Good quality replacement parts

[Bounce]

Has anyone got any suggestions for where to get good quality replacement parts?

Since I finished the restoration of my 63 new performance Dexta at the end of April the tractor has been kept outside due to lack of storage space, but it has been kept covered most of the time that it is not in use, despite this most of the repro parts have deteriorated significantly in the 2 and a bit months that it has been outside.

I’ve had several electrical issues due to parts failing including the inside of the new ignition switch was corroded so badly that the contacts had fallen off, also a few terminals/connectors have worked themselves loose including on the new starter switch which means I now have to short it to start it, which is a bit embarrassing after a full 18 month resto!

Every replacement chrome part (fordson badge, ignition light surrounds etc) has rusted, every replacement rubber boot/seal has perished. Any replacement steel parts are rusting through after having at least 6 coats of paint applied.

It’s disappointing after putting a lot of time and effort into getting the tractor into the best possible shape, so any tips on where to get quality replacement parts would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Billy26F5]

I know what you mean about sorting something out and then seing it get bad again. I'm afraid what you have is par for the course, the only way you'll get good parts is to find good second hand bits, particularly with cosmetic parts that the aftermarket suppliers have a bad habit of getting really wrong. As for the electrics I would recommend original parts too, and you can then make your own wiring using the original wiring and the diagram as a basis for it. The chrome you might be able to recover with some special paint, it's not real chrome but it's pretty good, we used some for Super Billy's light reflectors and it was pretty good for that.
Sandy

[Emiel]

Hi bounce,

That’s a horrible story. Replacement quality is problematic unfortunately. I agree with Sandy. Used original mostly is the best option, but unfortunately not always a possibility.

[Bounce]

Unfortunately good original parts becoming harder to find.

On a separate note - is there anything other than catastrophic failure of some rear axle components that would cause one of the rear wheels to lean? While I was restoring the tractor I often thought one of the wheels looked ‘squint’, leaning out at the top, but put it down some kind of optical illusion, but since it’s been out and about a couple of folk have made the same comment about the left rear wheel looking squint, not buckled but the top of the wheel looks further out than the bottom.

[Bounce]

In the picture you can see the difference in gap from the wheel to the door jamb and how it is opening up towards the bottom of the wheel. The door jamb is plumb and the tractor is sitting on a level floor - any ideas?

[Billy26F5]

That looks strange, is the RH wheel verical? All I can think of without considering catastrophic problems is that the LH axle casting has some dirt bertween it and the rear axle casting at the top of the flange. Otherwise the LH axle casting might be bent, but I wouldn't expect it to hold for much longer if that is the case.
Sandy

[John b]

The door jamb not lining up could be the angle of the pic. It looks like the left side is lower than the right but again that could be the pic, is the left mudguard leaning in? That could give the illusion of the wheel leaning out

[Emiel]

Hi,

I think John is in the right track. May be you can construct a right angle triangle from timber to measure the wheel in relation to the floor. Measure it on both sides.

In our area many tractors have inclined mudguard due to sticky soil.

[Billy26F5]

I don't see the mudguard leaning in, but the view isn't quite right to be sure about it. I like Emiel's suggestion, it will certainly make the problem clear, assuming the floor is perfectly flat and both tyres are the same and have the same pressure and wear.
Sandy

[shepp]

Jack the tractor up at the rear to give some clearance under the tyres, place a straight edged parallel sided piece of timber vertically onto each wheel rim touching the rim at the top and bottom, you might have to chop out the region where the tyre is to allow the timber to contact the rim but that will be OK as long as you are not altering the timber width where it touches the rims, and measure the distances between the outside edges of the timber under the wheels and over the mudguards and compare. They should be the same.

Alternatively get a piece of straight edged timber, place it on the rims of the right hand wheel and place a spirit level on the outside edge of the timber. Jack the tractor up on either the left or right hand side depending on the floor it is on so that the spirit level reads a true vertical, take the timber and level round to the left wheel and place it on the rims and check whether that is vertical. That should allow you to eliminate whether or not it is an optical illusion. If not, the explanation could be a deformed left hand trumpet housing. It could be a collapsed or worn bush or bearing within the diff that carries the left hand pinion side gear allowing the half shaft to lift upwards at the diff end which will tilt the wheel outwards at the top. The diff's on the Dexta and Super Dexta did have some issues, they were strengthened part way through production but there were still the odd few failures, I remember buying in a super clean blue orange Super Dexta in 1975 and that had diff problems with a real grumble, but I didn' t delve into it and just sold it on as it was. It had had a recent Ford short engine and I think I gave £50 or £70 for it!

[Billy26F5]

That is a cheap Super Dexta! Pitty it didn't get fixed, but someone else might have done later on.
What Shepp says should sort this easily, although if it is a real problem it's quite a big job.
Sandy

[Bounce]

Once I’ve got the tractor mobile again (fuel pump is off it and it’s parked tight to a wall) I’ll get it jacked up. The right wheel is slightly taller by about 10-15mm but not enough to make it look like that.

[mathias1]

put it on jack stands and let it spin. It will give you a better view on the rear wheels. Maybe the rim is not that straight anymore.

[shepp]

If the wheel was deformed someone watching from the rear would see it wobble, but apparently that is not the case it just leans out at the top?

[Billy26F5]

If the wheel was deformed someone watching from the rear would see it wobble, but apparently that is not the case it just leans out at the top?

That's my impression, we'll see what Donnie says when he's next on.
Sandy

[Bounce]

No there’s no wobble or buckle in the wheel, just leaning out at the top.

[Jerry Coles]

Surely all you need is a length of string and a big nut! Put one end of the string against the upper part of the tyre sidewall and suspend the nut so it nearly touches the ground. Measure any gap you can see or move the top of the string away from the tyre until the nut touches the sidewall. Now do the same on the inside sidewall avoiding the axle shaft. Repeat on the other wheel. Are there any differences? IMHO !!
Jerry

[Emiel]

Surely all you need is a length of string and a big nut! Put one end of the string against the upper part of the tyre sidewall and suspend the nut so it nearly touches the ground. Measure any gap you can see or move the top of the string away from the tyre until the nut touches the sidewall. Now do the same on the inside sidewall avoiding the axle shaft. Repeat on the other wheel. Are there any differences? IMHO !!
Jerry

Very clever trick and must work. I love these “kiss” approaches. Reminds me that sometimes we think far too complicated.

[Billy26F5]

Surely all you need is a length of string and a big nut! Put one end of the string against the upper part of the tyre sidewall and suspend the nut so it nearly touches the ground. Measure any gap you can see or move the top of the string away from the tyre until the nut touches the sidewall. Now do the same on the inside sidewall avoiding the axle shaft. Repeat on the other wheel. Are there any differences? IMHO !!
Jerry

Great trick, and very simple.
Sandy