dexta; year?

This forum is about the Fordson Dexta, Super Dexta and Petrol Dexta.
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ozarkman
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dexta; year?

Post by ozarkman »

I recently bought what I thought was a super dexta as it had a nameplate right on its nose that said so.
Now from what I have researched it appears to be a standard dexta made in 1961. Please confirm if I am right.
serial #957E83652
engine 14838xx
clutch housing C14F
Grearbox F4F
Rearend D17F
Lift cover F1F
R axle F2F
L axle F8F

Also the hydraulic lift top plate looks different than the manual illustrations or any pictures I have seen. The accessory select knob comes straight forward in line with the long axis of the tractor not out at an angle. It says FoMoCo on the lift cover. Was this a less common alternative part used on some from the factory or a part taken from another model?
Thanks for any replies.

GERRY
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Post by GERRY »

Hi all your numbers seem to date your tractor may / april 1961 the super did not come on sale until april 62 but you seem to have acom pleat dexta with all the codes close together , mybe someone changed the nose cone but dont dispair acompleat tractor every other way is hard to come by. if its going good the nose can be bought nowdays . Good luck any way. Gerry

Emiel
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Post by Emiel »

Hi,

According to the main site of this board, Super Dexta serial numbers were in the new format, also starting with 09B, C or D for '62, '63 and '64 respectively.

My idea is that this tractor is also a standard Dexta, with wrong badges or a replaced radiator cowling or something like that.

I'm curious for some pictures of the tractor, and its hydraulics especially.

Best regards

Emiel
Best regards

Emiel

N 1937, E27N 1948, 8N 1949, E27N 1950, E1A Diesel 1953, E1ADKN PP 1956, Dexta 1959, NH Clayson M103 1964

ozarkman
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Post by ozarkman »

Thanks for the responses. It is as I feared. I had hoped it was a super due to my HP desire/requirements.
I use it mainly for brush hogging and will drag some timber.
I am having problems with the hydraulics. Have just replaced the fluids and no movement of the lift at all. I will post some pics of the tractor and the lift soon.
I am hesitant to open up the hydraulics because I have never dealt with them before and don't know what I am doing but I have been reading old posts and studying the manuals.
Thanks

ozarkman
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Post by ozarkman »

Here are some photos of my dexta
I hope this works. I'll post a shot of the lift cover when I can.

Image

Image[/img]

Brian
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Post by Brian »

Yes, that is a Dexta with a Super cowl and from your description, a 3000 Aux service plate.

What doesn't work on the lift? Is it stuck up or just does not lift.

Could be a rare tractor! You don't often see a Dexta ASP :run:

(ASP = All Spare Parts).
Fordson Tractor Pages, now officially linked to: Fordson Tractor Club of Australia, Ford and Fordson Association and Blue Force.
Brian

ozarkman
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Post by ozarkman »

Yes it is an ASP.
The rear fenders are not from a dexta either. Of course any dexta is rare in these parts!
:lol:

Thanks for the input
Dennis

Bill Cox
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Post by Bill Cox »

What happened to the lights? Did some come from the factory without them?

After looking at the photo some more, it looks like it has an alternator on it rather than a dynamo?

Dennis, I don't know your mechanical background, but I found it pretty easy to work on. It is fairly straightforward if you down load and follow the free shop manuals from the site. I was dreading taking mine apart, and my only regret after finishing it is that I didn't do it sooner. The only real problem is the weight of the thing. I did mine with raw muscle power, and at 57 that power is starting to taper off a little. If I work on it again, I will use some sort of lift.

One of the problems with mine was that my late father-in-law had put Rotella Tractor Oil in the transmission and hydraulic cases. That is 10W hydraulic oil. That, along with having a broken lift piston O-ring, the lift would not budge with any weight on it at all.
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Bill Cox
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Post by Bill Cox »

I'm sure this is old news to you guys, but as I was looking at the above photos, I noticed for the first time that the hood sides on the Dexta and Super Dexta are different. The bottom edge on the Super is a straight line while the Dexta is narrower at the front than in the rear, changing width with the curve under the rear latch.

Now I don't have to depend solely on the paint color to tell the difference.
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ozarkman
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Post by ozarkman »

Bill, you are right. Someone in the past has changed it from a dynamo to a delco alternator. There is a long list of things that are not present or functioning: no tachometer or cable, all wiring cut off at the regulator, no lights, no heater switch, no tap line to the intake manifold, no lever to actuate the starter(it now has a start button where the heater button should be). It does have an added oil pressure gauge bolted on to the upper dash next to the temp gauge.
The steering has a lot of play but works ok. Oh and the step plates are also long gone. The engine runs well and starts easily. I would love to know more about its history. I certainly have a lot of future jobs to work on to get it in top form but getting the hydraulics working are the first priority now. I'll probably attempt this in the next couple weeks. If you have been through it recently perhaps you can give me some pointers if I get stuck.
:P
Dennis

Bill Cox
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Post by Bill Cox »

I will be happy to provide any information and help that I can. I sort of documented my efforts in my "Topless Dexta" thread last month. The only real problem I had was self caused when I prematurely removed the four "inside" bolts that hold the lift cylinder in place and it dropped down in the rear case. Fortunately for me, I didn't damage anything.

Even though you are way up there in the frozen north :lol: you can email me and I'll give you my cell phone number if you need support.
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Bensdexta
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Post by Bensdexta »

It looks like your Dexta has a Simms vacuum injection pump which is right for a '61. The later Dextas and Supers had the Minimec pump.
Is she live drive?
Nonetheless - a great little tractor :wink:
Just a few months older than mine
BTW how do you like that seat - I'm thinking of getting one?
All the best,
Ben

Frans
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Post by Frans »

Those fenders are sold over here for MF 35 and the fit on the dexta but it dont look so nice,

Ben, I have a seat like that on my major the longest trip I made was for 8 hours with 3 stops its a good one
regards Frans

who's afraid off blue orange and grey
1960 Power Major Roadless 6 cyl conversion
1964 NP Super Major

ozarkman
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Post by ozarkman »

Bill,
Thanks for the kind offer, I may need to take you up on it. I have read your thread with many pictures documenting your rebuild. It should be of great help to me. Have you found a source for 30W oil in large volume? The rear end alone took almost 20 liters and cost me about $50. It seems that locally I can only get multigrade oil in the stores I have seen.

Ben,
Yes it is a Simms pump. I cleaned out the pneumatic governor air filter capsule and found a woven wire type of filter. Is this original? For some reason I was expecting some type of gauze other than wire. Also I have not been able to identify the hand priming lever of the pump for some reason. I don't see anything that looks like the picture in the manual.
The seat is comfortable and seems sturdy although I have only had it for a few months so I can't say how durable it is.

Dennis

Bensdexta
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Post by Bensdexta »

ozarkman wrote:I cleaned out the pneumatic governor air filter capsule and found a woven wire type of filter. Is this original? For some reason I was expecting some type of gauze other than wire. Also I have not been able to identify the hand priming lever of the pump for some reason. I don't see anything that looks like the picture in the manual.
I think you are referring to the Air Cleaner & Oil bath. Yes yours sounds original. Here's a pic of mine in bits:
Image
There is wire gauze both in the body (standing on the newspaper) and in the filter element (in my red bowl) that sits in the filter 'base' (by the WD40). The main filtration occurs in the oil bath - the filter base should be filled with oil to the ledge (see notice stamped on side to this effect). See Fig 4 in Section 4 Fuel System of the workshop manual. Ref the starting primer it is part of the fuel tap under the fuel tank.
ozarkman wrote: The seat is comfortable and seems sturdy although I have only had it for a few months so I can't say how durable it is.
Dennis/Frans,
Is the wraparound seat VLD1680 the one you have? This is the Vapormatic part#.
Image
I expect the identical seat is available from other suppliers? The black one will probably show the dirt less :wink:
All the best,
Ben

Bill Cox
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Post by Bill Cox »

Sorry for the delay. I got kicked off the site for a day or so when I changed my email address on my profile.

Dennis, I used 30W Rotella T. I bought it at WalMart and I think it was around $11/gallon. It is the only straight grade oil I have been able to find locally.

Ben, I just spent most of the day in a seat very similar to the one you are looking at. It was on the tractor when I inherited it. It seems to be a good seat and is, in my opinion, comfortable.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/agricultur ... ue-1238169
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ozarkman
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Post by ozarkman »

Ben,
No, I am talking about the governor filter capsule. See figure 5 on page 3, section 4 of the same manual you are referring to.

Dennis

Bensdexta
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Post by Bensdexta »

ozarkman wrote: No, I am talking about the governor filter capsule. See figure 5 on page 3, section 4 of the same manual you are referring to.
Ah ha I didn't read your post properly! I cheated and got my fuel pump below, serviced professionally by Peter Strong Fuel Injection.
Image
But I have seen what looks like wire gauze under the round capsule plate (coloured blue in my photo above) on my spare pump, so my guess it's original. Others would know better.
Ref the 'hand priming lever', it is visible in the my photo bottom right of the lift pump, sticking out of the page.
If yours is broken/missing, replacement lift pumps are quite cheap but I am advised that one should get one with a cast rocker arm (that runs on the cam shaft) rather than the pressed steel arms that many of the cheap repro lift pumps have. The pressed arms wear the cam shaft quicker.
All the best,
Ben

Bill Cox
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Post by Bill Cox »

Sorry for the delay. I got kicked off the site for several days when I changed my email address on my profile. Many thanks to Brian for getting me fixed back up.

Dennis, I used 30W Rotella T. I bought it at WalMart and I think it was around $11/gallon. It is the only straight grade oil I have been able to find locally.

Ben, I spent most of the day Saturday in a seat very similar to the one you are looking at. It was on the tractor when I inherited it. It seems to be a good seat and is, in my opinion, comfortable.

Image

http://www.tractorsupply.com/agricultur ... ue-1238169
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