new member - super major or power major

[ernie66]

Hi -just joined the forum.
Recently bought a Fordson with front lifter - good runner in pretty good condition just needs some TLC to bring it back to its former glory. Its on Q plates at the moment which is causing me problems in getting it insured. Would like to get it re-registered once I can establish the date of manufacture. Has the 'body' of a Super Major but when I trace back the engine number I found on the bulkhead in front of the fuel tank it says its a Aug '58 Power Major not a Super Major. Any way of confirming if its mainly a Super Major refitted with a Power Major engine ?. To re-register I need to find several major parts that I can cionfirm by serial numbers are of the same date of manufacture - any ideas on what parts are the easiest to find serial numbers and dates?

Another question which should be easier. Just checked the oil, engine oil looks good but gearbox oil looks milky on the dipstick so I suspect water has got into the sump (not too suprising as it has been outside for quite a while and the dipstick is pretty loose so plenty of gaps for rain to get in). So good idea to drain, flush and refil. The only drain plug I can see is underneath the rear axle. If the gearbox does not have a separate drain plug I assume that its not possible to drain and refil just the gearbox but the whole transmission needs to be drained and refilled? Also cant see where the filler plug is for the gearbox - the service manual I have does not show it either.

thanks

[Nick]

Hi, have you any pictures of your new tractor?

A couple ways to quickly identify your tractor are, does it have disc brakes or drum brakes, is your front tombstone flat at the front or is it slightly shaped - picture will help

You can drain just the gearbox oil, there is a square shaped plug on the offside of the lower part of the gearbox, thats where I drained mine from. If you undo the sump plug underneath that you mentioned that will drain the backend, which is about 9 gallons I think - alot!!

The gearbox filler plug is located infront of the clutch pedal near the top of the gearbox.

The engine number is either under injector 1 - offside, or where the engine meets the gearbox by the starter motor, im not sure if they are supposed to match on a power/super.

Hope that helps a bit

[nzMark]

hi ernie, the dipstick is rear end oil, not gearbox. the gearbox level/ filler is the big plug beside clutch pedal. cheers mark

[ernie66]

Hi All - thanks for the replies - yep worked out that the dipstick right next to the gearstick is the rear axle oil not the dipstick!!. As it happens all oil is ok just need topping up.

Have taken a couple of photos of the tractor which might help identify - bought a service manual for the Major but it covers the Power Major and Super Major so not much in there to identify - once I figure out how to insert them in this message I will post them.


thanks

Alan

[super6954]

Hi Alan
Glad you finally got here with us on this forum , from the other place you were on . You will get far more useful help than on the other one.
A lot of Those guys there are way to clique . it's hard to get in to the circle, and way to many guys "think" they know everything. And don't like being called out on anything .
There are a few of us here that post over there but not very often, eventually you will get to meet our big boss Brian, Who is a factory trained major tech from the day , when he gets back from the land of upside down . He posts on the other side to sometimes. This is the place to be for what you need really .
I did get your message but only today, our emails been messing around , and now your here we can all chip in and point you in the right direction .
There is a description of posting picures at the top of every discussion forum, follow that and you can post us pictures. it sounds complicated but once you get the hang of it it's easy .
Regards Robert

[ernie66]

Hi - thanks for the help. I hope now I can past a couple of pics







3 pics - one from the front, another looking at the controls and the 3rd showing the plate containing the engine # which is situated on the bulkhead at the rear of the rocker cover.

Does this help?

[county654]

Hi the dashboar Looks like a Diesel Major, the model ahead of the Power Major.
You shoul look for the casting codes on your tractor to identify it by the day of production.

[oehrick]

Hi Alan, Welcome aboard and nice tractor

I agree with Matthius, tank, dash, meter and handbrake look like a Major, perhaps it has had a nosecone transplant sometime - the casting codes & serial no on bulkhead should tell the tale - nice looking loader though I'm not over keen on the cab frame

[super6954]

Hi Alan
That number you gave me on the other forum, was on the motor under no 1 injector correct . does the number on the plate say the same thing or different, as all my powers and supers, just have a makers plate no numbers stamped there, just the block numbers.
on ordinary majors i have the number on the plate should match the engine no under no 1 injector, or round by the starter on older ones before 55 ish, if they have original motors in. I think this tractors old major with that bulk head number unless a very early power had a number stamped on the plate and i've never seen one . Could be its had the plate messed with to at some point to if they didn't have the plate and engine number together originally on the early powers, if those numbers tie together to power the steering box and stuff is wrong, so who knows right now

The other thing I would ask, in regard to the comments others made. you show no pictures of the hydraulic lever for the 3 point hitch. does it move in an ark from front to back of the tractor. or poke right out the side towards the mudguard. and move up towards the seat and down towards the floor. Also we can't see the brakes are they on long shafts between the wheel and mudguard or right on the side of the axle casting. I think I asked you before and you didn't know about them.

I'm strongly suspecting the only part of this tractor thats a super might be the front nose, the badge and the one original grill with the hole for the light in . As it's a loader tractor chances are it got damaged and replaced. and the lights on ordinary and power majors, fit the outsides of the nose cone and with a loader they are usually in the way fitting the loader or get swiped off or mangled during use .

I hope you can answer the questions, maybe post pictures of front and rear wheels to they are different on a super as well.
We will figure this tractor out for you in the end , but please don't be disappointed if we tell you it's before 1958 , or more of a project Mr Heinz was working on, when he ran out of ideas, for the 58th variety , sadly that does happen to guys once in a while around here
Regards Robert

[ernie66]

Hi Robert, Hope I can answer most of the questions now. The 7 digit number I found (starting with 146) was on the plate not on the engine. There are just 3 numbers stamped on the block below injector #1 - 086 these do not look particularly worn and are easy to see there are no other numbers on that part . On the block itself to the left of the Ford logo are the numbers 6050J and underneath J3167. On the injector block is a plate with the serial number P4596 - I suppose this is just a part #.
The hydraulic levers poke out to the side towards the mudguard and move up and down - you can see them in the photo of the brake drum - the drums are on shafts but not long ones (see photo).
I think you are spot on re. the front loader/front end. There is not enough space between the loader arms and the body for the headlamps on a power major, when they put on the loader (a Steelfab Horndraulic) they replaced the front end with one from a Super Major nose so they could fit the lamps inside.
Oehrick, the loader is very good, the cab is ugly but only bolted on so can be removed - in a previous life she was used in the forests so I suppose the cab was protection from falling branches.
Here are photos of the brake drum, front and rear wheels.
Cheers

[Stu_Fletch]

Hi Ernie yes it's definitely a not a super, I've got to say apart from the nose cone it's identical to my Diesel Major. http://s1280.photobucket.com/

Cheers

[BearCreek Majors]

And the Ford factory DAR valve......Sweet!

Pat

[chriss]

From the photos and number on the bulkhead looks like early 1958 diesel major

[super6954]

Hi Alan
Thanks for the pictures and info, The number you gave me on the other site was power major with 148 no. now we have 146 that changes to being one of the last new majors before the powers. But not sure what the number is stamped on the block, unless it's part of an 08B rather than a 086, and some numbers are missing, just the 3 numbers don't make sense to me if thats all you have. I think that pump number might be mechanical governed minimec from a super. I don't have my info here right now or cant look at my tractor with one. i got to head out for a bit. will look when i get back.

if that is a super pump all the supers from late 61 started with 08A then the 6 numbers, through to 08 D------ in 64 for serial numbers, so could be a super motor to . Looks like apart from the grill and possibly the motor, from what I can see, you have an original tractor, if the rest of the codes tie in. If you head to the wiki pages now, with the pass word and login name I sent you before, you can date the castings and it will tell you where the rest of the numbers are on everything else.
as others said that double controls worth the money to. Does it have the rare raised pto drive as well, you'd be really in the extra money .
Regards Robert

[oehrick]

Hi Alan, not being 'on the other forum' I still don't know what your serial no is and can't resolve it from the bulkhead pic but I go along with the pre Super i/d from the latest pics, also looks like mine which is between 14th & end of April 1958, s/n is 1470165 - (I am older by 1 - 2 weeks being outshopped on the 11th )

[ernie66]

Hi - now starting to make sense I think.

The # on the plaque fixed on the bulkhead behind the engine shows 1462407 which would make it early 1958. I have found 2 other casting numbers which would seem to tie in with that. The number beneath the seat which I believe is the hydraulics casting code is A31B which I believe is Jan 31st 1958. I found exactly the same casting code on the housing near the clutch linkage. So seems to tie in with the engine no.

How do I tell if its a raised PTO drive ?

Regards

Alan

[county654]

A raised PTO is visible on the back.
There is a small gearbox with a upright lever on the right hand side.
Show us a picture of the backend and we will tell you what you´ve got

[ernie66]

Hi Mathias - just so happens I do have a pic of the backend which may help



thanks

[nzMark]

Hi, you seem to be getting dates/model sorted, no raised PTO though and your extra service valve is a single acting valve not double acting as pat has suggested. I would suggest the nose was updated to a super front to give clearance for loader frames (if they still were side mounted as pre super"s were the loader would have wiped them off. good looking unit all told. enjoy. Mark

[brockwood]

it may still be a double acting valve its commen on a double acting ram in a single acting appliaction to run a dump pipe for the unused side of the valve and a vent line for the unused side of the ram b

[ernie66]

Hi - Just to let everyone know that I have a successful finish to this post. Thanks to all your assistance, I have now been able to re-register my tractor with the DVLA under a date registration and not a 'Q' plate. I sent the DVLA the information relating to the dates I found for the engine plus the casting dates for the transmission and hydraulic system. The DVLA accepted this info. and registered the tractor as a Fordson Major Diesel manufactured in 1958 and gave her a new reg no. based on this date - I will now easily be able to insure her. Job done - thanks for the help!!

[oehrick]

Well done, glad to hear that the system is still working