New Toy Ford 8N

scgargoyle · January 17, 2014, 07:32:00 AM

Cool tractor! Old iron is one of my lesser addictions. I'm looking for something to use around here, and the old Fords are really common around here. Some day you'll have to detour through Greenville on your way to/from TN.

Al_Smith · January 17, 2014, 08:13:55 AM

This mention of the V8 engines was a product of Funk aviation of Coffeyville Kansas .They offered a conversion kit using either a 95 HP flat head six or a 100 HP Ford 8ba flathead V8 .You might find one at an antique tractor show but they are rather a novelty and rare .

I know a gent who used a 75 HP Opal engine in an 8N that had a cracked block .It was triple the HP and about triple the RPM's and would run 50 MPH down the road .Too much HP it was constantly breaking the rear axles .

r.man · January 17, 2014, 09:39:36 AM

Nice tractor, I have a 9N that I am not sentimentally attached to and I think I am going to sell it to buy an 8 mostly to get away from the odd pedals. Too much confusion for my feet when I switch to a normal set up on one of the others.

Raider Bill · January 17, 2014, 12:04:06 PM

According to tractor data it is a 1950 "26675"

What are the pros and cons of 12v vs 6v?

Besides a battery and alternator what else would be changed to convert?

At this point it needs at least a battery.

Al_Smith · January 17, 2014, 01:34:53 PM

Well you'd have to change the lights of course .You about either need to install a voltage dropping ballast resister in series with the coil or get a 12 volt coil .Else wise it will eventually burn the points .

In theory if you double the voltage from going from 6 to 12 volts you in theory quadruple the power on the starter (Ohms law )Doesn't really hurt anything except every couple of years you need to change the starter brushs which are pretty cheap .I'm not certain about an 8n but on my Ferguson TO-20 they cost about 3 bucks .

Al_Smith · January 17, 2014, 01:40:45 PM

There's another way .If you get a ballast wire from like an old Ford from the junk yard it would work .The good thing about a ballast wire is it gives you 12 on a start up to the coil,hot spark .As the wire heats up it drops down to 6 volts and saves the points.Lots of ways to skin the same cat so to speak .

gspren · January 17, 2014, 03:29:17 PM

I believe there used to be 8 volt batteries available, I think.

Al_Smith · January 17, 2014, 03:53:24 PM

Problem with that is for some reason even by fiddling with the regulator the 6 volt generator couldn't keep the battery charged .

Now nothing wrong with an OEM generator if you want to keep the original look .If you want to work without having to coddle it like a teen age prom queen hang an alternator on it and be done with it .Now I know grand dad said 6 volt generators are just fine .They didn't have alternators in grand paps day so he wouldn't know .

Al_Smith · January 17, 2014, 03:58:13 PM

Last week it was 16 below zero .I fired my little Ferguson right up .It has a big bore kit making it 129 cubic inchs and increasing compression ratio from 6.5 to 1 to 8.5 to one .HP is increased about 4- 5 drawbar HP which is a lot when you only start out with about 23-24 .

When I had that thing still with 6 volt there would be no way it would start .With the 12 volt it spun it right over and fired right up .

beenthere · January 17, 2014, 04:28:57 PM

Quote from: gspren on January 17, 2014, 03:29:17 PM
I believe there used to be 8 volt batteries available, I think.

IIRC they were in the Farmall tractors back when... ever.
Corley8 might know better.

Corley5 · January 17, 2014, 07:48:37 PM

I've got 8V batteries in my Farmalls that are still 6V. They start better with 8 and I've never had an issue with the 6V generator charging the 8V battery. I've got them in a couple Hs and a 300. Twelve is the way to go. We changed the light bulbs and ignition coils and have never had issues with the 6V starters on 12V. You can drive them around with the starter if needed. Well not very far ;) :D I've pulled my B Farmall out of the barn when it was out of gas but the battery was charged with the starter. A 6V wouldn't do that. What ever you do throw the points and condenser away and get a Petronix electronic ignition module for it. They cost what a couple sets of points and condensers do and you'll be much happier. Good looking tractor by the way 8) 8) 8)

samandothers · January 17, 2014, 08:21:24 PM

I learned alot about steering at least on one of these. I was too small to reach the pedals while sitting on the seat. But I'd stand on the clutch and dad would put in 1st gear with little throttle. He'd get outta the way and I'd sit in the seat and steer it pulling a trailer between bails of hay. He'd load hay and help me to know what to do. Great memories, great tractor.

We too had an PTO mounted clutch when using bush hog.

Darrel · January 17, 2014, 09:07:59 PM

If ford had built cars and trucks as strong as they did their tractors there would not be enough room to drive and park them all.

Al_Smith · January 17, 2014, 09:21:44 PM

The 8N came about as compition to Ferguson as the story goes .Harry O Ferguson invented the three point hitch and that started the 9N .Ford made them and Harry O sold them .It got so Ford was loosing money and Harry was making money so Ford terminted their agreement and started the 8N .

So Harry O started a factory in England and made the TE-20 Fergy .About a year later he had a factory in Henrys' back yard in Dearborn and it became the TO 20.Both the Fords and Fergys were made to replace a team of horses for small acerage farms of which they did .

gspren · January 18, 2014, 09:27:22 AM

Quote from: Corley5 on January 17, 2014, 07:48:37 PM
I've got 8V batteries in my Farmalls that are still 6V. They start better with 8 and I've never had an issue with the 6V generator charging the 8V battery. I've got them in a couple Hs and a 300.

Corley, where did you get the 8v batteries? If I put an 8v in my 44 Farmall H what would need changed?

Saki · January 18, 2014, 09:43:35 AM

Those old fords and fergusons are great tractors. In his later years my granddad would buy these, repair whatever was wrong and re-sell. For the time they had good power, were easy to climb on, off, had the 3pt and PTO, and were low to ground with wide front so very stable. Fergusons 3pt design sent all the engineers at other tractor manufacturers scrambling to try to come up with something comparable.

I have a TE20 and a TO30 and like them both very much. Lots of parts still widely available, and generally pretty easy to work on.

Also normally very economical tractors to operate. Under really hard bushog conditions both these tractors will use around a gallon per hour, and fords would be similar.

Fergies also have some cool history. A TE 20 was equipped with tracks and became a poor mans "snowcat" on an expedition to one of the poles.

Enjoy your new toy!

pineywoods · January 18, 2014, 09:54:27 AM

Back in my younger days, just about every logger used an 8N or equiv ferguson for a skidder. The only widespread problem was brakes. Nothing wrong with the brakes themselves, the axle seals tended to go out and leak axle grease on the brake shoes. Easy fix was to pull the axle and put 2 seals in place of the one. Turn the seals opposite each other, one to keep grease in, the other to keep dirt out.

Corley5 · January 18, 2014, 03:45:01 PM

Tractor Supply usually has them. My local Car Quest stocks them too. If your H is still 6V you shouldn't need to change anything.

Qweaver · January 18, 2014, 03:55:26 PM

Quote from: Magicman on January 16, 2014, 09:04:52 PM
The brakes were the only "power" steering that it had, and without a live clutch the bushhog would push you somewhere that you did not want to go. :-\

HA HA, that's funny! I've bushhogged with one of those. Reverse must be 20 mph at idle. :D

Saki · January 20, 2014, 02:43:56 PM

Pineywoods - Never heard that one, that is clever as can be. Might be worth doing even if not used for much skidding purposes just to beef it up.

Neat idea!

Raider Bill · January 20, 2014, 02:48:29 PM

Can you jump start using a 12v vehicle? One concern I have is a dead battery in the woods.
If I can just get a 8v battery and not have to spend more $$$ to convert I could spend that savings on something else I probably don't need either.

Do you recharge/maintain with a 6v charger?

beenthere · January 20, 2014, 04:05:09 PM

Jump directly to the starter with the 12v, and bypass the 6 volt system. Worked for me.

chevytaHOE5674 · January 20, 2014, 05:21:27 PM

Yep the jumper cables go directly to the starter terminal with the key in the "on" position.

farmboy1tn · January 20, 2014, 11:30:09 PM

most 8n are postive ground so you better check how you jump them off. i jump mine postive to frame, neg to starter post

Saki · January 20, 2014, 11:47:28 PM

Also PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE remember to have the unit out of gear, and/or the brakes set. Many of these old tractors will fire up without making a full engine revolution. I know we have all done stuff like this, and are here to tell the tale, but it only takes once to radically change your life. This nearly cost a local farmer his life. Tractor fired up and ran over him and his large charge/jump style battery charger. Fortunately the way it happened, it ran over the charger AND him so the charger ( laying beside him ) carried a good chunk of the tractor weight as the rear tire crossed his chest.

Not aiming to mother folks here, but we all work in the woods alone a lot. Sure could ruin a fellas day.