I posted earlier about my 52 8N front axle pin working loose while mowing. Finally got this fixed yesterday. Sorry I don't have a picture of my fix - but here's the diagram. BTW, the bolt #22 is not near as long as the picture shows - it's more like 1 inch or less.
I had a spare front axle hanger from a parts 8N from years back. Had this hanger all installed on the tractor, the pin put through, all the spacers and washers in place, then come to discover the hole for the pin retaining bolt is blocked. Huh?
I must have torn the bolt head off when I was taking the front axle apart. This was a good 10 years ago. So here’s this half inch of threaded stub stuck in the front plate, less than flush at the hole. Everything else is done, but I can’t bolt the new axle pin home. Grrr.
Tapped on it, soaked it with PB and ATF, tapped some more, no joy. Drilled it through with a couple of different size bits. Got it down to less than a quarter inch of metal all around (little off center) still would not budge. Did not want to use heat because it was already on the tractor, and I was working right under the radiator.
I tapped and sprayed it more over the last couple of days – no luck. Even tapped in an EZ out, but was careful not to crank on it too hard. Finally I spun the pin around, lined up the holes and drilled through the new pin, the threaded plate and the front of the hanger, and put a big bolt all the way through, with a lockwasher and nut on the inside. Mowed yesterday pretty much all afternoon with no axle problems that I could tell.
That pin can't go anywhere now. Since a loose plate was where the assembly originally failed, how come Ford didn't just through bolt this?
Doug in east TN
I had a spare front axle hanger from a parts 8N from years back. Had this hanger all installed on the tractor, the pin put through, all the spacers and washers in place, then come to discover the hole for the pin retaining bolt is blocked. Huh?
I must have torn the bolt head off when I was taking the front axle apart. This was a good 10 years ago. So here’s this half inch of threaded stub stuck in the front plate, less than flush at the hole. Everything else is done, but I can’t bolt the new axle pin home. Grrr.
Tapped on it, soaked it with PB and ATF, tapped some more, no joy. Drilled it through with a couple of different size bits. Got it down to less than a quarter inch of metal all around (little off center) still would not budge. Did not want to use heat because it was already on the tractor, and I was working right under the radiator.
I tapped and sprayed it more over the last couple of days – no luck. Even tapped in an EZ out, but was careful not to crank on it too hard. Finally I spun the pin around, lined up the holes and drilled through the new pin, the threaded plate and the front of the hanger, and put a big bolt all the way through, with a lockwasher and nut on the inside. Mowed yesterday pretty much all afternoon with no axle problems that I could tell.
That pin can't go anywhere now. Since a loose plate was where the assembly originally failed, how come Ford didn't just through bolt this?
Doug in east TN