The story of two 8N's

GOLDPAN6

Member
I had wanted a small tractor to take care of some chores on my small acreage.
I liked to lines of the 8N and the fact that parts are readily available.

I had saved up some cash and went to a local auction and there she was, A 1948 8N. She was pretty clean and had new carb, front wheels and new rubber all the way around. They started it up for about a min and shut it down and the auction began. I got myself my first tractor and I was very excited about it….Until I got it home.
Houston We Have A Problem.
I could only throttle up from the last inch on the throttle quadrant so I pushed on one of the governor levers and found all my power. After tracing it back I found that the throttle control lever at the bottom of the control arm had been turned way back and tightened so the tractor never could be revved up. Upon correcting the linkage I now had power all the way through the quadrant.
The motor starts knocking after you get past idle.
Compression test reads 90-90-90-30 cold & dry. After adding a cap full of oil to pistons it reads 110-110-105-60 cold & wet.
The one that’s bad is the one out front near the fan.

Now lets skip to part B of this story.
I had originally wanted to buy a 8N from the guy I buy my alfalfa from but he wouldn't give me a clear answer or amount, but two days after buying the first one he shows up wanting to sell. With the money gone I ended up trading a rifle for the tractor. The next day he drove it to my house and the deal was done.
The following day I took it out for a drive down the gravel road and found that it can’t be run in third gear and certainly not forth gear because the front end starts shimming back and fourth so bad ya just got to stop. Right side was the worst so I tried to stop it by putting my foot on the drag link. With just about standing on it I could minimize it some but still stopped and dropped down into second and limped it home.
Unfortunately the man failed to tell me the steering was shot, it has no breaks with the rear end leaking like a sieve and the engine oil pan is leaking and the hydraulics only stay up for a few min when I turn it off.

So here are my thoughts and my questions.
I need one of these to work for the next year, blade the snow, blade the driveway and cutting grass on 5 acres.
The other one will be put on blocks so a restoration can began.
Funds are very limited to a couple hundred a month until one is restored.

Question
Which one would be faster to get into service.
Do I go after A with the engine problem to get it running?

Or do I go after the one that runs but is leaking all over the place with no breaks or steering?


Funny part it, they were both supposed to work just fine and they don’t.
And I ended up with two 1948 8N’s in the same week with no planning on that on my part.
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The tie rod or drag links are long on both of these tractors. I think the rear one is a drag link. Anyway the tube that connects the two is short. Everything I see for sale has short ends and a long tube. Am I missing something here?
How difficult is it to take the steering box apart, inspect and put it back together. I'm more afraid of taking the steering box apart then I am the engine and I've done neither. Also, am I to understand it is cheaper to rebuild the engine then it is to rebuild the steering box? What’s with the zerc fitting on the steering box, I thought it took gear oil?
Brand new and started off with two...yes the books are coming. Where st start?
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If you need one running right now - switch engines, check and replace the clutch pad, / bearigs ...ect. Then go after the bad engine / breaks/ steering or just use it for a parts tractor...or sell it on the cheep.
 
Don't worry about the steering box. That's the last thing to go in the steering components; replace the tie rods ends, etc first.

The zerk is for grease. The box is supposed to hold 90w oil, but once the seals began to leak, the quick fix was grease. And, unfortunately, Ford recommended it. I replace the seals & use oil, because grease, no matter what brand, will harden & move out of the gears.

If the box is bad, it's not difficult to rebuild it, but parts can be hard to find.

Check out tip # 39 at the link for manual suggestions.

And John Smith's website has lots of great info as well. (including a chapter on how to buy an N.....but you can skip that one)

http://www.oldfordtractors.com/idhistory.htm

Your best bet is to swap engines. You can fix the leaky PTO shaft & non-working brakes for $2-300. (assuming the usual causes of non-working brakes)

As long as the lift works, don't worry about it dropping in a few minutes w/ the engine off. That can be fixed later.
75 Tips
 
GREAT PICTURES
QUESTION I SEE THERE IS A FUEL LINE AND FILTER ON LEFT SIDE BY OIL FILTER.DOES IT RUN IN FRONT OF ENGINE TO CARB.ANY PROBLEMS WITH FUEL LINE THAT LONG.LOOKS LIKE A GOOD IDEA INSTEAD OF GOING OVER TOP OF ENGINE.
 
RE: the steering box, I agree with Bruce, don't worry about it. Unless you are road racing you won't be going fast enough to get much shake out of it. I bought a '48 8N with the same problem... 4 yrs. ago. As long as it will steer you are good for now. The brakes were excellent on it. My 9N brakes have never worked much in the 22 yrs. I've owned it but my land is flat so lack of same has not been a problem. What ever is attached slows it down (yea, not the best but it beats removing loaded wheels by myself only to get them to mostly work). I agree that an engine swap would be the way to go, re-do the clutch while you are in there. Maybe even swap in the best parts from the rest of the front end while you are at it.

Beware of mission creep! Good luck and let us know how you are doing. Great help available on this forum.
 
Question: when the front end was shimmying, did the steering arms on your steering box move,or was it the wheels moving> The reason that I ask is that it looks like the drag links may be bad. Movement there could result in a wild ride,and also the spindle bushings may contribute to this looseness. lha
 
(quoted from post at 12:51:54 10/29/14) Question: when the front end was shimmying, did the steering arms on your steering box move,or was it the wheels moving> The reason that I ask is that it looks like the drag links may be bad. Movement there could result in a wild ride,and also the spindle bushings may contribute to this looseness. lha

Just to add also take a look at the front axle king pin an bushing. May be very worn.
 
Welcome to life with an old tractor.

The one with the shimmy, give the front wheels a little toe out an you should be good, that worked for me once. Also, you do not need to be running flat out on the road with a 65 year old tractor, who knows what else might come flying off.

Main thing, be sure all fluid levels are correct and have the proper fluid, then just drive them. Sometimes you can install a (hot) plug in the low cylinder and keep it running for a long time.

Those leaks are just like a male dog, it's just marking its spot. A few drops of oil on a concrete floor looks like you have spilled a qt. I always keep my tractor in the tool shed with a dirt floor, leaks do not look so bad on a dirt floor.

Just enjoy your tractors, keep a few gallons of tsc oil around to top off with.

Even high dollar tractors leak sometimes.
 
I've had my 8N for around ten years now and have never driven in anything but first or second gear.

Third and forth work. I just don't need them for anything.
 
I appreciate the comments and the tips. Pretty sound advice from all.
As far as the fuel filter goes, somebody just stuck two short pieces of rubber tube and the filter inline. The rest of the fuel line is metal going around the front of the engine. The other tractor is not like that and I don’t think I care for the line running between the engine and the fan blades so I will buy a new metal fuel line and re rout.

Yes the tie rod ball joints are shot. Looks like I will have to buy the whole shebang for each side. Tighten or replace the front wheel bearings and possibly the front Kingpin (Thanks for pointing that out).

To answer the question…The wheels don’t wobble on the spindles but the pitman arms and the tierods get to alternating like mad when the wheels get going crazy. I’m not really going fast, maybe 5 or 8 miles an hour. I needed to go pick up a sickle bar a mile and a half away. Just never made it before turning back.

As far as leaking goes. The drips from around the engine could be solved with a drip pan but the real problem is the axles. They leak so bad that I have no breaks. Common problem I guess, but I didn’t know this until I crashed into the big sliding barn door and punched a whole through it. Rather disappointing since the barn is 90 years old. Anyway, the bumper works.

Smiths old ford tractor page is great, thank you.
Axle shims and zero load is a mystery. Hope that’s pretty clear in the shop manual, if it ever gets here.
Can the break shoes be cleaned and re used if not too worn or does the hydraulic fluid ruin them?
Thanks all.
 
" Hope that’s pretty clear in the shop manual, if it ever gets here."

The best instructions are on John Smith's website. Re pre-load & shims......unless someone has been in there before (which is unlikely) your tractor will have metal shims. Carefully remove & save them after noting exactly which wheel they were on. Then put them back in the same way. Chances are 8 out of 10 that is all you will need. If not, then use the paper shims.

" Can the break shoes be cleaned and re used if not too worn or does the hydraulic fluid ruin them?"

Yes....and if you buy a ticket, you could win the Lottery.

Don't bother. It's not worth the effort. Just have them relined (at 1/2 the cost of new)
75 Tips
 
Its not uncommon to have the shimmy in the front end. I have a shower rod and measure between the front rims at 3:00 and tighten the rod. Then move it to 9:00 on the back side of the rim and it should be about 1/4 to 1/2 inch wider. I think you will find yours 2-4 inches wider. This want solve you worn tierod ends but it should stops the shimmy.
 
Remove bottom bolt in cover with hyd. dipstick and let drain. Then spray brake shoes with brake parts cleaner thru the adjustment slot and you may get it clean enough to give some semblance of brakes.
 
Concerning the axle leak, you don't say if you've checked the level of the hydraulic fluid. It could be overfilled.

When dbNga said to remove that bottom bolt in the dipstick cover what he was referring to is that the fluid level should not be above that hole. If anything drains out of that hole is it excess fluid.
 
"I will buy a new metal fuel line and re rout."

Standard 30 inch long 1/4 inch brake line from the local car
parts place works fine and has the correct ends already on it.
Just bend it to fit.
 
(quoted from post at 16:51:54 10/29/14) Question: when the front end was shimmying, did the steering arms on your steering box move,or was it the wheels moving> The reason that I ask is that it looks like the drag links may be bad. Movement there could result in a wild ride,and also the spindle bushings may contribute to this looseness. lha

The whole thing was shimmying, wheels to steering wheel. I drove it home from the auction site with my MIL following and was able to use 4th gear but not much throttle. On mine there is a lot of steering wheel movement before the steering arms move. My '41 9N steer like a dream by comparison.
 

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