Any Ferguson TO-20 owners here??

[JenniferBX]

I should say NW Oregon/SW Washington owners....Husband and I are soon going to pick up our very first vintage tractor, Ferguson TO-20...These were built from 1948 to about the end of 52,

I was thinking of painting ours, when we get that far along, in the UK colors, just to liven it up a bit...All battleship gray is a LOT of gray...but Husband likes the idea of correct factory colors all the way...Oh heck, that discussion is perhaps a few years away..First we need to get it home and see what it needs...and I am expecting just about everything, as it has sit out in a field for 4 years, exposed to Oregon rain....The sheet metal is solid, and at least 4 years ago the engine WAS running when it was just parked...but by now it might be seized....Just don't know.... We expect it will take a lot of work over a period of time...Price was right...VERY right, considering the unknowns....

 

[Oleozz]

Welcome JennBX. I had a TO 30 for quite a few years that I used for brush cutting and snow plowing. It was a good little tractor, the pan seat was uncomfortable to ride and the sediment bowl was always a pain but other than that it did well. Good luck with your 20.

 

[JenniferBX]

Thanks! When we get it done, it is likely to have the Life of Leisure. We have a Kubota BX23 that gets used for the little chores that we have...The Ferguson will likely end up being a parade queen! If we can get the 3 point working reliable, we might mount up our rear box scraper, but we bought it with the intent of restoration and fun rather than work....All those vintage tractor programs on RFD-TV had an influence on both of us!

 

[tessiers]

I bought a 53 Ford NAA (real similar) that had been sitting for 6 to 7 years, checked all the fluids and a carburator rebuild and she runs like a top. Raked 600 bales of hay so far this year with it. Those old tractors don't know anything but work and they are real simple to boot.

I hope you have as good a luck as I had.

 

[JenniferBX]

When I was about 8 years old, about 50 years ago, I was allowed to 'drive' one of my uncles tractors, first time ever to drive a tractor all alone! It was one of those late 40s, early 50s Ford N series.....I still remember that experience clear as yesterday...They sent me out into a fresh plowed field to see how I would do..Naturally I got crosswise to the furrows and had a wonderful time bouncing up and down for a while....A good laugh was had by all....Precious memories, the people are now all passed away....The old farmhouse was burned down in the 70s, and the barn was pulled over in the early 90s and bulldozed into a hole and covered over...The whole place is gone the way of a larger landholding..

 

[Soundguy]

once you get it, I reccomend pulling the spark plugs and filling the cyl's full of atf fluid mixed with a lil diesel to thin it. thread the plugs in loosely to keep debri out.

after it sets for a few days, remove the plugs and try to bar the engine over by hand a bit.. just a quarter turn or so.. then add more atf/diesel and the plugs. do this every couple days till you have rolled her over all the way.

once that is done, get a battery, new set of plugs and points, and an oil filter and some engine oil. perhaps just walmart supertech 30w or similar... check coolant as well.. flush.. add plain water for now.. but have coolant on hand for later.

drain the engine oil.. if it comes out milky you will want to flush it.. add the new engine oil then run the starter over with t he old plugs out to expell the oil in the cyls.. have a pile of newspaper ready.... add new gapped plugs and new points, then fire her up.. if id DID have milky oil.. let it run 15 minutes and drain again and put in another oil filter and more oil. ( if you are just doing the flush.. try 10w30 for the flush oil )

evaluate oil pressure so you can make a decision on what permanent oil to run in her based on engine wear and climate.

that machine has a common sump rear section.. holds about 5g of tranny, diffy.hydro oil.. 90wgl1 or gl3, or 80w90 gl4/5 that is listed as yellow metal safe. Many people run UTF in them. but I have heard of a few vo.. mplain about utf oil in the fergies. ( same scotch yoke pump as a 9n.. etc.. ) if milky oil comes out, dump in about 3 gallons of diesel, a couple quarts atf fluid, and a couple pints of 90% rubbing alcohol fromt he drug store. run it around the yard for 5 minutes or so, then drain again.. now add your regular oil, assuming no leaks at the pto shaft were seen. ( napa sells 90w gl-1 oil as part number 65-205.. and I have seen yellow metal safe 80w90 gear oil in the gl5/mt1 at walmart ).

also.. get a service manual and owners manual. it will have goodies in it .. like engaging pto to run 3pt hyds, etc.

soundguy

 

[JenniferBX]

That is a good cylinder mix!.....My husband also mentions adding a product called Kroil to the ATF and Diesel...It is a super penetrating oil made by Kano Labs....We have used it for years around here on old tools and around the shop...The ATF and Diesel have some actual decent lubrication and penetrating qualities also....I DO like your suggestion of not trying to just turn it over with a fresh battery by the starter......Letting it sit for a few days, and manually turning, several times, will ensure it gets lubed if it is still free, and will also give it a better chance if there is some seizing that can worked out by crank rotation...It would be nice to not have to pull the motor apart...We have never actually had to work with a seized up motor before, so the hints are appreciated!

BTW, we know a fellow that is restoring an old Alco PA railroad locomotive....It received an Alco 251 prime diesel that was seized so bad, even with the ability to remove rods from the crank, the pistons would not budge..He used a piston-top soup with some Kroil in it, sat for some months, and eventually it made it's way down the cylinder and allowed the pistons to be moved out...for more info go to :: NKP190.com :: and/or search for "NKP190"
Jennifer

 

[Soundguy]

kroil is good but expensive. in the end.. lots of those penetrant oils aren't much more than naptha, stoddards solvent, mineral spirits, diesel, kerosen or turpentine or some mix of all.. maybee even some acetone..e tc. That's why i use the atf/diesel or turpentine as a ctyl soak.. cheap.. and works 95% as good as some of the expensive stuff. really good at lubing and also freeing rings that may be stuck to cyl walls.

the diesel/atf/alcohol mix in the oil sumps is good to.. diesel thins the old oil and crud.. atf has detergent and provides some lube.. and the alcohol is a polar solvent and grabs water in soloution ( not suspension ) so it can be drained.

I've unstuck siezed chain saws witht hat homade mix when fellers ran it on plain gas and got the piston stuck.

good luck

soundguy

 

[Mikeeemo]

Welcome to TBN! You will find a lot of helpful information here. We have a Ferguson TO-35, and a Kubota L4400. The Ferguson still runs the planter and the finish mower. The Kubota does the heavy brush mowing. I hope to restore the TO in the future. I found that fergusonenthusiasts.com has a lot of info on the paint scheme you mentioned. I hope it starts easy. Soundguy gives solid advice.

 

[JenniferBX]

Thanks for the link to fergusonenthusiasts.com....

We are about to get new tires on our trailer, hopefully this week, then we can go get our little jewel in the rough.

Jennifer