2N dist or mag?

pulled home what is supposed to be a 47 2N the other day for my wife. I'm familiar with farmalls, this tractor is different. It has no spark, it has a 6 volt battery and a starter. It has a front mount ignition device. looks like radiator has to come out to get to it. would this be a mag or a distributor if all original? Painted like an 8N

Chances are about 99 out of 100 it's a front distributor.

The front distributor was designed to come off of the tractor to replace/adjust the points. To do this, remove the wire on the coil, remove the coil bail, remove the distributor cap & take the two bolts off. The base of the distributor has an offset tang & can only go back one way unless you really force it on.

Post back when you are ready to get to work on it.

Meanwhile, check out tips 39, 66, 67 & 68.
75 Tips

That is a distributor and there is no need to remove the radiator. Remove the coil and distributor cap then just remove the 2 bolts that hold the distributor on and pull the distributor out and work on it on the bench. The tang on the distributor is offset so there is no need to worry about timing the distributor when you put it back in.

Mark

[b:7da4e71340][i:7da4e71340]
Rusty;
OEM for that yr. is a front mount distrib.
If your 47 2N looks like this.......then that turttle looking thing with the square can coil on top, is the distrib.!!!!
Take the coil off, and lay it back on the engine.....then remove the two bolts..(one on each side of the distrib., to remove the turttle thingie. ,,,,,open that up to access the points, and inspect the inside!!!



Gary[/i:7da4e71340][/b:7da4e71340]

RustyR........3-speed 2n's came from the factory painted GRAY all over. 4-speed 8N's came from the factory with castiron painted vermillion (RED) and sheetmetal painted lite gray. Many 9N/2N's were repainted like 8N's. Paint it enny color that pleases you just as long as you don't paint it GREEN'n'YELLOW. I once saw one painted pantie pink. Yeah, the 4-nipple front mount is weird. Points (0.015) are installed on the kitchen table. (seriously) Un-snapple the capple and remove 2-bolts and walk. Installation is a reveral of the removal ...except... finger start the 2-bolts and install the rotor. Rotate the rotor until the OFF-SET tang fits in the OFF-SET camshaft slot. Now tighten the 2-bolts and re-snapple yer capple. Simple, eh? Keep yer itchy-twitchy fingers off'n them handy-dandy carbie tweek'ums. Iff'n ya futtzed with'em, fess up and I'll tell you how to doo'er rite. As to yer original question, NO, the radiator doesn't haffta come out and it is NOT a magnito.........HTH, Dell, yer self-appointed sparkie-meister

This is what a mag would look like.

Mark

looks like it must be a distributor after all strange looking thing Thanks for the replies

Not so strange to us FOG's who worked on V-8 Fords built between 1932-48!

Set the timing isn't all that straight forward; check out the manual or post back for help.
75 Tips

Magnetos were used on the few wartime 2Ns built, late 42 thru early 43. As the others have said, you most likely have a front mount distributor. NO! You do not need to remove the radiator, hood, or grille to get to it. Got an I&T F-04 manual? Get one if not. When I work on anything electrical on tractors I first disconnect the battery ground strap from it. I don't want any shorts or surprises. When I do tune-ups on the front mount distributor, I loosen the generator and slip belt off and store it on the fan blade, gently relax genny down, and now both are out of the way. Mark plug wires before removing from cap, note how they insert in crab-like cap nipples. I use masking tape, number the wires, knowing that timing is 1,2,4,3 starting at top left nipple, rotating counter-clockwise as viewed from front. Next, loosen and remove the nut securing the single wire to the top of the coil, then slip coil wire off and out the way. Then with a 1/2" wrench, loosen and remove the two hex bolts that secure the distributor to engine. The whole distributor assembly can now be removed from the tractor and taken to your workbench or kitchen table to rebuild. Some fellas opt to loosen the coil bail and remove the coil first after removing coil wire so whatever you choose will work. Many here suggest you invest in good points like Blue Streak or ECHLIN -available at NAPA as p/n CS35. Cheap plastic ones are junk so don't waste your time and money. Gap at .015" as Dell says. Get CHAMPION H12 (512) or AUTOLITE 437 sparkplugs gapped at .025"-.027" Google JMOR's Wiring Pictograms to see all the CORRECT ways to wire these old Fords. "...it has no spark..." You say it does have a 6-volt battery so how old is it? that'd be the first thing to check. Does it sustain a charge under load? Your trusty local starter/alternator shop can test usually for free. Generator, wiring, and round can cutout are equally as important too. You must know how the 6-volt/positive ground system is set up correctly and the do's and don'ts of operating a Ford N-Series Tractor so get the Operator's Manual as well.

Get an I&T F-04 Manual and a copy of the 39-53 MPC (Master Parts Catalog):

Tim *PloughNman* Daley(MI)

(quoted from post at 18:34:23 05/10/17) This is what a mag would look like.

Mark

Click to expand...

you mean like this?