The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

A few weeks ago i went for a ride with my 6 cyl 4wd as there wasnt enough gas in the tenk I drove to the station to fill her up, sopt the engine fill her up and tried to start her, just a small tik and nothing more she just dont want to start,
looks like the engine is stuck some where any ideas what can be the problem, Battery has enough power and starter is working

i think you have to give more information , why do you think the engine is stuck ?

- does the engine rotate when you are starting ?

- if the engine is not rotating when you are starting, than you can trying rotate the engine with the hand ( carefully ) and look if the engine is loose

- if the engine is turning when you are starting, is there smoke coming out the exhaust ? what colour ?

Hi Frans,

Is the oil level OK? And the colour of the oil?

I am afraid you will have to take off either the head or the sump to investigate?

No it does not rotate,

cant rotate it by hand

Oil level ok water ok

removing the head isnt the problem, removing the sump more as it is a 4wd

Hi Frans
Just thinking out loud with some of this this have you tried turning it by hand with the clutch pedal down . Was wondering if somethings happened to the input shaft bearings or something there and locked the motor, because it can't turn the shaft into the gearbox, could be the clutch cover and something happened and jammed in there to maybe .
I guess you have tried turning the motor back and forward by hand, as a small amount of water in a cylinder, will lock it from going over compression but you should be able to turn it back, and the same with a dropped valve or something like that. You say the starter turns, have you taken the motor off , as i have seen starters shear the nose from the end and the part jam the flywheel.
It could be a seized piston or bearings, but I would of figured for a bearing you might of seen the oil light flick or seen a drop on the pressure gauge before you stopped it . Timing gears might have lost a tooth, or even the injector pump seizing could make it lock up I guess to . Not being there and seeing the tractor kinda leaves us guessing a lot with this sadly .
Seems odd to me and hope it's not a bearings, crank and oil pump .
Regards Robert

Hello Robert,

the starter of looks like a good one to do first, the clutch is working, so i think something got it locked up but what and where.

must see this weekend find some time to do that.

regards Frans

A problem that occurred with the three bolt fixing cam shaft used in the Major and 590E engines prior to 1962 was that they would shear all three bolts and the locating dowel. There was one position that the cam stopped in (if you were unlucky) meant that the fuel pump lobe on the cam used to strike one of the big ends. I have seen them knock the side out of the block when this happens. Usually you can turn the engine backwards but not forwards.

Hello Frans,
I purchased a siezed 590 E engine for $50, it had layed on the ground for at least 20 years.
I removed the gearbox to find that the clutch had disintergraded and jamed the flywheel, when cleaned all the clutch lining out, the engine turned freely, so I had a win!
A previous person had failthfully promised to return and purchase it before me, had tried to turn it an could not, that will teach him to mislead the owner!

Mike