The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

1960 Power Major. Used and abused in central Saskatchewan. Trying to bring it back to life and have it as a useful tool on our small farm. Wanting to run a flail mower and a wood chipper with it, both 540 PTO. So when I got it the tach was not working. Looked at the cable and the end at the drive was broken off. Rust in there so I figured just weak over time and swapping out with a new cable should be the fix.

Switched out the cable. YES!! the tach works, the hours are adding on! Splendid...for about half an hour. I was harrowing some hayfields with it last night after my day job, running the engine "by ear". So I have a look at it this morning and the cable is twisted off the drive end similar to before. I took the drive out and it spins freely. This tractor has likely sat outside for most of its life and the hour meter shows over 7,000hrs. I keep it in a shed since I got it last year.

So is it the Tach or just a bad cable?

Also is there any lubrication that needs to be done to a tach cable?

Thank you in advance for the replies.

Is the hole in the drive unit shaft turning in centre? If not that would explain why a good cable failed, but with current repro parts quality it could just be a poor cable. If you're able to run accurately by ear the tachometer will basically become only for recording the hours, but it's always handy to have there anyway. I've never heard of these cables being lubricated but that might just be me.
Sandy