Model 621-62 tractor

I bought a factory repair manual for a Ford tractor model 621-62. I wasn't sure what I'd get, but the copyright date was 1962 so I knew it would be of interest.

It turns out that it's for a 601 series with a cab and torque converter. I'm assuming the manual was printed for the military. The cover of the manual lists contract numbers, etc.

What I don't quite understand is how you match up a manual 4 speed tranny with a torque converter. There is a clutch mentioned, but it looks like a hydraulic coupling mechanism more than a traditional clutch.

I also liked the close up photos of the front fenders. I think those could be fabbed up pretty easily if a guy wanted fenders on his front wheels.

Hi Jim! I don't know how Ford did it, but many thousands of Chrysler Corp cars and trucks had fluid drive in the 40's and 50's. And some of them claimed to be torque converters.

I never owned one with a regular 3 speed stick transmission, but my 50 Chrysler and 53 DeSoto had the semi-automatic transmission that Chrysler used. To put it in gear, you had to push in the clutch pedal and move the column shifter. But once you let the clutch pedal out, it was not necessary to push it again unless you wanted to shift to the high range. It could, and would come to a complete stop, if the engine RPM's weren't high enough, with the slipping occurring within the fluid drive unit. The fluid drive looked a lot like a torque converter from an automatic transmission, but it had a conventional looking clutch assembly immediately to the rear of it.

The fluid drive worked OK, and was known to be very durable. But it was heavy and caused the vehicle it was used in to get fairly poor gas mileage and not very strong takeoff performance. I don't think either my Chrysler or DeSoto would spin tires on dry pavement. But the DeSoto, which had a small Hemi V8 would go very fast, once it was moving.

I have wondered why Chrysler kept using the fluid drive and semi-automatic transmission so long, when most of the other manufacturers had some kind of a legitimate, real, full automatic. I bet it cost them a bunch of sales, especially after about 1951. Maybe they were developing and testing the Powerflite, which was a 2 speed full automatic that became widely used in 1954, and the 3 speed Torqueflite, which became widely used in 1957. They were both very good automatic transmissions.

Anyhow, the old fluid drive Chryslers used a conventional dry clutch setup to connect to either the semiautomatic (but still gear) transmission or to a regular 3 speed stick transmission.

It would be interesting to know how Ford handled the connection between the torque converter and the transmission.

BTW, my 641D keeps on starting and running OK, so I have not tried installing the engine I got from you yet. It's nice to have it sitting there safe and sound in my shop. Thanks again. Hal

First post so I don't know if I am doing this correctly.
I am looking for a manual like the one Jim described in 2008.

I just purchased 2 of these Ford 621-63 Air Force tugs. Both need a lot of work and I need a lot of learning.

On one the clutch will not disengage. The other not running yet. They have a four speed transmission with a torque convertor. Because of the torque convertor, I can put it in gear then start and drive it.

These are 1963 models even though the 621 was discontinued in 1962 (Military Contract)

#1
Model; 621-63
A-1064
Ser No: 168481

#2
Model: 621-63
A-1041
Ser No: 168156