The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

Hi All.

New Fordson owner

Recently purchased a Fordson Major Diesel. I am trying to identify it for the purpose of either conditionally registering the tractor or obtaining a permit to drive the tractor on a public road about 4kms from my farm to my son's farm.

I cannot find any serial number or VIN plate. I've looked everywhere including the usual places. I can see where rivets used to be on the firewall and I suspect the serial plate has long gone.

Our registration authorities will not register the tractor or provide a permit without vehicle identification details.

I have searched all over the tractor and found the following numbers:

Left (generator) side of block: Ä8V
Left side of block near rear of starter motor on s ledge where the transmission meets the block: "278355"
Right side of block is the numeral "5" just behind and to the rear of the injector pump.
On PTO transmission: ""A-4A"" and "5-1-38"
On the left lifting arm on the 3pl: "9946056" with the 5 actually above the 6.

Grateful if anyone can help me identify this tractor and perhaps lead me to how I might determine its serial number and VIN.

Many thanks in advance..

hi - on the right side of the engine (where the injector pump is) if you look just below the 1st injector near the front if the block - you will see a extruded piece if the casting which will have a serial number stamped in it - you might need to wire brush it to read the numbers. hope this helps

Hi Galesa
The engine number is in the correct location for it's year located by the starter, Not under no 1 injector on block front as said before. Its later tractors that had it there .
The engine number is what is used as a vin on a major and should also be the same on the plate you think is missing if your tractor is before about 1958 I believe
I think you have a 1 missing from the start it should be 7 numbers . It looks buy adding a 1 that the engine is from January 1954. A8V is a casting date from Jan 8 54 I believe, A4A is from January 57 by my reaconing.

over the years so many parts have been changed and the motor or trans might have been swapped . There are more casting nos like the ones you gave and I dated added to the tractor . if we had those It might help more to either date it to 54 or 57, They are on the left side gearbox and rear axle, on the left side front casting by the radiator somewhere, and on the 3 point hitch top casing under the seat I believe.
I think this info is in a wiki page on the forum somewhere. The user name to get in the pages is Fordson Tractor Pages and the password is Dotty . You might have to remove the capitals or the spaces it's been a while since I logged in to the wiki pages .
Hope this helps you a little
Regards Robert

Thanks Robert. Great info. And thank you for the access details to the Wiki post. I was wondering what was going on there!