The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

Several minutes ago after posting this topic, I started our ford 5000 to fill it up with fuel at the petrol station. The thing is, we're harvesting our onions today and the plan was, obviously, hitch a trailer and transport the onion sacks home from the field.

As I was running the tractor down the road, I heard a rather alarming groaning noise, probably from the transmission or the rear end. It was extremely frightening for me by the fact that I have never heard of it before. I was even more frightened when I heard the same sound several times more! I'm going to tell my father about this probably later but I thought I would also need your opinion about this.

Could anyone tell me what might be the cause of that large groaning noises and if ever somebody have experienced it on the ford tractors? I was so frightened by those noises that my change from the petrol station worth more than 600 pesos (that amount could somehow fill the tank full of fuel) fell on the road without me noticing it and I have to run more than 500 meters from the house looking for it (I have recovered it somehow)!!

Groaning in the backend of a 5000 could be brakes adjusted too tight. Try slackening them off leaving 1" and 1/2" on free play on the pedals.
Also check that the hand brake is fully off, both the transmission one (if fitted) and the one that operates on the main brakes.

Thank you so much about the quick reply, in fact I haven't told my father yet about it and you have given me a lead already to look on! I will crawl under the tractor during the weekend and look at those.

The thing is, the groaning noises only appears when the tractor is on higher gears (I'm driving at 4th high and 3rd high) well, that's what I've thought. Completely frightened about those "groaning noises that I have never heard before" I set off to the fields to load the sacks of onions in 2nd low!

Also, It doesn't have the uk-spec handbrakes and even the handbrake that keeps the pedals in its position! (sometime in its working life, that ratchet broke off and the former owner never thought about replacing it. He also completely ruined the leveling box, the handle was snapped and the small gear fixed inside the handle was broken). Other broken bits was the tank, which was leaking a bit, ruining every intensive cleaning work that I do on the tractor,( My father's power sprayer was broken so I was reduced to a pair of rags, a pail of water and a dipper to clean the tractor!)the pto , whose control lever wont work to engage or disengage the shaft, the hydraulics, which drops down like a, ehem, massey, every time the engine is shut down and when the tractor is hot after work it needs considereble revs to lift any implement hitched to the 3 point lift, the fuel lift pump inlet screw was nearly stripped of its threads (I have temporarily repaired it by putting threading tape on it) and, the water pump bearing, which needs replacing!