1968 Ford 4000 restoration advice

So, my grandad has this old tractor that he hasn't used in a few years now, so it's been sitting and rusting. He doesn't seem to care much about it anymore, but I grew up riding on the fenders of this machine. I'm considering restoring it and keeping it as a showpiece (I might use it for some light gardening work). It's an 8 speed diesel and as far as I know the engine is fine (it needed a new head gasket a few years ago).

The fuel pump leaks and my grandad says the clutch disc needs to be replaced. The pto brake also doesn't work (hasn't as long as I can remember), and the hydraulics don't hold (so I assume the hydraulic pump and any hoses/pipes need replacing). The original gauge cluster and housing are also gone, replaced with a flat piece of plastic with only two gauges (oil temp and battery/alternator, I think). I don't think the rpm gauge worked at all (I think the sensor is broken/gone. If I remember, it's supposed to be on the alternator, and the alternator on it now isn't made for a tractor, I think. I don't even think the alternator that it's supposed to have is called an alternator). I'm not sure about the notification lights.

The tractor also needs some minor body work: New paint and stickers, new grills, etc. And I think I'd like to upgrade to multibeam (high/low) headlights, and add a backup light, blinkers and an led hazard light as well (newer tractors have these in place of the reflective triangle sign).

I'm considering addressing all of the issues that I've listed above, but what I want to know is, should I do more? This thing was built in 1968 and has seen a lot of heavy use over the years. Would it be a good idea to rebuild the engine and transmission? I assume that there are a lot of gaskets and bearings and gears and hoses and such that could be pretty worn out, and might cause other damage if they fail. (also, do pistons and valves and such ever need replacing? I doubt the block will ever fail unless I try to run it without oil or on gasoline)

I don't have an engine hoist but I could get one; after a search they don't seem too pricey (around $300). I assume that I could also use it for the transmission? (I also have access to a Mahindra with a fork/bucket, if I need some extra lifting power). I don't have much experience with large engines and very little experience with diesels, but I'm good with my hands and have had luck with a lot of small engines over the years (weed-eaters, push and riding mowers, tillers), but I've never fully opened an engine by myself (relying instead on the knowledge of an uncle, who I was usually helping when I did this kind of work). I've only done peripheral work alone. And I've never opened a transmission.

I don't want to spend a fortune, My workspace is limited (a 20x8 foot area, in our old tin barn, the only available space with a cement floor), and would be doing most of all of the work myself, but it could make a good summer project over several years (I'd be willing to spend maybe $1500 per year at most on this project, starting either next year or the year after).

So if I decide to work on this tractor, should I just repair the stuff that's currently broken, or should I do a full overhaul? And will I be able to do all of this alone?

I have a '69 4000, gas. Don't know how similar '68s and '69s are, but I have a full set of manuals for the '69. I would be happy to copy pages you need and send
to you if you wish. Keep my name on file.

Welcome Seb!

Where to start...

Sounds like quite a project! There are several ways to look at this. A lot depends on what you will be doing with the tractor.

If it is going to be a working tractor, concentrate on making everything right that makes it dependable, not so much cosmetics.

If it will be for occasional use, something you can show your family and friends what you did, then go more for cleaning everything up, stop the leaks, do a "best you can" rattle can paint job, go back with the right dash and aftermarket gauges, do whatever you want as for customizing the electrics. But be aware, this is going to get expensive, not counting your hours, you will spend much more that you can ever recoup from the investment.

If you are going for "show quality", this gets much more involved and expensive. Everything will need to come apart, down to the bare cases. It will need to go back with original parts, not aftermarket. That puts a whole new spin on the project, much more expensive and time consuming. As a novice, I would not recommend trying this as your first project.

The very first thing I would recommend would be buying a good shop manual. Spend some time with it, reading it through several times, familiarizing yourself with the project. Ask a lot of questions, do a lot of research, Youtube and Ebay will be your friends.

As for the engine, if it still runs well, I would leave it alone! Just clean it up, replace any leaking gaskets or seals, and set the lifters. Diesels are unforgiving beasts for taking any shortcuts or making assembly errors. Unless something just jumps out as needing attention, you will be money ahead to get all the life out of it you can.

To access the clutch, you will need to "split" the tractor. This means separating the engine from the transmission. Obviously you will be dealing with some dangerous and difficult to manage weights. Best to block up under the transmission, remove the front end, lift the engine with a rolling type hoist. This can be done by yourself, but going back together is easier with a assistant.

Try to manage this project as a series of small accomplishments. Looking at it as a whole will become overwhelming. Have a plan for sorting and storing parts as it comes apart. Take pictures, make notes, label the different groups. Ziplock bags are handy, storage totes for the larger stuff. Some large tables will be good for laying stuff out, but you will need a plan for storage, as the limited space will soon be overflowing.

Hope this helps, stay in touch, ask a lot of questions!

Keep in mind that Diesels easily go 50% more hours than gas engines. Before deciding to tear it down assess the engine internals by checking oil pressure and compression, both wet and dry. If the engine has 5,000 more hours in it, is it really cost and time effective to rebuild it?

I'm not trying to take it to tractor shows or anything, and aftermarket parts are fine. I just want it to look nice and run well. I understand that replacing the clutch wheel will require me to split the tractor, and this is why we've never attempted to do so. I also need to replace the pto brake, and address pto slippage, if it isn't the result of the worn clutch wheel (the pto is an independent 540 according to the serial, if that makes any difference). I'm not sure what you mean by "set the lifters".

How long would I need to keep it split if I wanted to address the clutch and the pto in one go? The only work area available is frequently in use, so I wouldn't want to cut off access for more than a week. But I also don't think I want to split the tractor twice unless I have to. (If I do, I'll fix the clutch first, and worry about the pto later). Of course, I also need to work on the hydraulic system, and I'm not really sure where it's located. Well, I'm not in a hurry at least, and I'll definitely get some manuals before I start pulling things apart.

Oh, and I don't consider this an investment, it's a pet project. I'm not really concerned with recouping costs.