Some things i noticed after getting the 8N running again

DanInKuna

Member
Today after getting my spark plug wires connected to the correct terminals of my distributor, the tractor was able to run again. Very good day compared to yesterday.

With the tractor running, i let her go for half an hour and then shut it off and drained the oil. One thing i was surprised about was the 3/4" of thick sludge in the bottom of my oil filter can:
mvphoto15509.jpg


Even the drain hole there was clogged. With the help of a flat blade screwdriver and half a roll of paper towels, i think i have that cleaned out. I have to assume that the same kind of gunk is coating the inside of my engine. I'll let it drain overnight and install new filter and oil tomorrow.

While the engine was running, i noticed that i had a small amount of steam/smoke coming up around my #4 spark plug. Should i be concerned about that?

I also noticed there is some oil weeping around the seam of what i think is the governor. Maybe this just means i need to replace the gasket there:
mvphoto15512.jpg


I don't have the air cleaner reconnected yet, but that's coming up on my list of things to do. While that's off, though, i've noticed gas dripping out of the air intake on the carb. Here's a pic of the carb, but i'm not sure that would tell you anything other than it is still dirty and probably an after market thing:
mvphoto15513.jpg


I'm interested in any thoughts you may have on these.

Thanks,
Dan in Kuna, ID
 
Ya sump has sludge also. Smoke at #4 is the plug
in tight. Oil at gov. if not more than a weep is
not a big problem right now, somebody cleaned it
up and shot it with paint is what it looks like
so ya gasket, or loose bolts. That is not a Mar
Sch carb to me it must be a Zenith so I cant help
ya there. I bet your drain oil looked close to
pitch or tar. There is a way to clean the sump up
if you want.
 
I would guess you likely have sludge in the engine too.
You can take the oil pan off and clean it out.
Many people have just ran them that way and changed
the oil on a shorter interval than normal.

Is it smoke around #4 or steam?

That is the governor you have pictured. If you change the gasket,
pay particular attention to where you take the two bolts out of.
If you put the long on back in the wrong hole you will damage
the camshaft gear.

Your carb is a Zenith/Bendix, or an aftermarket replacement
for one. I can't see any markings on the side of bowl.
If it runs good, run it, but it shouldn't leak.
Is it leaking while running or when the engine is off? Both?
You might try tapping it gently with a screwdriver handle or
hammer handle to see if it will stop leaking.

This one is similar, but for a different tractor.

mvphoto15518.jpg


mvphoto15517.jpg
 
hey Dan........NO PANTHER PIZZZZZ in yer oil. Understand? Me? Normally, I use 20-50wt detergent oil but in this COLD weather I'd use 5-qts of 10-30wt oil + 1-qt of ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid is HIGHLY detergent) I'd work'er fer couple of hrs and then DRAIN while HOT. Caution: that 3-in drain sprays OIL all over the place. I have a 3x4-ft black plastic tub they sell at hardware stores fer mixing a batch of home cement. Them oil pan drain plug can be summbtches to remove. I ended up using a 24"-plumbers wrench layin' on my back and bracin' my feet on front tires. When you finally gittchur oilplug removed, there a 3-in tall screen filter that fits up into yer oil pump suck'em-up tube.

As fer the GUNK in bottom of yer oil filter canister, ain't NO LAW that sez you can't remove the canister so you can turn'er UP-SIDE-DOWN and shoot'em summ PRESSURE brake cleaner and letter DRAIN. ........oily Dell
 

Royse had some good advice about keeping an eye on the two bolts and not damaging the camshaft gear.
My TD-9 had old dried up oil when I got it, I think the oil had foamed up then dried out.
Foamed oil is the result of too much oil in the crankcase at once, it gets wiped up by the crank slapping the oil. Too much oil is hard on the front and rear seals and as you can see the wiped up foam plugs the oil channels, journals and gullies. The foamed oil gets in the oil rings and needs to be run hard for about an hour to hopefully clean it out.
What I would do is pull the oil filter, buy the cheapest filter you can find (they are only $12.oo er so), drain the oil and add diesel and one quart of oil and start for no more than a minute or at most two minutes. Drain oil and repeat.
Then put in new good oil filter and fill with new oil.


mvphoto15520.jpg
 
Change the oil more frequently and change it while the engine is hot. It's best for the engine. Sludge usually occurs from an extended interval between drain cycles or the engine doesn't reach operating temp. and uses up the oils additive package too soon. If you do short "trips" with the tractor and/or it doesn't reach operating temperature sludge will develop sooner. You may want to consider an engine heater for the lower hose to help get you there.
I would also remove the aftermarket fuel filter and run a regular steel line to the carb. If the three filters are plugging too soon you may want to consider tank replacement. I had to replace mine and it was worth getting rid of that old tank. Reliability is much better. Gerard
 
I'd go with Dell's idea. Add you a quart of ATF. After you did that go
back with a light weight oil. Run that till the weather starts to warm
up. Then change to a heavier oil. You should be go to go after that.
When I see a filter canister like that I remove it and put it in a
bucket with some gasoline in it. Then take a parts brush and clean
it out good. Use compressed air to dry.
And like ASE said, remove the after market filter. Replace the line
with 1/4 inch brake line. Nice to have a tubing bender when doing
so. But can be done with out one.
 
What I would do is pull the oil filter, buy the cheapest filter you can find (they are only $12.oo er so), drain the oil and add diesel and one quart of oil and start for no more than a minute or at most two minutes. Drain oil and repeat.
Then put in new good oil filter and fill with new oil.

This tread is a good case for the aftermarket spin on filter adapter's that use $4 filters . Spin off the filter and it is all gone with no clean out .

With a spin on set up I would run a detergent oil and nothing else but frequent filter changes . Adding cleaning agents not designed for lubrication will not help the life of your bearings and cam lobes .

Just my opinion , it is not my money or time .
 
I would also remove the aftermarket fuel filter and run a regular steel line to the carb. If the three filters are plugging too soon you may want to consider tank replacement. I had to replace mine and it was worth getting rid of that old tank. Reliability is much better. Gerard

I personally love my inline glass filter . I can see if fuel flow is a problem in real time . My tanks have a little rust / ??? in them .



I also like the drain valve . I use it before starting for the day . I drain gas into a can , watch the fuel flow and content in the glass filter , then pour any good fuel back in the tank .




 
(quoted from post at 22:37:07 01/25/15) Ya sump has sludge also. Smoke at #4 is the plug
in tight. Oil at gov. if not more than a weep is
not a big problem right now, somebody cleaned it
up and shot it with paint is what it looks like
so ya gasket, or loose bolts. That is not a Mar
Sch carb to me it must be a Zenith so I cant help
ya there. I bet your drain oil looked close to
pitch or tar. There is a way to clean the sump up
if you want.

Yes, the oil was very black. When I bought the tractor, I asked the guy when the last oil change was. He answered by saying, "I checked the level and topped it off the other day." So, not really an answer. My guess is the oil hasn't been changed in years or longer.

I naively thought I was saving money when I bought this old tractor. Looks like it is becoming a bit of a money pit. But it has been a really great excuse to get out of the house and out to the shop. And, I'm developing a friendship with the UPS folks. :)

-Dan
 

FD, when I got the tractor, there was no sediment bowl - just a 90degree fitting coming out of the bottom of the gas tank. Out of that was a short stretch of steel tubing which then changed off to black "rubber" fuel line with a in-line fuel filter. Out of that it went to a cheap fuel shut-off valve and into the carburetor. This thing was a mess and leaked gas in several places.

I re-installed a sediment bowl but then got worried that it wouldn't catch rust coming out of the tank. So, I cut my brand new factory-bent steel tube and put a new in-line filter in it. Looks terrible, but gas comes out the end. My only leak now is around the sediment bowl gasket.

Is the feedback about getting rid of the in-line fuel filter about how ugly it looks or is it because it stops up too soon, or does it restrict gas flow too much? Or all of the above?

I see a product called "Gas Tank Sealer" in the Dennis Carpenter catalog. It's a lot cheaper than a new tank. Anyone know if it is worth trying?

Dan
 

Dell,

When I took my oil drain cap off, no screen came with it. In the parts catalogs, I see the 3" screen you are talking about. I've let the tractor drain overnight. This afternoon when I'm home, i'll put my finger in the hole to see if the screen is stuck in there.

If the screen is missing or has dislodged and moved somewhere else, how big of a problem is that? Should I get a new drain cap with a screen? I can't seem to locate the screen as a standalone part online.

Also, a buddy mentioned that sometimes it is good to have a magnet on your drain plug to capture filings and such. Any benefit to epoxying on a magnet?

-Dan
 
Dan.......the 3-in screen is PART of the 3-in oil drain, NOT replaceable. But yeah, stick yer finger up there and search around. Also try to WIGGLE yer oil pump suck'em-up tube.

Would you believe yer MAGNET will automatically STICK to yer castiron drain plug? But yeah, iff'n it makes you feel better, go ahead and epoxy it. It should be intuitively obvious, epoxy don't stick to oily surfaces, so you really gotta clean with acetone or brake cleaner squirt'em stuff first. .......HTH, oily Dell
 
Yep, I have the same issue. Getting ready to order a new drain plug w/screen. Also need a spark plug wire tube, a 3-holer I think for an early 8N. I haven't checked YT parts site yet.

Gunny, in Iowa
 
If it runs good and drive train and hyd, lift is
working order your in business the rest is a
matter of just getting it done to ones liking. I
could see somebody rattlecaned a paint job on it
that always cheapens the sale in my book but they
all think the buyer wont notice lipstick on a
pig. Bunch of good people here to help you, youll get
it shaped up in time and when you said it gets ya
out of the house your coming down with tractor
fever.
 
What fun would you have with a brand new tractor that starts up all the time and in any weather. Never leaks. No smoke, grinding or chattering noises. Shiny tin. Comfortable seat. Nice new soft tires. Automatic everything. Hydraulics that work. Fans that spin straight and never hit a radiator. Oil soaked brakes etc.

Nope I like my Ford 8N
 
(quoted from post at 11:06:06 01/26/15)
(quoted from post at 22:37:07 01/25/15)

...Looks like it is becoming a bit of a money pit. But it has been a really great excuse to get out of the house and out to the shop. And, I'm developing a friendship with the UPS folks. :)

-Dan
Dan;

Me you too. :lol: which means "I got the same thing." ...money pit... excuse ...out of the house ... yada, yada, yada :shock: :D :lol:
 
It is not recommended to have an inline fuel filter since the gravity
system does not have the pressure to push the fuel threw it. The
screens all ready built in will do the job. Last sediment bowl I
bought I also had a had time getting it to stop leaking. I know how
you feel. I'm not a fan of fuel tank liners because if you don't
remove all the rust it will come loose and clog up your system.
Hobo has a good jig to remove the rust. But you will need a second
tractor to use it. Or you can rig up up a temporary tank.
 
It is not recommended to have an inline fuel filter since the gravity system does not have the pressure to push the fuel threw it.

Gasoline has no problem flowing threw a filter . Just got done bush hogging for the day , wide open throttle for hours in the swampy bottom with a cheap semi clear plastic fuel filter inline .

Safety hazzard , maybe , mechanical failure , no .
 
(quoted from post at 12:35:44 01/26/15) What fun would you have with a brand new tractor that starts up all the time and in any weather. Never leaks. No smoke, grinding or chattering noises. Shiny tin. Comfortable seat. Nice new soft tires. Automatic everything. Hydraulics that work. Fans that spin straight and never hit a radiator. Oil soaked brakes etc.

Nope I like my Ford 8N


OK I'm sold! I'd take a new Kubota the same physical size as one of my N's in a heart beat! When you put 100 plus hours on your N a year that nice new shiny tractor sounds real good.......except for the payments! I hate payments! Guess I'm stuck with the N's.

Rick
 
I would forget about the magnet idea... Look at the design of the system and if you replace the plug with the correct one with the screen I have to ask myself where the metal the magnet would grab would come from and the proximity to the suction tube if it does get some grindings on it.. To me it sounds like a good idea at first but as I think about it, the idea makes me think it would do more harm than good. As close as that suction tube is to the drain plug I would worry that it would either suck the metal off the magnet or worse suck the magnet up and block the suction tube.

Just my 2 cents...

Jeff
 

Excellent point. No magnet for me.

I found the screen for my oil drain plug last night. It was sitting roughly where it is supposed to be but not connected to the plug. A little bit mangled though I'm not sure if that was from rough handling during cleaning or if it happened when replacing in its home. I don't think the rancher who owned my 8N previously was interested in babying her.

At the rate I'm buying replacement parts, my 8N may cost as much as a new Kubota eventually. But of course it'll have a lot more character.

Dan
 

Ken,

What a cool setup all around!!
Where can I get a glass filter like that?

Years ago I had an idea to design an inline filter out of brass tube that would take a tampon for its element. Talk about cheap cartridges :D

If anyone is using those mini plastic in line gas filters, I discovered the in and out have a bigger inlet closest to the filter body and then the in and out tubes are stepped down to fit 3/16" line.
So when installing one, razor knife the 3/16" ports right off for better flow. Only problem is you wind up with only a minimum of filter port length to push into your flex lines.
 

Dan,

My screen was a bit mangled at one end as well, so I straightened it out some and flipped it end for end so it was a tight fit at the plug end where it counts the most.

T
 
(quoted from post at 17:04:55 01/27/15)
Ken,

Where can I get a glass filter like that?

It is a Mr Gasket aftermarket filter , most all part store would have them . I personally don't like bending over to screw in the shut off valve . The inline valve is a simple 90 degree turn , just easier for me ???
 
Ken,

I looked at one on Amazon.

Are those plastic male ends that it comes with?
I like your plumbing masterpiece.

Perfect idea you had for the shut off as well!
Even further to bend over for me.
I prefer the lever valve over the wheel, but it would be nice to keep the tank reserve valve working as well, just leave it open
most of the time, until a sediment leak develops or it needs cleaning. Do you still have the knob valve and bowl too?

I think that my reserve may be plugged ( what else is new?) and that's why my gravity feed falters while there is still 1" - 2" in the tank.
 
"it would either suck the metal off the magnet or worse suck the magnet up and block the suction tube"

LOL, that's just SILLY!

There's NOTHING wrong with the idea of using a little ceramic magnet to grab any tiny bits of metal that may try to slither by.

If you worry about having magnet disaster in the sump of an "n" you would stroke out if you saw some of the places OEM's drop magnets, from the oil pans of slushboxes to the sheet metal covers on axles/differentials, and deep in the bowels of manual transmissions.

Some are epoxied in pkace, and some are simply left to stick there on their own.

I have yet to see one get into trouble.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top