Ford 4000 Newbie Question

So I just purchased my first tractor. 1969 Ford 4000, 8 speed, 263 hours (Yes, 263) for $3500. Paid another $500 to have it shipped from Ohio to family land in NE Wisconsin. I had a friend meet the delivery truck in WI since I could not be there and he said there was some fluid on the deck of the truck. The bugs were pretty thick and he did not investigate after he got the tractor offloaded and into the shed. I am heading up this weekend and wondering what fluids to check for and in what order. Thanks!

If it still leaked some after being moved into the shed there will hopefully be a puddle under the tractor telling you where it is leaking from. My guess would be that it dripped form the weep hole where the cotter pin is on the bottom of the bell housing, meaning that the hole might have been clogged with dried mud and that the bouncing around on the truck ride might have knocked the dried mud out of the hole allowing it to drip. If that is the case then it is either the rear main seal on the engine or the input shaft seal on front of the transmission.

Thanks Sean! Both of those options sound a little scary to the newb.

Lay a big piece of cardboard under the tractor and within a few minutes you can probably tell if and where it is leaking. I'd prefer my tractor not leak but when I'm busy it sometimes is better to add fluid and finish up, then fix when I can fit it in.

Ditto what the other fellas said.

Find the leak and gauge it.

If its a drip an hour, that just means the bottom won't rust.

If its a constant drip, it will need a transfusion before use, and eventually surgery.

With that little of usage you may want to run it a little and see if the seals soften up and your leak may go away,I've had collector cars that seap a little
until they are used and don't leak all summer til the next spring and we start all over again.Just a thought.

The FIRST thing to do is order the reprint operators, and service manuals from this site. Parts books can be viewed free online at https://partstore.agriculture.newholland.com

You just got the tractor.
CHECK ALL of the fluids.
After you've made sure the fluids are ok drive it around some then park it back in the shed with some card board or plywood under it, if the shed has a clean concrete floor nothing is needed.
After it's set for a while look for wet spots and tell us where their at, photos would be good.

I'd like to see photo's of the tractor anyway, last one I seen with under 300 hrs on it was still new setting on the dealers lot.

I'd go one step farther and say, you just bought it,
CHANGE all fluids.

With those Hours chances are that oil has been in there for 49 years change it.

I would have been very surprised if there was not "some fluid" on the deck. As others have said just check fluids for contamination and run it and monitor them. Be sure to get it up to temp before draining.

Thanks guys. Great advice. The dealer told me it came from the U of Michigan so I am hoping that they had a schedule for tractor maintenance. I'll take some pics when I head up this weekend. Found an online version of the service manual here: http://www.dadzoolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/ford_tractor_2000-7000_1975-1975.pdf
but it's 913 pages long so I may have to buy one anyway. The fluids I am planning on checking are Engine Oil, Hydraulic, Transmission, and PTO. Am I missing anything? Thanks!

Coolant

That on-line manual you found is the official Ford Service Manual. You can also purchase the I&T FO-31 aftermarket service manual, which is sort of like a "Chilton's" for tractors. It is less expensive and covers most things. I have both, a hardcopy of the I&T manual and an electronic copy of the Ford manual.

After I made my last post the lights came on and I said to myself "Self, you are only an hour away from the University of Michigan, why not contact them to see if they have any records/manuals?" Made some calls and sent some emails. Will post if I can track it down.

Coolant added to the list. Thanks!

Power steering fluid if it has that.

I bought the Ford Service manuals years ago (90's), got the 40200070 set that had the extra volumes for the industrial models.
Think I paid over $125 for them back then.
The 900 page manual listed is the first 3 volumes of my set which is the standard ag manuals. # 40200050

I'm back, sorry it took me so long to update but life has been busy. Here are some pics I took of the new tractor. The first pics are of cardboard under the tractor to check for leaks. Tractor was run for several hours then parked with the cardboard under it for about 36 hours. Any comments on whether this seems like a little or lot of leaking welcome. In the original post I has the hours listed at 263, but that was a mistake, it only had 223 hours on it and we put some on it since then. I had also posted that the dealer told me it had come from the University of Michigan but after some unsuccessful attempts to track it down I called the dealer again and they told me it had come from Ohio State ATI at Wooster, Ohio. The key ring on the tractor is from a business in Wooster, Ohio so I think this is the case, but I have not had a response from them. I called just before the 4th of July break and have not had a chance to pester them since I returned, but I'll give an update if I get a response. The fluids have been checked for level, but I have not changed anything in hopes that ATI had a vehicle maintenance program and records of what has been done on the tractor. Here are the pics if I can figure out how to post them:

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Nice looking tractor. Everything seems to be in good shape. Almost new tires too. I think you paid a fair price for what you got. The leaks don't look bad for being run for several hours and then sitting for 36 hours. Keep an eye on the oil levels in the trans and engine and top them off from time to time and live with the drips until you can get around to doing something about them.