The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

Having completed the head gasket job I moved onto the electrics, headlamps - 5 1/4" Butlers have been loose, drooping and not working for many years.
Other than gaskets the headlamps were in good order, if a little rusty, other than the reflectors, not finding any replacements I decided to try aerosol chrome paint, rubbed down the rust and scraped off the remaining reflective surface (apparently a silvered plastic, must have been novel in 1958 !) and waited for the paint.

The droop was due to the threaded tubes with their square anti rotation keys having long been worn away and the nuts rusted to the threads, the o/s came off with a little heat and penetrating oil but the n/s was so worn with no where to grab it I needed a cunning plan, this turned out to be one of my slow spiral stud extractors and a socket & ratchet, this gave good grip but despite oil, heat, air chisel, plenty of brute force, I had to nearly split the nut to get it apart, this stripped the thread on the tube but fortunately this was the same size as a worklight I had in hand to fit on the rear

The paint would not pass as chrome for anything external but covered well, evened over the rust pitting and even with my heavy hand at painting didn't run or pool badly, as a reflector it works fine, I did experiment to see what a coat of lacquer for extra protection would do, it made it go grey so now we wait another 60 years to see how long it lasts.

The manual was no help for bulbs, use only the EnFo bulbs it says with no alternative reference No, however I found a chap in Boston (Lincolnshire) who was advertising 12v 36/36W bulbs for series 1 landrover and E27N for £11.95 a pair, delivered Gen Lucas spec LLB171 12v 36/36W Ba15d SBC M38 which proved identical on arrival.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fordson-E27N ... 2749.l2649

In fact I think they are not the same as the original E27N spec as these were 36/24 W, why the lower dipped wattage I know not other than they are probably a couple of feet higher off the ground than the E1A so maybe more dazzle to oncoming travel ??

The chap (Charles) has other tractor stuff and was very helpful over a couple of things I asked.

So for the first time in decades the old girl has working headlights and a horn, next the rats nest of the control box for a regulator transplant and to see if I can restore a couple of deadspots on the light switch, then onto the mudguard lights.

So I hope these work, trying out Photoimage, clicking on the thumbnail is supposed to bring the full size pic up...............

Rick,

you're making progress, the reflectors do look alright.
Does your tractor has lights on the mudgards right now, or will you fit new ones? I haven't found yet which bulb will fit in the side lights. It should be a duplo, but there's not enough room to fit a regular one. I've once found a spare on a "tractor" flea market, but always nice to know what type of bulb you need there.

Yes the mudguard lights are still intact Mathius but one of the red lenses has been broken in half and both have faded to orange. I'm missing the numberplate light / trailer socket.

I'll try to keep an eye open for bulb specifications for you, can't recall what they are from memory. Ford were obviously protective about keeping the bulbs as their spares income and in fairness back in those days their filaments might have been stronger but when you think of car suspension and road surfaces back then the car bulbs probably had to endure just as much ill treatment !

Hope your rebuild is going well.

Good work
I had the same trouble with buggered reflectors. I bought new lights from agriline and pinched the reflectors globe and contacts and glass. Worked well

Don't know how long it will last Mick but it looks good and with new gaskets there ought to be less damp, your route was next choice but I don't get round many events these days to see what the repro stuff is like and compare.

Just been out on a run to pick up a heap of flints a new neighbour is evicting from his garden, it was nice to put the lights on when returning despite no traffic and not really dark but you can't help playing