Power Major Air Cleaner

[halloween]

So there I was with a week and a bit to go before Lily the Power Major is trailered away to get the clutch sorted and I decided to do some little jobs around the old girl and decided to have a look in the air cleaner.....

Dropped the bowl off the bottom and it was as dry as a bone. just a few bits of grass and powdery rust inside the cup within the base. Also, there is a tiny hole in the base, outside the inner cup, i'm guessing it should not be there?.

Then looking up the main body, I can see a cage affair that looks to be full of swarf or metal lathe turnings, again, dry. There is no removeable element in there at all. Also someone in the past had squeezed in a short piece of tube up the centre of the 'swarf cage' presumably to lower the pipe level for some reason.

So my main questions are:

Should the tiny hole in the bowl be there?
Should there be a removeable element of some sort?

Thanks!

Will post pictures tomorrow if needed!

[Timeee]

Dear Halloween

1. There should be no hole in the air cleaner bath. It should contain engine oil up to the level of a "pressed" line running around the bowl near the top end.

2. The "gauze wire" element is removable for cleaning, although it sounds as if yours may be well rusted in through lack of the oil in the bath for some time. The gauze element in its frame incorporates a short metal tube through the middle which extends down towards the oil bath end.

The servicing of the air filter is (I think) a daily event in dusty conditions, probably weekly, or monthly in less arduous conditions. The problem is that running your diesel engine with minimal air filtration means that all that dust, etc ingested by your engine has been grinding away at your engine bores and piston rings.

Regards
Tim

[halloween]

Thanks for that Timee, I'll have another look later today.

Can I just ask though, with the bowl off the bottom of the unit, where should the pipe coming down the top section end in relation to the bottom edge of the top section?



you'd never guess I was a draughtsman for 20 years.

[halloween]

I found the element or rather the ring which used to contain the element. It was jammed into the bowl and I mistook it for part of the body.

Is there a specific type I need to order or is there just the one kind?

[nzMark]

hiya all, the way the cleaner works is that incoming air is tubed to below oil level and thus "bubbles up" through oil bath, then travels through gauze which causes dust etc particles to stick to gauze leaving only "clean" air getting to air filter outlet.
the reason you clean the gauze is to wash contaminates from it, and replace oil to remove dirt etc trapped in bowl. if you look at filter assy you can see how it works. cheers, hope this helps. Mark

[Timeee]

Dear Halloween

Regarding your last question on whether there is a specific type you need to order, I originally thought not, as all the ones I have come across (diesel tractors) have appeared the same. However, the parts list shows 2 different types (for petrol and diesel engines) and some other variations I wasn't aware of.

For diesel engines, there appears to be 2 different manufacturers (AC and Burgess) with 3 different part numbers for the removable element. Whether there are any actual differences between them (the elements), I bow to anyone with greater knowledge. So I can only summarize my parts list for the removable air cleaner element as follows:

E242-CL-9 from Jan 1955 AC Design.
E241-CL-9 Jan 1955 to Aug 1958 Burgess Design.
E501-CL-9 Apr 1961 onwards. Burgess Design.
Some tractor manufacturers list different part nos for the same part, if the part is provided by different suppliers. Others have the same part number, no matter who made it. I do not know what Fordson's policy was on this.

I would probably go for a complete air cleaner from a breaker to solve any possible compatibility problems.

Regards
Tim

[halloween]

Thanks for that Tim, I don't suppose a close up photo of the surviving rim would help would it?

Also, is there any noticeable difference between the AC and Burgess units that you know of?

[BearCreek Majors]

Hi Halloween.
It may be easier to find the arc than to answer your questions! I have found this to be the most baffling part of the entire tractor and probably worse in the US as I am assuming the “Not For Export” tractors got the Burgess and the “For Export” got the AC, which resulted in several different units here in the US.
I wanted to get a picture library put together with all of the different combinations but I will need help from everyone to verify it being correct as I have no units that I know for sure that are as they came from the factory, other than my grandpa’s that he purchased new.
It looks to me like Ford use the same part # regardless if it was made by Burgess or AC and I have yet to know how to tell the difference between the two. I have noticed that some units have the inlet/outlet tubes attached with a flange on the tube and soldered, and others have more of a slip joint and soldered, but this may just be an early to later design change regardless of manufacture.
Some of the differences on the main housing are,
Double inlet tubes
Addition of a breather tube
Double bracket for voltage regulator
Single bracket for voltage regulator
The length of the down tube
I have fond at least three different bowls, I believe all of them have the holes in the inner cup to maintain a common oil level.
Tall bowl
Short bowl/tall cup
Short bowl/short cup
I’m just guessing on the removable filters here but I think there are,
Early pleated wire screen type, flange on bottom
Wire mesh with flange on bottom
Wire mesh with flange in center
Possibly different OD’s as well as possibly a double filter arrangement, and I’m thinking some had an extension of the down tube on the bottom.
If you are looking at getting one from Agraline check with them first, I believe they have the pictures posted incorrectly, the early had no breather tube and the Powers & Supers had the regulator bracket.
There is also a unit on ebay, I would check to be sure it is complete.

Sorry if this makes things more confusing, if you can post a few pics of what you have we can hopefully figure out what if anything you need, if it’s just a matter of the bowl having a few rust holes you may just want to solder them up.

Pat

[halloween]

This is what remains of the removeable element.......





I guess one of the previous owners had fitted a short pipe to the top tube to at least try to get air through the oil.... at least until the bowl started leaking.

[BearCreek Majors]

OK, your element may be shot , it originaly looked simalar to Agraline's #7310 element, other than their's looks like its a'flange on bottom" and yours is a 'Flange in the middle", and I dont think the two are interchangable, if anyone knows otherwise please let us know. Im thinking the short tube you found is actualy the center pice of the original element. Your only choice may be to find a good used original element or replace the entire unit.

Pat

[BearCreek Majors]

Halloween, this pic should be the setup you need.
I started taking air filters apart tonight and think I have it narrowed down to three basic designs with several variations of each. For now I am going to refer to them as Early, In-between, and later.
Early, housing has a lip below the band clamp flange and has a long down pipe, the element has the lip on the bottom and slides over the down pipe. The bowl I THINK is similar to the later, two rib but is 3 1/2” high (can someone confirm this)
In-between, has no lip below band clamp flange and has a short down pipe, the element has the lip in the middle and is part of the down pipe. The bowl is a single rib and has the short cup.
Later, quite similar to the early, has a lip below the band clamp flange but has a short down pipe. The element has the lip on the bottom and is part of the down pipe. The bowl has two ribs and is 3” high.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say the Agriline filters are based on the later Super Major units and the element probably won’t fit over the down tube in the early units, and probably not compatible with the in-between filters.

If any of you think this is incorrect or more needs to be added please let me know,I may be completely wrong and the one style is the Burgess and the other is the AC with little regards to the years produced.

Pat

[Timeee]

Gosh, some excellent investigation there. It is certainly a really tangled web, concerning something as simple as an oil bath air cleaner. Perhaps the only complete solution is original production drawings to explain the differences and interchangeability between the various types of cleaner and then "attach" photographs of each type. Interestingly, the Fordson Repair Manual makes no mention of these differences and compatability when dealing with the air filter. Elsewhere in the book, you get loads of italic paragraphs explaining that "from Tractor Serial No xxxxxxx, a new improved droggle nut was fitted, which is/is not backwards compatible etc etc".

I would still recommend trying to get a complete used unit from a known age of Major, rather than sourcing a new one from Agriline. I am pretty sure Richard Pocock sends stuff abroad . Or have all the "scrappers" similar rusted out housings?

Tim

[halloween]

Thanks everyone for helping on this.

Does anyone know where I could source an element the same as the one in BearCreekMajors picture, with the flange midway down the element???

[Gman]

Hello to everyone, hope all is well. I need to get my girl ('59 Power Major) out and do an oil change and work her some, she has been sitting too long since I did any work with her. I've had a question regarding the air filter for some time I've wanted to ask. Seeing the picture I see there looks to be another metal element up in the housing which mine has, always thought maybe another one that was stuck up in there but I see it should be there. I've never tried to get it out but thought it should come out for cleaning. Does this come out for cleaning or do you have to take the whole housing off the tractor to clean it? Thanks for all info and good luck to all on their projects.
Gerald

Halloween, this pic should be the setup you need.
I started taking air filters apart tonight and think I have it narrowed down to three basic designs with several variations of each. For now I am going to refer to them as Early, In-between, and later.
Early, housing has a lip below the band clamp flange and has a long down pipe, the element has the lip on the bottom and slides over the down pipe. The bowl I THINK is similar to the later, two rib but is 3 1/2” high (can someone confirm this)
In-between, has no lip below band clamp flange and has a short down pipe, the element has the lip in the middle and is part of the down pipe. The bowl is a single rib and has the short cup.
Later, quite similar to the early, has a lip below the band clamp flange but has a short down pipe. The element has the lip on the bottom and is part of the down pipe. The bowl has two ribs and is 3” high.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say the Agriline filters are based on the later Super Major units and the element probably won’t fit over the down tube in the early units, and probably not compatible with the in-between filters.

If any of you think this is incorrect or more needs to be added please let me know,I may be completely wrong and the one style is the Burgess and the other is the AC with little regards to the years produced.

Pat

[super6954]

Hi Gman
there is only one element that comes out it is the bottom one as per Pats pictures. the rest of it is fixed. when i clean the rest of the filter I take the housing off ,then soak it in a pail of de greaser or throw it in the parts washer depending how full it is at the time for a day or so. Then blow it through from the manifold intake pipe as best I can with an air line and nozzle then shake it out and let it drain to get all the fluid out. I guess a guy could pressure wash it too. what ever you do you really need to reverse flush it. not push the bottom crap through to the top
Regards Robert

[BearCreek Majors]

And be sure to get all the solvent out of the mesh! I cleaned out the one on my Super Six and only gave it a little blowing off with the air gun, thinking it had sat long enough for the mineral spirits to drain out. When I started it up it worked fine, when I took of down the road and opened up the throttle is sucked any spirits that were still in the mesh into the engine. For a little bit I thought I had trashed the motor, not a very good feeling.

Pat

[Gman]

Thanks Robert and Pat. I need to clean it, never been cleaned since I've owned her , only cleaned the element and oil bowl in the past. The power washing sounds like a good idea for the element but am I correct that I would not be able to do the other one this way because of it being in the housing. Also if I did power wash the element should I put some oil on it after using air to blow all water out of it, seems there would still be some moisture in it just from using the air compressor.
Thanks again

[super6954]

Hi Gman
If I de grease its a few hours blowing out and shaking it so I don't get the problem Pat had
if you pressure wash it and flush it you could wait till the other half is out and put it in the oven to dry it .
It would not be the first time someones come home to a part in the oven to expand it and something else in the freezer to contract it . the day a flywheel was in the freezer telling her it was a large pizza in a black garbage bag didn't go so well
Regards Robert

[halloween]

the day a flywheel was in the freezer telling her it was a large pizza in a black garbage bag didn't go so well

LOL

[Gman]

Thanks to all. Just walked out to take a look at the parts Major('58) I have and my Power Major('59), both housings appear the same with pipe coming from valve cover, so do have option of cleaning one while using the other. Believe I could use my leaf blower and put it into the housing where intake hose connects and use it also to help dry and blow cleaning fluid out.
Again thanks so much for the advice.

[super6954]

I could use my leaf blower and put it into the housing where intake hose connects and use it also to help dry and blow cleaning fluid out.
.

yes that would probably work good I guess you have no sense of adventure with trying the oven method then I think it's something every Fordson mechanic should try once in his life .
Regards Robert

[Gman]

I did get my air filter cleaned and she runs like there is a little more horsepower. Did use my backpack leaf blower after using air compressor. Believe the leaf blower did great and there was no condensation in it like the air compressor.

[paudie]

Hi guys I was reading all your info on the air filter but dose anybody know what type of oil goes in to the filter base / well,?

[Pavel]

Engine oil.

Pavel

[Gman]

Hello to all around the fordson world. I saw this post and I did not see where I told that I took the filter element out. Used a good degreaser and then with power washer flushed it out from top to bottom. Element shined like new. All of my cleaning really made her run better and also noticed better intake at the breather on the timing cover.
https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/964x7 ... actorj.jpg I use image shack for my pictures but it has changed and have not figured out how to get pictures up now. I see it says my free trial has run out, I guess this is new. Any suggestions on how to get them on here or suggestions on other sites. I have my pictures on walgreen's site, can I move them to here from that site?
Thanks for any info.
Good Luck