Update on Ferguson 30 need help ( long )!

Well , it is pretty ugly ( almost as ugly as my 2N was when I got it ! ) but also pretty much complete . Sheet metal is painted a funky blue and the wheels are yellow but it is pretty straight with little rust . There is a lot of play in the steering box but it also does not apear to have any cracks . Needs new lift arm bushings , pins here and there , brakes , rear tires , etc . Overall the tractor looks to need a lot of TLC .

Here is where I need some help .The motor turned over fine but I could not get any spark at all . I went through the whole system and tried everything I know to do . I suspect the coil has gone bad . What are the chances of that ? I could not get any spark at all from the coil even hooking it straight to the battery . The tractor has sat for about 6 months or so . Could moisture have ruined it ?

My next move is to go ahead and buy a new coil , distributor cap , rotor , and plug wires . What kind of cost am I looking at ?

Any other suggestions ?

Here is the deal on the tractor , it comes with the following equipment ( all Ford ) which is slightly rusty but in good shape . Single bottom plow , cultivator , scrape blade , and two row disk . The asking price is $800-1000 for tractor and all .

Good deal ? I would like to have the tractor running before I buy .

Thanks for the help . I know a fair amount about my Ford but not much about Fergusons so I need some help !

Thanks,
Ford Man

Here is the deal now ....

I made an offer and was rejected . My co-worker had misunderstood what his Mother-in-Law was asking . She wanted $800-1000 for the tractor alone . He thought that is what she wanted for the whole shooting match ! I have made a counter offer of $1000 for tractor and implements . I should hear something early next week . I am not going to let this one go if I can help it as it does seem to have a lot of potential and I will go higher if I have to .

From what you guys say , the Ferguson 30 is a good strong tractor . My Ford 2N is not bad but I would like some more power . I also want another tractor to use when I rebuild my 2N sometime down the line .

My biggest question is part availabilty and pricing . I don't see as many parts on the internet as I see for Fords . Have I just missed a good source ? I worked on a 1970's MF for my Uncle a few years ago and he told me that he had to pay about twice the price for parts than he did for his 1970's Ford . Anything to that ?

Thanks again for all the help ! I will keep you guys posted as to what happens .

Ford Man

Paul

I have thought about it more since my last post and I think that I will take a chance and buy the parts . I figure that the implements are worth probably about $400-500 as they are all in good shape . The tractor has got to be worth $400-500 just for parts ?

I will let you guys know what I come up with . I guess that I will be visiting this board as much as I have the N-Board soon !

By the way , I have got to order me a Zane Thang ! My 2N has an 8N hydraulic system on it so I don't need it for that one but I will for the Ferguson . Besides , I have been studying the schematics for both systems and cannot figure out how in the world Zane made a "Thang" to give you position control ! It would be worth the money just to see his ingenious device !

Thanks again guys !
Ford Man

On the tranny cover I could see the shift patern , but I also saw what looked like an "s" in the far right corner directly opposite reverse . There are several coats of paint so it is not clear . Am I missing something simple in starting this tractor ? It does have the pushbutton on the dash and would turn over by mashing the switch but no fire at all .I even bypassed the switch to eliminate that as a cause .

I also noticed that the switch has three positions . I assume that it also functions as a light switch . The lights are gone so I can't tell .

Thanks !
Ford Man