The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

I pulled the head off my tractor (from the 'Smokin' like a chimney' thread) to get some insight on why it only starts with starting fluid, and just all around doesn't run well when it's running. Still popping, smoking, and poor throttle response.

The first thing I noticed was that the exhaust ports from the head were gray and "powdery" for lack of a better explanation, but the air intake ports were wet and black.

The interior of the cylinders were very clean without any scoring. Some coolant spilled into the cylinders when removing the head and never drained out until I soaked it up with shop towels. The cylinders measured at 3.90". To my untrained eyes, they look fine.

But, I could go on detailing everything, but instead I'll add pictures since they are worth a thousand words. I took pictures of the valves as there was some concern about the valve train.

Hopefully someone can look at these pictures and recommend what actions should be taken... full overhaul, top-end rebuild, etc.?

Thanks much!

Intake/Exhaust Ports:







Bottom of head (valves):









Cylinders:

From the pictures, you seem to have an excellent engine with no problems. The ports are fairly normal, intake ports always seem to be a bit oily possibly due to having an oil bath air cleaner.

Remove the valves and check the seats. The next place should be remove the timing cover and check the gears.

Hey LazyT, good luck on your problem. How difficult is it to remove head. Any suggestions, not detail, but any advice on what not to do or anything I should be careful about or anything I should make sure that I do. I think I may need to replace head gasket in the future, I have read the head gasket is a common problem with the majors. Also can anyone tell me the correct head gasket for 11/1959 power major, I see there are different ones that are available. Thanks and again good luck on getting yours up and running.
G

Brian wrote:From the pictures, you seem to have an excellent engine with no problems. The ports are fairly normal, intake ports always seem to be a bit oily possibly due to having an oil bath air cleaner.

Remove the valves and check the seats. The next place should be remove the timing cover and check the gears.

I'm glad I didn't just go ahead and order the overhaul kit (or worse yet, had just paid the guy to overhaul it shortly after I bought it after he told me it was needed.)

I've got the head sitting in the back of my pickup at the moment here at home so I'm hoping I can check the valve seats today at lunch, then possibly out to the in-laws this evening to check the timing gears.

Is it a safe assumption that I should go ahead and order a head gasket to replace the existing one since I have the head off?

Gman wrote:Hey LazyT, good luck on your problem. How difficult is it to remove head. Any suggestions, not detail, but any advice on what not to do or anything I should be careful about or anything I should make sure that I do. I think I may need to replace head gasket in the future, I have read the head gasket is a common problem with the majors. Also can anyone tell me the correct head gasket for 11/1959 power major, I see there are different ones that are available. Thanks and again good luck on getting yours up and running.
G

Hey, our Power Major's are close in time! My S/N puts me at 01/59! At this point, I'm a Fordson beginner, but I have the bug and I hope to carry my weight around someday.

Getting the head off wasn't a difficult task (and I'm a computer guy by trade!), but I went slowly would look at things carefully. A couple things I took away from this little adventure (beheading the Blue Beast) are as follows:

Make sure you have a breaker bar, and possibly a pipe to put over the handle when taking the 3/4" head bolts off. They have been on there a long time, and don't want to break free!

Next, (actually before the first), don't underestimate how much coolant/water to drain from the engine. I thought I had drained "enough" and when I broke the seal of the head to the block, the cylinders filled with coolant.

I didn't take the front loader off mine before doing this, and it would have been much easier had I done that. But, it wasn't impossible.

It was rather rewarding to get into the thing and see the innards. It's a little intimidating (at least to me) to think about tearing this into pieces and getting it back together, but I know in the end I can look back and say "I did all the work". Not to mention someday I can pat my son on the back and say "I did all the work before, you can do it now"

Thanks for the advice LazyT and yea I'm a bean counter/pencil pusher so all info I can get really helps me. I have learned so much about my old power major from this site and reading the manuals on here. I have owned her for 25 years and worked her hard back then clearing and moving dirt where I currently live, she's a tough one. Then some years back had problem starting and she has sit in a shed for many years which is causing some of my problems today. Wished I would have had this site back then and she would not have sit for so long. Again thanks.
Gerald

I can se something different in the second cylinders head section. It is a curved line that goes through the whole area above the valves. Is it a scratch or a crack? You got some coolingwater in the oil aswell when you lifted the head off.

Grani wrote:I can se something different in the second cylinders head section. It is a curved line that goes through the whole area above the valves. Is it a scratch or a crack? You got some coolingwater in the oil aswell when you lifted the head off.

I checked the head and that line wiped off. I was scared for a moment there, but it's not a crack

Luckily all the oil is destined was destined to the recyclers already. It's so dirty, for all I know it could be the original.

Well, on my break this morning, I yanked a set of valves to take some pictures (I think I need to get a valve spring compressor... my fingers are sore!)

Here's the pictures!

Well, there is a local guy that restores tractors and sells parts from a variety of vendors. I stopped by his place at lunch and he looked at the heads and valves. He said it needed a grind and there was plenty of meat left to do one, so I'm going to strip it all apart and he'll do the grind for me.

After that I'm ordering a valve grind gasket set and a thermostat, then all this will go back together.

Looking around his Shark was neat. He had a variety of old Fords, and even a couple Fordsons. Out front, he has a newly restored 4000 he is selling that is just a real beauty.

Anyway, back on track... since it was in need of a grind, should I still go through with inspecting the timing gears?

Thanks,
Tim

One piece of advice if removing the head is to remove injectors first as the nozzle tips protrude below the level of the head and are easily damaged.