801 Powermaster Information Needed

I got this tractor from my 92 year old uncle. It has a diesel engine. The numbers are 850 on top and 58841 under that. It does have a double clutch with live power. I power washed it and I found blue paint under most of it. I think somebody mixed what parts would fit and made a tractor. The engine has been rebuilt and runs good. I hope somebody can tell me what I may have.

An 850 is an 800 series tractor, not an 801. And an 850 would have a single clutch and non-live PTO. It is possible that the parts from an 860/861 transmission could have been swapped into an 850 transmission, but it wouldn't have had live PTO from the factory.

The diesel engines weren't introduced until the '01 series tractors though, so with a diesel engine and a transmission stamped 850 it is definitely a frankentractor. It could have been an 861 that had the transmission housing crack at some point and so they swapped the internals into a trans housing from an 850.

Colors mean very little, due to "paint job updates." In fact after the X000 models came out Ford encouraged owners of the older XX0s and XX1s to take their tractors to their dealer for a repaint with the new blue.

You might be able to get a general idea of the year of the tractor by getting the casting codes off the engine, transmission, center housing and rear axle trumpets. The serial number off the trans puts it as a 1955 which as was stated is in the 800 series. The casting code will be a combination of numerals and letters, consisting of 3 or 4. Below is a brief description of the codes used. Find the codes and compare. IIRC a tractor generally had parts made within days or months of each other. The consistency of the numbers will put you in the ball park for year. If you post a picture of the tractor as there are other visual identifiers. For instance, the front grill was changed with the 801 series as were the fender styles. The 800 has smooth rounded fenders where as the 801 had a stamped recess.

There are 3 formats used for the date codes on these tractors- NVL, LNN/LNNN & NLN/NLNN.
L= Letter, N= Numeral, V= Variable (Letter or Numeral).
The NVL format was used from 1954 into 1959.
The earliest use of the LNN/LNNN format observed is late 1958
except on rear axle trumpets which started using it in 1955).
The earliest use of the NLN/NLNN format observed is mid 1959.



Examples: NVL Format-Date Code "4BG = 1954 December 7
LNN/LNNN Format- Date Code M318 = December 31, 1958
NLN/NLNN Format-Date Code 2B16 = 1962 February 16

Hope this helps.

NDA 4024B.1 is on the transmission. I will need to look for other numbers. It does have a 801 hood and side tin on it. Thanks and I will keep looking for numbers

The NDA 4024B is the Ford part number for a 5 speed transmission. Look for the sequences suggested in my previous post. They are cast into the metal and not hard to find.

Hope this picture shows.

Nice looking tractor. Sheet metal looks to be in very good shape. Definitely 801 sheet metal. Paint looks to be original. Seat is after market. Power steering a real plus. Tires look to be in good shape. It very well could have only had a transmission swap. Ought to give you years of service.

(quoted from post at 07:10:37 11/20/18) Nice looking tractor. Sheet metal looks to be in very good shape. Definitely 801 sheet metal. Paint looks to be original. Seat is after market. Power steering a real plus. Tires look to be in good shape. It very well could have only had a transmission swap. Ought to give you years of service.

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It does need front tires but he gave me one to go with it. I am fixing leaks and rewiring it and I have already got the alternator bracket made and painted it before I put it on. I ordered a new radiator because it had been fixed and over half the fins had been cut out and soldered. I found more numbers today. On the rear end I found CIF. 0225 57A and on the engine 310609.

Hold onto your current radiator until you are sure that the new one is really better.

(quoted from post at 17:25:52 11/20/18)
Hold onto your current radiator until you are sure that the new one is really better.

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And that it actually fits.

Sounds like you are having fun getting it going. The number 310609 in the number used on diesel blocks for 1958-1959. I need to do some checking on the other number. can you post a picture of it?

I will take some today and post them. Thanks

Here are the pictures of the numbers. They may be hard to see but I did the best I could.

The NDA 4024B is actually the part number for the rear axle center housing. The numbers 57A I believe indicate it was made July 1, 1955. (5) year = 1955; (7)= Month, July; (A)= Day, 1st. Here's what we know so far, sheet metal is 801 series produced between late 1957 and 1959; engine casting code indicates it was made in 1958 -1959, the rear center housing made in 1955. If you can get more numbers off the transmission (right side), rear axle trumpets, front axle and radiator (it should have a tag on it) we can tell more. It is quite possible you have a mutt or, only the rear axle was swapped. Hope this helps.

It does help me a lot and thank you. There are some numbers on the axle trumpets that I need to clean the paint off some to read and I will work on getting them. Thanks again you have been very helpful.

I cleaned it off and found 615. Do I need more then one manual for this tractor? Is one FO-20 the one or is 55-FTSM the better one. Thanks again

I don't know what the "615" means other than it is not a casting code for date of manufacture. As far as the Manuals go I recommend the Ford Master Parts Manual and the Ford Shop/Service Manual. I believe the FO-20 is an abbreviated version. I have found the Parts Manual and Shop Manual to be very helpful. They also produce and Owner's Manual which is helpful too. It explains the operation and features of your tractor. Fore instance, reading the proof meter. This site sells all three. See the link.
Manuals

The Operatort's Manual (Owner's Manual) actually covers routine maintenance items, like changing filters and fluids, that the Service Manual doesn't because The Service Manual assumes that someone servicing the tractor would also have access to the Operator's Manual.

Yesterday I took the right side floorboard off to straighten it out some and under it I found some numbers.58H with NDA 7006B under it. What do they tell me. Thanks