Info on '69 Ford 4000

JerryS

Well-known Member
I'm looking at a '69 Ford 4000 tractor, and I'm not familiar with this machine. It's a 3 cyl. gas, low hours, good tires and metal. One thing I'm curious about is what battery it uses: the battery pan, which swings out to allow access to the spark plugs, appears to be long enough to hold two batteries side by side.

What else do I need to know about this tractor?
 
Is this the same one you posted about on tractor talk the other day?
I figured you had missed that one.
The 3 cyl 4000s are pretty much bullet proof nachines.
There have been several threads on TT where someone asks what is the best utility tractor ever made and the 4000, along with the Massey 65 consistently come out on top of the heap.
You mentioned it was bigger than you expected which is true. For my purposes the 3000 is a better size. But the 4000 is actually easier to work on than a 3000 is. Mainly because the 4000 front axle and steering is much simpler.
They are very reliable and parts - both new and used are readily available.
The diesel will last longer than a gas engine will but the gasser is sufficiently long lived to make it worth owning.
The bad things about them is it is a pia to put points in one. The original Holley carbs suck.
A new Zenith carb is way better but at about $350 will make you need a mortgage to pay for one. Another very important drawback is the tach and hour meter on them failed early and often. So NEVER, ever trust the hours on one unless you run it long enough to see the clock turn over With Your Own Eyes!
Gasser will be a bit of a fuel hog compared to diesel but if you just do odd jobs with it that is not a big deal.
The last "correct" battery I bought for a 3 cyl gasser was about 5 years ago and because it is an industrial application had a p poor warranty. Was like $150 from Napa.
No more of those for me. I don't remember the size/# of the non "correct" battery but it must be low so the top posts do not touch the underside of the hood.
They are great tractors though. The wet disc brakes are fantastic.
 

I will post back in an hour or two after I go out for chores. I will check my tractor for the battery size. I have a 2000 gas with the same battery slider. I found a common car battery low enough to clear the posts and much cheaper than the big battery. No need for that much power on a gasser.

John
 
See if you can fit an automotive type in the tray. I have a 5000 that takes a very large 4DLT, and when prices got out of hand I measured and found a automotive type that will fit for a lot less $$, and engineered a hold down to keep it from sliding. Tractor still starts as good as it did, and I never had much luck keeping the 4DLT going for long anyhow, so I doubt I will have any bigger issue with longevity, and saved me about $50 over the 4DLT.
 
Thanks for the info, Jerry; I was hoping you'd chime in. Yes, this is the same tractor. I called the guy back a couple of days later and he said he still had it. By then I had re-thought my hauling options and knew I could get it home one way or the other. A super-nice guy; I told him I couldn't pick it up for a couple of weeks as I am doing some traveling. I offered to send him the money, but said no, just pay when I pick it up. Also, he said if I changed my mind, let him know and he would just re-list it. I'm not going to change my mind, however. I'm getting pretty excited about getting that baby home! I'm sure I'll be having more questions for you after that.
 
What I do anymore for a battery hold down is use one of those cheap 1" ratchet straps.
Cut one of the hooks off and shorten the strap.
Then wrap it under the tray and around the battery and snug it up with the ratchet on the side of the battery.
The nylon strap is not affected by acid and it lasts a long time.
Simple, cheap and effective.
 
Ultradog is correct. The diesel's used the 4DLT, but the gassers used a slightly smaller battery, something with "17" in the name, but I can't remember off the top of my head what the full name is.

The 4DLT won't fit on the battery tray of the gassers because of the notch missing in the corner of the tray where the air cleaner hose goes down to the carb.

Just get one with as many CCA's as possible that will fin on the tray without shorting out against the hood. I use a side post truck battery. Had to switch the cables to the side post type, but it guarantees the posts won't short out against the bottom of the hood, and I can fit a 850 CCA battery under the hood that way.
 
That is a great idea. I'll probably put one on my 5000. Right now it has a couple heavy zip ties, as I was looking for something quick and temporary.
 
The correct battery is a 17TF, hard to find and expensive. I have found an automotive battery group 49 fits and works fine.
 

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