8N restored with pics

[wolc123]

I do like the N models. The only downside for me is the flat head. I know a lot of people like them but the problem with a flathead is the valves are in the engine block so if you need to do a valve job it's in the block, not the head, so you cant throw the head on the table and do a valve job. And if you have a serious valve problem you may need to replace the block rather then the head.
I bought an N model once that seemed to turn over way too easy. When I pulled it down it had 5 valves that were stuck open. So 3 were still working. Some of the seats were questionable. In the end they cleaned up ok but for a while I wasn't sure if it could be saved or not. I wouldn't have taken the block in to have seats replaced but I might have if they were in the head.

I had a little trouble with a valve on my 8n when I first bought it, back around 1989. I bought it from the widow of the original owner. It only had 1200 hours on it, but it didn’t have any compression on one cylinder, due to that broken valve.

After replacing just that one, it was ok for a couple years of relatively light usage. A couple years later, I wore out a few more valves, while digging a pond with a 3-point scoop.

The trouble was, those original valves didn’t hold up very well on unleaded gas. A very good mechanic buddy of mine did a complete valve job, with with all new parts, and that that tractor has ran great ever since. With 2200 hours on it now, it still has enough compression to start good on just 5 volts. That’s all I can get the 18 year old 6 volt battery, that’s in it now, charged up to.

The original proof meter cable snapped on it at about 1800 hours, and I put a few hours on it before I got it replaced.

The hanging needle nose vise grip holds the choke slightly closed. It’s needed that, ever since I replaced the original carb with an aftermarket one.

I replaced a few other parts on it over the years including the gas tank (original had a slow leak), the radiator (I put a branch thru that while snow plowing), the distributor (I didn’t oil that every 10 hours like it calls for on the manual), and a rear rim (calcium rusted that thru 2 years ago). The tires and paint are original.

 

[Paystar]

I was looking at more old Ford's for sale. Found two Funk 6 cylinder conversions.
I can just imagine what a little tractor like that would be like with 96 horsepower!

 

[somanytractors]

I had a little trouble with a valve on my 8n when I first bought it, back around 1989. I bought it from the widow of the original owner. It only had 1200 hours on it, but it didn’t have any compression on one cylinder, due to that broken valve.

After replacing just that one, it was ok for a couple years of relatively light usage. A couple years later, I wore out a few more valves, while digging a pond with a 3-point scoop.

The trouble was, those original valves didn’t hold up very well on unleaded gas. A very good mechanic buddy of mine did a complete valve job, with with all new parts, and that that tractor has ran great ever since. With 2200 hours on it now, it still has enough compression to start good on just 5 volts. That’s all I can get the 18 year old 6 volt battery, that’s in it now, charged up to.

View attachment 803569
The original proof meter cable snapped on it at about 1800 hours, and I put a few hours on it before I got it replaced.

The hanging needle nose vise grip holds the choke slightly closed. It’s needed that, ever since I replaced the original carb with an aftermarket one.

I replaced a few other parts on it over the years including the gas tank (original had a slow leak), the radiator (I put a branch thru that while snow plowing), the distributor (I didn’t oil that every 10 hours like it calls for on the manual), and a rear rim (calcium rusted that thru 2 years ago). The tires and paint are original.

I've never actually seen one with the original 6 volt system still in it. But it really doesn't take much to turn these old tractors over.
Those aftermarket carbs ain't great but they work and they're usually cheaper then the kit to rebuild the original. I use them all the time. Every now and then you get a bad one but they usually still kind of work.

Here's the 2 I actually consider my tractors. The rest are just passing through.
The red one is my go to. It's a to30. It's knocked and smoked for years but bit just doesn't quit. The battery in it is a tiny old battery that came out of my wifes wheel chair the last time I replaced the batteries in it. It's been in there 3 years and still starts it. It only has enough charge to turn it about 5 times but it never turns over more then once or twice, It's got no hood and theres a hole in the top of the radiator, but as long as I put water in it before using it, it does just fine. I need to fix the radiator. It's brand new. I put it in and a week later I poked a hole in it while pushing brush. I really need to put something in front of it to protect it because I'm not going to quit misusing it. The backhoe rides sideways because a tree fell on it and bent the bers that come out from the 3pt but it works fine. When the outriggers are down it sits level.
This one is weird with gas. It will run perfect till its out and when it's out it is completely out. It wont even try till you put more gas in it.
It's old and delapidated but its a really tough tractor that just keeps going

 

[EddieWalker]

One day I'd love to have an older tractor, or several, but there always seems to be so many things that have to get done that I wonder if I'll ever have time to do something like that.

It's really nice seeing the before, during and after pictures!!!!

 

[somanytractors]

One day I'd love to have an older tractor, or several, but there always seems to be so many things that have to get done that I wonder if I'll ever have time to do something like that.

It's really nice seeing the before, during and after pictures!!!

My dad was 75 when he got his tractor. He always wanted one but with 4 kids and then all his grandkids he could never afford it. Finally my nephew gave him one that was half dead.
I'm rebuilding it for him now.
He doesn't even have a use for it. It sat in his back yard till it didn't run anymore, and then a few more years.
Now he's over 90 and he still want his tractor fixed. I imagine once its done, he'll drive it up and down the driveway a few times and then start it every couple weeks, but he wants his tractor running.
Don't give up hope. At some point you can probably get one of your kids or grand kids to do the work for you!

 

[somanytractors]

Found a few more pics
Jubilee before and after

4500 before and after. This one needed a starter, riiiggghhht. Every time someone says it needs a starter this one comes to mind, and often needs a starter means the motors froze up

Another 8n, but just an after pic

And that's all the pics I could find

 

[Paystar]

Don't know about you guys, but I love my old tractors better than the new ones. If any had to go for some reason.....it would be the new ones.

The sound, the feel, the simplicity........they can't be beat.

Like the conversation I heard on a show on RFD TV.......will any modern tractors ever be around in 80 years as collectors? You will need lap tops and electronics to restore all this current junk.

 

[Paystar]

That Jubilee is some rare! To see one with not only an era correct loader, but also a backhoe! WOW!!! That is sweet.

That loader looks more like a crane boom than a loader, LOL

 

[wolc123]

Don't know about you guys, but I love my old tractors better than the new ones. If any had to go for some reason.....it would be the new ones.

The sound, the feel, the simplicity........they can't be beat.

Like the conversation I heard on a show on RFD TV.......will any modern tractors ever be around in 80 years as collectors? You will need lap tops and electronics to restore all this current junk.

I’m with you there for sure. Also, now that gasoline is so much cheaper than diesel, the economy advantage once had by that fuel, is largely eliminated. I’m doing and planning to do a lot more work with my (2) antiques this year for that reason.

My favorite thing about that Cub, is that at fits in the 8 ft box of my 3/4 ton pickup. Soon, I will be hauling it over to my parents place, 20 miles away, so that it can take some of the load off of my dads little modern diesel CUT.

My Ford 8n can handle most of the work at our place. Maybe I’ll pick up an over running coupler for it so that I can use it on my 5 ft Bush hog. That way, I’d be free to unload my modern diesel if I wanted to.

The 8n couldn’t quite lift the light duty 6 ft Rhino rotary cutter that I had prior, but it has no trouble lifting the 5 ft medium duty Bush hog that I replaced that with after it wore out.

 

[somanytractors]

That Jubilee is some rare! To see one with not only an era correct loader, but also a backhoe! WOW!!! That is sweet.

That loader looks more like a crane boom than a loader, LOL

I tried using that backhoe once. It was a disaster and I gave up and used my to30.
That backhoe is different from most and I think it was intentional. It's actually called a power shovel.
The design is screwy. The cylinder that moves the top of the boom in and out is mounted to the frame where it mounts to the tractor. normally that cylinder is connected to the lower half of the boom. Because it's attached like that, when you lift the boom the bucket moves towards the tractor, and when you lower it the bucket moves away.
It might work ok for digging a ditch or maybe a pond in soft dirt but it's probably useless for construction.
I needed to put a pipe across my driveway which is pretty hard. The bucket moving away while I was trying to push it down into the driveway made it not work, and then trying to lift it straight up was another fiasco.
If I never used a normal backhoe it might have been learnable but when you're used to them doing one thing and this one is doing it's own thing, it makes it really difficult to operate. If I was going to keep it I probably would have moved the mount for that cylinder up onto the lower boom, but then it wouldn't be original anymore.
That tractor was mostly original except for gauges and stuff that normally has to be replaced.