Old Gus, Our 1951 Ford 8N Tractor
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 Right Side |  Left Side |  left Front |  Front |  Right Front |
 Bad Generator Wiring |  Broken Sherman Shifter |  Bent 3-pt Lift Arms |  Broken Work Light |  Dash Board |
I keep checking items off of the list, but the list doesn't seem to be getting any shorter. As I fix/replace one part, another worn part becomes evident. Oh well, that's life with an old tractor. There are still several components that need repair or replacement and almost everything needs cleaning and painting. Eventually, I intended to restore Gus to his original glory. But, Gus is a working tractor, so it will be more of a functional overhaul than a show quality every-details-gotta-be-original restoration.
June 2003
We haven't done too much with Gus so far. Gus came with new exhaust, new manifold, new rear tires, and new gauges. The day after we got Gus home, Dad and I spent the day cleaning and taking stock of everything that needs attention. We replaced a couple broken bolts on the running boards and replaced the mounting bolts on one of the fenders which was loose and "flappin' in the breeze". The bolts on the other fender just needed a little tightening. The next day, I changed the oil, oil filter, and hydraulic fluid; changed out a couple of oil pressure fittings to stop a couple of oil leaks on the engine; and I changed out the PTO housing gasket and PTO oil seal to stop a gear oil leak. Since then, I've added a new Top-link and pins and new stay-chain mounting bolts. Right now, Gus suffers from a chronic miss in the engine and leak down problem in the hydraulics. I think the miss is a burned plug wire, so a new set is on order. I suspicion that the hydraulic leak-down is caused by a leaking relief valve, but it could be severe leakage around the hydraulic lift Cylinder. I hope to work on troubleshooting this problem soon...
July 2003
The New PTO cover and spark plug wire set arrived. Both are installed. The new plug wires didn't seem to help the chronic miss and cloud of exhaust smoke. So, Dad and I checked each of the plugs and found one with no fire at all. I picked up a new set of plugs and a new distributor cap. The new plugs helped with the miss, but there's still a little exhaust smoke. I'm guessing that a worn carburetor is to blame. The engine runs well, so I can live with a little smoke for now. When I get some time, I really need to dig into the hydraulics leak-down problem and get started replacing lift parts (see the before photos below for a shot of the worn lift arms and bent leveling rods). I've used Gus to do a little grading on our driveway with the back blade and used a 3pt carry-all to move some fire wood around the property. The weak hydraulics are beginning to get annoying...
August/September 2003
Poor Gus was been pretty well neglected during the month of August. However, I did get some time during early September to go through all of the regular lubrication procedures and to add a set of lower stabilizer brackets, pins, and stabilizer bars. This helps keep my back blade centered and stable. It's also nice to have my carry-all stabilized. I haven't had time to dig into the hydraulic leak-down problem yet, but I have found a way to work around it. I found a couple of Internet references to the use of limiter chains to hold up heavy loads. I installed a set of chains and was able to bring my heavy Dearborn 2-bottom plow home from my cousin's place (about 6 miles away) without plowing furrows in the blacktop all the way home. It's not a permanent solution, but it gets the job done. On my way home with the plow, I also got a chance to diagnose a rattling sound that has been plaguing Gus for quite some time. It turns out that at least one of the radius rod ball joints (maybe both) are worn to the point of becoming loose and rattling. I've heard of an old trick to cure this problem by smashing a penny inside the ball joint cap to take up the space inside the socket. I think I'll give it a try. I've also discovered that the original 8N toolbox is just too small to hold all of the tools, parts, and accessories that I'd like to keep handy. So, I'm looking for a good place to mount a second larger toolbox.
October 2003
With winter approaching, I thought I better make some time to get Gus ready for snow moving duty. I've ordered some new parts to replace some of Gus' 50+ year old 3-pt lift components. The original lower lift arms were so worn that they had over 1/2" of front to back play. This made it very difficult to stabilize the blade. The original leveling box and leveling arm were both bent; so, it was impossible to get the blade level to the ground. And, one of the original lift arm check chains had been replaced with a make-shift chain that was too short to allow me to easily hook up to the blade. After a few hours battling with 50 year old rusty nuts and bolts, I test fitted new lower lift arms, leveling boxes, and check chains. Then, I removed these parts and gave them a coat of the factory colors. While I was painting and replacing parts, I painted the height limiting chains and the PTO cover that I added this summer. I installed a new reproduction Sherman over/under shift lever to replace the old home-made lever that was on the tractor when I purchased it. Then, I replaced the main transmission shifter knob with an original style knob. The previous owner had installed a smaller knob from a 3-speed car transmission with the wrong gear pattern printed on it. When the freshly painted parts had dried, I installed the new 3-pt components and lashed up the blade. Much better. Now, I can set the plow level to the ground. And, with leveling boxes on both the left and right lift arms, I can tip the blade to either side to help when cleaning ditches. I took a few minutes and smashed a penny in each one of the radius rod ball joint sockets. That seems to have taken care of the rattling that I mentioned last month. I still need to address the weak hydraulic lift, but if it snows tomorrow, I'll be ready.
New 3-pt Lift Arms
New 3-pt Lift Arms
New Sherman Shifter
New Sherman Shifter
December 2003
Well, the snow held off for the entire month of November. So far, we've been blessed by an amazingly mild winter. The only measurable snow fell during the second week of December. We got about 3 inches, just enough snow to justify playing with the old tractor. Gus and I had a good time and I learned a lot. First, I learned that Gus really enjoys cold weather. The engine jumped to life and purred like a 3 1/2 cylinder kitten. I think this is due to the rich condition of the old worn carburetor. Now, I'm almost afraid to replace that old carb for fear that it may never run in cold weather again... Second, I learned that Gus' weak hydraulics are even slower in the cold. It took several seconds to lift the blade and the height of the lift had very little to do with the position of the lift control lever. I really need to fix those hydraulics... Third, I learned that there is water in Gus' steering box. When I first started the tractor, I could turn to the right, but not to the left. So, I drove around in circles for a while until the steering began to warm up a little. Eventually, I could turn most of the way to the left; but, it never did loosen up completely. I have a week off of work between Christmas and New Years. If the weather holds and the temperature gets back up above freezing, I'll take a day and drain the water out of the steering box and replace it with some nice soft grease. That should help during those cold snow plowing sessions... Last, but not least, I learned that plowing with a back blade is fun, but it's a challenge. It's tough to see the blade behind you when you're wearing a hood. I've decided that a front mounted snow blade is definitely the way to go. I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for a used truck plow. If I can't find one, maybe I'll build my own out of the old back blade. I'll work on that when the weather gets better... For now, I'll just keep on clearing snow with what I have. I haven't enjoyed the snow this much since I was a little kid!
January 2004
Water in the Steering Box...
During my holiday break from work, I drove Gus inside the garage out of the weather and dug into the steering box. I pulled the left side steering sector adjustment screw cover. Just as I suspected, the box had water in it. In fact, it had about three cups of water in it! There was almost no oil left at all. No wonder the steering froze when it got cold. It's a wonder that it steered at all. Once the water was drained, I used paper towels to sop up the water and oil from the bottom of the steering box. Then, I reinstalled the cover and set about figuring out how to relubricate the steering box. I had read several threads on the Yesterday's Tractors online forum discussing the pros and cons of replacing the factory specified 90wt oil with grease. Most folks seem to agree that grease would stay in the chronically leaky steering box better than oil; but, many were concerned that the grease would get squeezed out from between the teeth of the sector shafts leaving them with no lube at all. Then, I came across a post suggesting the use of John Deere Corn Head Grease, which is formulated for exactly this type of situation. It is much softer than multi-purpose grease and it sticks to everything. So, it should coat the sector shafts quite well and it stays "liquid" enough to flow freely between the components of the steering box. Now that I had decided on the lubricant, I had to figure out how to get it into the steering box. This is a saga all it's own...
Inventing A New Way To Lube The Steering Box...
Before filling the steering box with grease, I first had to find the fill hole. There were three different 8N steering box designs, each having a different fill hole location. With the help of the Yesterday's Tractors forum, I found the fill hole hidden at the bottom of the upper right side dash board mounting bolt hole. This is right where it's supposed to be on a 1951 model. Since you can't exactly "pour" grease into a bolt hole like you can oil, I had to come up with a way to "push" the grease into the box. There are several different accepted methods of filling the steering box with grease from drilling/tapping a hole in the side of the box and adding a grease zert to removing one of the steering sectors and packing the box by hand. I didn't like the idea of drilling a new hole through the side of the steering box, taking a the chance of leaving metal shavings inside, and packing the box by hand could leave voids in the grease and doesn't force any grease up to the upper thrust bearing. So, I set out to find a better way. I liked the idea of installing a grease zert and using a grease gun to fill the box under pressure. So, I came up with a way to add a zert to the factory fill hole. I started with a grease fitting extension for a Great Plains finishing mower bearing that I picked up at the same John Deere dealership where I found the corn head grease. This extension is just a 3 1/2" thick walled tube with male 7/16" (roughly) pipe threads on one end and female 5/16" pipe threads on the other end (see pictures below). Since the original fill hole has 7/16" machine threads, it is necessary to rethread the male end. So, I cut off the old pipe threads with a hack saw and cut new 7/16" course machine threads with a die set. I cut enough threads to allow room for a flat washer and a hex nut to hold the dash in place once the tube was installed. I couldn't find a 5/16" grease zert for the other end, so I used a metric 8mm zert instead. It is a very close fit and with a little gentle persuasion, it went in quite nicely. Then, I screwed the tube into the original bolt/fill hole and tightened the nut down to hold the dash solid. All that was left was to pump in the grease. The general procedure for using a grease gun is to snap the gun tip onto the zert and squeeze grease in until it leaks out the nearest seal. However, in this situation, I had no idea where the grease would leak out. So, with flashlight in hand, my wife watched one side of the steering box for leaks while I pumped in the grease and watched the other side. Two and a half tubes later my wife noticed the plum sized glob of grease hanging from the under side of the steering wheel! It was messy, but at least I know that the upper thrust bearing and steering column are lubricated. My newly fabricated steering box grease fitting was a success! After cleaning up the mess, I took Gus for a test drive. The steering has never worked so smoothly. I don't even need to worry about the upper steering column bearing, at least, not for now.
Grease Tube
Grease Fitting Installed
Grease Fitting Up Close
The Morning After...
The next morning, I went out to the garage to straighten up my tools, lube the rest of the tractor and move it back outside. I started the engine and raised the back blade to check it for level. Once the blade was in the up position, I shut down the engine. A few minutes later, I cranked the engine and it refused to start. I finally gave up when I noticed the stream of gasoline draining from the air cleaner hose. The old worn out carburetor finally caught up with me. So, I broke down and ordered a new carb. Now, I'm waiting for the new carb to arrive and praying that the snow holds off until I get a chance to install it...
New Carburetor - Gus rides again...
The new carburetor arrived about a week later. The following weekend was a 3-day weekend, so it was a perfect opportunity to replace the old carb. While I was at it, I decided that I should replace the old fuel sediment bowl shutoff valve. The old sediment bowl valve did not have the 2 turn fuel reserve valve like the original. Plus, the sediment bowl looked like it hadn't been cleaned in about twenty years! I also wanted to install a 1/4 turn fuel shut off valve so I didn't have to count turns on the sediment bowl shutoff valve every time I wanted to turn the fuel on and off.
I got started on Saturday just after lunch. I drained the gas tank and removed the old carb, fuel line, and fuel sediment bowl shutoff valve. About that time, my dad arrived to lend a hand. Our first order of business was a parts run. We made a trip to the auto parts store to get a new fuel line, a tube bending tool, and the necessary fittings to install the 1/4 turn fuel shutoff valve. I wanted the 1/4 turn valve to be solidly mounted and easy to get to. Right next to the sediment bowl valve seemed like the obvious right location. So, we cobbled together several pipe thread fittings and a break line fitting to connect the 3/8" 1/4 turn valve to the 1/4" outlet on the fuel sediment bowl valve. On the other end of the 1/4 turn valve, we used a 90 degree pipe thread to fuel line fitting just like the carb uses. That made the run to the carb straight across the top of the engine with a slight bend toward the rear of the engine, then one 90 degree bend down to the carb. Next, we installed the new carb. Once that was done, we connected the new fuel line and reconnected the choke and throttle linkages. So far, so good. I poured in a couple gallons of gas and attempted to start the engine. Nothing... Dad and I tried everything that we could think of. We had gas, we had fire, we had air. What else is there? It was getting late and we were out of ideas; so, we threw in the towel for the night.
I went into the house and posted a message on the Yesterday's Tractors online N-series forum explaining my dire straights. Then, I went down stairs to take a shower. That was around 11pm. By the time I had cleaned up and gotten dressed for bed, I had two responses from the guys on the forum and a third response had come in before midnight. One of the gentlemen on the forum suggested that I replace my spark plugs. Even though they were only a couple of months old, they were well soaked with gas. He recommended a set of Autolite 437 plugs. These are a little "hotter" than the factory spec Autolite 216 plugs that I had been using. Another gentleman suggested that I may have an air bubble in my new fuel line that was acting as an air lock and stopping the flow of fuel. It was much too late for another parts run and I was exhausted, so I headed for bed.
The next morning, I headed back to the auto parts store and picked up a set of 437 spark plugs. When I got home, I swapped the plugs and gave it a try. Still nothing... So, I moved onto the air bubble suggestion. I bled the fuel system by removing the fuel bowl plug on the bottom of the carb. This let fuel run through the whole system pushing out any air bubbles that could be hiding in the fuel line. I gave it another try. Still nothing... I was beginning to get frustrated; but I tried it one more time. I pushed the starter button, then pulled the choke. A couple of revolutions later, I heard the engine fire once. Instinctively, I released the choke. No more fire. Just the same, I was thrilled that I had seen signs of life. So, I tried it again, only this time, I held the choke just a split second longer. It fired once... twice... three times. Just like that, Gus was running again! I'm not sure what the real problem was, the plugs or air in the fuel line. Either way, Gus was running again and that was enough to make me happy. After enjoying a celebratory brew, I spent the rest of the afternoon sealing off the leaks in my fuel line. When it was all said and done, the custom bent fuel line and 1/4 turn shutoff valve looked like they were meant to be there. I took Gus for a spin around the neighborhood and restarted him a couple of times just to make sure it wasn't a fluke. All was well; so, I let Gus rest in the garage while Shari and I headed out to meet some friends for dinner.
I planned to spend the next day cleaning and reinstalling the air intake pipe with new hoses, adjusting the new carb, and cleaning up my mess in the garage. However, it got bitterly cold over night and the kerosine heater that had faithfully heated the garage the day before was on the fritz. So, I spent the morning unsuccessfully tinkering with the heater between trips into the house to warm up. I finally gave up on the heat around lunch time and turned my attention back to Gus. I didn't have enough feeling left in my fingers to tune the new carb, but I did manage to get the air pipe reinstalled. I'll try tuning the carb when the numbness wears off. Until then, Gus will just have to run at high idle. Now that the carb is working as designed, it looks like I may have trouble with the governor. But, I'll wait to pass judgement on that until I get the carb adjusted.
New Carburetor
New Fuel Shutoff
Winter finally hits...
During the last week on January, we finally got our first real glimpse of winter. We got about five inches of snow and the temp hovered around 0 degrees all week. Gus started and ran like a champ despite being left out in the cold. The only trouble that I had was one night when it reached -18 degrees. That was just a bit too cold for Gus's old 6 volt electrical system. At noon the next day, the temp reached a balmy 10 degrees. Gus was more than happy to get back to work. It looks like I need to find a block heater for those really cold nights.
February/March 2004
Winter Passes...
Well, we got a few more light snows in February. Gus and I kept the drive way clear with ease. The one thing that would improve the snow blade (other than replacing it with a front blade) is a set of skids to keep it from digging into the gravel. I'll have to work on that for next winter.
Hydraulic Repairs...
The first weekend in March was warm enough for me to get started on the hydraulic repairs that I've been putting off all winter. As I've mentioned before, Gus as a pretty weak lift and a leak down problem. I believe these problems are caused by a blown safety relief valve in the hydraulic pump. Also, when working in position control mode, the lower lift arms do not go all the way down. They stop at about 12" above grade. I pulled the right hand inspection plate and observed the lift in action. I could see right away that the safety relief valve was indeed blown because there was fluid swirling above the valve. I could also see what I believe to be the problem with the position control height. The rear hydraulic control lever arm was bent into a crescent shape (see pictures below). So, the hydraulic exhaust valve was being disengaged too early. I've heard of guys bending these control arms to compensate for a worn cam follower pin. So, I ordered a new pin to go along with the new control arm that I got from John Smith's web site. I also ordered a new relief valve and the gaskets that I would need to pull the lift cover and PTO to change the offending parts.
Thanks to Mr. Smith and Mr. Barkley (at Just 8N's), all of the parts arrived later that week. So, the next free weekend I got, I dug into the hydraulics. The seat and lift arms came off easy enough. But, when I went to remove the top link rocker, my progress came to a screeching halt. The pin that holds the top-link rocker and solid mount top-link bracket to the rear end housing was rusted solid to the housing. I spent about four hours heating and pounding, heating and pounding, etc. Finally, after the fifth heating cycle, I began to make progress. The pin moved about a 1/16" of an inch. So, I continued the process until the pin made it out far enough to get caught up on the far side of the rear end housing. Then, I cut the pin with an angle grinder and went back to heating and pounding. Eventually the pin came out and the rocker came off. The only casualty (other than my aching back) was the ear on the right side of the rear end housing. The pressure from all of that pounding cracked the ear off. It was a clean break, so I'm pretty sure I can have it brazed back on. When I go to replace the rocker, I'll use the standard rocker pin and temporarily leave the solid mount bracket off. It needs to go to a machine shop to have the old tension bolts drilled out and replaced. I'll also have the machine shop make up an new longer pin to attach this bracket as they are no longer available.
Once the top-link rocker was off, I removed the 14 lift cover mounting bolts and attempted to lift the cover with a come-along hanging from the garage rafters. The cover wouldn't budge. The old gasket was stuck like glue. So, I had to get a 5 foot pry bar and pry between the rear end housing one of the lift arms. POP! Off came the cover. Once I wrestled the cover over to the work bench (with some help from a friend), I called it a night.
The next weekend, we pushed Gus out into the drive way, removed the PTO shaft and cleaned 53 years worth of sludge out of the bottom of the transmission, hydraulics, and differential housings. What a mess! The sludge was actually 1 1/2" deep around the hydraulic pump. And, we found the remains of an old hydraulic dipstick and a set of hydraulic cylinder rings floating around the bottom of the case. That was enough for a Saturday afternoon. The next morning, I set to work on the lift cover. I removed the old bent control arm with no problem. However, removing the lift control lever shaft proved to be a challenge. I couldn't get the hydraulic lift control plate to slide off of the shaft; so, I thought I'd just drive the shaft through the plate into the housing. But, I forgot to remove the key from the shaft. So, when I drove the shaft into the housing, the key got stuck and ended up destroying the shaft and the quadrant housing. Luckily, John Smith had the these parts available. I also ordered a new quadrant friction ring, a new draft control spring seat, and more gaskets from Just 8N's.
Bent Control Arm
Hydraulic Pump
April/May/June 2004
Hydraulic Repairs Continued...
The hydraulic repairs have taken a lot longer than I expected... While I was waiting for the last round of parts to arrive in late March, I injured my back at work. As anyone who has ever moved an N series lift cover can tell you, it's not the sort of thing that you can do with a blown out disk in your back. During the few precious moments that I felt up to it, I installed the new parts on the lift cover. That took my the better part of April and May. Then, in late May, one of my brothers and a friend of mine just happened to over at my place for a cookout. So, I recruited the guys to move the lift cover for me. During the first week of June, with the heavy lifting done and my back feeling a little better, I buttoned everything up, filled the housings with hydro fluid, and tested the hydraulics. Believe it or not, after all of that time and messing around, the hydraulics worked like a champ! The lift arms lower all the way down to within a few inches of the ground and the lift seems to be good and strong. I hooked up my old Deerborn two-bottom plow and let it hang from the lift arms. The lift held it off of the ground for about 90 minutes. That sure beats the 9 seconds that it held before the repairs. That's one more repair marked off the list. The freshly repaired lift works so well that I'm rethinking my intention to install live hydraulics. I'll have to think on that one for a while.
Next, I think I'll tackle the old wiring...
Vertical Smoke Stack Phase I...
While waiting for the new wiring harness and light switch to arrive, I decided to take on a side project that I've mulling over for a while. I've gotten pretty tired or sucking exhaust fumes from the original style horizontal (under belly) exhaust while changing implements and sitting at idle. So, I decided that I would give a vertical smoke stack a try. I figured that if it works on modern utility tractors, it will work just as well on my old Ford. I picked up a ready-made vertical pipe and muffler assembly at my local farm store. This pipe attaches to the exhaust manifold in the stock location and makes a U-turn under the carburetor and up beside the hood. There are three problems with this off-the-shelf system. The first problem is the size of the muffler. It's about half the size of the stock horizontal muffler. So, it's much louder than the original. It's not a bad sound, it's just louder. The second problem is the location of the muffler. It is mounted high over the hood within just a couple of inches of the top of the stack. This makes the stack top heavy. As a result, it looks top heavy and it vibrates like crazy. The third problem is that there is no way to keep rain out of the stack, where it would most certainly cause rust.
My goal is to modify the vertical stack to make it look and sound like it belongs on an 8N. I'll solve the easiest problem first, the rain. Most older tractors with vertical smoke stacks used a rain cap, or flapper, to close off the top of the stack when the engine is not running. The problem with this solution on an 8N is that, because the stack is so close to the driver, the flapper just pushes the exhaust back into your face. This defeats one of the main purposes of switching to a smoke stack. Most modern tractors solve the rain problem by adding a bend to the top of the stack. I prefer this approach because it not only blocks the rain, but it also directs the exhaust out away from the tractor (and the driver). So, 1 picked up a 1 3/4" exhaust "turn down" at a local auto parts store. It's basically a slip-on 45 degree elbow. After reshaping the outlet end of the turn down pipe to prevent it from collecting rain, I installed it on top of the stack. It required a couple reducers to get down to the right size pipe, but I like the looks of the larger diameter pipe anyway. The modified turn down seems to have taken care of the rain and the cloud of exhaust. The other two problems, the size and height of the muffler, will have to wait until I have a little more time to devote. I plan to find a longer quieter muffler and mount it lower on the pipe so it looks beefier and is not so top heavy. Until then, the slightly modified off-the-shelf vertical smoke stack should work just fine.
Vertical Smoke Stack Phase II...
I found my longer, quieter, beefier muffler in the form of a Stanley AC-2. This is a farm store replacement muffler for an AC WD-45 (I think). It is smaller in diameter and almost twice as long as the muffler that came with the vertical stack and it has a 1 5/8" inlet and a 1 3/4" outlet, which matches my turn down pipe. The overall height of the stack is about three inches lower too. The result is that it looks more in proportion to the tractor. The new muffler looks great and sounds great. Take a look at the new smoke stack below.
Smoke Stack Phase I
Smoke Stack Phase II
July 2004
Electrical System Repairs...
I dug into the electrical system over the long Independence Day weekend. Until now, Gus still had the original cloth insulated wiring. The insulation was so badly deteriorated that the charging system wiring was bare in several places. The previous owner had halfheartedly replaced a couple of the starter circuit wires with mis-colored plastic insulated wire. And, the headlight and work light wiring was just plain missing. Needless to say, the wiring was a mess. On top of the rats nest of wiring, the generator was only putting out about 6 1/4 volts. So, I decided to replace and update the entire electrical system with a modern replacement wiring harness and a new voltage regulator. Since Gus is a work tractor, not a show piece, I went in favor of plastic insulated wiring rather than the original style cloth insulated. If the old cloth lasted for 53 years, I figured that the new plastic should be good for at least another 53 years. A couple weeks before, I ordered and received a new wiring harness, battery hold down, voltage regulator, and terminal block from Don B. (at Just 8N's).
I began by removing the toolbox and air cleaner to gain better access to the back of the dash. I replaced the voltage regulator and terminal block. Then, I turned my attention to the wiring harness. For each old harness wire I disconnected, I connected a new harness wire in its place. Once the new harness was installed, I reconnected the battery and polarized the new voltage regulator. Gus fired right up. The generator was now putting out 7 1/2 volts, so I know it's charging. However, It looks like it is overcharging because the ammeter shows a high positive reading and never seems to settle down. It looks like I either received a defective voltage regulator or my battery has an internal short. So, I ordered another new voltage regulator and turned my attention to the headlights.
First, I replaced the broken light switch with a new switch. I ran new "hot" wires from the switch to each of the headlights. While I had the lights open, I replaced the old ground wires too. Now, I'm getting 6+ volts to the lights, but the bulbs are both bad, so there is no light yet. Now, I'm waiting on a VR and new headlight bulbs. This would be a lot easier if Don B's place was next door instead of in North Carolina... In the mean time, I think I'll pick up a new ammeter just to make sure the old one isn't lying to me.
I picked up a new ammeter at the local farm store. The new gauge read a slightly lower charge, but it's still too high. With the new voltage regulator installed, there is no change in the ammeter reading. I've topped off the battery water (and spilled some acid in the process). I'm just going to keep my eye on it for a while. I'll probably replace the battery before winter.
The new headlight bulbs arrived with the new voltage regulator. So, I connected them to the new wires and nothing happened. After some simple diagnostics, it became evident that I wasn't getting a good enough ground through the light housings. So, I ran new grounding wires back to the voltage regulator mount, where I knew I would find a good ground. Gus officially has lights again. Someday, when I get around to fixing Gus's sheet metal, I'll replace the old rusted headlights, replace the broken implement light, and add a tail light. Someday...
August/September 2004
New Toolbox...
Gus came to us with the original toolbox under the battery/gas tank hood. This little box is perfectly usable, but it's not a terribly convenient place to store hitch pins, clevises, limiter chains, etc. So, I decided that Gus needed a second toolbox back by the three point hitch. The obvious route (taken by many tractor owners over the years) is to pick up a farm store tool box and bolt it to one of the fenders. The problem with that approach is that it would require me to drill holes in the original sheet metal. Besides, I didn't really want the box to be mounted to one side. I really wanted something directly behind the seat, above the hitch. One of the fellas on the YT N series board mentioned that he bolted a small electrical box to the seat mounting bolts. This idea had some promise, but I couldn't find a box that would fit the way I wanted. So, I went to my local discount tool store (Harbor Freight) and picked up a small sheet metal brake and set out to make my own box.
Here's what I came up with... It's 12" long, 5" wide, and 4" deep. This size fits the area behind the seat and leaves plenty of clearance around the lift arms. I bent the box out of 20 ga. sheet steel. After the box was complete, I began "engineering" the mounting bracket. Rather than attach it too the seat mounting bolts, I decided that I'd set it directly on top of the top-link rocker, which is right where I wanted it anyway. I bent a bracket out of heavier 16 ga. steel to connect the box to the top two sets of holes of the rocker, since I only use the bottom set of holes anyway. The bracket even left room for my height limiting chain brackets to remain attached to the top set of rocker holes. The nice thing about this mount is that if I want to remove the toolbox, I don't have to unbolt anything. I just have to pull the two top-link pins and lift it off. I think I'll be happy with this setup. If not, I can always try again.
3-pt Toolbox
3-pt Toolbox
3-pt Toolbox
September/October 2004
Zane's Live Thang...
In September, for my 29th birthday, my parents gave me one of Zane Sherman's Live Thang units to add live hydraulics to Old Gus. Did I mention that I have the best parents that a guy could ask for? Well, I do. Anyway, I sent away for the Live Thang just as the third hurricane of the year approached Zane's place in Alabama. Zane, true to his word, sent the unit the following Monday in spite of the storm. When the package arrived, it looked like it was carried up the Mississippi on the winds of the hurricane. However, the Live Thang inside was none the worse for wear. The following weekend, I tore into the installation. Everything went smoothly and according to Zane's instructions, with one exception. The 51" fan belt that came with the kit was too long. Zane apologized and explained that it is almost impossible to guess which size belt would be needed because there are so many pulley variations. No big deal. I picked up a new belt at the nearest NAPA and away I went. By the way, the belt new ended up being 46". Since I was draining the hydraulic fluid anyway, I thought this would be a good opportunity to switch from the 80W90 oil that I was using back to the original 90 wt. GL-1 oil that these tractors came from the factory with. This turned out to be a mistake. When I first fired the engine, it took about five seconds for the pump to prime itself. Then, the 3-pt lift began to rise, just as Zane said it would. However, about the same time, the pump began making a terrible whining noise. It sounded like a power steering pump that had gone dry. So, I shut the tractor down and sent a note off to Zane. Later that day, Zane replied with the solution to the whine. He said that the 90 wt. GL-1 was too thick and was starving the pump. He recommended that I switch to the modern New Holland spec for these tractors, 134d, as it is thinner and easier on the pump. The next night, I swapped out the two day old hydraulic oil. Oh well, it's only money, right? The new 134d oil did the trick. Now, the pump is quiet and the lift is much faster.
Just as Zane predicted, I was in awe seeing my rear blade rise up off of the garage floor while I had my foot firmly clomped down on the clutch. What a beautiful sight. No more stopping, shifting to neutral, and releasing the clutch just to raise an implement. Just clutch, lift, and go. It's like having a whole new tractor. The only problem now is that when I shut down the engine, the lift leaks down in just under fifteen minutes. That's much faster than the 90 minute hang time that I got with the thicker 80W90 oil. I guess my lift cylinder and piston aren't as good as I thought. But, unless the lift starts acting "weak", I think I'll live with it, as is, for a while. I'll wait until I have a good reason to pull the lift cover again... Eventually, I plan to route the pressure line from the Live Thang through a joystick type spool valve and add remote hydraulics to power such toys as a front mounted snow blade and a front end loader. Until then, I'm just going to enjoy the luxury of a live 3-pt lift.
November/December 2004
It's Winter Time Again...
We saw the first snow fall of the year on the day before Thanksgiving. We had two inches of ice followed by 6 inches of snow. So, bright and early on Thanksgiving morning, Gus and I headed out to clear the driveway in anticipation of a house full of holiday guests. The slow charger-assisted start reminded me that Gus needed a new battery and the snow on the drive reminded me that I hadn't installed the new snow shoes (skids) on my back blade. Well, I managed to get the drive cleared, but I did a fair amount of gravel rearranging with the blade. I really need to get those snow shoes mounted.
Watch the sparks fly...
The next weekend (the first weekend of December), Dad and I tested out my new stick welding rig and mounted the snow shoes on my blade. Dad used to do a fair bit of welding at his old job and I did a little bit of welding on hot rods back in high school, but neither of us had laid rod to steel in a pretty long time. After a few pointers from Dad and a little practice, I was laying a pretty decent bead. If you do any welding at all, I highly recommend that you look into purchasing an auto-darkening welding helmet. You can see what you're welding before you strike an arc. Then, when the arc flashes, the mask instantly turns dark to protect your eyes. For me, it made all the difference in the world. You can pick them up for about $50 at Harbor Freight. Money well spent. Anyway, it only took us about an hour to weld on the snow shoe brackets. After a few minutes of grinding, cleaning, and painting, the blade was back on the hitch and ready to go. I'd forgotten how much fun welding is.
After a quick break for lunch, dad and I replaced Gus' tired old battery. The new battery went in with very little fanfare. However, after the battery was replaced and the generator had been repolarized, my ammeter started reading backwards. It turns out that the polarity of the old battery had been reversed. So, when I replaced the ammeter last summer, I installed it backwards. Oh well, that's an easy fix. But, there still seems to be a problem with the charging system. If you've been following Gus' progress, you'll recall that when I replaced the wiring harness last summer, I ran into some very strange ammeter readings. It reads like the generator is over charging. I had hoped that the strange readings were being caused by a bad battery cell. Well, no such luck. I'm still getting a high positive charge that never settles down. I suspicion that there is a short between the generator field and ground. So, it looks like I have some more electrical trouble shooting to do. Imagine how boring life would be without old tractors...
Snow Shoes
Snow Shoes
New Starter Bendix...
The University that I work for generously gives us the week between Christmas and New Years to celebrate the holidays with our families. I wanted take advantage of this year's Christmas break to take care of a couple of repairs on Old Gus. The first repair/improvement was to replace the old original style starter bendix with a newer clutch-style bendix. The original bendix design has a bad habit of kicking out before the engine is started. The problem is magnified when it's cold. Since I use Gus mostly in the winter, plowing snow, this was an obvious place to expend some attention. Bright and early on the Monday after Christmas, I tore into the starter. From what I've heard from other Ford N owners, there are only two ways for this project to go. It's either going to take about an hour or it's going to take all day. Well, luckily for me, it only took about an hour. Since I was working slowly and enjoying my day off, it actually took a couple of hours. The hardest part was getting the starter off of the tractor. First, you have to loosen two long bolts that both hold the starter together and hold the starter to the tractor. Once the bolts were loose and starter was pulled a way from the bell housing, I threaded two nuts on the long bolts to hold the starter together during the rest of the job. Now for the hard part. The original bendix has two large washers and a large spring at the nose end that like to get hung up on the flywheel inside the bell housing. While I was fighting the bendix and flywheel, my father arrived to give me a hand. Neither one of us had any luck in extracting the starter. According to one of the fellas on the YT N series board, you should be able to wiggle the bendix passed the flywheel if you remove the oil filter canister mounting bolts to provide some extra room to move. This technique didn't seem to improve our situation, so we went a step further and removed the canister entirely. Once the canister was out of the way, the starter almost fell off of the engine. The rest of the job was pretty simple. We put the starter up on the workbench, knocked the old bendix retaining pin out of the starter shaft, removed the old bendix, installed the new bendix, and knocked the pin back in. Within a couple more minutes, we had the starter reinstalled, the canister and oil lines reconnected and the engine running. The new bendix is a joy to use. If you haven't traded up for a new clutch-style bendix, you're just making life tough on yourself. Two enthusiastic thumbs up!
New Front Axle Kingpin and Bushing...
There has always been quite a bit of "play" in the front axle kingpin ever since I bought the tractor. So, I figured that the old kingpin bushing was just about shot. Back before Christmas, I ordered a new bushing and a new set of axle spacers from Mr. Barkley (at Just 8N's). Since the bendix replacement went so smoothly, dad and I headed into town for lunch and to pickup a new floor jack to aid in the kingpin repairs. Once we made it back home with the new jack, we spent the evening disassembling the front axle and replacing the kingpin bushing. The toughest part of this project was removing the kingpin. 50+ years of rust and grime had a firm hold on the old part. We removed the front axle middle section and front axle support from the front of the engine as one large assembly. Then, we put the whole thing up on the workbench to make it easier to work on. We searched the garage high and low for something the same diameter as the kingpin to allow us to drive it out. Finally, dad spotted the old starter bendix laying on the bench. It's not exactly a driving instrument, but it was the correct diameter and I have no intention of ever using it again, so what the heck. It worked perfectly. The bendix backed up by a four pound sledge drove the kingpin right out. Then, we used a cold chisel to "roll" the old bushing out. One edge of the bushing was paper thin. I think we got to it just in time. The new bushing was a tight fit, but with a wooden block and some gentle persuasion from the sledge, it slid right into place. That was enough tractor fun for one day. The next morning, I had the front axle support remounted on the engine by the time dad arrived. He helped me get the front axle center section and spacers positioned. Since we had the kingpin out, we replaced it with an old Dearborn/Wagner front loader mount. Eventually, this mount will support the front of a subframe that I plan to build to drive a front mounted snow blade. Once we had the kingpin installed, we headed back to town to pick up new grade 8 axle bolts. The original soft steel bolts get pretty mangled during disassembly. With new bolts in hand, we reassembled the front axle. The whole project only took about 6 hours of work time. I had set aside three days for these repairs. Everything went so smoothly, that I had one entire day to rest and dream about my next N project. As soon as my steel supplier opens after the New years, I think I'll order the steel tubing for that snow plow frame...
Axle Disassembly
New Axle Bushing
Loader Front Mount
Loader Front Mount
January 2005
Work begins on front snow plow...
During the first week of January, I picked up a load of steel for the subframe that will eventually push a front-mounted snow plow on Old Gus. Here are the materials that I have so far:Of course, it was cold, rainy, and snowy all week. So, the cutting and welding will have to wait for better weather. Below is the computer drawing that I made of the subframe. The measurements may not be exact, but I'll double-check them against the tractor as I go. The subframe will be attached in the rear to the fender mounting bolts. I plan to build the rear mounting brackets by extending each of the stabilizer brackets down and welding on a short length of 5"x4" rectangular tubing. The subframe rails will slide into these rear brackets and will be held in place by a pair of pins through the brackets and the rails. The subframe will attach in the front to the old Dearborn-style loader front mounting bracket that Dad and I installed in place of the front axle kingpin. It'll be fun figuring out all of the details. I expect this to be a long-term project as I'll be doing all of the fabrication myself on the weekends. It will be slow going, but I anticipate many hours of enjoyment.
- 4"x3" 5/16" wall rectangular steel tubing for the frame rails
- 4"x2" 1/4" wall rectangular steel tubing for the frame cross members
- 5"x4" 1/4" wall rectangular tubing for the rear mounting brackets
- 3/8"x6" flat stock for the rear mounting brackets
- 3/8'x3" and 1/2"x3" flat stock for various tabs and mounting brackets
Click to Enlarge
March 2005
Some unwanted time off...
During the first week of January, the same week that I bought the steel for the snow plow frame, I went to see my neurosurgeon for the umpteenth time about a back injury that I sustained at work. At this visit, we (the neurosurgeon, my wife, and I) decided that it was time to stop messing around with my back and start thinking seriously about surgery. I was originally scheduled to undergo surgery sometime in late March. However, a couple days after my appointment, I received a phone call from the neurosurgeon's nurse asking me if I was busy the following Friday! So, on January 14, I went in for a double laminectomy and a partial discectomy to treat a ruptured lumbar disc. I was out of work for six weeks followed by several weeks of physical therapy. During this time, the doc told me to stay away from heavy lifting and old tractors with no suspension. So, Gus has been sitting for the past few months. Here we are in late March and I'm still in PT. Slowly, but surely, my back is beginning to get back to normal, but it may be a while yet before I can get back to working (and playing) with Old Gus. It's been tough looking out the window and seeing Gus sitting there behind the barn, look back at me. By the grace of God, we haven't seen any measurable snow since I went in for surgery, thus, there has been less temptation to go out and put Gus to work. We're sneaking up on spring now and hopefully the warmer weather will bring healthier days for me and my spine. With any luck, I'll be well enough to get back to to work on Gus sometime early this summer...
January 2006
Meanwhile, back at the ranch...
It just dawned on me that I haven't added any project updates for almost a year. But then again, I haven't spent much time with Gus lately. The last time I wrote, I was recovering from back surgery. Well, it's been just over a year since the surgery and things are MUCH better now. I've lost 50 lbs., started riding my bike again, I actually have a bit of stamina again, and the pain in my back and leg is almost entirely gone. I still have occasional lower back pain and I still have a bum knee. But, I feel about 700% better than I did a year ago. As for Gus, I've haven't had much time for Gus since my last update. A few weeks into my recovery, we found out that my wife and I were due to have a baby. We now have a happy and healthy son, named Ben (born on Nov. 6th). Needless to say, it's been a very busy few months. During the pregnancy, I did my best to balance work, physical therapy, and home improvement. Ben's new bedroom is finished, our new bedroom is about 50% and our new upstairs bathroom is about 75%. Gus has been stoically watching our progress from out by the barn. I've taken Gus out for a few joy rides around the neighborhood and we plowed the only measurable snow of the year about six weeks ago. That's about it. As time allows, I still have lots of plans for Gus. Once the upstairs of the house is finished, I plan to begin expanding the barn to make room for my HO scale model railroad, which was displaced in the upstairs remodel, and to make room for Gus. Then, hopefully, I'll find some time to pick up where I left off. I still have yet to get started fabing up the front snow plow and I'd really like to do some cosmetic upgrades before the surface rust gets out of control. By the way, my son got his first N when he was just over a month old! My cousin and her family gave him an 8N pedal tractor for Christmas. Now there's an Old Gus and a Young Gus!
March 2007
Another year goes by... And, the front plow project begins...
Somehow, I managed to lose another year. If you have young kids, I'm sure you know how fast a year can disappear. Thankfully, it's been a good year. Since last January, I've lost another 25 lbs. for a total loss of 75! I still have occasional back trouble, but it doesn't slow me down much at all. Gus spent most last year doing small chores around the place and waiting patiently for me to finish other projects. Our upstairs bedroom is finished, I built a new newel post and railings for our staircase and upstairs hall, and finished rebuilding our Shasta travel trailer. We got to spend a lot of quality time camping over the summer months. Thanks to a very late winter, the weather was good enough in November for me to finally get started on the frame for the front mounted snowplow. I spent a couple of good weekends cutting steel and welding up the frame before the snows began to fall in December. During December, January, and February, Gus and I spent a many hours fighting back some of the worst snow and ice storms that we've seen in Central Illinois in about 10 years, and all with the old rear mounted plow. I can't wait to get the front plow finished!
In early March, the weather broke. It looks like the worst is over, but I'm not putting the snow plow away until April, just in case. I took advantage of the good weather an put in another weekend of steel cutting and welding on the front plow setup. Here's an updated drawing. The design and dimensions have changed slightly since the first time I posted my plans. Here are a few pictures of my progress:
Click to View
Here are a few pictures of my progress:
Plow Frame
Front of Frame
Front of Frame
Partial Blade Bracket
Rear Mounting Tabs
Front Mounting Plate
And, just for fun, here are some shots of Gus earning his keep last summer when we cut down a 85' elm tree in the yard, a couple shots of our son's first tractor ride (6 mo. old), and a couple of shots of my cousin's son (9 yrs. old) learning to drive.
Hauling Logs
Hauling Logs
Hauling Logs
First Tractor Ride
First Tractor Ride
Driving Lesson
Driving Lesson
More progress on the front plow project...
I took advantage of another sunny weekend to get some more work done on the front plow setup. I welded up the hydraulic control pedestal (including a sorely needed drink holder). I also welded up the snow blade lift arm and the bracket that will hold the blade to the front of the frame. Here's what's left to do on this project:In the mean time, here are some pictures of my progress:
- Hydraulic Plumbing - Connect the hydraulic control valve to the Zane Live Thang hydraulic system and figure out how to secure the hydraulic lines to the frame. This is the point of no return. Once the new valve is plumbed in, I won't be able to use the tractor without having the frame attached to support the valve.
- Paint Phase I - Paint the frame and the hydraulic control pedestal. I'll need a nice weekend so I can drag the frame outside to paint it with a couple of coats of Zero Rust and a couple of finish coats of New Holland Red.
- Frame Installation - Permanently install the frame and hydraulic control pedestal on the tractor. This will be a red letter day for the project. Once the frame is installed, I can move forward with the details of mounting the blade on the front of the frame.
- Finish Blade Mounting Bracket - I still need to weld up the pivot for the blade on the front of the bracket and work out how bracket will actually attach to the back of the blade. I have a pretty good idea how it will look, but the details will take some trial and error engineering.
- Paint Phase II - Once all of the blade mounting details are finished, I'll disassemble the blade mounting bracket and paint it up to match the frame. I may even paint that old yellow snow blade to match too.
Blade Lift
Blade Lift
Blade Lift
Hydraulic Control
Rear Mounting Tabs
Overall View
June/July/August 2007
The front plow project continues...
As usual, the mid summer weather turned hot and muggy here in Central Illinois. The nasty weather combined with some very busy schedules kept us home (not camping) for a few weekends. This gave me a chance to move forward with the front plow project. I'm sure it seems a bit strange to fuss with a snow plow during the dog days of summer, but I really don't want to plow snow again this winter with a back blade. Anyway, back in June, I spent a Saturday morning plumbing the Prince two spool joy-stick hydraulic control valve to the Zane Live Thang hydraulic pump. I added quick disconnects to each work port to simplify setup changes. Once everything was assembled, I connected and tested the lift cylinder for the front blade, then disassembled everything for the first phase of painting. In late July, I finally got another free weekend to begin painting the snow plow frame and the hydraulic control pedestal. I started with a couple of coats of Zero Rust and top coated with two coats of Majik brand New Holland Red implement paint. Hopefully, this combination will keep the rust monster at bay for a few years. Once the paint was dry, I mounted the frame back under the tractor, for what I hope to be the final time for a good long while. I spent a few minutes doing some minor paint touch up and installed the hydraulic control valve. Now, the whole thing will sit for a few days while the paint begins to cure and harden. Then, I can get back to work on the mounting bracket for the blade. But, for now, the heavy lifting is done. Compared to the frame, the blade itself is pretty light weight.
Here's what the freshly painted frame looks like mounted on the tractor:
Front View
Side View
Hydraulic Control
Winter 2007
Front Snow Plow - The Snow Flies!
We managed to get a few late fall camping trips in, which means that progress on the front snow plow slowed to a crawl. I did, however, find enough free time to finish up the front snow plow before the first snow of the year. First sizable snow dumped about 12" over night. So, the next morning, I got a chance to try out the new plow. The setup works so well, that the Ford almost doesn't have enough power to keep up in deep snow. The hydraulic tilt also makes it MUCH easier to cleanup the edges of the driveway. And, best of all, my back and neck don't hurt after an hour of playing in the snow.
I did learn a few lessons that have/will lead to an improved version of the front snow plow...I hope to make some of these improvements in time for the 2008/2009 plowing season...
- About 15 minutes into the first plowing session, I broke the pivot bolt that connects the blade to the front of the frame. I knew this pivot bolt would be the weak link, but I had hoped it would last a little better than it did. The bolt itself held up fine, but the weld that held the bolt head to the frame broke. So, I replaced the bolt with a fresh bolt and welded the head and the shank to the frame. The new pivot bolt held up for the rest of the winter.
- The blade isn't tall enough. Even with the blade tilted all the way to the side, the roll of snow builds up in front of the blade until it spills over the top of the blade. So, I plan to extend the top of the blade with a 6" tall steel bar that is tilted forward slightly to act as a deflector to break up the roll of snow in front of the plow.
- I need to add trip springs to keep the blade from catching on obstacles. I knew that trip springs would be a good idea, but I ran out of time to rebuild the blade mount to add springs before winter set in. So, I hard mounted the blade and started pushing snow. Well, the second snow storm of winter was preceded by an ice storm. So, there was a thick layer of jagged ice for the blade to hang up on. I managed to clear the drive way without doing any damage to the plow or the tractor. But, I got hung up enough times to illustrate how handy trip springs would be.
- The hydraulic lift cylinder is too slow and too short. The lift cylinder that I picked out is a 2" bore x 8" stroke. It is plenty strong to lift the snow blade, but it moves pretty slowly because of the relatively low hydraulic pump flow. And, I'd like to get a bit more lift to provide better ground clearance when I'm not using the plow. So, I plan to replace the lift cylinder with a 1 1/2" bore x 12 3/4" stroke cylinder. The small bore should speed things up and the extra stroke will provide a bit of extra lift. The new cylinder won't be a powerful as the 2" x 8" cylinder, but I can always switch back if I need the extra power.
Here are some pictures of the finished snow plow setup:
Front View
Front View
Front View
Front View
