Hey guys - I thought I?d tell you a bit about what I have going on in my garage down in Dallas, TX.
My family has a small piece of land that we?ve needed a tractor on for years but just hadn?t ever sprung for one. Being a working (desk job) guy for eight or so years now, I managed to find room in the budget for a new-to-me Ford 3000.
I believe it to be a ?65 vintage. It?s a diesel 3cyl. With an 8 speed tranny and power steering (although that part isn't working at the moment). She sure isn?t pretty but I think I got a fairly good deal on her for $1,850 with a mower and boom pole. I bought it from a guy who buys and sells them. I feel like he probably makes a few hundred dollars on these transactions but that didn?t rub me the wrong way. He got the tractor out of the pasture and got it running. He pretty much stopped there. Like a lot of cheap Craigslist tractors, it had been the victim of neglect for many years ? likely sitting in the pasture uncovered and subject to the elements. Among other things, there was a severe diesel and power steering fluid leak. I?m going to be the wrench turner for this operation and this is all new to me. Forgive my ignorance in advance.
On the project list is the following:
- Fix fuel leak
- Fix power steering leak and change filter
- Rebuild steering ram cylinders
- Fix minor PTO shaft leak
- Change oil/filter, trans fluid, rear diff/hyd fluid
- Swap radiator hoses out
- Change coolant
- Change belt
- Replace air filter assembly
- Replace keyed ignition
So far I?m finding terribly old, used fluids with or without water present (water has been limited to tranny without signs of any real corrosion). I?m also finding greasy dirt?a lot of greasy dirt. It makes me want to take my power washer out and just go to town on it ? although I understand this is bad for most things motorized so I likely won?t.
Long story short, I?m pretty excited about the project. I will certainly have questions along the way and will probably post them separately as they come up (if I can?t find an answer via search).
My family has a small piece of land that we?ve needed a tractor on for years but just hadn?t ever sprung for one. Being a working (desk job) guy for eight or so years now, I managed to find room in the budget for a new-to-me Ford 3000.
I believe it to be a ?65 vintage. It?s a diesel 3cyl. With an 8 speed tranny and power steering (although that part isn't working at the moment). She sure isn?t pretty but I think I got a fairly good deal on her for $1,850 with a mower and boom pole. I bought it from a guy who buys and sells them. I feel like he probably makes a few hundred dollars on these transactions but that didn?t rub me the wrong way. He got the tractor out of the pasture and got it running. He pretty much stopped there. Like a lot of cheap Craigslist tractors, it had been the victim of neglect for many years ? likely sitting in the pasture uncovered and subject to the elements. Among other things, there was a severe diesel and power steering fluid leak. I?m going to be the wrench turner for this operation and this is all new to me. Forgive my ignorance in advance.
On the project list is the following:
- Fix fuel leak
- Fix power steering leak and change filter
- Rebuild steering ram cylinders
- Fix minor PTO shaft leak
- Change oil/filter, trans fluid, rear diff/hyd fluid
- Swap radiator hoses out
- Change coolant
- Change belt
- Replace air filter assembly
- Replace keyed ignition
So far I?m finding terribly old, used fluids with or without water present (water has been limited to tranny without signs of any real corrosion). I?m also finding greasy dirt?a lot of greasy dirt. It makes me want to take my power washer out and just go to town on it ? although I understand this is bad for most things motorized so I likely won?t.
Long story short, I?m pretty excited about the project. I will certainly have questions along the way and will probably post them separately as they come up (if I can?t find an answer via search).