Restoration of an NAA

To the experienced tractor restorer you are probably cringing at this or at best just out right laughing. My question, finally is not the gas tank problem, but rather were do I start and what restoration manual would you recommend for a raw beginner??? I want to do right by this project because there are a lot of memories that goe with this and I am taking the responsibility to see that it is done right. some of the particulars are: Mechanically it ran fine when it was parked some 20 years ago. The body is in excelent shape except for the working dinges that it received over the years. I can fix the dinges and give the whole thing a new paint job, buy tires and the like, but I am wondering what affect Father Time has had on the gaskets, pumps engine parts, generator. You get the idea. I know there has to be a procedure to follow so that I don't have to redo or undo previous work. What book can put me on the right track in preserving this piece of equipment and is there any one who can and is willing to talk me through this. I want to start the tractor to see if there is anything mechanically wrong. I feel that I should pull the carberator, alternator etc. ( etc means that I don't know what else to pull) then give it a shot of Thomas Edison to see if it runs. I did spray some special oil through the spark plug holes. I don't know if that will do any good but it did make me feel better. I also need to know what all should be done to the engine prior to cranking it.

I have two things ready to say over the initial cranking. One is a great thanks of gratitude to all who helped me and to my skill, meak as it is. The other things will just simply consist of one common every day word. I hope I use the former not the latter.
I know that I will need a lot of luck, so that won't be necessary to forward in your emails. Your prayers will be greatly appreciated though. So will any advice that anyone may have. I hope your advice is shorter than this letter. This is going to be my retirement hoby and I intend to enjoy it and hopefully reap satisfaction in preserving some heritage.

So, gentlemen start my engine....please.

Thanks for any help or advice that I may get.
Paul, who lives just down the street from where the greatest race car driver lived, Dale Earnhart.

scrape the sludge from all three housings, and roll up the old sleeves and get in there with hands, wires, brushes, and spatulas and scrape the sludge and flush it out with kerosene several times over. It may take 10 or so gallons of thorough flushings just do it right while she is being cleaned, and don't be stingy. whatever works.

Make those compartments squeaky clean until you see the cast metal. replace the seals and gaskets, torque the pan to spec, drain the fluid from the radiator and boil it out at the same shop too. Test the radiator for leaks and solder them if necessary. Definitely replace the fuel line, and definitely clean the sediment bowl and carburetor. Also, replace the hose to the radiator (upper and lower), and spark plug wires.

clean, clean, clean the innards before you really get into outside cleanings and running her.

These are tough old engines, and barring any water in those sections, and no cracked blocks from freezing, she should be happy and eager to start.

ANd, I guarantee that this board and the 9N/2N/8N board will get her running if she don't fire up. As long as you're willing to consider this a good education, it's a great opportunity to go to tractor class 101 so that you will have confidence about basic maintenance and repair through your ownership.

Thanks again. Paul

You will never have any problems after that. See how much the radiator shop wants to fiberglass it. Or does that include the 85.00 too?

If it does, go for it, an let them make the mess, you just bring the tank home! just a thought...but it may be easier in the long run to drop the tank off, and pick it up completely finished...no wait, no mess, no interruption. You can do other things on the tractor.

Maybe, one thing to do is to go through the wiring system like Bonginbilly (what a name) suggested.

Replace all the wires, one at a time, and do it systematically. Consider replacing the entire ignition system r.e. the voltage regulator, ammeter, junction block, points, condensor, plugs, cap, rotor, and solonoid. Some may scoff at this suggestion but if it's been sitting that long, you might consider building confidence in the ignition, starting, and charging system. Take the generator to a shop for testing too.

Clean the distributor and consider a new coil. Keep the old coil as a backup or vice versa. But if you replace each wire, make new connections, clean the contacts so they are shiny and tight, and do it one wire at a time, you should have a reliable ignition system. That should help you out a lot over the long haul. Just my two cents. tom

As for the wiring system, I believe that I will follow your advice. After fifty years it would be foolhardy to believe that some of the parts are A-1. I'll try to replace them one at a time, but some of the wires for the lights are completely gone and many wires are just not hooked up. I'm going to get a shop manual to make it possible for me to do this.

once the tank is clean, and you rebuild the carb another easy fix by the way and cheap too loosen tthe old girl up. Marvel Mystery Oil is good pour it in the cylinders and put in 4th gear and tow it around for 95 yards.

let it sit, then drain the fluids, replace the oil, check the radiator for fliuds, check the wires to see if they are clean, connections are tight, and bright. recharge the battery, put new points in the distributor (another easy and cheap fix), replace the coil, and plugs set their gap to .025, and start her up. try starting her up without a new coil too.

Let her run, and put her thorugh the paces but go easy on her and let her idle for 15 minutes, then increase the rpms, and let her run for 10 minutes and increase the rpms, and watch for oil pressure, and leaks out of the radiator, and temperature gauge.

if you got her running and idling, then hop around and put her through the paces through the gears but go easy at first. same for rear lift.

if you're lucky enough and the law of averages is on your side if it ran until parked she should fire up easy enough.

work her a bit, and observe the gaskets and seals for leaks and focus your attention on those areas and begin to replace them sons of a guns.

watch the smoke for black asmoke or white. listen for sputtering, and weird sounds.

just focus on getting her started for now and ask questions.

for now resist the temptation of washing her down with water. wait until she is started and running before the degreasing process and give it some time, and get to know her a bit, and learn the easy electricals for these things too to help you trouble shoot the ignition.

you may want to replace the solonoid and ammter gauge too but just wait on that to see if she fires up. one thing at a time.

loosen her up.
get her started.
watch her run and listen.
write down troublesome areas.
and ask questions.

boinginbilly

Since I typed the above paragraph, I took a break and called several radiator cos. They both were encouraging. One co. will boil out the tank and then coat the inside of the tank with fiberglass. He said that it would be good as new. Can't beat that statement. Now the guestionis, is it true??? His total price is $85.00. That beats $262.00 for a new one that will have to be adapted. The other co said that to sand blast all that I can and he would soak it overnight and then boil it out. I asked about the possible recuring rust problem. He stated that I should keep the tank full of gas. I'm not sure about this because I don't plan on using the tractor on a regular basis, thus rusting might reoccur again. His price is $35.00. If I choose this one I would want to line the tank with some type of rust inhibitor.

Do you think that I have a good option here or should I keep searching? There seems to be a lot of methods for refurbishing old gas tanks.

Thanks for any advice that you might have. Paul from NC

tie it your pickup truck wheels and rive around to shake it. or shake it by hand.

if you don't twant to spen time on it, reporduction tanks are avaialble and tractor junk yards have them too. they are easy to find. ask this board if a 600 series tank will fit a jubie.

i think they doo but don't quote this oldboy of the cripts. boinginbilly.

Thanks, paul

Thanks for the info. I have the Tractor's manual. You are right, I need to get the other two manuals. Thanks for the info.
Paul from NC

thanks Paul

This tractor hasn't been run in twenty years, has been out in the ellements and was not taken care of. So, I don't know what is in store for me. I will get the Carb rebuilt and replace the wiring harness. I am sure there are other things that will have to be done but, my tractor is parked under a big oak tree, so I have a duel problem. I must look constantly over my shoulder for those squirrels.
Keep me posted on your progress, maybe we can be of help to each other. lol Paul in NC