FORD 2N OR 8N TRACTOR ID???

[PLUMMER]

I know this must be a common question, and I hate bothering people. BUT from what I've been reading here so far there are alot of junkies on here that love to just talk tractors, and thats never a bother. It always brings out new info and history.

What my father in law has at the cabin is a ford n series tractor with bad brakes. I am trying to figure out what year model it might be to keep an eye out for parts. HP rating too.

1. has 4 speed + R
2. clutch pedal on left side
3. 2 ?brake? pedals on right- 1 might be a pto clutch???
4. front bumper which I haven't seen in any of the pictures thru searching here so far
5. 3 pt control lever on right side next to seat w/stop adjuster
6. AMP guage and another rpm? guage but not one I have seen before
7. head lights and pull switch on left side of steering wheel
8. 3" lever right next to up and down 3pt lever...what it does ????
9. pto engage lever left side under seat.
10. 6 volt electrical system

best I can think of off the top of my head, its 90minute north of me and I won't be able to take pics for 2 weeks. Thanks for any help

 

[LD1]

I know this must be a common question, and I hate bothering people. BUT from what I've been reading here so far there are alot of junkies on here that love to just talk tractors, and thats never a bother. It always brings out new info and history.

What my father in law has at the cabin is a ford n series tractor with bad brakes. I am trying to figure out what year model it might be to keep an eye out for parts. HP rating too.

1. has 4 speed + R
2. clutch pedal on left side
3. 2 ?brake? pedals on right- 1 might be a pto clutch???
4. front bumper which I haven't seen in any of the pictures thru searching here so far
5. 3 pt control lever on right side next to seat w/stop adjuster
6. AMP guage and another rpm? guage but not one I have seen before
7. head lights and pull switch on left side of steering wheel
8. 3" lever right next to up and down 3pt lever...what it does ????
9. pto engage lever left side under seat.

best I can think of off the top of my head, its 90minute north of me and I won't be able to take pics for 2 weeks. Thanks for any help

There will be the serial number stamped on the engine. It usually says wether it is an 8n, 9n, or2n. Then you can check tractor data for what year it is based off the serial #.

But that really only will tell you what the engine is. Since these tractors are so old and they made so many, an 8n engine doesnt not necessiaraly mean the rest is 8n.
To answer question 8. That little lever is draft control.

And if you can remember what it looks like, as far as your brakes are concerned, look at the wheel hubs. An 8n wheel will have a closer spaced bolt pattern whereas the 2n and 9n had a VERY large diameter bolt pattern on the hubs.

Pics of each, first link is an 8n second one is a pic of a 9n

Maybe others will know be able to tell with the info you gave, but pictures and #'s is the only way to tell for sure.

Google Image Result for http://www.usawa.com/USAWA%20Uploads/2010/07/Ford8n.jpg

Google Image Result for http://americandreamcars.com/1940ford9ntractor011407.jpg

 

[PLUMMER]

Thanks, its definitely not the 9n. However the seat mount on ours is a big ole contraption. Not as simple as the 8n. That is definitely the bumper I was referring to. The 8n engine also looks alot like ours. Ours is alot better condition than the 9n but noo where near the 8n pictured. What is draft control??? Thanks

 

[simonmeridew]

sounds like an genuine 8N to me.
Where's the generator?...also the distributor?. The later 8N's had gen on the left side--same side as the starter. The early 8N's still had the distributor right behind the radiator on the front of the engine, later ones had distrib on the right side of the engine, right behind the governor. Governor also had a shielded cable out the back going to the proofmeter(what you are calling the 'rpm gauge' on the 8N.
simonmeridew

 

[PLUMMER]

starter & generator is on the drivers side or left side of the tractor. There is a gauge that moves in direct correlation to throttle position. My only guess was rpm or maybe oil pressure but I doubt the oil pressure goes upto 60-80 psi as it does while running it. What is a proof meter ?

 

[wolc123]

The rpm gauge or "proofmeter" was only offered on the 1951 and 1952 model 8n's so that is what you got. You would need to check the serial number to find out if it is a 51 or 52 as there were no differences between the two and all parts were shared. I have a 1951 and it is one heck of a tractor, still my favorite of all time. These tractors represent the high-water mark for the once-great Ford tractor company. It was all downhill after that as they lost ground to the competition and eventually were absorbed by some foreign outfit which has saw fit to drop the "Ford" name entirely. Luckily, enough of them n's were produced and are still around such that parts availability will not be an issue in the forseeable future. If you are going to own any Ford, you got the right one. There are some Ford enthusiests who like to extoll the virtues of later models, with "improvements" like live hydraulics and overhead valve engines. While those things might make some jobs easier, they also hurt reliability a bit and will help retire most of them later models long before the last 8n turns its last sod.

 

[Soundguy]

i agree.. 8n..

poke here for alot of good ID info

soundguy

Smith's Old Ford Tractors

go to id section..

 

[PLUMMER]

great info, thanks very much. I assume I will find the ser # ontop of the head somewhere. and chassis #. The tractor came with the land and barn when my father in law bought it back in 84'. I found some pictures of it from 71' from the previous owner I believe, if its the same tractor. The tractor is like the 8n pictured in LD1's link but very faded paint and no rear headlight. Light surface rust as it has always been stored in the barn. From what he tells me its never had to be repaired other than a battery about 10 years ago when someone broke in and left keys & lights on. I don't know how but every season last 7 years I've been in the family it always does that long quiet chug of a turnover and starts right up. Any idea on what kind of HP it has? and what that draft control is??? Thanks again , its very interesting reading about the history of a piece of iron like this.

 

[Jbrink64]

Appears to be a '50 or newer 8N.

 

[wolc123]

That model will have approximately 28 hp on the pto and 25 on the drawbar and was made to plow one acre per hour with a 2 x12" plow in second gear and average soil conditions. The draft control is the "down" position on that little lever under the seat and allows the plow to hold a uniform depth as the tractor travels uneven terrain. Ordinarily, that is only used for plowing. It is easy to remember the draft position, "d" is for down with the little lever. Almost all other 3 point implements are better operated with the little lever in the up or "position control" position. 9n's and 2ns, virtually the same, and produced before 1948, lacked the "position" position, which holds the implement in a fixed position relative to the tractor. This makes those models much less effective on implements like bush-hogs than the 8n's. The 8n, although my favorite all time tractor, does have some weaknesses. It is terribly unsuited for front loader operation with its light front axle, 2wd, and lack of power steering. It is also rather poor at pto operation like bush-hogs, balers, etc, compared to same hp, other make tractors of the era like Farmall and John Deere. It really does shine on the plow however, and that is where no other could really compete, until they too adopted the draft-control 3 point hitch that was first brought to the massess with the Ford n's. That hitch allowed a nimble, light weight tractor to plow circles around the heavy behemoths that the competion was producing at the time.

 

[PLUMMER]

Would the draft in down position be like "float" position thats on our front end loaders and dozers. Will draft work well for a howard hr-3-50" tiller? When you say 25hp on the drawbar??? that would be??? please excuse the lack of tractor knowledge..... Thank you again, it is much appreciated.

 

[Soundguy]

great info, thanks very much. I assume I will find the ser # ontop of the head somewhere. and chassis #. The tractor came with the land and barn when my father in law bought it back in 84'. I found some pictures of it from 71' from the previous owner I believe, if its the same tractor. The tractor is like the 8n pictured in LD1's link but very faded paint and no rear headlight. Light surface rust as it has always been stored in the barn. From what he tells me its never had to be repaired other than a battery about 10 years ago when someone broke in and left keys & lights on. I don't know how but every season last 7 years I've been in the family it always does that long quiet chug of a turnover and starts right up. Any idea on what kind of HP it has? and what that draft control is??? Thanks again , its very interesting reading about the history of a piece of iron like this.

the link I gave you shows you EXACTLY where to look, including pics.

the ENGINE BLOCK on the left side, below the HEAD, on a 1x4 flattened boss will have the engines SN weakly hand stamped on it.. all 8n begin with 8n.. all 9n/2n begin with 9n

it's not uncommon to see 8n with 9n sn blocks. or vs a vis.. as the blocks are bolt compatible.

thus you have to look at casting dates to see if parts match.. in the end.. the 4spd trans mean you have an 8n.. a side distribuitor means a later 8n.. and an 8n engine usually, as it is alot of work to build up a side distrib block from a front mount.. just not economical to do so.. etc.

soudnguy

 

[Soundguy]

Would the draft in down position be like "float" position thats on our front end loaders and dozers. Will draft work well for a howard hr-3-50" tiller? When you say 25hp on the drawbar??? that would be??? please excuse the lack of tractor knowledge..... Thank you again, it is much appreciated.

the lil 3" handle goes up for position control, and horizontal for draft control. draft is not flaot it is DRAFT it's for ground engaging implements like moldboard plows it lets you set the, for lack of a better word, drag the tractor hyds feel.. if the plow plunges deeper or the soil gets heavier, the hyds lift the plow a bit.. if the soil gets looser, the hyds drop the plow a bit.. all in trying to keep a constant amount of drag ( draft) as set by the sensitivity ( height ) of the 3pt handle, while the lil lever is in draft position.

N are not good rototiller machines unless they have an aux post tranny like a howard rotovator trans.. or possibly an everette trencher trans. otherwise 1st gear at pto speed is way too fast for a tiller.

DB hp referes to drawn implements, again.. like a plow. an N is a great 2 bottom plow machine where the bottoms are 14" or less.. or a single 16. N's can pull and lift a 6.5' disc usually, and can generally drag a non agressive leveling disc as well. or run a 5' rough cut 'hog' style mower, or a 6' finish mower.

soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

here's that link again with GOOD tractor ID pics and info:

Identifying Old Ford Tractors

here's EXACTLY where the SN is:

 

[NJoldfarm]

It was all downhill after that as they lost ground to the competition and eventually were absorbed by some foreign outfit which has saw fit to drop the "Ford" name entirely.

Ford tractor production was purchase by Fiat in 1990 (80% the remaining 20% in 1993). It was merged with CaseIH in 1999 (also owned by Fiat). Fiat was allowed to use the Ford blue oval signature until 1995 and the block lettering Ford name until 2000. Fiat didn't "see fit" to drop it but was required to by Ford. So they consolidated names (Heston, Ford, Case, IH, New Holland, Versatile) into a smaller number of name plates: CaseCE, and New Holland for the construction lines. CaseIH for the agricultural divisions.

I wouldn't say that the N tractors where the high point, but were the iconic Ford tractors as they were out front with the 3pt hitch and good all around tractor design. It could satisfactorily do all jobs on the farm or industrial (my dad's '41 9N was the phone company mowing machine until it retired to farm for him in 1956). My 1983 340A backhoe was a hard working mule like the Ns. Only replaced the battery and the drive universal for the hydraulic pump in 10 years of hard work. and only traded up to a larger Case 680CK for heavier work I now do.

 

[PLUMMER]

Well I got lucky as I had a job in Marlette to do today, only 25 minutes from the cabin and I had my camera this time. Needed it for the job EST. I found several numbers but I'll start with the engine block

Engine block - <> 8N459016 <> DIAMONDS very unlevel stamping but clear
number behind the oil filter 5661437 with a circle around a star, steering box
tranny behind the muffler under the foot rest 1SK a big dot L8 now it also
could have been ISH dot LB
I also found a 9N543 on a arm from the 3pt under the seat.
then there was another # to the right of the E block # under the battery
it was 18 819 .2 this was a hard one to read and I'm not 100% its correct
then reading verticle it was 8N-C

I will post some pictures soon, Thanks again all, it is a fun experience learning all this. They are way more fun to work on than what I usually do.

 

[Soundguy]

moter is an 8n.. lets see a pic of the chassie..

soundguy

 

[PLUMMER]

More pictures

 

[Soundguy]

side mount 8n.. no doubt about it.. hubs and brakes and hyds plus other details tell all.

soundguy