bychance

Hello. i am new to this tractor repair, helping a friend. It is a Ford 1940 something
tractor, I do not have all the info yet, but I will get it. there is a problem with the ignition which I'll deal with, but my question is the following:

As I see the design, the hood swings forward to expose the top of the motor.
However, in this case, the hood and fuel tank and the radiator have a big interference, not allowing the hood to swing.
Am I not doing something incorrectly? Or is the radiator the wrong part?
Or is the design that you must remove the hood from the tractor? this last one
is surely not.

Any help to get me going in the right direction is welcome.
Thank you very much

Just by chance a tractor repairman

rsmith335

Somethings bent or wrong parts. Take the hinge bolts at the bottom fronts. Remove hood and inspect for bent parts. It's not uncommon for previous owners to have run into something and shove the hood back, side ways, up and all of previous at the same time. Are radiator bolts intact, mabey the radiator has moved. PS buy a new wiring harness, saves alot of time (cheap). Good luck

tractor beam

Hey! Welcome to the forum! Unsure on the hood, but we have some diehard Ford specialists here, so hang out and browse awhile!

__________________
Oh Beautiful for smoggy skies, insecticided grain,
For strip-mined mountain's majesty above the asphalt plain.
America, America, man sheds his waste on thee,
And hides the pines with billboard signs, from sea to oily sea. _______________________________________________ Some say I have a bad attitude...... "Screw them!"

bychance

Thank you for the welcome and the reply.
The interference I am talking is in the order of the depth of the gas tank.
As I see the geometry of the hood, when the hood is tilted forwards, the
gas tank must clear the radiator fill cap. Well, in this tractor the fill cap
is almost level with the top of the hood. There is more than something's bent.
Something is not right, and it could be me.

Regarding the harness, this tractor was converted to 12 volts.
Where can a harness be obtained?

Thanks for any help.

tractor beam

By Chance, is there a possibility of getting a picture or two? Would help a great deal I think.

__________________
Oh Beautiful for smoggy skies, insecticided grain,
For strip-mined mountain's majesty above the asphalt plain.
America, America, man sheds his waste on thee,
And hides the pines with billboard signs, from sea to oily sea. _______________________________________________ Some say I have a bad attitude...... "Screw them!"

bychance

Photos? Yes. As soon as I am back in PA I'll send some.
At the moment I am traveling and taking the opportunity to
learn what tasks did I get myself into.
Thank you for the chance to learn.

A basic question just to make sure I am in the right ballpark:
The way to open the hood is to swing it forward pivoting
from the two bolts at the bottom of the hood "legs".
If this is not the case, I am really in the dark..

If it is that way, then does the radiator move with the hood? Likely not.

If it swings and the radiator stays in place, then the radiator is about 6-8 inches too tall. Your`inputs are highly appreciated. thanks.

rsmith335

Good greif, I don't know what I was thinking. I don't know about 40 - 47 9Ns for sure, but if it a 48 or upwards 8Ns. I know the hoods don't piviot and I doubt the 9Ns piviot. The gas tanks are mounted to the hood. You unbolt the hood from the dash and front frame, take the light wiring harness and gas line lose. And lift the unit off, drain the gas out of the tank first. Good luck

bychance

Thank you Rick. That is the answer I thought would be but hoped it wasn't.
Why? Every time there is a need to do something that cannot be reached with the hood on
it means do all the items you listed. Wow.
That also means I better plan well the electrical work, and test it thoroughly before mounting the hood.
Any hints of where to buy a new harness? It was converted to 12 V with an alternator.
Thanks again

rsmith335

Just 8Ns is a great place to start, they have treated me very fairly. I like to talk to the lady that takes to orders, she thinks I'm 6'4''notheing but pure muscile and very handsome, that's what I told her, I think she's sweet on me.:lmao :

bychance

Rick, I got parts for the tractor. It is a 2N model.
Soon I'll be up to my eyeballs fixing it.
Thanks for your inputs, and yes, unmounting the hood is a pain.

My guess on the hood is as follows. Originally, the design was for a flip forward hood with a smaller radiator.
That is the reason for the type of mounting at the bottom of the hood legs.
But the radiator was too small, either bad design or they increased the engine power after the
sheet metal dies were done, so no flip up any longer.
Take care

Ken N Tx

The N hoods where never designed to tilt forward..

rsmith335

Bychance got any updates on how things are going?

bychance

Here is the latest after the help I got about how to manhandle the hood.
After returning, the work included:
New wiring. I added a relay panel to have the high currents through relays rather than the switches.
The carburetor was a block of rust. An overhaul kit and cleaning fixed it.
The manifold was cracked at the cylinder no. 4 port. Got a new manifold.
The new gasket kit for the up front coil and distributor were junk, and kept the old ones.
Cleaned up the air filter and got a tube to connect the air filter to the carburetor. That was a bear to mount.
Cleaned up the battery box and coated it with polyurethane.
Removing the instrument panel was a bear, and both cast tabs in the mid of the center steering post were broken, so had to make a new support for the bolts.
The fuel tank had to be fixed for the leaks. It was rusted through at the top.
Made a new hinge and a new handle shaft pin for the gas fill-up cover.
Made a friction bushing for the choke button shaft. I came up with an easy and good design
Added the missing muffler.

Oh! The kit for the carburetor and the extra choke shaft kit does not include the spring for the choke shaft. Amazingly I had a drop in spring , no readjustment whatsoever, in my springs junk box.

I am working now on the hood sheet metal and adding headlights.
Also added a new seat.

The engine runs smooth and starts quite quickly.

The oil leak in the rear axle will not be fixed now.

I am just finishing it in a few days.