Major 4 WD

[county654]

I was offered a 4 WD conversion of unknown age and type of front axle.

Who can identify the machine?

[scoobyjim]

looks like a diesel major selene conversion. Same axe as roadless but they used a different sandwich box.
Post the engine number and will be able to tell you the year.

[BearCreek Majors]

I agree with Jim, Super Major with the Selene kit, looks like the housing was welded on the left side behind the knuckle.

Pat

[county654]

Selene is the most possible solution.
But it must be older than the Super Majors, since the front lights are outside the bonnet (actually no lights on it)

The engine was replaced, so the nuber won´t tell the whole story

Any how, I won´t buy it now, even if the Price isn´t to bad at 4.500 €.

[scoobyjim]

Selene used the roadless axle but made their own sandwich box ans were sold to the french and spanish etc . The light on these tractors were on the outside of the cowl. If its had a replacement block the serial number will start with an s.

[Aussie Frank]

I have to agree with every one this is not a Roadless conversion. The transfer box does look like a Selene because it is too thin to be roadless. The front axle is also not roadless. The front axle looks like it has had a hard life but the GMC axle it is based on was still in active military service in the 1990s so parts are not hard to get. PM me for contacts if you need them.

It depends on what you want to get out of the tractor. If you want a simple working machine then this probably will not be the tractor for you, but if you want a tractor that is a little rare and will still be able to work for a living I would not let it go. Nothing that can break on this machine can't be fixed IMHO.

Regards, Frank.

[Roadless63]

Another vote for Selene rather than Roadless. As well as front axles the gearboxes nearly always have issues due to the extra torque reacted through both driven axles (on a 2wd you generate more wheelslip and hence less torque applied through transmission). In the UK Roadless models seem to be a lot more desirable than Selenes. This one looks to be all there but you need to check out the front axle carefully, not all the bits are interchangeable with GMC truck bits, in particular the short half shaft.

[Aussie Frank]

This one looks to be all there but you need to check out the front axle carefully, not all the bits are interchangeable with GMC truck bits, in particular the short half shaft.

Even the short shaft is a standard part. It is just an outer shaft that is used on the inside. I have been rebuilding an axle for my P6 and all the parts are all standard GMC, only the housing is modified.

Regards Frank.

[Ford 5095]

Hello,
I have a Ford 5095 it looks like that:
http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb2 ... 95_4wd.jpg
is this a GMC axle?
I search the plug-axis on left and right side.

[Pascal]

Hi Ford5095,

Sorry for the late reply.
You own a great tractor! A Ford conversion, made by a small Belgium company called EVA. Please let me know, if you need additional info.

You have a Selene front axle, based indeed on the GMC axle.

[Frans]

Hello Pascal, and others is it possible that this is a french Thomas conversion, I have seen this conversions before but only on the internet, its not a real selene front axel

regards Frans

[county654]

After along while searching for a 4 wd Major I found one in France

the tractor is supposed to come along with an organ donor next week

[janus]

congratulations with your new toy

nice front rims and tyres looks great

don't forget to post some more pictures when it arrives !!!! or do you allready have it at home ?

[county654]

Thank you janus,
the tractors will arrive on saturday

[BearCreek Majors]

Can A guy get a nicer Christmas present than that?
Keep us posted, we want to see lots of pictures of this rebuild!

Pat

[county654]

@ Pat

You are right, I think I got my present

Today I tried to identify my new toys:
The Super Major ( with the french cab) should be a Juli 1961model, with corretc casting codes on all major parts. The engine has the numer S 455421, should be a replacement as far as I am informed.
When I bought the tractor, I didn´t know it has a raised pto and very uncommen 38" rear wheels.

The 4x4 tractor should be a New Perfomance with castingcodes like 4C18 and 4C20 that tells a date in March 1964

The engine is an older 1957 model and the not existing hydrauliks seems to come off an older model too.
I think this tractor had a winch mounted directly on the back and was working in the forest.
However the 4 wheel drive is in good shape.

With absolutly no Information about the history off the tractor I think I will transplant the 4 wd unit to one of my other Majors.
My favorit is the Power Major ....maybe in combination with the 6 Zylinder engine I bought in spring.

[county654]

Today I took a few photos of the 4x4, the quality is rather poor

The engine has no injection pump anymore and I don´t know how many years it is out of service, I am not able to turn it round

The hydrauliks plate looks like an older Major model to me, the only Funktion is to keep the rest-o-ride seat in place

The 16,9x30 backwheels are in good shape, the rims are reinforced, the tyres are forest typso my suggestion, this tractor was used for logging, seem to be correct

The pto driveshaft is missing.
The rearaxle is the 3,3 version.

Will the 4x4 unit fit on the Power and the Super Majors?

[ford5000y]

@ Pat

You are right, I think I got my present

Today I tried to identify my new toys:
The Super Major ( with the french cab) should be a Juli 1961model, with corretc casting codes on all major parts. The engine has the numer S 455421, should be a replacement as far as I am informed.
When I bought the tractor, I didn´t know it has a raised pto and very uncommen 38" rear wheels.

The 4x4 tractor should be a New Perfomance with castingcodes like 4C18 and 4C20 that tells a date in March 1964

The engine is an older 1957 model and the not existing hydrauliks seems to come off an older model too.
I think this tractor had a winch mounted directly on the back and was working in the forest.
However the 4 wheel drive is in good shape.

With absolutly no Information about the history off the tractor I think I will transplant the 4 wd unit to one of my other Majors.
My favorit is the Power Major ....maybe in combination with the 6 Zylinder engine I bought in spring.

What a lovely find you have there!

Yes, for me, it looks like the "38" rims were quite rare there in Europe. It seems to me that they were mostly fitted on for export models, since all the fordson major that I have seen here in the Philippines have those rear rims and those that I have seen on the Internet that were in America were with those rims, if not with those 16.9x30 rims (for balloon tyres)
Is the two-wheel drive fordson the parts tractor? If so, what is it's problem? It looks fine(externally) to me.

[ford5000y]

@ Pat

You are right, I think I got my present

Today I tried to identify my new toys:
The Super Major ( with the french cab) should be a Juli 1961model, with corretc casting codes on all major parts. The engine has the numer S 455421, should be a replacement as far as I am informed.
When I bought the tractor, I didn´t know it has a raised pto and very uncommen 38" rear wheels.

The 4x4 tractor should be a New Perfomance with castingcodes like 4C18 and 4C20 that tells a date in March 1964

The engine is an older 1957 model and the not existing hydrauliks seems to come off an older model too.
I think this tractor had a winch mounted directly on the back and was working in the forest.
However the 4 wheel drive is in good shape.

With absolutly no Information about the history off the tractor I think I will transplant the 4 wd unit to one of my other Majors.
My favorit is the Power Major ....maybe in combination with the 6 Zylinder engine I bought in spring.

What a lovely find you have there!

Yes, for me, it looks like the "38" rims were quite rare there in Europe. It seems to me that they were mostly fitted on for export models, since all the fordson major that I have seen here in the Philippines have those rear rims and those that I have seen on the Internet that were in America were with those rims, if not with those 16.9x30 rims (for balloon tyres)
Is the two-wheel drive fordson the parts tractor? If so, what is it's problem? It looks fine(externally) to me.

[county654]

Actually I d´ont know exctly wich way I will take to bring my 4x4 back on the road again

There would also be the Option, to make it a 6 Zylinder 4x4
I have a 590 e engin in running condition in stock..............

[county654]

Today I was able to do some work on the tractor.
After my experiance with the broken handbrake on my 59 Major, I decided at least to check the brake on this unit and if necessary, putting in new discs.
I took out the primary gearbox and what happened


several parts of a bearing dropped down into the bottem of the gearbox
While inspecting the inside I also found missing rollers on the bakside bearing:


Actually I am really happy I decide to check the handbrake, otherwise my first testride could destroy the gearbox