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CURRENTLY:
No.1 - 1948-49 Ford 8N with 1940 9N Engine (parted out).
No.2 - 1952 Ford 8N Mostly Original (Working Tractor).
No.3 - 1946 Ford-Ferguson 2N (Working Tractor).
No.4 - 1951 Ford 8N Mostly Original (Needs TLC).
The 6 Volt and 12 Volt Wiring Diagrams for early and late 8N Ford tractors are on my 12 Volt page HERE.
This Is My Main Ford 8N Tractor Page. These web pages cover Ford 8N Tractor Repairs, Parts, the Ford N-Series tractor tool kit, 6 volt wiring, 12 volt conversion, free wiring diagrams, paint colors, tune up, marvel schebler carb tuning, and battery info. There is a LOT of information available here. Use the Site Navigation menu on the left or other links provided on each page to find what you are looking for.
PLEASE NOTE I have not figured out how to force an update, so if you have been here before, you may need to hit something similar to "VIEW" and "RELOAD" in your browser to force the latest page to load. New visitors can ignore this message.
MY FIRST 8N TRACTOR
This is a picture of my first REAL tractor, the day after it was delivered to the house, May 18, 2005.
It was obviously neglected, but the initial list of repairs was really not too bad; the radiator was leaking, air cleaner was dry, fluids were dirty, tires not so good, and the steering was very loose. On the plus side; it started on the first try every time, ran great, and the hydraulics worked! My "new" tractor was a 48 or 49 FORD 8N. After a more detailed inspection, the engine serial number was for a 1940 9N model tractor. But all the other castings, sheet metal, and parts are standard 1948 or 1949 8N tractor parts. So the engine was probably replaced due to a previous owner's lack of TLC.
Why did I create these web pages?
All I wanted was a small tractor to maintain our 800-foot gravel drive and maybe do a few other chores on our 12 acre, mostly-wooded property. This is where background music should start playing "Another One Bites The Dust". What should have been a relatively simple purchase, has mushroomed into a full-blown hobby or, depending on who you talk to, maybe disease or obsession is more appropriate. Honestly, all I wanted was a used tractor! How did I end up creating, and maintaining over 30 pages of information on the web? Prior to this, HTML was GrEEK to me and the idea of trying to create my own web page was utterly ridiculous. Is it even possible to be a redneck and a geek at the same time? What happened?
This web page started out as a place to show-off before and after pictures of my first 8N tractor. I was proud of the results and once the photos were on the web, they needed some captions, then there was all the wiring information I wanted to make available... The HTML geek stuff was really not that hard to figure out. I just looked at the source code for a few other web pages and decided to take a whack at it.
THE "AFTER" PHOTO
This photo was taken on July 10, 2005 after about six weekends of work including my normal weekend chores. I work fast sometimes.
NEW PARTS included a Made-in-China Radiator that almost fit, Hoses, Gauges, 12 Volt Conversion, Lights, Wiring, Battery and Cables.
REPAIRS included adjusting the steering box, changing all fluids and filters, welding up rust holes in air filter cup, new fuel line, lots of scraping, cleaning, priming, and painting.
Yes, I missed on the gray color. I liked the metallic silver and thought it was a better choice than trying to match the "correct" Ford gray. Any paint will keep it from rusting, but in the future, I intend to try a little harder to match the original colors. This was a "working" tractor. The mis-matched 8N with 9N engine makes this a poor candidate for a true restoration, so it was an ideal machine for me to start on. I didn't have to feel guilty about possibly messing up a museum piece.
FORD 8N IN THE SNOW
These pictures were taken Feb. 12, 2006 after clearing a little snow. That was Fun!
The new Live Thang from Zane Sherman works flawlessly. This relatively simple belt-driven pump and hose kit adds live hydraulics to the N-Series tractors. Now I can raise the 3-point lift with my foot still on the clutch! You may have to experience NOT being able to do that in order to understand why this is such a great addition to one of these tractors. Everything needed for the basic system is included and installation is simple as long as you remember you are working on a 50+ year-old machine that has already been worked on numerous times by people of unknown ability.
I added some Quick Disconnect fittings, one-way valve, and a suction line filter to my installation. The QD's have a little ball valve inside that seals the hose when you take them apart. This makes it easy to remove and re-connect lines without draining the sump and getting hydraulic oil all over the place. The one-way valve cures a problem where the hydraulics will bleed back through the new pump and won't stay up with the engine off. The suction line filter is a great addition to these tractors. They do not have any filtration on the hydraulics.
Here is a link to Zane's page if you want to learn more about adding live hydraulics or other improvements to your tractor, Live Thang.
NEW Hokie Hydraulics
This is another site offering a kit to provide live hydraulics for N-Series tractors.
You might also notice the new vertical exhaust stack. Some people like the original exhaust exiting under the right axle. Which exhaust you prefer depends on how you use your tractor. If you nearly always operate in second gear or higher, the low exhaust may be better for you. I changed to the vertical exhaust for several reasons:
1 - Fumes from the original exhaust were a frequent problem when running a blade in reverse or the backhoe, stationary.
2 - The original exhaust would heat the right lower lift arm and implement hot enough to burn fingers.
3 - The low exhaust can be a fire hazard when running a bush hog in tall grass and weeds.
4 - The muffler would heat the right footboard (Winter=Good Summer=Bad).
The vertical pipe has it's own set of drawbacks. The worst of those is it likes to catch on low hanging limbs. The larger limbs can bend or break the pipe. At low revs the flapper on top can make an aweful creeking noise and can cause the exhaust to form a cloud right at head level. For me, the vertical exhaust has fewer negative issues than the original exhaust.
Our property is wooded, so I solved the low branch problem by trimming low branches and keeping my stack at about the same height as my head. It helps to make sure the mount and brace are tight and sturdy. Another advantage for me is the pipe clears cobwebs rather than clearing them with my face.
This is my home-made backhoe attachment. It wouldn't be of much use in a rock quarry, but it digs through hard pan and clay with no trouble, it's also much easier on my back than a pick and shovel. This attachment was designed specifically to fit my Ford 8N Tractor and fits the tractor much better than any of the aftermarket backhoe attachments I have seen. Additional Photos and information about the backhoe are on the Backhoe Page.
I found this tractor in the nearby town of Charlottesville for a MUCH better price than my first tractor. It was delivered 01-JUN-2006. This one is a nearly original 1952 8N with fairly straight sheetmetal. It still had the 6-volt system and the generator was charging. Oil pressure looked great, and steering was tight, but the brakes were really messed up, and the exhaust stack was leaking. The leaking exhaust turned out to be a cracked manifold. You can find step-by-step photos and descriptions of the repairsHERE..
I found this tractor for sale "with implements" right down the road. It was close enough that I could drive it home and only had to cross one major road. Some of the sheetmetal on this one appears to have been replaced with 8N parts. This tractor has been converted to 12-volts, but the alternator is not charging. Oil pressure looks great, and steering is reasonably tight. Lots of recently replaced parts like starter, carb, drag links, etc. Step-by-step photos and descriptions of the repairs to this one are on the 46-2N Repairs page as was done for the '52. Be prepared for a saga, that one took over a year to finish.
This is the latest deal I couldn't pass up. This looked like an eBay auction that was going to sell very low and it was not too far away.
It took a while but I finally fround a second original bumper for the 2N. It looked so good, I had to add the bottom rail back on the 8N bumper. The photo of the 8N also shows my tree pusher. This is attached to the frame of my cutter and is much better than using the tractor bumper and headlights to push saplings over so they can be cut.
My original decision to buy a Ford 8N Tractor was not by accident. Mostly it was for economic reasons. Something larger than my Craftsman mower was obviously needed to maintain our 800-foot gravel driveway, wooded trails, and maybe a small garden. But it made no sense to spend over $6000 for a new tractor. CLICK HERE for my list of pros and cons that justified my decision to buy a Ford 8N.
These old tractors are very reliable and easy to work on. They often continue to start and run for years with little or no maintenance. Eventually, neglect will take it's toll. Many of these tractors offered for sale are way behind on basic maintenance. The good news is they are usually simple to repair, and much of the maintenance is zero cost. If you get in over your head or just have questions, here are the best sources of Ford 9N, 2N, 8N Tractor information that I have found.
FIRST before you do anything else, get a copy of the owners manual and the I&T FO-4 shop manual for your tractor. Both are readily available from dozens of on-line retailers or on ebay. You can get hard-copy reprints, electronic manuals on CD, and even original manuals. The information and diagrams in these manuals should be the first place you look for answers.
Get The Manuals ! |
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It is very easy to find reprints and even original manuals on ebay, Amazon, and on most tractor sites. The Owner's manuals and Service Manuals are very reasonably priced considering the amount of essential information they contain. Parts Books and Service Bulletins are also very nice to have. Here's a link to the manuals on CD that I use. My original manuals are wrapped up and stored. |
Sooner or later you will hit something that is not covered in the manuals. Check out the links below and additional resources on the LINKS page. Search the archives or help areas of these sites and you will probably find all the help you need. If not, post a question on one of the forums. You will find a bunch of nice folks who are more than happy to help. These are the best sources of Ford N-Series tractor how-to information that I have found anywhere. The people who use these forums are usually very friendly, knowledgable, and helpful tractor people. Just remember that free advice is sometimes worth exactly what you paid for it. As long as you stick around and read enough to avoid the occasional brain fade or typo, 99% of the advice you will get on these sites is the best information you will find, anywhere.
OR
OR for parts and other stuff, I have provided a few more links HERE.
My comment about "free advice" applies to my site as well. If you do find any errors, PLEASE don't hesitate to contact me. My email address is on the CONTACT page.
What do we know about, The Force?
It can have a strong influence on the weak-minded,
The Force is what gives a Jedi his power,
It has a light side and a dark side,
It surrounds us and protects us,
It binds the galaxy together...
What EXACTLY is The Force?
Hmmm....It's Duct Tape!
So, Now you know.
K.LaRue,
Jedi (Master of Duct Tape)
GUESTBOOK This site had a guestbook, but it has been disabled. I was spending too much time deleting 10 or 15 spam ads for every legitimate comment. If you have an issue with the content on this site, or a tractor question, the email address on my CONTACT
page works best.
