The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

Still working this photo thing out.

But anyways I saw this for sale on the side of the road and had to drag it home. I have fond memories of an ol fordson we had years ago and currently I was looking for an affordable tractor to run a pto genset for me when I crossed paths with this.

It looks nice but I knew from the get go the previous owner knew how to wheeled a paint brush but had only heard of spanners by rough description.

Immediate problems are oil leak front crank seal, water pump and oil leak lift pump.

Pulled the front off to do the water pump and found the cooling system to be full of some sort of stop leak goop but the fan rocked backwards and forwards nearly an inch, that wasn't going to work. There a continuing list of items like this I am bumping into. But no complaints it appears to be a good solid base to start with.

I would drain all fluids and examine them, the water pump will need a new seal, the front crank seal will need replacing and we would need to know where the lift pump is leaking. If it's the gasket try tightening the bolts a wee bit, if that doesn't stop it a new gasket should do it. If it's something else, remove and dismantle the pump to see what is leaking.
Don't be surprised to find a water/oil emulsion in the rear axle as rain gets in through the bolt holes. Diesel in oil might mean a lift pump leak or a leak off line banjo not on properly.water in engine oil means a leaking head gasket or liner O ring.
Hope that gives you a good start.
Sandy

Nice looking beast. Hopefully nothing too serious.

Good luck with it

Thanks for the replys.
Hoping not to discover anything to nasty.

Finding repairs like this is not filling me with confidence

And fantastic wiring solutions like this one

This is the compliance plate, how do you deciffer the year from this

Thanks

That plate is a specific Australian plate. Look on the top front RH side of the block for your serial number.

You'll also find casting codes on lots of bits.
You'll need to get a crankcase breather, as otherwise you'll fill the engine with dirt. You'll also need the pipe from the rocker cover to the air filter.

I wouldn't be too bothered if someone fiddled with the air hose, but you will be better with a new one.
The wiring looks like a mess, look at the original part of it and the wiring diagram to work out what's what and then run appropriate colour wires to the various electrics.
Sandy

Ah, thanks for the help

Parts order arrived

Any of these casting help with identification

The serial number on mine is on the top flange where the starter is fitted. It's in a slightly odd 'font', almost hand written, and reads vertically. I had to look several times as I could see the engraving, but the orientation I was trying to read it coupled with the style didn't make sense.

Thanks for the pointer I'll try that tomorrow

The casting code for the block is behind the dynamo, which I think is the N4B in your photo, November 4th, 1958.

Edit to add useful link https://www.selen.nu/cgi-bin/trnr.pl?lang=en

Very helpful link

The serial behind the starter was discontinued after 1380939, relocated to the front top RH flange. Clean it well to see the number (I can't read it in the pic).
The air hose is the wrong shape and will be very difficult to fit. The correct one is like the front portion of your old one (It looks original, the back having broken off).
Don't replace the gauges until you've done a full day's work and they don't work. (repro ones are no good)
Sandy

The serial behind the starter was discontinued after 1380939, relocated to the front top RH flange. Clean it well to see the number (I can't read it in the pic).

cant read it because, to my eye, there is nothing there.. not even a scratch. perhaps the engine was replaced at some point with an older version?
worth looking in the other location, just because.. left side, above/behind where the starter mounts. if there is something there, it will be in a vertical orientation - last digit to the outside, first to the inside (toward center)

a crude drawing of where to look..

Hi,

N4B is November 4th, 1958, the other ones I can't read or are mould codes instead of casting date codes

rgds

I can't read anything either, but if there's several layers of paint it might be buried in paint.
Sandy

Hard to show in this photo but thete is nothing on that area

Looking behind the starter I don't see anything

I think it might be to late for my temperature gauge

Tach might be worth preserving with

Yeah that original intake pipe was a bit too special for my liking. Zip ties and duck tape ........... I'm shore that's the recommended method.

Before you change the temp gauge, give your Power Major a full day's work to see if the temp gauge works, it seems like it should.
This is very strange, the serial number seems to have vanished. What other casting codes are there?
Sandy