1974 Ford 4000 SOS

[strum456]

I picked up a non-running 1974 ford 4000 Select O Speed this summer. The diesel engine had spun a bearing, but the owner told me the transmission worked great. I got the tractor for a low enough price that my back up plan was to swap the diesel engine from this 4000 into my gas 3000 if it turned out that the transmission wasn't as good as the owner said it was.

Well, I tried out the transmission for the first time tonight. Gears 3,4,7,8,10 and R2 do not work. I have a factory Ford shop manual. To me this sounds like a problem with band #1. I checked the torque on it - it was at least a half of a turn too tight. Adjusting it made no difference. In gears 3 and 4, the tractor does move, but you can stop it easily with the brakes.

I also know that the input shaft and torque limiting clutch are shot. The splines are half worn off or should I say "half good". I don't want to be too pessimistic. I thought I would try out the rest of the trans before I do anything about those splines.

So now I have to decide what to do. We did a major on the engine. New crank, bored, whole 9 yards.

Option #1: fix the SOS trans. knowing it needs an input shaft, limiting clutch, and whatever else that is keeping the gears from working

Option #2: Part out the tractor, but keep the engine for my 3000. I could also sell the gas engine out of the 3000. There's nothing wrong with it. I'd just rather have a diesel.

Option #3: Find an 8 speed for the 4000 and swap out the SOS. Aside from the SOS, the tractor is in pretty nice shape. I have no idea where to look for a manual trans. though.

I would like to fix this tractor, rather than part it out. But I have other tractors and probably don't NEED this one.

 

[RickB]

A couple thoughts:
The SOS repair would be a personal preference thing, I will not try to influence that but I will say I cannot help you with the technicalities of that transmission. Regarding a swap out to an 8 speed you may as well find a rear end to go with the 8 speed as the ring and pinion for an SOS is a lot faster than for an 8 speed.
I swapped a 1981 201 diesel into a 71 4000 gasser and it was not difficult, wouldn稚 be much different swapping the 201 into your 3000. I would consider swapping the AP front axle, larger fuel tank and steering column from the 4000 onto the 3000 transmission and rear end. If you do any kind of engine swap the flywheel will have to stay with the transmission it was born with. You can put a diesel ring gear on a gas flywheel.

 

[strum456]

I bet a rear end and 8 speed trans is going to be more than it is worth to me to have a 4000. The front end of the 4000 on a 3000...that's interesting. Did they ever make such a tractor? Would I be devaluing it? I also have a 4610 SU that sometimes I wish wasn't a SU. I could do the front end / power steering swap on it. I really hate to mess with that one though. I bought it off of the original owner, who was a friend of mine before he passed.

 

[RickB]

Any mix and match you do will probably devalue it in somebodys eyes. But if you increase the usefulness or durability for your purposes, why not? Fords are component tractors, if you think it through there are all sorts of unique possibilities. Did they build a 4000 AP with dry brakes and two stage clutch? Not quite. The late 70’s 4100 could be had with an AP front axle but had wet brakes and IPTO as well as less hp than a 4000. The LCG 4110 had the 4000 engine, 3000 trans and rear axle and 3000 style front axle. Just happened to think, if you swap that 201D into the 3000 make sure the camshaft has the rear gear to drive the hydraulic pump. Check before you bolt the engine up to the transmission.

 

[strum456]

I really appreciate your insight, Rick. You've got me thinking on that front axle. I should be okay on the hyd. pump. Both tractors appear to have the same setup.

Do you think it would be worth taking that SOS all apart and selling pieces on ebay? Are there many people out there trying to repair those things?

 

[RickB]

Ahh, yes. The 4000 SOS uses the same engine driven pump as the 3000. Forgot that nugget of info. Like I said, I am not proficient on SOS trannys. You may want to go over to the Ford forum at Yesterdays Tractors and seek input there. They also have a free classified section that would reach your potential parts market.

 

[mike48130]

I bought a used trans several years back for my 3550 because that trans was bad. I eventually repaired the 3550 trans and put it back in and sold the 8 speed trans. I sold it to a guy that was doing the selecto speed swap. Those transmissions are all over. They made tons of those tractors, and I think it's the same trans in the AG or IND tractors. The rear axle is the same I think, but you need the clutch and the flywheel setup.

Call around to some local tractor salvage places. I think you will probably have about $1k into the swap, so you need to decide if that tractor will be worth the money.

After a quick search:
FORD TRACTOR 6 8 2 3 4 TRANSMISSION & AXLES FARMERJOHNSPARTS | eBay

 

[strum456]

Rick,

I was giving the conversion some thought today. It looks like if I switch the front axles, that would raise the front end of my 3000 by 8 inches. Can you think of any way to keep the tractor level?

 

[RickB]

Use 9.00 x 10 tires like LCG tractors do. That would be the least complicated.

 

[strum456]

I located a rear axle and 8 speed trans at a salvage yard 1.5 hours away for $1000. It is out of a gas 3910. The guy at the salvage yard tells me that the gas flywheel will not work on my diesel. I've made several calls, with no luck finding a diesel flywheel. Are the flywheels definitely different, or is it just a matter of changing the ring gear? I am getting conflicting answers.