9N cast iron dash, battery tray, steering column

[Matt Reichenberger]

I have a 41 9N with a CAST IRON one piece battery tray, dash, steering column. The battery tray area is half rusted and cracked off. Does any one have a picture with dimensions of what it used to look like or a new one?
 

[Ultradog MN]

Are you certain it is cast iron?
Put a magnet on it to see if it sticks?
I know the early 9Ns had cast aluminum dashs which would look similar but didn't know they made them cast iron.
 

[HCooke]

I have a '41 dash out of cast aluminum. It is available to a good home. Send email.
 

[Matt Reichenberger]

Yes I a positive it is not aluminum. The magnet stuck. That was the first thing I did.
 

[Matt Reichenberger]

mr5402@msn.com
 

[Matt Reichenberger]

Here are some pictures of the dash.

 

[Jock(OR)]

This brings up a question for the experts: Were the upper steering housings bored after assembly to the lower housings? Or were the tolerances big enough that they are interchangable?
 

[John Smith8N]

From what I can find, the one piece cast iron dash was used only a short time in 1941. You're going to have to replace it with the later 2 piece to use a replacement steel battery tray. Or find a creative welder/machinist to modify yours. The later 2 piece cast iron column with steel dash should be the easiest to find.

The upper and lower halves (column and trans shifter cover) were bolted together and the steering arm bores were then machined to size. But they aparently held a pretty close tolerance on the bore location because I've seen several mismatched sets bolted together and used without any major misalignment in the bores.
 

[Matt Reichenberger]

Thanks. I am an aircraft fabricator thats why I was looking for
dimensions. I will most likely use a 2N battery tray and weld
the cracks together.
 

[Jock(OR)]

If joining dissimilar metals, like cast iron to steel, brazing is a better choice than welding. Even for joining cast iron parts together, brazing works very well. Since you have the part off the tractor, you can put the bead on the hidden side of the joint. It will make the job much easier, since you can position the parts to a comfortable spot to work.
 

[Old weldor]

My 41 9 n has a cast aluminum dash.
 

[Matt Reichenberger]

thats pretty much the plan. I'll braze the cracks and bolt on a 2N battery tray. after removing the remainder of the original battery tray, but there is also a hole.