Ford “N” Shop Tips

Ford “N” Shop Tips FARM SHOP Handy Hints Mark Burris describes his Ford 8N as a best buy but he has done a fair amount of tinkering on it That includes dealing with a lack of oil pressure and learning how to partially split a tractor “The tractor was a basket case when I got it with bad tires a pulled starter and worn out valves ” says Burris “By the time I finished the overhaul I had learned quite a bit about N tractors Since then I’ve overhauled 3 more ” The oil pressure problem is a common one with the N’s he suggests due to the placement of the pump On the N’s it sits alongside the block not in the oil pan like later tractors “If a Ford 2 9 or 8N sits for a long time it can appear to have no oil pressure even though it did when you last used it ” says Burris “What happens is the motor loses its ‘prime’ You can tear the motor apart and find nothing wrong with it ” To regain the prime Burris suggests over filling the crankcase almost to the top Start it at idle and watch the oil gauge “Once you have pressure turn off the motor and drain out the excess oil ” says Burris If that doesn’t take care of the problem he invites readers to give him a call He will help identify other possible problems and solutions Another shop tip Burris passes along is how to almost split a tractor something he first tried when he needed to replace a ring gear on the flywheel All it takes is a couple of pieces of perforated angle iron and 2 pieces of all-thread rod “I use the perforated angle iron to lock the front wheels together ” says Burris “I disconnect the tie rods and slip them backwards on the axle If there is room I slip the angle iron through in front of the fan and connect the steering arm to it with 3/8-in bolts If not I’ll use a brace to go underneath ” He suggests tightening the tie rods up so they don’t twist at the steering arm Once the front wheels are stabilized he jacks up the front of the tractor enough to get a car stand or wood block supports under the transmission This locks the rear axle in place As the goal is to partially split the tractor he pulls the hood off and disconnects oil lines and electrical wiring running between the engine and the transmission halves of the tractor “I pull 2 bolts on the bell housing running forward to the engine block just ahead of the oil pan and 2 just below it ” says Burris “These are 7/16-in bolts and I slide 18-in lengths of 7/16-in all-thread rod through the holes into the engine block ” With the all-thread rod in place Burris removes the other bolts from the bell housing He says he can then wiggle and push the engine end of the tractor forward while watching to be sure the all-thread stays seated in the engine block and in the holes of the bell housing “The engine balances on the all-thread and the front axle ” explains Burris “I’ve never had any problem but for safety sake you could block the front end as you do on the rear ” Burris has used the technique to work on the clutch the flywheel and the starter “You can buy a clutch kit and replace the whole thing or pull the flywheel off to replace the ring gear ” he says “If you have it split it’s a good time to replace the pirate bearing on the flywheel or the throwout bearing on the back of the clutch I replaced the Bendix on the starter without pulling the starter ” Simply reverse the process to put the engine and transmission back together adds Burris He says it is a quick process that speeds many repairs “I can do a clutch replacement in about 4 hrs this way ” he says Burris is eager to help other N owners solve their repair problems He suggests calling after 8 p m during the week or any time on weekends Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Mark F Burris 20301 Burr Oak Dr Coupland Texas 78615 ph 512 639-8363

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