Oil and water don't mix

[paudie]

Hey guys , my local case dealership was asked if they would rebuild a Fordson major engine by a small holding owner. The dealership said it would just cost too much to put it through their shop at €50/ hr so they contacted myself and asked if I'd do it for the guy. So of course l said I would and am due to look at the tractor this week. He tells me that the oil had water in it and that large plumes of white steam / smoke came out from beneath the bonnet.so assuming that the rubber seal at the base of the liners has given up and that the head gasket will now need changing. I just wonder about the crank shaft bearings, would ye think they would also need to be changed. ?
Paudie

[oehrick]

Rather depends how many months he ran it flat out like that before getting it looked at Paudie I'd be inclined to give him a strip, inspect & report quote* as a bottom line cost, rather than risk estimating it.

Seeing the yoghurt that old Majors seem to run with in sumps / transmissions I sometimes wonder if we undervalue the effectiveness of oil emulsion as a lubricant but it is pretty hopeless as a long term corrosion inhibitor

Good luck with it

* if it turns out too expensive for him you could always waive the inspection cost and take the thing off his hands

[paudie]

Oehrick, I kinda thought the same as you regarding the shell bearings, I don't intend taking the whole engine out of the tractor . I will examine a few and if they seem good enough I'll "leave well enough alone "as we say here !.

I like the idea of taking it off him for a nominal fee,lol although I'm running out of room here with motorcycles cars and tractors .
I'll try to get a few pictures of the shell bearings up here in a few weeks for you to comment on .
Paudie

[paudie]

I went to see the major that needs repair today, the owner wasn't there but he gave me directions to his place . It was in a remote old farm yard and parked in a shed with no walls and a roof made of flattend old Steal (tar) barrels . So there it stood the major. But it wasn't a major .,. Well not as I had thought it was going to be . It was like an early ford 4000 with the word MAJOR on the side decals. It had a 3 cylinder more modern engine like the 3600 or 4000. I seen this model before but not that often , at vintage shows. I wonder are they rare ?? It was in very poor condition to match its surroundings.so I'm not sure what to do next . Are those engines easy to work on ? What would it's year of manufacture be approx? .oh well maybe another chapter and steep learning curve ahead lol. Notting ever goes to plan .
Any thoughts or answers to my above post would be much appreciated .
Paudie

[blackbob]

Yes it is a 4000, I guess because the designs were a complete break from the F - N - E27N - Major evolution, Ford kept the old names on the sides for a while to keep some impression of continuity? So it's late 1960's, '64-68 or 9 maybe?

They have no liners, I've never owned one but they seem to clatter on for ever with few mechanical problems, you need to get Brian on the job as he is a great fan of the 4000



PS Some advice from Brian here http://www.fordsontractorpages.nl/phpbb ... f=7&t=7016

[oehrick]

Sound advice from Bob, Paudie, I know nothing about the 4000, other than they were the first of the 'modern' styled tractors that I remember seeing and I have always thought that range is one of the most attractive & clean looking any maker ever produced (although for some reason thought the 4000 was the Dexta equivalent)

Good luck whatever you decide although I'd be wary of taking on a non linered engine 'uninspected' as it needing a rebore might end up eating into your margins