What year Ford introduced 4 speed transmission

Canuk · Dec 15, 2017

Hello, looking at buying an N newer the 2N I currently have and was wondering if anyone knew what year Ford started to use the 4 speed transmission?
The unit I am looking at also has the coil mounted on the side of the block, vs part of the distributor.

Not able to get the serial yet to verify the year and don't care too much given it is quite a bit newer than my 2N.

flembo · Dec 15, 2017

That would be 48.

Royse · Dec 15, 2017

Four speed started with the 8N in 1948.
Side mount distributor, if that's what it has, was mid 1950.
Assuming you are looking at an 8N that is.
Jubilee/NAA had both of those features too, but it was a
valve-in-head engine, not the flathead like the N's.

Check out John Smith's excellent site for details. [b:0c2ff5752e]Link[/b:0c2ff5752e]

Canuk · Dec 15, 2017

Thanks for all the great info folk's

Dean · Dec 15, 2017

As mentioned by previous posters, below, the 4 speed transmission became available on the 8N model, introduced as a 1948 model.

FWIW, aside from the increased number of forward gears, the Ford 4 speed transmission is a major improvement over the 9/2N 3 speed transmission as it is a constant mesh design rather than a sliding gear design as used in the earlier models.

Dean

souNdguy · Dec 18, 2017

a word of advice.. if you are upgrading from a 2n, completely skip the 8n, and naa and go to a 600/800 series or better. Not
much more $, but lots more tractor.

Tim PloughNman Daley RIP · Dec 19, 2017

Yes, in July, 1947 FORD introduced the new 8N Model, '8' for model year (1948)and 'N' simply was their code identification for vehicle/tractor. One of the twenty-something new improvements over the prior 9N/2N Models was a 4-speed forward transmission. Farmers wanted a higher road speed without having to purchase a Sherman Step-Up. An interesting historical note is that when Harry Ferguson first got down to business with Ford engineers in Dearborn, he wanted a 4-speed transmission on the 9N Model. He also wanted an overhead valve engine. Ferguson was overruled by Ford on both those items. It wasn't until 1947 when he introduced his own tractor, made in Coventry, England, called the TE20 model ('T' designated TRACTOR; 'E' designated ENGLAND; and '20' designated horsepower) that he was finally able to put those ideas into practice. He was right on both accounts, the OHV engine being much better than the flathead and a 4-speed better than a 3-speed. Now you know the rest of the story (thanks Paul Harvey).

Tim Daley(MI)

What year Ford introduced 4 speed transmission

Canuk

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flembo

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Canuk

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Tim PloughNman Daley RIP

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