I posted about this interesting 8N last July but found it back in my local CNH dealer's shop today.
It was in the shop because the new design starter drive drive gear had disintegrated (12V conversion). Upon inspection, the old guy that I sometimes work with at this dealer, and I learned that the drive gear in this design starter drive is simply staked or swaged into the drive housing and is not up to 12V conversions (maybe not even good 6V systems). This is yet another reason why one should not convert to 12V, but I digress.
This hybrid tractor has a 50 or later (not 52) transmission and rear axle but front mount engine that has been converted to side mount using a GM HEI distributor. Someone machined an aluminum right angle gearbox to adapt the HEI distributor to the front mount engine. The gearbox mounts to the engine where a side mount distributor mounts. I've never owned a front mount N, and am not familiar with the front mount engine cover, but it appears that a side mount front engine housing has been adapted. The block is definitely an early front mount block, e.g., no timing hole in bell housing, oil filler at front of block, etc. The gearbox is pressure lubed with engine oil as it has been connected in series with the oil line from the oil filter to the governor. Obviously, the governor housing has provision for the oil line but there is no provision for a tach cable.
The PO mounted an alternator on the left side of the engine and bent up an oil filler tube that snakes beneath and behind the alternator. There is no interference between the alternator and the oil filter. Perhaps, the engine has a late model cylinder head.
It's really an interesting conversion but one must wonder why the PO did not simply repair the original 6V cranking and charging system to proper operating condition rather than spend such time on the conversion.
FWIW, the old guy found a good used OEM design starter drive in the junk bin which we decided was the best solution to the owner's present dilemma.
I've several photos of this conversion on my old computer but have no easy way of posting them here. If anyone is interested, I can email the photos to someone who will post them in this thread.
Dean
It was in the shop because the new design starter drive drive gear had disintegrated (12V conversion). Upon inspection, the old guy that I sometimes work with at this dealer, and I learned that the drive gear in this design starter drive is simply staked or swaged into the drive housing and is not up to 12V conversions (maybe not even good 6V systems). This is yet another reason why one should not convert to 12V, but I digress.
This hybrid tractor has a 50 or later (not 52) transmission and rear axle but front mount engine that has been converted to side mount using a GM HEI distributor. Someone machined an aluminum right angle gearbox to adapt the HEI distributor to the front mount engine. The gearbox mounts to the engine where a side mount distributor mounts. I've never owned a front mount N, and am not familiar with the front mount engine cover, but it appears that a side mount front engine housing has been adapted. The block is definitely an early front mount block, e.g., no timing hole in bell housing, oil filler at front of block, etc. The gearbox is pressure lubed with engine oil as it has been connected in series with the oil line from the oil filter to the governor. Obviously, the governor housing has provision for the oil line but there is no provision for a tach cable.
The PO mounted an alternator on the left side of the engine and bent up an oil filler tube that snakes beneath and behind the alternator. There is no interference between the alternator and the oil filter. Perhaps, the engine has a late model cylinder head.
It's really an interesting conversion but one must wonder why the PO did not simply repair the original 6V cranking and charging system to proper operating condition rather than spend such time on the conversion.
FWIW, the old guy found a good used OEM design starter drive in the junk bin which we decided was the best solution to the owner's present dilemma.
I've several photos of this conversion on my old computer but have no easy way of posting them here. If anyone is interested, I can email the photos to someone who will post them in this thread.
Dean
