The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

My first post!

I don't have a Fordson, but I am writing a story about one and this might be the place for me to get a few facts straight. It's long-winded, so please bear with me.

For about 15 years now, I've had a column in the American magazine, Diesel World (DW- https://www.dieselworldmag.com/), called "Tractor Talk. DW is mostly a diesel pickup enthusiast magazine, but we learned that in farm country, you can't get run over by a pickup unless it's diesel powered and old tractors go over well with the readers. Coupla years back, I also started a column there on diesel engine history called "Vintage Smoke" but that's another story. I've been an automotive writer for 30 years almost, even writing for several British Land Rover magazines in the '80s and '90s, but when I moved onto this farm about 20 years ago, the editor of DW assumed I was a tractor expert, so here I am with a column. Learned a lot about tractors over that time. Just to show I'm not a complete loser, I have a blue tractor too... a Dagenham Ford 2810 that's my loader/utility tractor, plus an '86 Ford F250HD 4x4 diesel I bought new. On to Fordsons...

Doing a story on a '58 New Major, 1467781 and have posted an overall view of it below. I would appreciate the brain trust helping me in a couple of areas so I get things as correct as possible. I shot it at a show but have not been able to locate the owner to get more detail on it. Been researching online and in my home references and still need some clarification on a few points of history and technology. To whit:

1- One image below is the cover of a US Fordson Major Diesel brochure which I have scanned. I want to be sure I have decoded the date on the brochure correctly. On the back is "AD6023 954100". Following normal convention, the first three digits of second set of numbers, "954" decodes to September 1954, which was probably produced for the 1955 model year. Correct me, please?

2- I gather that in April of 1957, the Mark II was introduced (starting at S/N 1425097), so this one falls into Mark II territory, but I am not clear as to what changes and improvements were made. All I have been able to note so far is a power increase. To what exactly I do not know... I read "40 hp" somewhere unofficial but the only rating specs I have is the Nebraska test of 1953, which was 38.49 on the belt at 1600 rpm. Any details on the changes t making up a Mark II very welcome, especially some documented power figures.

3- Please correct my current level of knowledge about the engine. Generally speaking it was called the 4D and was introduced in '51 or '52, both in the Major and as an industrial/marine powerplant. Later in the '50s it went into trucks (the Thames Trader for one) and it's a cousin to the 330ci 6D engine. Because the magazine is very engine-centric, I'd like to learn more about the origins of this engine. I suspect the development started before '52, so some clues as to where to find more info would be appreciated. It was a pretty advanced engine for the day, so I'd really like to pass on more info on how it came to be. I know the engine went on for a very long time. I see it in my American Ford truck books '63-67, mostly in P-Series vans, along with the 330 in C-Series and a couple of others. I see the 220 flywheel power and torque for on-road listed at 65hp @2500 (NET) and 156 lbs-ft @ 1600 in the 1963 truck book. Any clues to where to find information on how the engine evolved would be welcome. I wonder if those '63 flywheel output figures compare to 1958? I realize that tractors are rated at a continuous duty spec, thus a lower rpm, plus belt or PTO power loses something from the flywheel.

4- I see some apparent liberties on the paint, so In looking at the picture, if someone could point out any other major items they see that are incorrect or anomalous, I'd appreciate it. I like to point out glaring inaccuracies so as not to leave a future Fordson restorer with the mistaken impression that this is a 100 percent correct example to copy.

5- So tell me how this tractor is remembered by history? From what I have learned so far, it's considered a "good-un," maybe even in the benchmark category in the realm of diesel tractor in it's class. But you tell me, trying to be as objective as your Fordson, hat, shirt, underwear and tie will let you be ( : < )

6- Terminology: Correct me... these are "Fordson New Major" or "Fordson E1A" tractors and are those terms generally interchangeable? I gather the "Fordson Power Major" that debuted late in '58 was still called an E1A and still basically just an evolved "New Major." The general platform ended in '64 with the World Tractors, which took some of the Fordson DNA as a basic part?

7- The Fordson Major has a rather convoluted history here in the States. I can't find an exact year when it was introduced here. It was sold alongside the Dexta and the Dearborn built diesels in a rather convoluted way. Would like to figure that maze out if possible. I have found Fordsons that were APPARENTLY sold here in the early '60s but I don't have a clear end date for their importation.

8- Funny story: I almost wrote about a Fordson Major some years back (I have written about a Dexta). This Major had a 6D 330 engine mounted and the owner had me about convinced it was original. I grew increasingly skeptical and finally learned it wasn't the real deal. The owner eventually admitted he had swapped in the six. He used it for vintage tractor pulls and had everyone in that area convinced it was real because the six put him into a very desirable place within his pulling class. I didn't write about the tractor, needless to say. I later learned his ruse was revealed but I don't know how it all ended up.

Finally, thanks for your time. If you stuck with this to the end, you are a true Fordson fanatic. If you know of any good Fordsons within reasonable distance of NW Ohio, let me know. I'd love to feature them more often.

Hi and Welcome

The Mk2 was not advertised as being different, it's quite probable they wanted a broad test of the Mk2 engine without giving customers 'expectations'

I've loaned my Haynes manual so cannot give you the various upgrades but someone will be along who can.

If your pictured example was in the UK then the wheels would be wrong, the rear having the non scalloped centres and the front being cast with 4 holes, they would however have been orange, the ONLY parts so painted, just about everything else would be blue, front grille, starter, dynamo, exhaust, hoses and quite probably some of the radiator. The bonnet catches nosecone badge and Fordson major badges either side were plated as were the bezels of the instruments.

That having been said I do not know what was 'normal' for US export models, if they shipped as skid units then the wheels may well be correct for your market area and other items might have been fitted on arrival.

Had mine out today, been in the family about 50 years the engine block was cast 3 days after I was born so both just turned 61

Even amongst non partisan farmers, they were widely regarded as the first diesel engined tractor which gained a reputation for being good cold starters, they were fairly comfortable and straightforward to drive, economic, worked hard and well, quite adaptable without being a rowcrop and a wide variety of equipment was manufactured with them in mind, lack of depth control (overcome by a bright driver and responsive hydraulics system) and live drive, not so common when they were new and was remedied later in the E1 series.

In the UK TVO (Kerosene) was the subsidised fuel of the time and these were originally designed as petrol / kero / diesel using basically the same engine, Kero subsidy was removed near the launch time so few of the first two variants were made and by the Mk2, Diesel was the widespread farm fuel, dunno if Ford knew or suspected this or it was just a lucky break but they were making them wholesale while other makers had to start on a diesel engine from scratch, or fit a Perkins.

Look at the number of other machines which are based on the E1A power unit, County & Roadless tractors, specialising in niche markets needing more than average traction through to JCB diggers, Chaseside loaders, cranes and many others, that alone should give an indication of how other manufacturers rated the unit.

Then of course when you want more power you couple two together, the Doe triple D, driving TWO majors at the same time is about as much fun as you can get while remaining dressed

Hope that helps, other than fuel tank and rh wing this is what an unrestored one looks like, hood missing as still torquing down head bolts and it does have the correct wheel centre on the other side, still looking for someone who needs to swap a disc for a scalloped.................



Good luck with your project

This is a useful book, A4 size, paperback, with lots of photos and in-depth writing too https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fordson-Cond ... 71f3572c46

Thanks, Gents!

Hi Jim. Welcome.
I'm glad to see that you are trying to get the correct info for your article. I can try to answer some of your questions. 1467781 was built in February 1958.
I'm not sure about the date of the brochure, but the tractor looks like a '55 or earlier from the shape of the air cleaner top and the seat.
I have some information about the horsepower progression of the Major engines, but I can't seem to find it. The first Mark I engine was 40 hp and the last Super Major was 53 hp. I'll post a scan of a page from an official Fordson manual of the changes made to the engines.
There were 3 New Majors produced in 1951 and serious production started in Jan 1952 with 753 units produced.
Rick mentioned that the wheels aren't correct for Majors sold in England, but as far as I know they are correct for the US. I don't have any official documents to back that up, but I have never seen one here with cast front wheels. Most of the wheels were painted white or cream color. I'm not old enough to have seen them when they were new, so they may have been orange when new, then repainted to to look more like the newer Fords.
New Major and E1A Major are interchangeable. They were called New Major to distinguish them from their predecessor, the E27N Major. All Majors from the first Mark 1 through the last Super Major were E1A's.
According to my I & T shop manual, which may or may not be correct, the first Major imported to the US was serial number 1260402, which would have been June 1953.



I hope that helped.

JC- Yes, that was helpful information and I appreciate it. In looking at what pictures I can find of US spec New Majors, the wheels appear to be the same as the one I shot. Is the book referenced by blackbob above the source of the production information you cited? If not, where might I find that level of info. Of course I can't acquire the "pro-level" Fordson library in the month I have to finish this story, but if I can quickly round up a couple of trustworth references, I'll be ready for the next time.

The production info was printed from a website. I've been away from this forum and from Fordsons for a long time and I'm just getting back into it. I don't remember exactly which website I got the info from, since its been so long, but I think it may have been http://www.fordson.se.
I'm going to have to check out your magazine. In addition to all the Majors in my yard, I also have a 7.3 Powerstroke and a 12 valve Cummins.

Some Mk2 variants I picked up from a UK magazine may be helpful


Mk1 upgraded to Mk11 in Apr / May 1957 from engine no 1425097 bringing it to 51.8hp at 1600 rpm
Shorter push rods (299.7mm)
New injector nozzle N141 (pumps mods not mentioned)
Enlarged bypass port
Different waterpump gaslet
New oilpump with integral PRV, different pickup filter
New pistons
New front engine plate & different sump
New cylinder head with inline ports

Mk111 launched with the Power Major August 1958 engine no 1481091 and
Inc Super Major October 1960 Engine no 1575886
Used SHORTER 'RIGHT HANDED' rocker arms
Reverted to the Mk1 injector nozzles N123
Timing 23 BTDC to accound for modified pump plunger travel
In 1962 FPM (& FSM) from engine no O8B-756398, the Minimec pump with mechanical governor (still marked Simms) was used.
Tread carefully '57 - '62 Major Owners !

and Simms injection pumps
The SPE.4A.75S, has 7.5mm diameter pump plungers and was fitted to the mark 2 engine starting at serial number 1425097, and also (with some modifications) to the mark 3 engine starting at serial number 1481091. In practice this pump injected the same amount of fuel over a shorter time period than with the Mk1 SPE.4A.70S pump.

Just a note to say thanks. I got Condie's book, per the recommendations here, and it provides useful answers. I'm putting the finishing touches on the story now and will ship it in a week or so. Found the Major story quite compelling so I will be looking for more Fordson diesels to shoot. Pretty few and far between here, within a cost effective travel distance anyway, but I'll keep my eyes open! Probably will be in the November issue of Diesel World magazine, which will be on stands in September here in the States. About 2/3s of the "Tractor Talk" stories make it to the magazine's website within a few months, so it's likely you will have the opportunity to tell me what I did wrong! ( : < )