Ford Tractor Identification

I am trying to figure out the year of my tractor. I can't tell if my vin number has a 1 or an I. It looks like an I but that doesn't make sense.

It makes sense if you were Henry Ford and too cheap to buy a 1 stamp when you could use an I for both.

And a 6 upside down becomes a 9.

The engine in your tractor is s/n 169,657 .
75 Tips

Your engine is a very late 1944 2N, probably cast in the last week of production for the 1944 model year.

This page has a lot of information for N tractor owners; check out the ID info to get the year of both your engine and the rest of the tractor.

https://fordtractorcollectors.com/fordson/tractor-id-history/
75 Tips

Sure it does. You just have to know how Ford stamped serial numbers. All FORD vehicles including the 9N, 2N, and early 8N (til April, 1950) tractors used steel cylinder sleeves and serial numbers were marked with a STAR prefix and SUFFIX. All 9N and 2N?s used the ?9N? prefix as well; there is no '2N' s/n prefix stamp. All 8N?s used the ?8N? prefix. Later models had a tag attached on the starter pocket ?all part of the block. It is the casting date code ID tag ?the day the block was cast, nothing more than that. The engine serial number is located on the top LH block just under the head on a flat cast boss. Serial numbers were hand-stamped by a human, casting codes were tags attached to the sand molds when they cast them at the Rouge foundry; they are two different animals. The method of identifying engine block serial numbers by Ford was done by a human worker after the block passed QC inspection using hand stamps (see picture) and therefore some numbers and characters didn't always get equal clarity. Many of us will remember the end of the old TV shows "Dragnet" and later, "Adam 12" which showed a medieval-type strong arm with a hand stamp that slammed a steel hammer down that read "Mark VII Limited". This is the same principle that was used for all FORD vehicles ?cars, trucks, and tractors as engine blocks were identified/serialized in this manner and which also doubled as the vehicle serial number. The Engine Block Serial Numbering System ad ?see picture - says it is a Service Bulletin from 1931. The numerals 1; 6; and 9 were changed to letters I for numeral 1; lower case b for numeral 6; and an inverted lower case b for numeral 9 in the effort to help prevent falsifying a serial number. However, in the case of casting code date tag bosses used to identify casting part numbers; date of pouring; and/or foundry trademarks, the numerals used are a different character font from the serial number hand stamps. They should be because the method used on casting date code tag bosses is different than the hand stamp method. The characters and numerals are raised on a bar/band prepared prior to casting and inserted in the sand mold prior to pouring. My early s/n 1948 8N shows engine casting code as ?I167?. We know 8N production began in July, 1947, so a September 16, 1947 casting code would coincide. Bear in mind that cast iron requires about a thirty day "curing" period, sort of like "seasoning" wood, before it can be machined otherwise it is too brittle and can create problems with machinery such as broken tooling as well as scrap castings. That being said, don't assume because your engine casting code date boss shows September 16, 1947 your tractor was built on that date, it wasn't. Only the engine block was cast on that date. After cast iron parts were ?seasoned? for at least 30 days ?an inherent property of cast iron is it is brittle and requires 30 days curing before it can be machined ? then the part, engine block in this case, was machined, cleaned, assembled, then tested in the QC department, and if it passed testing, would now and only now get a serial number hand stamp, not before, not after. Good engines were sent to a hold area where they would be pulled at random and moved to the assembly line to be installed in the tractor. Engines that failed the testing were sent to another hold area to be further scrutinized as to why they failed and fixed if possible then back through the test procedure again. If unrepairable, they were scrapped out. All that just to tell you that unless you have an early 9N or 8N you wish to restore to all original, don't put too much faith on a serial number. Engines were swapped out when one got blown or cracked beyond repair so so there are a few mutts around. Further, you should be more concerned with what electrical system you are running, whether a 3 speed or a 4 speed, draft and position control, steering, and a few others.


FORD ENGINE BLOCK SERIAL NUMBER HAND STAMPS:

FORD N-SERIES TRACTOR ENGINE BLOCK SERIAL NUMBER LOCATION:

EARLY 8N ENGINE CASTING DATE CODE BOSS, SEPTEMBER 16, 1947:


FORD 9N/2N TRACTOR ESSENTIAL OWNER/OPERATOR/PARTS/SERVICE MANUALS:


[i:654c4848f0][b:654c4848f0]<font size="4">Tim *PloughNman* Daley(MI)</font>[/b:654c4848f0][/i:654c4848f0]<table width="100" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#000000"><tr><td height="25" colspan="2" bgcolor="#CC0000"></td></tr><tr><td></td><td></td></tr></table>


Tim Daley(MI)