The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

Hi Everyone,
I have thought of building a 6cyl Fordson ever since I saw the industrail engines in the Industry I worked in 20 years ago.
Recently I by accident came across an engine from a Class combine ( Ford 6cyl ) and I have been working towards gathering enough parts to build a 6cyl Fordson.

I have picked up one tractor, a super Major as aparrently they are a bit stronger.







I had a long converstation with a guy who served his time with Ford Dagenham and saw these engine developed, after he had moved to West Australia and started a Mechanical business of his own, he started converting Fordsons to 6cyl , so wheat belt farmers could pull bigger plows and get their seeding programme completed in quicker time.

Tomorrow I am going on a 300km round trip to pick up another tractor to get some more bits, we will be setting off about 6.00 as the weather here is in the thirties.

Mike

That´s the way to do it.

Nice fenders

That's a great job to do!
I am looking forward to your next pictures.

Good luck and have fun!

I think I now them something like ron beere

Hi Mike here again,
picked up the other tractor, hopefully in the next couple of weeks I will be able to start going through everthing and sorting out what goes where.
Those John Deere guards are comming off as one of the first jobs!

Also was fortunate to pick up a replacement front casting at another place as the Super Major one was broken.



Mike

Mike here again,
finally doing a bit more on the tractor conversion.

I have started to pull down the Class combine engine and found that it is not too bad for wear, however as it came without the sump attatched and the oil pump removed I am having to check everything.

I would not chance to old linner O rings however as the linners were sealed with silastic ( silicone sealer ) there was no chance I would leave the linners in because this sealer is effected by oil and predictably had started to break down, and having had to rebuild one Fordson engine because of silastic in the big end oil gallery, I don;'t want this to happen to this engine.

The liners came out really easily because of the deteriated silastic, in fact these are the easiest linners that I have pulled out.

The block is dated L 28 F and the Super Major tractor it is going into has A 27 F block and the head that was on the 6cyl engine was dated 18 5 H however I have a 28 5 K FL marked head that I will be using as it is supposed to be a better design head, though on a quick look I cannot spot the difference yet.



See the sitastic on the bottom of the liner that protruded into the crankcase area.





The crankshaft looks to be in reasonable shape but I have yet to measure it.




This a exhaust elbow found with the engine parts on the farm tip it seems to be the original Combine exhaust elbow
but it faces firward so I will probably make myself one out of steel that faces at right angles to the head.


See the pile of silastic that will need to be removed


This model block has the "O" rings at the top and bottom of the liners.


The port design is supposed to be better in this later head, but haven't seen it yet?



Valves cleaned up alright, just have to measure them now, exhaust guides are worn as usual.
Pistons look usable, though now the liners have been removed I will likely fit new liners & rings at least.
The big eng bearings show signs of scuffing in the middle, I can't be sure if it was from water in the oil or not, given the amount of silastic everywhere I wouldn't have thouight that this was possible.
I spoke to an old guy the other week who recons that the cast Iron on the Ford engines was quite porus and unreliable, I hadn't heard that one before?
The other possibility for bearing damage would be from the injector bleed off return lines, I have rebuilt an engine that failed because of the banjo copper washers being left out and diesel diluting the oil, this 6 cyl engine did not have any copper washers on these banjo connections.
The engine contained alot of carbon which could indicate that injectors were not functing properly, there is also the possibility that the crankcase ventililation was set up wrong and excessive amounts of crankcase vapors were being burn't.
one rocker cover has a breather mounted in the middle and the other has none, neither engine has a breather in the timing gear cover, but they had breathers in the lifter side cover, haven't worked out what this was connected to yet.

MIke

Mike, the engine for my super six only has a breather tube venting down at the botom of the engine with a clip attaching it to a oilpan bolt. the airfilter has no fitting for a breather tube to the rocker cover as the Majors do.

Pat

Thanks Pat,
Perhaps it depends on the various polution regulations in the different parts of the world and the year the engine was built.
It may also be that engines used in Thames Trader trucks had different regulations to engines used for industrail and Agricultural purposes.
It is interesting to see the 6cyl oil filter, as I was advised by a person who converted Fordsons to 6cyl here in the early days, that the 4cyl oil filter was too small for a 6cyl.
I argued that the early long type would probably be safe to use and looked to be the same capacity as the combine short large diameter unit that came with my engine, looks like I was right, as yours looks like the pre power major ones fitted.
The short Power Major and Super Major ones would likely be the ones the old timmer had oil supply problems with.

Mike

Mike, when I get some time I'll pull that oil filter off to see if the ports look the same size on the six as the four's.

Pat

Hi Mike,

I have the early long type of a 4 cylinder on my 590e. Works fine.
Maybe changing the oil a bit more often will do the job too, in stead of using the big 6 cylinder oil filter?

All the wholes are the same.

Good luck.

BearCreek Majors wrote:Mike, the engine for my super six only has a breather tube venting down at the botom of the engine with a clip attaching it to a oilpan bolt. the airfilter has no fitting for a breather tube to the rocker cover as the Majors do.

Pat

I have one of these late Simms injection pumps for the 1963 engine that I may have to use, does anyone know where I can get a replacement mechanical governor from as mine is past it's use by date?

I also read in one of my Fordson parts books yesterday that Diesel engines with a Pnumatic governors have the rocker cover breather tube and the others do not.

Mike

Mike here again,
I may have sorted out my injection pump issue, it turned out more economical to get another two engines than pay to have my injection pump rebuilt.

I now know that the early Thames trader engins before 1962 have the similar Pnematic governor which prefectly matches the tractors and looks the part.









The loader wasn't too bad either!

I just would like to learn which model has the sump with the resivior at the rear, perhaps it is the later K series ?

Mike

Hi,

The trucks had the vacuum pump, because that pump also had an drive shaft on the end of the pump...that was
connected to a small compressor for the airbrakes.

Hello Mike here again,
I have sorted out the exhaust for my 6cyl conversion, see the pictures.







I purchased a couple of heavy weld in bends, and used the original Thames Trader flange and a piece of heavy wall pipe I had on hand, then I just had to cut a bit off one bend to bring the exhaust pipe to the right angle, a square against the chassis rail assisted in this.

Mike

Hello Mike, i have just seen your post regarding the Thames Trader 6 cylinder conversion that is going into your fordson,its a pity that this engine option wasnt available from the factory.I,like yourself am a resident of Western Australia and into Fordson tractors,both e27n half tracks,1 p6 powered,the other petrol/kero powered.(see Fordson Tractor Pages Forum-e27n page) I have noticed that in one of your posted photos,you removing the motor from a Thames Trader.As you will see if you check my post,i am restoring one of these trucks to transport my two halftracks to shows etc.I am desperately trying to locate the left and right "6D badges and accompanying chrome strip".Would you have any contact details of the trucks owner that you could supply?Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Regards
Halftrack Hank.

Hello Hank,
Did you ever get the badges you wanted, I tried to send you a message but you obviously did not recieve it?
Please give me a ring and we can discuss it further?

My son has been working away so progress on the grader is very slow, but as the weather clears we hope to re start on it.
I have appealed for information on a Avling Barford grader in the hope to get some grader blade mounting information.

Mike

Hello Mike ,
sorry for not getting back to you since my last visit , we have had some disasters happen eg ; we had to put to sleep our beloved pet Italian Greyhound two days before last Christmas , my wife had a work accident which broke both of her ankles then she got blood clots in both lungs which originated from her broken ankles . On top of all that my computer died and i lost your phone number and contact details . My number :-97957272
Regards ,
Halftrack Hank