Price Check 1950 Ford 8N fair price

[elkhunter]

I am new here and I need some help to help a widow I know.

She has two 1950 Ford 8Ns that turn over but will not start.They did run about three years ago. They have been sitting since her husband became ill and could not use them. The radiators are good, they crank, get spark to the primary side of the coil but do not start. They have the side mounted distributors.

They both have new tires on the rear and she has a one set of new front tires unmounted.

One is converted to 12 volt the other is 6 volt with a new battery this year.

She has a prospective buyer and needs to know the going price.
She is located in SE WI.

Is there anyone out there who would suggest a starting price or provide a link to a sight where I can look at prices?

Thanks

 

[Soundguy]

unfortunately the going price of a NON running N is about 500$. the one with new rears might fetch 750$ just due to the tires.

to many unknowns for a buyer to go out on a limb.. might have bad hyds, bad engine, bad tranny.. etc.

Best bet is to actually make them run.

if they have set for 3 ys, the points are probably oxidized.

pull the dizzy cap, the rotor, the clip under the rotor and the dust shield.

pull some brown grocery sack betweent he points a few times.. and regap with clean feelers to .025 when the rubbing block is on the top of a cam lobe.

also.. try to be a lil more correct when describing spark and power.

saying spark to the primary of the coil is a bit of a mis nomer.. spark is what happens at the spark plug jumping an air gap.

voltage is what you see at the primary of the coil. with points open you should also see power at the outgoing primary wire that goes tot he distribuitor side feed thru bushing.

in any event. crank her over.. if she has good snappy blue spark on all plugs ( fire order 1-2-4-3, #1 is at the radiator.. etc. ).. then check fuel.. pull drain plug on carb bowl and see if fuel will continously drain out into a jar.. if so, float and needle are not stuck.

if she won't start, even with choke, main / idle circuits may be plugged up. use start fluid sprayed into mouth of carb while cranking and see if she pops on that. alternately, gasoline in a squirt bottle sprayed into the mouth of the carb should do about the same thing.

if you can get her to run on start fluid or gas but she dies when you stop spraying, then carb is plugged up.

another possibility is very low compression from setting.

remove 1 spark plug at a time, clean and regap to .025, add about a tablespoon of oil to the cyl and then bump the starter over a few revs.

do this for each cyl in turn.. sometimes rings stick.

if still nothing, pull each plug in turn again and put your thumb over the hole and crank over a few revs an make sure it is making vacume and compression on each plug. sometimes valves stick open.

if you find one or more with stuck valves, remov ethe valve side covers and squirt down with penetrant oil or similar like foamy engine bright.. or even atf fluid mixed with diesel, adn try to get the valves moving up anddown and free'd up.

if you get them to where they will start up, and have oil pressure at hot idel, then figure 1200$ on the low end, and 2000-2500$ on the high end if they are in average condition with no bad leaks and the clutches not stuck. all being equal, the one with new tires .. will bring the most.

post back.


soundguy

 

[2458n]

Tires are expensive. As they sit the tractors should be worth 1500-1800. This would be in Northwest Ohio. I attend 3 auctions weekly. The tractors are easy to work on and all parts are readily available. If someone however well meaning stole my mothers tractors for $500 -they should not sleep well. Many people welcome the challange that these tractor's represent.

 

[elkhunter]

Soundguy & 2458n

I replaced the battery, points, plugs, condenser, cap and rotor. I was told to set the points at .020 rather than .025 what the manual and you state.
I do get a good spark where the primary wire coming out of the coil then connects to the post that connects to the points. The bushing there is solid and I replaced the insulation piece inside. I can not see a spark at the points and none at the plugs. I need a spark here before I can proceed.

The clip on the shaft that turns the rotor, the arm of that clip should be up into the base of the rotor, correct? I figure that hold the rotor tight or snug.

The fuel system is sound. I cleaned everything when I started on the project.

I will reset the points but I am missing something simple.

I understand your line of thinking and I was following the same diagnostic path ( lub the cylinders, starter spray etc) that you describe but until I solve the ignition problem I am stuck.

I appreciate your help, Thanks

 

[bigbull338]

if you can get them runing they would be worth $1500 to $2000 depending on your local market for them.

 

[george rocha]

Elkhunter, all I can tell you is I have a 9nand a 2n and they have both been converted to 12v. when I have had this problem it waas the coil, even though I had a small spark, it wasn"t enough to kick her over TSC has them for 40 bucks..good luck..:confused2:

 

[Soundguy]

Tires are expensive. As they sit the tractors should be worth 1500-1800. This would be in Northwest Ohio. I attend 3 auctions weekly. The tractors are easy to work on and all parts are readily available. If someone however well meaning stole my mothers tractors for $500 -they should not sleep well. Many people welcome the challange that these tractor's represent.

must be a scarce market.

you comment about not sleeping well is not very nice.

Obviously prices are very different in your region.

In the southeast, you can buy a fully running N with implements for 1200$.. for 1500$ you can get row crop hundred series machines in the 33-45 hp.

both my 950 and 951 fords ( 45 pto hp ) were bought under 1500$..

I don't hang out at a single antique tractor forum that I know of that will reccomend anything over 750 for a non runner, unless it has some very useable sheet metal or is a rare model, and then I have seen 1000$ marks if it has something so rare you can't pass it up.

soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

Elkhunter, all I can tell you is I have a 9nand a 2n and they have both been converted to 12v. when I have had this problem it waas the coil, even though I had a small spark, it wasn"t enough to kick her over TSC has them for 40 bucks..good luck..:confused2:

since he has a side mount dizzy, as stated, his coils will be cheap.. ie.. 15$.. either ic8sb for 6v or ic14sb for 12v at napa.


soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

regap the points or prepair to replace them often. too close a points gap will lead to burning and arcing.

make sure points are not shorted.

run a test lamp from battery to the dizzy screw and roll engine over.. lamp should blink.

if it don't, post back.

if it does blink, then jumper bat hot to incoming side of coil and recheck spark.

if nothing, then check coil continuity across primary.

post back

soundguy

Soundguy & 2458n

I replaced the battery, points, plugs, condenser, cap and rotor. I was told to set the points at .020 rather than .025 what the manual and you state.
I do get a good spark where the primary wire coming out of the coil then connects to the post that connects to the points. The bushing there is solid and I replaced the insulation piece inside. I can not see a spark at the points and none at the plugs. I need a spark here before I can proceed.

The clip on the shaft that turns the rotor, the arm of that clip should be up into the base of the rotor, correct? I figure that hold the rotor tight or snug.

The fuel system is sound. I cleaned everything when I started on the project.

I will reset the points but I am missing something simple.

I understand your line of thinking and I was following the same diagnostic path ( lub the cylinders, starter spray etc) that you describe but until I solve the ignition problem I am stuck.

I appreciate your help, Thanks

 

[elkhunter]

Soundguy

I should have mentioned, the first thing I did was replace the coil from napa when I replace the other part mention.

I'll regap the points first thing.
How do I make sure the points are not shorting? I did checked the bushing and replaced the piece of insulation that goes where the power comes from the coil to the points.

I take it you want me to run the test light in-between the negative side of the battery to the supply side of the points where the wire comes in from the coil when I check for the blinking, is that correct? Then check for blinking.
It should blink when the points open? I also assume that this should be done with the cap on and the rotor in place.

I did run a line directly from the hot side of the battery to the incoming side of the coil. I pulled it off right away because the needle on the ammeter pinned to the negative side and I was concerned I burn something out.

I did check the new coil like you suggest and there is continuity.

The tractor is about a half hour from home and I will not be able to look at it until tomorrow and only then if it is not raining. It is out in the open.

I appreciate all your advise.

 

[Soundguy]

you don't need the cap and rotor on when you check with a test lamp. in fact.. it's easier to see the points open and close without that on.

when points are closed, lamp is on.. when points are open, lamp should go out. if so, you know the points, condensor and insulator and copper strip are not shorted tot he dizzy housing.

it's normal to get a 3-5a draw on the ammeter when you turn the key on, or jump from bat - ( hot ), to the incoming side of the coil.

when you chck with a test lamp, disconnect the wire from the coil to the dizzy.. etc.

it's a pretty basic kettering ignition.

power to coil primary.. thru coil primary to points and condensor and then ground.. points closed, coil charges, points open, coil discharges, makes spark. condensor keeps points from burning and prevents arcing.. ats as a switch debouncer till points are far enough open that they won't arc.

if no spark with that.. check rotor cor cracks and that it fits tight.. and check cap for carbon tracking.. virtually HAS to work in those test contitions.. IE.. manually opening and closing points with an insulated tool.

many times there is an issue and points look closed but arent... ..

post back

soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

ps.. what coil type/number did you use?

double checking here.

is system 6v?

any resistors in line?.

soundguy

 

[gemini62]

i just bought a 1950 8n, new tires, chains, 12 volt. new starter, rebult carb. and a front bucket loader,,,i paid 2500.00. it runs and works good..i do need to do some brake work work. just not good enough for the hills i live on. was it worth the 2500.00.

 

[GManBart]

i just bought a 1950 8n, new tires, chains, 12 volt. new starter, rebult carb. and a front bucket loader,,,i paid 2500.00. it runs and works good..i do need to do some brake work work. just not good enough for the hills i live on. was it worth the 2500.00.

That sounds like a fair price....especially with new tires (ballpark $1K just for the tires). It seems like loaders don't add much value around here, but for some folks it might be the thing that makes all the difference. Generally speaking, rough 8Ns that work are around $1500, decent machines are $2-3K and anything over that had better be really, really nice and probably restored (maybe not to show condition).

 

[jenkinsph]

i just bought a 1950 8n, new tires, chains, 12 volt. new starter, rebult carb. and a front bucket loader,,,i paid 2500.00. it runs and works good..i do need to do some brake work work. just not good enough for the hills i live on. was it worth the 2500.00.

I think the price was fair if it runs good.
Be careful with this tractor on hills, I never liked the outboard brakes on a tractor as it is not a good design. Also a loader on a two wheel drive can be an accident waiting to happen going down hill.