Leaking 8N Rear Axle - How to Fix??

Farmallhal

Well-known Member
I have the 1952 Ford 8N dad bought new in 1952 when we moved to the farm which I got running again this spring after setting for years without being used. It is a real handy tractor with the hi-lo Sherman transmission it is equipped with. I am presently using it to check my cattle herd a few times a day on about 100 acres of grazing land as it is fall calving time for my herd. I noticed the other day and again today I have streaks of oily lube on the outside of the left rear axle running down the wheel. All of the fluids were replaced earlier this year when I was getting it useable again so it could be an over fill issue but I followed the original operator's manual. It is not a real bad leak but is certainly noticeable on the grey wheel and tire. Not being familiar with repairing 8N's and no part manuals (I play with Red Tractors) I would like to know what is required along with any special suggestions on what is in need of replacement or repair and any special "how it's done" suggestions from the folks on this forum who live daily with this series of Ford tractors. Any comments and suggestions will be most appreciated but am believing it is just a bearing, seal, gasket or combination of them somewhere that needs replacement. Thanks for any and all of your responses to this issue, Hal.
 
Thank John Smith, he detailed the process complete with pics on his website here.
Best of luck with the N, you may just get rid of them red ones! ;)
 
Being a '52 it is obvious that you have an axle seal leak. Until you have the time to repair it, try draining our some oil by pulling the bottom bolt out of the inspection side cover (where the trans.-hyd.-diffy. dip stick is located.
There is more than enough left to use as you are using it.
 
Thanks for the information and I will be printing the entire link as there is certainly a lot of good information available there. I presume the John Smith you noted in your response is the John who also responded to this thread. If so I will give him a big thank you for putting this all together.
My main everyday "get them dirty" tractors are Ford models 5610 and 3610 with all the modern features which make them very useable. I will always have a love affair with the older Farmalls as I started driving them when I was five pulling a hay loader and a wagon around the fields when hay was put up loose. Grandpa also had the neighborhood thrashing machine so we thrashed all the neighbors every summer and almost everyone in this area had Farmalls following WWII. I drove tractors everyday all summer as a kid back in my youth. The 8N's and other 3 point tractors came along in the early 1950's around here. I really have a problem with large 3 point implements which can't easily be jostled around like the smaller ones sized for the N series tractors. Give me IHC 2 point fast hitch implements anytime as they can be so easy to attach to the hitching system on the Farmalls and other fast hitch IH tractors until they quit making the hitches and implements and surrendered to the 3 point. I have a New Holland 616 disc mower that takes the entire neighborhood to get it installed on the 5610 being so heavy and awkward to handle frequently requiring every type of jack and prying device we can find to get it attached to the tractor. Once on it stays for the hay season too.
Thanks again for the link to John's N series bible for the working man, Hal.
 
You're welcome for the link Hal. I own a few Farmalls too.
From an F-12 through the letter series.
John Smith is a forum member here, but not the same John
that replied. His actual forum name is John Smith8N IIRC.
He's a wealth of knowledge. Look him up if you need parts.
 
Be advised that the early and late 8N tractors used entirely different rear axle bearing/seal designs.

Make certain that you use the procedures for your late 8N.

Dean
 
Thanks Dean for the heads up. I checked the s/n of the tractor and it is actually a 1951 model even though dad purchased it in 1952 as the s/n is 378xxx. It's been a while now as I was 10 when dad bought the farm but I sort of remember dad saying (he passed a few years ago now) it was a new tractor that was returned to the dealer unused as the original purchaser had a health problem and had to move to town and couldn't farm any longer and he had bought it the fall before. It is a side distributor model so I know it is a later one for sure. Thanks again and you 8N guys are nice to chat with, Hal.
 
Thanks again and I printed off the entire post and plan to put it in a blue or gray notebook with a Ford 8N label. I will probably take it a local shop that specializes in N series repairs as they are really good and provide their services very reasonable and those kind of businesses need to stay around for us when we really need them. I have learned from working on the Farmalls that the first time doesn't go as well as the later ones at the same type of task as there is quite a learning opportunity with everything you do. I just finished a Farmall 240 restoration and had to remove the radiator five times because something had to be done behind it which required it's removal again, again, again and again so I know 240 radiator installations very well and all the critical sequence for the up front stuff. With limited time available to me this time of the year (my cattle herd is having their fall calves) I need to dedicate my attention to them and the other fall activities I need to be involved in getting ready for winter. Our hot summers lets the must do's pile up for those shorted cooler days when they can be given some available time, Hal.
 
Thanks John for your response. Can I drain the fluid down to the plug you mention or should only a specific amount be taken out? Is that plug a check plug, level plug or for some other reason? Thanks again for the tip but I may have it somewhat overfilled but don't recall how much fluid I added or if I got it totally drained through all of the drain plugs for that area being the first time I ever serviced an 8N, Hal.
 
Where do you live as I am always interested in meeting the Farmall folks and I live in Missouri between St. Louis and Springfield, Missouri close to the town of Rolla. If you are down this way contact me as I am always meeting the Farmall folks in their travels, Hal.
P.S. My email is open if you don't care to respond to the world.
 
I'm in Ionia County Michigan.
I get out your way once in a while, but not too often.
If I get a chance I'll sure look you up.
I'll send you an email too, just so we can keep in touch.
 
It is just the bottom bolt of the inspection plate. If you read the dip stick it says "Full with all cylinders extended". You are not using any hydraulics or maybe the 3 point which is maybe a quart of oil. Full the system is 5 gallons. Being down a gallon is not a problem.
 
Thanks John for the clarification and I will take a gallon out as the hydraulics are never used and at present the 3 point is locked in position for the drawbar which is probably the only thing that will be attached to the tractor in the foreseeable future. I have other tractors with far better hydraulic systems and 3 point hitches along with enough HP to do about anything I have the equipment for. Back in it's day when it was the only tractor on the farm it was very useful and did a lot of dirt work on this farm for many years before dad obtained an upgraded and more powerful tractor in the mid-1960's. Thanks again, Hal.
 

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