and a video I will post later this afternoon.

Thanks so much for all the help!!

Larry

Waiting on the Silicon gasket maker to dry good before I try it and turn the fuel back on.
Going to lunch, I will post another update soon!!

Larry

Gman · Post by **Gman** » Fri Mar 19, 2010 4:58 pm

Hello Larry: My power major sit in a shed for many years. You may know this but I didn't and no one adviced. You might want to check the unloading valve in the hydraulic valve chest, in mine the unloading valve was rusted closed, it worked fine at first but because it did not open once it reached max preasure now I have hydraulic pump problem.

lwright · Post by **lwright** » Sat Mar 20, 2010 4:56 am

Old Blue runs great!!
Smokes a little but for a 57 model she still has alot of power!
Turns out it was the control stop froze up, once I cleaned it up it worked great! Fired right up!!
Thanks for all the wonderful replies on helping me get ol Blue running again.
I will post updated pics and video as I continue to work on it.
I used it for about three hours this afternoon relandscaping our yard with a box scrape.

Thanks!!
Larry

Dandy Dave · Post by **Dandy Dave** » Sat Mar 20, 2010 12:37 pm

Glad to hear that you have it running.

I use my old Power Major with a york rake often. Puts a nice load on it. Dandy Dave!

henk · Post by **henk** » Sat Mar 20, 2010 5:11 pm

Glad she's running Larry,

Sometimes were looking to deep and the problem is easy to fix.

lwright · Post by **lwright** » Sun Mar 21, 2010 4:34 am

Update!

It was a beautiful warm Spring Day here in North Carolina.
Here are a few video clips I took today of Ol Blue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR8Ul_glX24

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7Vd8uEs-uE

http://www.youtube.com/user/yamonsz3

More to come!

Dandy Dave · Post by **Dandy Dave** » Sun Mar 21, 2010 12:56 pm

It is a testament of true toughness to have a tractor that is 50 + years old that still runs, and can work for a living.

True that it smokes a little, but the old man has a right to.

If you put a load on it, and work it, it may clear up. I York raked some driveways with my Power Major yesterday as it was very warm here also. I am amazed at how clean the exhaust burns in it since I gave it a good workout last year. No white oil smoke at all. Very little black, burned fuel, smoke either under a load, and almost unnoticable at an idle.

If I remember right, your tractor is a Major with a Power Major bonnet (or hood, as we say in America.) Dandy Dave!

lwright · Post by **lwright** » Sun Mar 21, 2010 1:52 pm

Dandy Dave wrote:It is a testament of true toughness to have a tractor that is 50 + years old that still runs, and can work for a living. True that it smokes a little, but the old man has a right to. If you put a load on it, and work it, it may clear up. I York raked some driveways with my Power Major yesterday as it was very warm here also. I am amazed at how clean the exhaust burns in it since I gave it a good workout last year. No white oil smoke at all. Very little black, burned fuel, smoke either under a load, and almost unnoticable at an idle. If I remember right, your tractor is a Major with a Power Major bonnet (or hood, as we say in America.) Dandy Dave!

Hey Dave,

Yes I hope the smoke clears up some. It does clear up a little after it warms up.
Yes I think we have determined by the numbers that it is a Major with a Super Major emblem. Not sure how that happen, we have owned it 30 plus years.

Larry

henk · Post by **henk** » Sun Mar 21, 2010 2:26 pm

Larry,

Why is the bottom of the diesel tank orange?

I notice you have a bended throttle lever. That means it should of had a rpm meter when it left the factory. Any ideas?

By the way, it's a power hood.

lwright · Post by **lwright** » Mon Mar 22, 2010 7:56 pm

henk wrote:Larry,

Why is the bottom of the diesel tank orange?

I notice you have a bended throttle lever. That means it should of had a rpm meter when it left the factory. Any ideas?

By the way, it's a power hood.

I painted the fuel tank that color when I was a kid long ago.
Never noticed the throttle lever before, I'll check that out.

Thanks,
Larry

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1957 Fordson Major Question - Please help

1957 Fordson Major Question - Please help

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Re: 1957 Fordson Major Question - Please help