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 PAGE for access to all of the free tractor-related info I have uploaded. These web pages cover Ford 8N Tractor Repairs, Parts, the 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 links provided on each page to find what you are looking for.
MY FIRST 8N TRACTOR
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 almost 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
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 make it easy to remove and replace lines without 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. Here is a link to Zane's page if you want to add live hydraulics to your 8N, Live Thang. You might have noticed the vertical exhaust stack. I changed it for several reasons: 1 - Fumes from the original exhaust were a frequent problem. 2 - The original exhaust would heat the right lower lift arm and implement hot enough to burn fingers. 3 - It was also a fire hazard when running a bush hog in tall grass and weeds. THE BACKHOE
MY 1952 8N TRACTOR!
One down-side to buying a second tractor is that, by comparing them, you may find that things you accepted as normal quirks are really signs of expensive repairs needed. If you have any friends who have had some prior experience with these old tractors, you might want to take them along on your first test-drive BEFORE you buy one. After getting the second tractor all cleaned up and painted, I became painfully aware of some expensive problems with BOTH tractors. They both worked well, and looked great. I could have sold either one as-is to some unsuspecting newbie, but my concience would not let me do that. I LIKE these old tractors and could think of nothing worse than unloading problems on a new owner who would quickly become dissatisfied and junk it for a Kubota. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with a Kubota, they make good machines and if you are looking for a new tractor they should be high on your list. It's the "junk it" part I have a problem with. Buying anything as-is should not be treated as a license for the seller to conceal damage so he can get more than something is really worth. Thankfully, most of the tractor people I have dealt with have been good honest folks, even on ebay! I was eventually going to have to split the 52 to fix a sticking clutch. I wanted to keep the live hydraulics and Sherman Combo transmission with the tractor I was going to keep. After some head-scratching, and looking in my bank account, I decided to split BOTH tractors at the same time and then put all the best parts from both tractors into one good machine. This may sound difficult but only took a couple of days and left me with one great tractor and almost enough parts to build another one. Rather than build a lemon from the pile of less desirable parts, I decided to keep them as spare parts for my next 8N tractor project. I can't think of a better way to gain an instant inventory of parts. If you need parts CLICK HERE for a list of what I have on hand. My 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 750-foot gravel driveway. But it made no sense to spend over $6000 for a newer tractor, even if there were more jobs it could do. CLICK HERE for my list of pros and cons that justified my decision to buy a Ford 8N. Having trouble with your N-Series tractor?These old tractors are very reliable and easy to work on, but STUFF happens. 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 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. Sooner or later (probably sooner) you will hit something that is not covered in the manuals. I have tried to upload photos and descriptions of my experiences on this site. You may find the answer to your delimma on these pages. If not my LINKS page has some good links to additional information. Two of teh best are listed below. 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 participate on 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, the advice you get on these sites is the best information you will find, anywhere. Generally speaking dumb questions are handled very diplomatically, but PLEASE! don't jump on the first forum you find and ask what that little lever under the seat is for! That information is in the manual or archives of every site. Search for "DRAFT CONTROL" and "POSITION CONTROL". OR OR for parts and other stuff, I have provided a few more links HERE. by KL |
