Farmall F20

Hello,

I am wanting to make sure all fluid levels are where they need to be on my '37 Farmall F20.

Does anyone have any tricks on getting the cap off so I can check to ensure the radiator fluid is where it should be?

How do I check the transmission fluid?

Is there any other fluid other than oil that needs to be checked? I thought there was gear oil or something on each side for the rear wheels? If so, where do I check that?

Thanks!

The radiator cap is the big round cover on top. It should have a wingnut just like the two covers on the left side of the engine. They have usually been Micky Moused back together after rusting out.
Full is about 1.5-2 down from the top. There should be an overflow tube that will drain off the excess when its about 1/2 from the top.

Put flowable grease in the steering gear. It holds about 1/2 percent quart.

The transmission holds about 7 gallons of gear oil. 80W-90 or 85W-140 is fine. The fill plug is on the top left side just under the front of the seat. Big 1 plug. They are hard to get to without the right tool. I just put it in neutral and remove the four bolts holding the shifter in place and dump the oil in there. Remove the 1/2 pipe plug on the forward right side of the transmission, just to the right of where the propeller shaft from the engine enters the transmission. When the oil starts coming out of that hole, its full.

The bull gear reduction housings each take 1 quart of gear oil. On the bottom outside of each bull gear housing there are two 1/2 pipe plugs. The bottom is the drain. Remove the upper one (about 3 above the bottom one), then remove the large 1 pipe plug near the top of the bull gear housing. That is the fill plug. The one for the right axle faces forward, the one on the left axle faces rearward. Fill until it runs out the top hole (should take 1 quart).

Fill the engine until it runs out of the top petcock on the right side of the oil pan. Most suggest using a 15W-40 diesel rated oil.
Dont forget to put a dozen or so squirts from an oil can with engine oil in the two flip covers on the valve cover. That is what oils the rocker arms and it must be done before the first start of the day.

If it has a magneto, it needs a couple drops of 3 in one oil in all the little flip covers once a day.

Give all the grease zerks a pump or two of grease every 10 hours or so and it should be good.

thank you for the feedback. I apologize in advance, I am not too knowledgeable on all the parts of the F20 yet.
The radiator cap is really stuck on but I'll try some things to see if I can get it off.

If I take the shifter off is it hard to put back on? Could I accidentally mess that up? When you say "remove the 1/2 pipe plug on the forward right side of the transmission." I am not sure where that is at.

I will have to check out the bull gear when I am out there next, I think that one I understand.

Do you know how many grease zerks there are that I should be getting?

Thank you for the information! This is very helpful!

Its been a long time since ive had a 20, and around 10yrs since I had my last 30. I cant beloeve
you cant get the wing nut off of the wide rad cap. You likely will need to replace the rubber
gasket underneith it. IF you do, glue it back onto either the cap of rad. Make it much easier to
replace cap then. I thought there was a 2in recessed plug with a 4 hole square indention that
fit a socket ratchet nicely somewhere around the floorboard, such as saying it had a floor board
lol. to fill with gear oil. I dont remember where the check plug was. The drop axples should
have the same on each, and when it runs back upt the fill hole, its full. You could take the cap
off the steering worm cover and check the grease in it., It should come up to around 1/.2 way
even with the work gears,.
I farmed with a 20 and 30 when I was a teen and in my early 20s. Had another 30 10yrs ago, but
the engine went bad. IF I was 50 or so, Id look for another.

I always used 10W 40 in mine, and when i could finally afford it, i used only Eythl gas. Made starting it way easier. Likely it pulled better on it too.

Unfortunately, the radiator cap was built with a steel nut and steel stud. They tend to rust together. I've heated the wing
nut to a dull red, let it cool some, then carefully break loose the bond a few turns. After that, you can usually slide the
assembly sideways and dislodge the cross bar inside.

Clean up the threads, and liberally grease the threads and nut prior to re-assembly.

Good luck !

Once the four bolts are out, the shifter will lift straight up and go back on just as easy.
Here is a pic of the transmission oil level plug on my F-20

(quoted from post at 17:27:23 09/15/20) Once the four bolts are out, the shifter will lift straight up and go back on just as easy.
Here is a pic of the transmission oil level plug on my F-20

Click to expand...

Thanks! Would it be the square head that is next to the smaller chrome bolt?