The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

Just took delivery of a new temperature guage from Agriline. It reads in fahrenhiet,can someone tell me what would be the correct temp once the engine is warm? My old Dexta has never had a guage in recent years,looking at the thermostat housing you can see it was sheered off years ago. I was lucky enough to find another housing recently that wasnt cracked. After cleaning it up and removing what looks like the original thermostat ive decided to treat myself to a guage! Whilst on this subject has anyone had problems with replacement thermostats which you buy nowadays? Ive fitted Three in 18 months on my FE35 and they keep closing when they shouldnt causing the poor old girl to boil.

HI Hiking bear the gauge i have is a repro one which i have had for 2/3years , it seem to work good and sits when hot just at the edge or green and start of red , i think it is around 175 this might very a little but this is more or less where it sits . Gerry

The Dexta repair manual ( http://www.fordson-dexta.de/downloads/section3.pdf ) says that the thermostat opening temperature is between 156 and 165 F and the fully open temperature is 185 F. The Major owner's manual quotes exactly these same numbers and it also says that the correct engine temperature is between 170 and 195 F. I would think this applies to the Dexta as well. I didn't find it in the Dexta owner's manual, though.

A bit OT but I was wondering if the original temp gauges in Majors and Dextas were always in Fahrenheit or did the export models for example have the dial in Celsius? I've seen repro Major temp gauges for sale and they all measure in Fahrenheit. I'd like to get a correct one for my Major.

I put a 160 degree thermostat in my Super Dexta. I have a SunPro temperature gage and it reads exactly 160 degrees when the temperature is balanced out on the tractor. When the tractor is first started, the temperature will go to around 170~180 degrees until the thermostat opens fully. Once the thermostat is open, she holds right on 160. If you put a hotter thermostat in, the gage will read whatever degree thermostat you put in. The manual says the tractor came with a 160 degree thermostat.
Terry

Hello Hiking Bear

We have a 1956 E1ADKN Major with most likely the original temperature gauge still in. This gauge in in Fahrenheit.

IMHO Fahrenheit will be OK and original.

Best regards

Emiel

Both Dextas I have in sweden have Farenheit gauges.

I recently bought a temp gauge and inserted into the housing but i have not drove her since i put it in..Even when i leave her standing for about a half an hour the temp does not rise at all!! Faulty id say!!

Before you throw the guage away, just check the thermostat is working. I did the same as you and replaced the guage and found the new one did the same, and it was the thermostat not working. Worth sticking any guage end in a cup of boiling water which should make it shoot up.

Emiel wrote:IMHO Fahrenheit will be OK and original.

Thanks for the info.

Supertractorman wrote:Before you throw the guage away, just check the thermostat is working. I did the same as you and replaced the guage and found the new one did the same, and it was the thermostat not working. Worth sticking any guage end in a cup of boiling water which should make it shoot up.

Agreed, if the thermostat is stuck open, or as in our case totally missing it will take an age for the engine to get to temp while just ticking-over. I have tested thermostats by boiling on the hob to test if it starts to open this depends on its temp setting though.