8N - 9N engine in a 2N chassis??

[chh]

Hey AKfish, is there any way that you can post a pic of that tractor? I can't say that I have ever seen anything like that track setup. Good luck with the tractor and FIL.

 

[Soundguy]

Hey AKfish, is there any way that you can post a pic of that tractor? I can't say that I have ever seen anything like that track setup. Good luck with the tractor and FIL.

Probably an ARPS halftrack

Here's a link to an online manual:

Arps Half-Tracks - Owner's Manual

try googling ARPS, AARPS, ARRPS ( people misspell alot ).. also look at bombardier

Here's an example or 2:

http://www.tractorshed.com/gallery/tphotos/a36357.jpg

http://www.tractorshed.com/gallery/tphotos/a104998.jpg

soundguy

 

[simonmeridew]

Hi AK
You post a question that many have wrestled with including to an extent myself years ago. What ends up prolonging the agony of decision of what to do is that these old tractors refuse to die, they're just so over engineered and rugged that you end up with a lot of little aggravations that could be fixed or made right but the tractor finally starts each morning so you put off doing anything to bring it up to specs.
However you might find it to be quite a rewarding experience rebuilding the engine yourself. The parts are absolutely available and really not expensive because of numerous enthusiast groups. There is nothing on the tractor that can't be taken off or undone with about four socket wrenches and the same number of open ends. Get one of the I & T books and you're all set. There is a series of VHS tapes that a family sells that shows in one videotape how to take apart and rebuild and put back together an N motor start to finish.
You need to understand, when these tractors were new, THEY RAN LIKE NEW. They didn't struggle to start, they didn't stall in the field, you name it they did it well. And better yet, you can easily rebuild them to do it again. The distributors distributed, the starter started, the generators generated. and the transmissions transmitted. They all can do it again. Your motor can do it itself with a little help. Don't buy someone else's motor, rebuild yours.
As an aside, the big upgrade of the 8N over the 2N/9N is the 4 speed transmission in the 8N. So putting an 8N motor in a 9N or 2N doesn't make it an 8N, and I don't just mean to the collector or purist owner: rebuild the motor you have, the tractor will work great and your father in law and you will end up with a neat tool.
sorry about the peptalk
simonmeridew

 

[simonmeridew]

AK:
Watch those half tracks: there's a lot of moving parts exposed to people parts, i.e., feet hands showlaces, scarves etc.
simonmeridew

 

[Soundguy]

Actually.. a small benefit of using an 8n engine in a 9n/2n could be a few different things. depending on age, might have the .040 ci sleaves... which is a plus.. could also have the late side distribuitor.. which most view as a plus. The biggest difference is the head, and compression ratio... 6:1 vs 6.5:1.. IE.. 8n had more hp due to that.. I wouldn't change engines over it though.. ( just heads! ).. lots of other little things... governor tach drive.. oil return line at the gov-cup.. etc.. etc..

soundguy

Hi AK
You post a question that many have wrestled with including to an extent myself years ago. What ends up prolonging the agony of decision of what to do is that these old tractors refuse to die, they're just so over engineered and rugged that you end up with a lot of little aggravations that could be fixed or made right but the tractor finally starts each morning so you put off doing anything to bring it up to specs.
However you might find it to be quite a rewarding experience rebuilding the engine yourself. The parts are absolutely available and really not expensive because of numerous enthusiast groups. There is nothing on the tractor that can't be taken off or undone with about four socket wrenches and the same number of open ends. Get one of the I & T books and you're all set. There is a series of VHS tapes that a family sells that shows in one videotape how to take apart and rebuild and put back together an N motor start to finish.
You need to understand, when these tractors were new, THEY RAN LIKE NEW. They didn't struggle to start, they didn't stall in the field, you name it they did it well. And better yet, you can easily rebuild them to do it again. The distributors distributed, the starter started, the generators generated. and the transmissions transmitted. They all can do it again. Your motor can do it itself with a little help. Don't buy someone else's motor, rebuild yours.
As an aside, the big upgrade of the 8N over the 2N/9N is the 4 speed transmission in the 8N. So putting an 8N motor in a 9N or 2N doesn't make it an 8N, and I don't just mean to the collector or purist owner: rebuild the motor you have, the tractor will work great and your father in law and you will end up with a neat tool.
sorry about the peptalk
simonmeridew

 

[AKfish]

YESSIR! That's what he's got. Good job, Soundguy. You the man! He put bigger front tires on the tractor, too. From a car -- 16". Can't quite remember what Model, year, etc. the car was, though.

That tractor is darn near unstoppable with those half-tracks! I wouldn't even begin to follow him down the trail with my 4x4 JD970 (used to be mine..). I'd be buried up to the axles and he'd still be churnin' ahead.

He hard-surfaced the track edges and a few year's ago put new R1's on her for summer use.

I haven't talked with him about the engine swap (or overhaul) for several weeks now --- but it's not somethin' we're gonna tackle until it warms up.

We're workin' on a 2-week straight spell of below zero temps and every night of minus 20-30 isn't a great motivator to jump on the tractor...

Sure lookin' forward to seein' dirt again...

Thanks again for the tips and all the info. Great! Arps half-tracks-- huh?!? Didn't have any idea who or what they were. When he's gone, I wouldn't have known how to track down parts, etc.

This is the place...

AKfish

 

[Soundguy]

While there is a great collection of general and tractor knowledge here.. most of it is with 'newer' tractors. For the old rusty stuff YT may actually help you out more sometimes. Lots of nice people to chat up at both places for sure though.

soundguy

 

[AKfish]

The ol' guy called me up last night. Wanted to hear what I found out about the motor questions. He liked knowin' that the 8N would bolt up. Admitted that the gasket wasn't anythin' he paid a whole lot of attention to...

He's gonna try and track down some pics. He wasn't real sure where they were, though. At least the huntin' ones.

He didn't say one way or the other if he'd like to go ahead with a swap or just overhaul it --- we'll see --- Spring's comin'.

AKfish

 

[Soundguy]

Keep us posted.

Soundguy

 

[HarryVanderpool]

Hi AK
You post a question that many have wrestled with including to an extent myself years ago. What ends up prolonging the agony of decision of what to do is that these old tractors refuse to die, they're just so over engineered and rugged that you end up with a lot of little aggravations that could be fixed or made right but the tractor finally starts each morning so you put off doing anything to bring it up to specs.
However you might find it to be quite a rewarding experience rebuilding the engine yourself. The parts are absolutely available and really not expensive because of numerous enthusiast groups. There is nothing on the tractor that can't be taken off or undone with about four socket wrenches and the same number of open ends. Get one of the I & T books and you're all set. There is a series of VHS tapes that a family sells that shows in one videotape how to take apart and rebuild and put back together an N motor start to finish.
You need to understand, when these tractors were new, THEY RAN LIKE NEW. They didn't struggle to start, they didn't stall in the field, you name it they did it well. And better yet, you can easily rebuild them to do it again. The distributors distributed, the starter started, the generators generated. and the transmissions transmitted. They all can do it again. Your motor can do it itself with a little help. Don't buy someone else's motor, rebuild yours.
As an aside, the big upgrade of the 8N over the 2N/9N is the 4 speed transmission in the 8N. So putting an 8N motor in a 9N or 2N doesn't make it an 8N, and I don't just mean to the collector or purist owner: rebuild the motor you have, the tractor will work great and your father in law and you will end up with a neat tool.
sorry about the peptalk
simonmeridew

Very well put!
Beyond this sound advice, just remember:
"You can always afford to do things right the SECOND time around."