The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

Being that I am waiting to get the rear tires on my Super Major repaired, I decided to do a few repairs on it as well, oil leaks that are long past due and some starting and power issues that I'm looking at. Getting the tubes filled with Calcium and Water to help with weight distribution with the loader, and also to help with traction here in the winter time pushing snow around the yard.





Easier to work on it with the loader up in the air, have a jack and a 4x4 supporting the loader while it's in the air.



Has a little bit of a groove in it, got a speedy sleeve to go on it. She was pouring oil out the front seal area, looks like a combination of the front seal and the front timing cover gasket, guess I will know for sure once I get it back together and get the tires fixed and to use it again.







Ok, here is my question, with the timing cover, off, all timing marks lined up, and looking through the hole in the sump, trying to find the timing marks, there are none to be seen, it looks like the timing might be right but without properly degreeing it, I cannot be certain.



Old school thermostat, I have a new one ready to go in, once everything else is done.



What can you tell me about the year of this engine/tractor, tried looking on the site for a serial number sheet, but did not find any (I may be blind as a bat as well) (last number is a 9)

Did a quick check on the valve gap by hand (guesstimate, no measuring tool at home as they are all at work right now) and the gaps seem to be a good 0.025-0.030 gap, definitely seems excessive. will measure more properly once I get my feeler gauge set home.

Initial startup, she puffs grey smoke then clears right up, seems to run fine after, paranoid? or normal?

Re the timing marks, you're on the wrong stroke. Turn the engine over until the pump coupling has done one more revolution and the marks line up again and then look in the bell housing aperture once more. You will then see the timing marks on the flywheel. For a super major with a pneumatic governor it should be 23 degrees BTDC; 21 degrees for the mechanical governor (Minimec pump).

You speedisleeve should do the trick on the belt pulley - very neat solution.

Re the tappets, she won't start well or run smooth and efficiently if these are out. Inlet valves should be 0.015"; exhaust 0.012".

Your tractor left the factory in Dagenham at the end of June 1962. Your tractor would have been fitted with the Minimec mechanically governed injection pump. From your photo I can't make out what kind of pump it is - it doesn't look like the Minimec (I may be wrong!) but I don't think it has a pneumatic governor - me confused!

Hope some of this is helpful.

Adrian

Thanks for the help, she has the Minimec pump on it.

Will try turning the pump coupling around one more turn and look again.

Another question, does anyone know where to get a hold of the gasket for the hydraulic sump filter cover? mine is leaking and I cannot find it anymore in Ford's system or online.

Hi, I have the same issue on a super major engine with the front crank seal area leaking oil. Where abouts does the seal fit? Are the timing gears always wet with engine oil?

Hi Nick

The timing gears are enclosed in an aluminium cover and are lubricated with engine oil that has access to the case. The timing cover is sealed around its perimeter with a paper gasket. It also requires a seal where the end of the crankshaft protrudes through so that the crankshaft pulley can be attached. As you can see from a photo higher up this thread, the hub of crankshaft pulley is where this single lip rubber seal runs. After many years of operation a groove is worn in the surface of the pully hub at the point where the lip of the seal runs. To get around this the simplest method is to fit a speedisleeve.

I attach below a few photos that illustrate the subject though sadly I didn't take a photo of the lip seal in its recess in the timing cover, which would have shown you all you need to know.

Best

Adrian

The cork seal at the front of the sump might also be leaking - they often do.

Best

Adrian

Here are the pics of the seal in the front cover, it has to come out the rear of the cover, meaning the cover has to come off to replace the seal

How about a pic of your injection pump. Yours doesn't appear to resemble the one I've got.
Pavel

Once my hosting site comes back online, I will try to bring up a picture of the pump for you

here is what it looks like

Thanks for the replies guys, thats ideal! I know what i need to do now. The oil is coming from just behind the front crank pulley, as ive already had the sump off and replaced the seals, but the front nut on my engine looks slightly different to the ones in these pictures so may be a bit stubborn but we will see!

Large adjustable spanner and a sharp blow with a hammer.

origin wrote:Thanks for the help, she has the Minimec pump on it.

Will try turning the pump coupling around one more turn and look again.

Another question, does anyone know where to get a hold of the gasket for the hydraulic sump filter cover? mine is leaking and I cannot find it anymore in Ford's system or online.

Hi Origin
Nice to see a fellow Canadian back on here I was gettin lonely The answer to the hyd sump gasket is either make your own with gasket paper. Or make sure the oils not dripping out and contaminating the cleaned surfaces and use instant gasket sealant. that's the options i've used depending on time . I'm not sure if the online guys in England have repro gaskets for them or not to be honest. I'm too cheap to buy them, if I can make them my self I get loads of off cuts from gasket paper I use in the shop from customer jobs so use it up on the majors .
Regards Robert

Robert, q for you, and anyone else who would know

would this oil be good in the rear end?

http://www.princessauto.com/pal/product ... raulic-Oil

price right now is a little bit of a factor

I hope to have some more pics up soon of some light painting that I have done just to make it look a little better.

Hi Origin
I think that is just for hydraulics only not transmission and hyds combined. A customer of mine wanted to use similar oil in his Landini tractor. I read the 2 labels and this type said nothing for the trans gear protection. It is like water compared to motor or Trans drive Hydraulic that most tractors use, and what should be in the Landini.
I put Walmart TDH in my super majors it's about the same price as this 68 or can be less on sale . It seems to be ok in tractors in the winter by how many tractors use it round here. It just might have slow hyds for a while till it warms up in - 35oc, But seem to remember your tractor might be kept in the shop during winter months so should be ok for you. Mine is summer use only but think my friend has it in his for snow pushing with a 3pt blade
Regards Robert

Do you have to custom order it in store? or do they have stock of it at all times?

Ok, figured it out, they had it in store, picked up 2, 20 liter containers and a 4 liter container to fill the case with (the 4 liter is for top up because of the loader), paid $49.99 per jug

Next, pull the bottom cover off and redo the gasket on it, and check the intake filter for the pump.

Here are some pictures of the quick paint job of stuff that I had off my temp Canadian tire headlights, and the hydraulic inlet filter












Umm, I figured out why my hydraulics are so slow.....




Also the rectangular plate above this filter, I'm guessing that the transmission needs to disassembled to remove it? the gasket was leaking for it, but I did find 2 bolts loose on the one side. I was trying to remove it but it seemed like it needed some internal components to be unbolted from it before it dropped down.

Hi Origin
To get the next plate off above the filter plate you have to remove the hydraulic top cover to remove the line from the hydraulic pump, and pull the PTO shaft from the rear of the tractor. That plate is the hydraulic pump mounting inside the transmission. it wont drop down as the pto shaft runs through between the pump housing and that casting and the line holds it to .

It's one of those jobs you might as well do as chances are it will still leak even with tightening the bolts, from what I have found over the years. It looks like the rear axle might need a flush with all that gunk in there to so ya don't mess up wal marts finest oil . Taking the top off is the easiest way to do that properly too .

I have never tried but i don't think you could get the pto shaft out and drop the plate down far enough to get the gasket out and clean it up and silicone the joint without being sure not to wreck the pipe , The oil will drip out for ages and contaminate the surfaces wrecking the sealer too. It takes a while to stop draining with the pump right out after a flush too unless it is wiped out in the bottom pretty good , from my experience doing them with the top off
Regards Robert

Thanks Robert,

I also found my sump filter cover there cracked in 2 spots all the way through to the edge, so I'm in contact with Donald at British Tractor Wreckers for a new cover, he's going to ship one this way on monday.

As for the bigger gasket, I will work on that in the spring when I can get my engine lift back to the garage, it's in my storage container right now that I cannot get at due to snow, so I will live with the minor leak from that one cover till then.

Now that I think about it, the leak was more from the sump filter cover than the main cover, but I will keep an eye on it to be sure.

I plan in the summer to re-flush the hydraulic sump and clean it out

Hi Origin
ok Sounds like a plan you might be the lucky one and it doesn't leak . I think the water in the bottom freezing may cause those plates to break, I've had 3 or 4 different ones broken on tractors that have come here. and with yours that makes 2 others I've heard of as well. I seem to of run out of good spares of those , so I'm off to the wrecking yard for the next one I need .
Shes starting to look real good with the paint and lights and stuff
Regards Robert

Must be a north country thing. Lots of fluctuating temps, rain, and damp days spring and summer leads to moisture in the transmission cavity. And long cold winters makes for expanding hard water. I see in the photos a real north country block heater on that Super Major. Dandy Dave!

Alright, got the tractor back together, got her out working, but the *#^^)@ thing is still leaking, I'm guessing now (more like I know) that the oil is leaking out of the front of the sump....

now the ultimate question, how hard is it to drop it, and what all do I need to replace all the gaskets in the sump? obviously both side rail gaskets and both end gaskets? also does the engine have to be partially pulled back from the transmission to drop the sump? or will I be able to remove the sump without splitting?

and yes Dandy Dave, a real block heater on the major, has come in real handy a few times this winter already.