I have two 1937 farmall f12's and they both are in really lousy shape . they have locked up motors . No mags . They are in sad shape. I want to fix one up to be a parade driver and a wagon puller around the house. But, I have a family with a very tight budget and I just cant afford new pistons/sleeves , mag , head redone , bearings, ect... However, since I like things that are a little different and odd, I am considering (please dont shoot me you red power guys)a 283 chevy V8. The motor and bellhousing is comparible in length to the f12 4cyl. Since I'm a tool and Die maker, I can make the mounts and adapter plates ect... My question is:do any of you guys/gals forsee any problem that I'm not seeing. Anything I'm overlooking

Wonder if anyone has thoughts or experience on doing this with a 10 20. It's a Gallion roller?

I had an F12 with a jeep engine, and it had plenty of power. It fit right in, with the only modification being the clutch linkage and the water outlets on the radiator.
I think the Isuzu diesel would be better than the jeep or the chevy. It is light, small, and has low end torque, and limited top speed. These engines were in the chevette, the luv pickup and the isuzu pickup. My buddy has several of these engines, and we have been considering a swap into an F12.

A small diesel like an Isuzu would also give you a governor to control top speed. This is something to consider when chosing an engine. Good luck and take your time. Your project will look nice when your done if you invest your time and make sure things fit proper with out hacking everything up with the cutting torch just to make it fit.

Yeah, Go for it! If you do a good job mating that V-8 engine, that tractor will have speed and power like no F-12 ever had and every F-12 needed. And you'll have a decent road gear too. Just be careful, always remembering you have a tractor that can "flip" very easily and has pretty poor brakes, being on two hand levers instead of pedals.

I've got at thought for you. The rpm potential of the V8 is obviously going to be a bit of a problem for you. Not because the tractor will self destruct if the motor spins fast but because accidentally applying full throttle is going to get you a tractor that is suddenly going 20 mph in your back yard with you being bounced off the seat. Not particularly safe. Top speed could be on the order of 60-70 mph.

Anyway, there is no real reason why the rpm has to be a real problem. I would suggest installing a throttle stop so that the throttle is limited. With a little modification, I cant see a reason why you couldnt get a V8 to run well at speeds as low as 200 rpm or so. since the V8 is way more efficient than the original, horsepower at low rpm wont be a problem. hunt around and find the smallest carb that you can possibly fit on the V8 intake manifold (like the single barrel version that probably came on a crappy station wagon or other low performance application). Smaller is better for low rpm. That should provide you a decent, stable fuel supply at really low engine rpm (which means really low air flow rate through the engine). You should probably adjust the ignition timing for lower rpm. You can also retime the cam for lower rpm operation. I think that the cam needs to be advanced so that it has more low end torque (which really means that it is more efficient at low rpm). Since you have access to machine tools, you could also make a big disc that you could attach to the flywheel so that it has more mass. IF YOU DO THIS, MAKE SURE THAT YOU DO SOMETHING TO ENSURE THAT THE RPM NEVER GETS VERY HIGH. A HOMEBREWED FLYWHEEL IS SURE TO EXPLODE AT HIGH RPM BUT SHOULD BE OK AT LOWER SPEEDS.

None of those mods should cost much money. The shims for the cam are only about $10 or so. The carb should be next to free if you can find one because nobody will want the thing. Disc for the flywheel should be free to you because of the machine shop.

Good luck and happy tractoring.

Tony

Top speed with a conventional engine mounted to an F12 would only be 13mph at 5000 rpm in high gear. With the normal engine at 1400rpm, high gear is 3.5mph. Walking speed. I'm not sure it is worth gearing down. Just keep it in 1st or 2nd normally and use 3rd as a roadgear.

In terms of having a neat project when completed, a small diesel (the Isuzu used to be plentiful in wrecked Chevettes) would be interesting. Any 4-cylinder gas car engine would provide plenty of power. An industrial speed reducer between the bell housing and the tractor transmission might make things a lot easier than a second transmission.

What the heck, it's not like the F12 is a rare collectors item. I've seen several with Jeep engines in them, and even one with an Isuzu diesel!

On the V8, an auxilliary trans (as mentioned below) will solve the speed issue. Only other thing I'd keep in mind is that you'll be dealing with a LOT more power than the F12 trans/rear end was designed for. You probably won't be able to get enough traction for it to be a problem, but it's something to think about.

What the heck, it's not like the F12 is a rare collectors item. I've seen several with Jeep engines in them, and even one with an Isuzu diesel!

On the V8, an auxilliary trans (as mentioned below) will solve the speed issue. Only other thing I'd keep in mind is that you'll be dealing with a LOT more power than the F12 trans/rear end was designed for. You probably won't be able to get enough traction for it to be a problem, but it's something to think about.

Scott....I have a "34" F-30 with a 350 in it.....the problems I had was cooling..f-30 rad. not big enough to cool 350...and I added a 3/4 ton trany so speed isn't a problem plus you'll have 16 forward & 4 reverse gears....may have to lengthen frame....I did 6 inches and cut outs for starter and fuel pump....etc...etc.....whatever don't rush...cause you're a mechanic,fabarcator,engineer all in one on this project and not many guys can give you advice...........Hope this helped....Good Luck...

One thing you probably haven't thought of is the gearing. The f12 engine wide open only turned 1200 to 1450. So you can see what 2500 or 3000 RPM would do to your speed. Even 1st gear would be fast at 2500 RPM.

Go for it.