Ferguson Tractor Tips, Hints & Suggestions

[b:20e40b8dc7]Ferguson Tractor Tips, Hints & Suggestions[/b:20e40b8dc7]

Over the past three years I have participated in this forum, I have seen many very excellent tips, hints and suggestions on maintaining and operating our old Ferguson tractors.

Indeed, I learned more from this forum in three years, than I did in my previous 25 years of owning my TEA20 Little Grey Fergy!

New users join our forum and often ask the same questions which have been asked and answered a number of times previously.

I wonder if we can accumulate many of these excellent tips, hints and suggestions all in one thread, both to refresh old memories and for assistance and help to our newer Members?

My contribution, in no particular order:

[list:20e40b8dc7][b:20e40b8dc7]*[/b:20e40b8dc7] Ferguson tractor Serial Numbers are stamped into the data plate attached to the dash in front of the steering wheel. The year of manufacture of Ferguson serial numbers is listed in the Research Section in the left hand column of this site.

[b:20e40b8dc7]*[/b:20e40b8dc7] The FENA web site has the wiring diagrams for all models of the TE/TEA/TO tractors along with a wealth of other restoration data. [b:20e40b8dc7]FENA Web Site[/b:20e40b8dc7]

[b:20e40b8dc7]*[/b:20e40b8dc7] The date of manufacture is cast into the right side of the TE/TEA transmission housing, between the gear box flange and round inspection port hole.

[b:20e40b8dc7]*[/b:20e40b8dc7] Engine firing order is 1 – 3 - 4 – 2.

[b:20e40b8dc7]*[/b:20e40b8dc7] TEA20 timing marks are on the flywheel. It is necessary to remove the starter motor to find see the timing marks.

[b:20e40b8dc7]*[/b:20e40b8dc7] A Service Manual is the cheapest investment you will make.

[b:20e40b8dc7]*[/b:20e40b8dc7] Ferguson transmission takes normal engine mineral oil. Hydraulic or heavy gear oil must not be used.

[b:20e40b8dc7]*[/b:20e40b8dc7] With battery polarity, the “earth” side of the coil always goes to the distributor; "live" side to the ignition switch. (e.g. Battery Positive (+) to earth/ground = Positive (+) side of the coil to the distributor).[/list:u:20e40b8dc7]
I’m sure you guys will have many more excellent tips, hints and suggestions to add to the list?

Bob in Oz
’53 TEA20

Bob, I have long thought there should be articles on various subjects like Tuning your Ferguson, Cleaning the Hydraulic Sump Troubleshooting Your Ferguson, etc and I believe this forum has a mechanism for doing that but Idon"tknow what it is. I wrote a n article for FENA"s ferguson Furrow"s several years ago engine performance and trouble shootingf for the Continenatls in the TO-Series. last time i checked i had authored over 6000 replies in these forums and I sometimes wonder idf it 2 replies 3000 times. On the N forum, Bruce (VA) has a 50 Tips page for the Nseries Fords. no reason why we couldn"t put something together like that here but it needs a "place to live" rather than having to copy and paste it in response to someone"squestion.

Jerry,

You guys have a good idea and some of that stuff is aready on the FENA website, so I was thinking if someone wants to put together a "50 Tips" article it could reside or live on the FENA website and then you would only have to link to it in your answers. FENA would be glad to help get the "Tips"on the website. Why doesn't FENA do the whole thing? Because we are just like you guys, busy in our everyday lives and all work is volunteer and time and energy is scarce from people willing to do this type of thing. Perhaps it could be divided up into electrical, hydraulics, etc with several people contributing to the whole.
I personally often tell people to do a search when I know the topic is well covered and is a big topic to repeat again and again.

Phil Fenner
Vice Presient, FENA

Thanks [b:aeaaabbc7a]Jerry[/b:aeaaabbc7a] and [b:aeaaabbc7a]Phil[/b:aeaaabbc7a]. I asked Chris at YT Support if he can "sticky" this thread for a short period to assess responses, if this forum supports "stickies".

Some of the guys in this forum have some excellent tips, gained from years of farm yard mechanics, which should be shared. Hopefully they will post those same tips here, which could then be collated into various categories and moved somewhere as a reference medium, either here or on the FENA web site. I'm not a FENA Member (due to living in the Land Downunder) but find it one of the very best sources available for Ferguson tractor information - even if it is biased to TO series tractors! :lol:

Let us see how many responses we get here and are thus able to gauge interest.

Bob in Oz
'53 TEA20

The majority of new parts and largest parts inventory for Ferguson tractors are supplied by BareCo and Sparex dealers.

[b:39ee9f3298]BareCo[/b:39ee9f3298]

[b:39ee9f3298]Sparex[/b:39ee9f3298]

Neither BareCo nor Sparex sell to the general public, only through their dealer network.

The Sparex site at each product, contains an excellent reference to the original MF part number and also has a linked scan of the original MF parts book page.

Very useful!

This site also sells an excellent range of Ferguson tractor parts and Service Manuals.

There is an excellent range of Ferguson and MF original decals [b:39ee9f3298]HERE[/b:39ee9f3298].

New serial number data plates for 1947 to 1954 Ferguson TEA20 tractors are available [b:39ee9f3298]HERE[/b:39ee9f3298].

Bent radius rods are usually a sign of a very worn front axle center pivot pin and bush. The radius rods can be straightened - follow the procedure in the original Ferguson Service Manual.

And one I learned only very recently: If your radious rod ball joints are worn at the foot pegs, put a copper penny behind the ball and retighten!

That transmission oil specification doesn't apply to all MF, just the early ones. Later ones like my 135 demand an oil to MF specs 1129 or 1129A. An oil with additives. And the Continental engines are timed through a hole on the front side of the flywheel. With a timing light while running. Its hard to time while running after pulling the starter on a tractor (with Multi-Power) that can't be pull started!

Lots of this data you would collect is covered in the owner's manual. Especially the fuel, lubrication, and ordinary maintenance instructions.

Gerald J.

I don"t find the archives here to be to user friendly and they don"t always work well. I looked up articles and there are replies missing, etc. It"s better than nothing but not really dependable.

I think having FEMA be a respository for that info is a good idea, Phil. It"s also a good idea for FEMA because it could help expand its membership. How would you suggest we go about it?

Yea maybe they can put it one of thier Katrina Mobile Homes.


I think you ment... FE N A...

As a new owner of a TEA 20 (1953), I would love to see a 50 things to know list. I have seen the one for 8Ns and it was good. I look to this site daily for TEA 20 letters, comments. etc. I would like to see more on attachments, if anyone has pictures.

The 50 tips for Ford N owners is located under Research & Info under "Articles" why couldn't the Fergusons 50 Tips be located there also?

[b:e6a9c1810c]mhdavi.[/b:e6a9c1810c] I have hundreds of photos of my 1953 TEA20, Ser No TEA341439. What photos do you want?

Here are two useful photos:



You will have a transmission casting date between the gear box flange and round inspection panel on the left side. Mine shows "6 7 3" indicating a casting date of 6 July 1953. The tractor production date will be a couple of weeks later.



Engine number location.



Timing mark location inside starter "hole". Note, there is a small hole through the block, below the starter motor. Insert a 1/4" diameter rod and when it also aligns with a corresponding hole in the flywheel, No 1 cylinder is at Top Dead Center.



Timing chain and governor assembly. Don't try to set cam shaft timing without reading the Service Manual.

Bob in Oz
'53 TEA20

Jerry,

I am not that computer literate, but it seems like it will take some grunt work to find the tips that we want and then copy and paste the tips in a folder suitable for archiving. That is why I thought that the work would have to be divided up into categories of tips and then have some volunteers do the grunt work I described. When all the individual tips folders are complete then we put them into a TIPS folder and send to the FENA webmaster and I can help do that. There is probably a better way and I hope someone suggests it. It's still winter guys so maybe we can get something done.

Phil Fenner

tips are cute, but the factory book is always right. some tips could hurt you. 50 yrs ferg experience...Ron