Horsepower increase

[Brady D]

Is it possible to increase the power on a tractor?if so what’s the best way to do it

 

[jeff9366]

Start with a Google search:

LINK: tractor turning up the power

Consider if it is prudent to increase power on a nearly 40 year old tractor for which parts may be in limited supply.

As the Ford 1910 produces its 32-horsepower at a brisk 2,500 rpm in stock condition, if you turn up the fuel the engine will be revving near 3,000 rpm. Watch the engine temperature gauge under load!!!!

 

[alexpops]

ECM programming on the modern machines/standard engine swap/hot rodding techniques on older mechanical machines. Neither approach will be "easy", but if you know your way around the systems & don't mind making mistakes that might destroy the engine as you learn ... go for it. On the newer machines, you will probably be violating any number of EPA laws in addition to destroying your warranty, so those are other considerations, not to mention that the systems & interfaces tend to be proprietary & different between manufacturers so getting access to the fuel maps & timing could be an adventure in & of itself. If it was me (AND I had another tractor available for necessary work) I'd start with an older, tired tractor with mechanical injection and a wet sleeve cylinder set-up. Rebuild the top end as necessary (assuming the crank journals are in decent/salvageable shape & the heads/deck don't require too much machine work, then when you are back/close to stock (as new power), if that isn't enough, look at bigger injectors & turbo, a custom ground cam, and injector pump upgrades. Once done, you'll have a "custom" tractor so be prepared that you will be the only one that can do repairs since no manufacturer specs exist for what you've done. Not cheap. You'd probably be better off simply buying a used bigger HP tractor. If the problem isn't HP per se, but performance of your hydraulics, you could look at hydraulic pump upgrades which might be simple R&R bolt-ons. What is the problem & what do you need the power for?

 

[LD1]

Id be hesitant on a 1910.

Alot of tractors across different HP levels use the same engine but different tuning.
For example....the modern deere 5045e, 5055e, 5065e, 5075e ALL use the same 2.9L turbo engine. Just different tuning to get a 45-75hp range.

Kubota L3301 and L3901 share the same engine.....one is just tuned hotter (or the other is de-tuned).

However....I dont see ANY similar tractors in the 00, 10, 20 series fords that use the same engine at a higher power level than yours.

I know there are exceptions to the rule.....but it seems manufactures like to stop at 20hp/L for NA and 25HP/L for turbo. And you are already right there.

I too question why you need more power? And if there are other ways around it. Its not like you are gonna do anything that is gonna magically do to turn a 32hp machine into a 50hp machine.

Maybe 10% boost in power on a dyno.....but I doubt you would notice the difference between 32hp and 35hp in the real world.

Honestly probably cheaper and better if you need more HP is to sell your tractor and get a bigger one

 

[Rebeldad1]

drop down a gear...

 

[Jchonline]

A tubrocharger is always an option on a modern engine that is built for it. I would not risk ruin to my Vintage engine trying to make one work, but maybe others have different opinions.

 

[bullbreaker]

Is it possible to increase the power on a tractor?if so what’s the best way to do it

Power to where , wheels ?
Heres an older TBN thread were some of us within specs bumped up the lift capacitie on our FEL , etc . Can't speak for all models but we done it on the L2800/L3400 Bota's . After help from this thread and member support I did it too mine within spec's and it worked well . Well worth checking , seems like factory set flow lower to purhaps protect the warranty . Some folks here might remember this thread .

Bump up lift capacity of L3400/LA463 Loader

I really like my tractor except that the loader is kind of weak. I would like to know if anyone has increased the relief valve pressure by adding shims to the relief spring? My salesman told me Kubota builds in a pretty safe cushion on there hydraulics and in my shop manual it looks pretty...

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[oosik]

The BEST way - purchase a bigger tractor.

 

[Chillman88]

A tubrocharger is always an option on a modern engine that is built for it. I would not risk ruin to my Vintage engine trying to make one work, but maybe others have different opinions.

This is the easiest way, but at what cost? The only way to tell if your engine would hold up is to try, but if it doesn't it'll get expensive fast.

If you do try it, let me know and maybe I'll try it on mine

Typically turbo engines have stronger rods and other internal upgrades to support the added cylinder pressure.

If you're really pushing the limits of your tractor you can always try making sure the fuel system is in top condition.

I have an IDI diesel in my truck and the fuel system working correctly and timing being correct can be the difference between running strong and barely moving.

Since your tractor has such low hours you may want to try some "Hotshots secret" fuel system cleaner on your next fillup. It's done a good job cleaning up dirty fuel systems in a few trucks on another forum I'm on and I've had good luck with it as well.

 

[alexpops]

What do you need the power for? HP increases tend to occur at higher RPM, so 1) you won't see the gains unless you are redlining the tach, and 2) to get the high rpm performance often calls for a sacrifice in low rpm performance (think of the idle on a tricked out strip car that won't stay running without a constant bump of the pedal when idling), 3) even a simple turbo upgrade requires exhaust pressure (faster revving) to spool up & you won't see much improvement at lower rpm (could be worse if you are over-fueling before the turbo spools). Finally, do you have the traction to get the extra power to the ground, or are you simply spinning your wheels (literally and figuratively).

You get speed at the expense of reliability and reduced engine life plus you really need to monitor engine temps & do other upgrades to keep from destroying the engine (bigger radiators, oil coolers, water & oil pumps, the list goes on). Racers are known to rebuild engines for each race & weekend hot rodders usually have a less extreme backup vehicle for their daily driver. If you are looking for low end torque, nothing beats displacement, but then you are stressing other parts of your tractor (transmission, frame, axles, take your pick). Everything is a trade-off, so what are you trying to achieve? There are much smarter folks than me on the forum who can give you good advice on tractor specific considerations that may be more cost effective than hot rodding your existing machine.

To answer your original questions "is it possible to increase power on a tractor?" Absolutely ... with enough money, knowledge, & time you can increase power on ANY vehicle. "What's the best way to do it?" Can't answer that unless we know the problem you are trying to solve that you think "power" will rectify.

 

[mad_planter]

Is it possible to increase the power on a tractor?if so what’s the best way to do it

More HP without the weight to go with it isn't very useful.

 

[ptsg]

More HP without the weight to go with it isn't very useful.

What if the OP is looking for more HP for a PTO application?

 

[alexpops]

What if the OP is looking for more HP for a PTO application?

His implement is too big for the tractor/engine? or he's going too fast for the implement to keep from bogging down the engine? Power comes from Torque ... HP yields speed by maintaining torque further along the rpm curve until the two are equal at max HP. Any more rpm after that & torque drops off. Also, if the hp is for PTO only, he risks the gearbox/the tranny/the driveshafts(s)/axles as well as engine bearings/crankshaft, valves, pistons if his build isn't done right. Assuming he is getting 540 rpm at the pto @ 2200 engine rpm, what will the extra 750-1000 engine rpm get him @ the pto besides broken parts & worn clutches? If the implement is stalling his tractor he needs a smaller implement or he needs to run it slower. I love power/speed/& hot rodding for all things driven by an engine. At the same time, I will always gauge the application & the results of failure. If he's got another reliable tractor to do work & this is his "toy" ... hell drop an old p-pump cummins 4 or 6 BTA into the thing, manufacture/find the tranny adaptors (or replace with the dodge 5 speed manual), put in a new hydraulic pump set-up, redesign the hood, mounts & frame to support the weight & cover the beast & go break stuff with the 105-600 HP he can produce with relatively little effort. It ain't going to be reliable, fuel efficient, or cheap, but it will be LOTS of fun until he has to tow it back to the barn. Depending on weight distribution & traction, a roll cage probably would be a good safety addition. I've come close to winning a Darwin award on numerous occasions & spent WAY too much money adding power to things that weren't designed to handle it, & in all likelihood I will again before I die. It's one thing to throw a rod or blow your tranny when you're halfway down a 1/4 mile strip of asphalt, different calculation if you're 100 miles offshore in a boat or if you ain't feeding the family this month because you had "a great idea" to soup up the old girl cheap. Anything CAN be done, but it ain't always the smart or "best" thing to do. If he needs more power to run the 18 ft batwing field mower on a regular basis, a bigger tractor is probably cheaper & more reliable than anything I might do, if he needs to skid some big trees that he can't pull now, he's probably better cutting the logs in half or off renting something for the day that will. If it's a matter of the 6 ft bush hog bogs down the tractor at 6 mph, try downshifting & run at 3 mph while maintaining the pto rpm or run a 4 footer instead. Lots of answers, but OP still hasn't responded with why he wants the power, nor has he offered an indication of the budget to achieve said extra power.

 

[pmsmechanic]

What if the OP is looking for more HP for a PTO application?

This happens often in some farming situations. I'm talking about a pull type potatoe digger where half or more of the available horsepower is being used through the pto to power the digger. It's not an unusual situation for some. Farmers don't usually soup up their tractors for this though. They buy a model designed for this.