"FL" cylinder heads and Minimec pumps!

This forum is for the Fordson New Major, including the Super Major and the Power Major.
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shepp
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"FL" cylinder heads and Minimec pumps!

Post by shepp »

Anyone interested in the above topics and the myth behind the legend have a look at my reply to the query "Injector pump timing way off" by "paflyboy55" in the Major section!
1946 E27N, 1952 Major Diesel, 1959 Power Major, 1962 Dexta, 1962 Super Dexta, 1963 Super Dexta NP, 1964 Super Major NP, 1965 Super Dexta 3000, 1966 Major 4000, 1967 3000 PF, 1994 5640,plus Basildon built NH.

Brian
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Re: "FL" cylinder heads and Minimec pumps!

Post by Brian »

Not so much of a myth as all that Shepp. :D :D :D

Service Letter No. 7. August 1963.
With the introduction of the new Performance Super Major, some redesigning of the Cylinder Head has taken place around the inlet ports with the object of improving the Induction Breathing. This is the only Head and Valve Guide Assembly which is to be fitted to a new Super Major after Serial No. 08C960337. But, it may also be fitted to Majors, after Serial No. 1425097.
Cylinder Head E1ADDN 6052J is identified by FL cast on Head.


We were not allowed to use this head on earlier tractors as the company, Wrights, only put a small number of "FL" heads into service use but we had plenty of the other types. There were also changes to valve spring strength and diameter on "FL" heads which led to wear on pushrods, cam followers and camshafts. We were replacing all these items on the later tractors. In fact, one of the first problems I answered on the YT Mag site around 25 years ago was identifying a "broken washer" a member had found in the sump of a NP Super. It was not a washer but the bottom of one of the cam followers that had worn through. I ended up supplying him with a new camshaft and a set of followers as they were not available at that time in the US.
Fordson Tractor Pages, now officially linked to: Fordson Tractor Club of Australia, Ford and Fordson Association and Blue Force.
Brian

shepp
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Re: "FL" cylinder heads and Minimec pumps!

Post by shepp »

Hello Brian and thank you for your interest in the topic and your response!

Over the years when time allowed I have read up on the detailed changes and improvements in the Major tractor, and have the full complete original Ford workshop manual 1964 edition in the ring binder covering every model up to the New Performance and also the spurious manuals such as Technical Publications. I also have the parts books for all the various models and have owned and used many Major tractors of all models both on the farm and in dealing in tractors. The tales surrounding the "FL" head always interested me, and with my discoveries and those of knowledgeable friends (including one who has serviced these tractors all his life and has every conceivable Major variant) I am still firmly of the opinion that there is no structural or performance difference between the so called "FL" head and the previous head. The marking is simply a foundry marking. The part numbers did not appear to change when casting of the 4 and 6 cylinder heads was transferred to Leamington foundry around April 1962 and the heads produced were marked "FL" . Yes, there were changes such as bigger valve springs, but these occurred at Dagenham before the transfer of casting to Leamington.

The "FL" heads appeared around April 1962 when casting of the heads was transferred to the Leamington Spa foundry and was at about the same time the minimec pump was first fitted. I have seen many original blue/orange Super major tractors produced in the approximate period April 1962 to April 1963 (before the New Performance models), and all those who had minimec pumps had "FL" heads, and all those who had "FL" heads had minimec pumps! There may have been a few tractors initially produced who had one feature but not the other, but I have not come across any. With the change to the minimec pump ( and implicitly the "FL" head) no performance improvement was claimed by Ford, the power output at 51.8 hp and engine performance graphs were as before with the vacuum governed pump. The mechanical governor did provide a faster response to load conditions, and the engine maintained a more constant speed than the vacuum governed pump.

With regard to the "Service letter number 7 August 1963", was this a formal service letter from Ford Dagenham or an internal service letter sent round by the organisation you worked for to the various depots? As you know, Ford sent out service updates to main dealers and distributors and they in turn summarised them and sent them out to retail dealers. I have such a letter about cylinder head gaskets sent to Curtis & Horn by Ford, which they in turn summarised and sent out to R Bywater & Sons Ltd, but the summary is not a complete one. I have a similar letter sent by Ford to Bushells concerning the need to use series 3 oils in the 6X models, and Bushells in turn summarised it and sent it on to retail dealers. Incidentally in this letter Ford claimed the reason for the recommendation of series 3 oils was in order to keep the original oil change intervals - if the older spec oils were still used then change intervals had to be halved. As we know the real reason for the necessary change was the ring sticking problems, the engines had been developed in the USA where series 3 oils were the norm, and they did not perform correctly with the lower spec UK oils commonly in use. Returning to service updates, in addition dealers with multiple depots had their own service letters sent out from head office to the depots, these might have been summaries of official Ford letters or the thoughts and experiences of the service manager! The numbers in your service letter are recognisable - 1425097 was the first Mark 11 engine July 1957 with a head with inline ports, 08C960337 was the first New Performance Super Major May 1963, E1ADDN 6052J was the part number of the head introduced in JULY 1961 (!) and continued right to the end of Super Major production.

The chronology of cylinder head change appears to be as follows:

The Mark 1 engine with staggered ports was produced up to engine/tractor serial number 1425096 to April 1957. The part number for this head was E1ADDN 6052S.

Engine/tractor number 1425097 in April 1957 saw the introduction of the Mark 11 engine with inline ports in the cylinder head. The push rods were reduced in length by 0.10 inches as the head was slightly shallower in depth - how many people were aware of this when swapping heads around??! The part number for this head was E1ADDN 6052F. This head was continued in use right through to the introduction of the Mark 111 engine in August 1958 at engine/tractor number 1481091, and right through to engine/tractor number 1609838 July 1961. The part number was the same, E1ADDN 6052F.

Valve springs for the above heads/tractors up to serial number 1609838 July 1961 were silver grey in colour, 8.8 coils, 2.48 inches free length, 45 - 50 lbs compression force at 1.98 inches compressed length, part number DKN 6513B.

At engine/tractor number 1609839 July 1961 Super Major, changes to the engine were a new cam form on the camshaft and NEW BIGGER DIAMETER HEAVIER VALVE SPRINGS. The machining of the spring seats on the head was altered to accommodate the bigger valve spring spacers and retainers necessary for the bigger valve springs, and the part number of this head was changed to E1ADDN 6052J. Valve springs from serial number 1609839 were part number E1ADDN 6513, colour black, 7.5 coils, 2.31 inches free length, 62 - 68 lbs compression force at 1.98 inches compressed length.
If installing later springs to previous inline port heads then the intake valve spring seat on the head must be re-machined to accept the larger spacers and spring retainers needed for the larger diameter springs. Also for the exhaust valve springs the larger exhaust valve spring spacers and retainers must be installed. The latest camshaft introduced at engine 1609839 MUST also be installed!

This modification to the head at engine/tractor number 1609839 July 1961 Super Major is the LAST ONE relating to the head in the official Ford workshop manual and parts books and also the spurious manuals. When the heads were marked "FL" on transfer of casting to Leamington Spa there are no references to this in the official or spurious books - this is not surprising as there were no structural or performance changes to the head. This so marked "FL" head was fitted for over a year to the old Super Major BEFORE the New Performance appeared so it is not something peculiar to the New Performance. There was a slight claimed power increase for the New Performance, but this was attributed to a change in the delivery valves in the minimec pump.

Furthermore it appears the part number E1ADDN 6052J continued from serial number 1609839 July 1961 right through and up to and beyond the introduction of the head with "FL" cast on it and right up to the end of Super Major production at serial number 08D 976148 - no changes to the part number means no changes to the head. The engine continued in production for 6 years for industrial applications after tractor production stopped, I do not have a parts book for later industrial engines but I would bet the cylinder head part number remained the same.

So I believe that the "FL" head had no structural or performance differences to the immediately previous head - the structural and performance changes were made at serial number 1609839 July 1961, the "FL" "legend" is a myth.

But I am always open to correction if there is any new detail or evidence!

Kind regards.
Last edited by shepp on Mon Jan 22, 2018 9:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
1946 E27N, 1952 Major Diesel, 1959 Power Major, 1962 Dexta, 1962 Super Dexta, 1963 Super Dexta NP, 1964 Super Major NP, 1965 Super Dexta 3000, 1966 Major 4000, 1967 3000 PF, 1994 5640,plus Basildon built NH.

Brian
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Re: "FL" cylinder heads and Minimec pumps!

Post by Brian »

Shepp,

That service letter is an original Ford one, as far as I am concerned there were no "spuriouse" service letters sent out by other than Ford or if there was I have not seen one.

You may be right about the meaning of "FL", I have no information on this however I do know that Ford often brought in changes to the tractors without notifying dealers until some time afterwards, the Power Major engine was a case in point. it was fitted to a number of Fordson Major Diesels before the introduction of the Power. In the 1970's when we were having problems with pulling with the 6600's suddenly we got a batch of tractors through that would pull a house down. The 6610 engine had been introduced on the production line yet we were not told.

As far as I am concerned, the "FL" head had improved porting as stated in the service letter, that was what we were told at the dealership by Ford and I cannot see them telling fairy stories to all the dealers.
Fordson Tractor Pages, now officially linked to: Fordson Tractor Club of Australia, Ford and Fordson Association and Blue Force.
Brian

shepp
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Location: Lancashire

Re: "FL" cylinder heads and Minimec pumps!

Post by shepp »

Hello Brian

Possibly Ford were making the point that only the heads with the larger valve springs should be fitted to the New Performance tractor. The larger valve springs were introduced in July 1961, head part number E1ADDN 6052J, there may have been some slight changes to the porting as well at that time which are not mentioned in the manuals (?), there certainly was some changes to the machining on top of the heads to accommodate the bigger spacers and retainers necessary for the bigger valve springs - perhaps those changes are what Ford refer to as "porting changes"?? The "FL" marked head (which had the larger springs) appeared around April 1962 on the earlier Super Major with the same part number E1ADDN 6052J, so it would be a lot easier (to avoid confusion) for Ford to simply say that only the "FL" marked head should be fitted to New Performance tractors, rather than trying to specify the part number change that came in in July 1961 when the larger springs were fitted. That would ENSURE that the stronger springs were fitted. Note that Ford also say that the same head can be fitted to all engines from the Mark 11 onwards i.e. all engines with inline port heads, so they are stating that this head is not specific only to the New Performance tractors. HOWEVER! - if it is intended to fit this head with the stronger valve springs to tractors with Mark 11 and Mark 111 engines prior to serial number 1609839 then it is ESSENTIAL that the latest camshaft is fitted at the same time! This could be why camshaft failures were experienced on modified tractors as you have experienced. It could also be the reason why Ford said only the "FL" marked head should be fitted to New Performance engines - they HAD the latest camshaft and thus required the latest head. Also as I said about the service letter sent out to Bushells, Ford tried to angle the reason for the necessary change to series 3 oils as being in order to keep the original recommended oil change intervals at 300 hours - if the lower grade oils were still to be used then oil changes had to be at a maximum of 150 hours. The real reason for the change was because of the fast ring wear and ring sticking problems which Ford probably did not want to admit to. Being slightly vague helps sometimes!

Yes, Ford did not let the dealers know about all changes before they were introduced. The Mark 111 engine as fitted to the Power Major was fitted in some of the last production Majors, there were stories that the two models were built side by side for a short while. That might be to use up parts or to test the engine on the ground for a short while?? The four cylinder engine in the 6600 went through a number of upgrades, in the first 6X 5000 models it was originally of 4.2 inch bore by 4.2 inch stroke, then 4.4 inch bore by 4.2 inch stroke for the 6Y Force models and early 6600 models, and finally with the 6600 Power Plus it was 4.4 inch bore by 4.4 inch stroke which gave the power boost you refer to. This engine continued into the 6610.

One thing is certain - 50 years down the line it is very difficult to get to the bottom of everything!

Kind regards.
1946 E27N, 1952 Major Diesel, 1959 Power Major, 1962 Dexta, 1962 Super Dexta, 1963 Super Dexta NP, 1964 Super Major NP, 1965 Super Dexta 3000, 1966 Major 4000, 1967 3000 PF, 1994 5640,plus Basildon built NH.

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