1963 FSM front wheel spokes

[Yorkshire]

Hi all I am restoring a March 1963 FSM serial number 08C949998, complete strip down renewing parts and seals as required.full down to bare metal re spray.
I have just two queries 1) my FSM has four spokes on front wheels is this correct or should there be three.?
2) the gearbox casting as code of E1ADKN 7007F T1 all other casting codes are E1ADDN does mean a different casting was used or replaced at some time.?
Everything else seems to be original.
Thanks in anticipation
Les Hunter

[Emiel]

Hi,

3 spoke it should be.

The e1adkn code means this casting mould was designed in the era of tvo models and has not been updated. A redesigned part or mould would have had the prefix e1addn when designed later on.

[Billy26F5]

That's right, but these are part nos., the casting codes are much shorter and not often close to part nos. Should be three hole, but I think I'm right that the four hole ones are heavier (handy if you want to use your tractor later, some NP's have such wheels on to compensate for how light the pressed ones are, even with weights). I would suspect your early March 63 Super Major would have had the rare FoMoCo stamped wheels but I could be a bit early, most FoMoCo castings appeared with the NP, previous ones are EnFo. Ford changed to giving priority to the diesel in common part nos. when the TVO was eliminated, but the live clutch type casting appeared before that, many parts particularly in the gearbox are likely still E1ADKN at this stage, or even some E27N and N parts in the axles and belt pulley. All this means is that those parts were not redesigned since the tractors they were coded for and used on later models just the same.
Sandy

[Emiel]

Hi Sandy,

. The cast in E1a no’s are mould numbers, eg the part no of the mould. Out of one mould several part no’s can be machined. For example the rear axle housing casting is always the same, so same mould. But it can be machined to the std one, or to the one with speedometer connection. That means other part number. The shorter codes identify between different mould identity but with same mould design.

[Billy26F5]

Unfortunately it's not quite as simple as that, as many of the part nos. on castings don't match those in the book. Going back to the rear axle there's another one or two finished parts, the ones for a reverse crown wheel, I dont't know if there was a speedo version of that but there certainly was a plain one as Matbro used it a lot. Most castings will have a part no. in the mould but not necessarily the one you find in the book, although some do have that number. Then there's the casting code which dates it and you also often find an extra thing that I think is which line in the foundry was casting that part (I think this for these codes can be the only difference on otherwise identical parts cast the same day).
The codes Les needs are those for dating, the front wheels are coded too.
Sandy

[Emiel]

Unfortunately it's not quite as simple as that, as many of the part nos. on castings don't match those in the book. Going back to the rear axle there's another one or two finished parts, the ones for a reverse crown wheel, I dont't know if there was a speedo version of that but there certainly was a plain one as Matbro used it a lot. Most castings will have a part no. in the mould but not necessarily the one you find in the book, although some do have that number. Then there's the casting code which dates it and you also often find an extra thing that I think is which line in the foundry was casting that part (I think this for these codes can be the only difference on otherwise identical parts cast the same day).
The codes Les needs are those for dating, the front wheels are coded too.
Sandy

Exactly what I tried to explain. The number on the part is not the number in the book.

[Billy26F5]

Unfortunately (as always) not everything is what it seems, as some parts did have their correct part no., a good example being the E27N era front wheels (they correctly have E27N-1015A) or the throttle lever (original design) correctly has E1ADKN-9805 even though later on (May or June 52) the number was changed to E1ADN-9805 for non TVO tractors and TVO tractors got a new lever (with different angles to limit the engine speed more, don't know exactly what it was designated before the tachometer appeared). Then, in both cases, an A suffix was added when the tachometer lever appeared (it had a B suffix). So the original E1ADKN-9805, the later E1ADN-9805 and E1ADN-9805A are all the same part with the original part no. still on it in 55 (as Billy has). The starter lever also has the correct part no., E1ADDN-11515 (although Ebro at some stage got mixed up and erroneously gave some E1ADKN-11515, as Super Billy has). I think it just depends on which part it is whether the number is the right one or the wrong one.
Sandy

[Yorkshire]

Wow, thank you all for the very extensive response.
The forum seems to be a veritable Aladdin’s cave of information. I will endeavour to provide a few photos of the tractor in the very near future.

Very much appreciated I have learnt a lot from you all
Thank you
Yorkshire