Ford 9N pulley removal, pulley/crank rotate with tractor in gear

[Brian R B]

Hi-

I'm disassembling my 1941 Ford 9N to access the front oil rope seals and replace them since it leaks a bunch up there. Got it tore down to removing the timing gear cover and am confounded by getting off the (pretty sure its original) nut that secures the pulley. The tractor is in 1st gear, the crummy brakes are pushed almost to the floorboards and secured with the toothed cams, rear wheels chocked, and then when I use a suitable 1/2" drive socket to remove the bolt, with counterclockwise rotation, the crank and pulley move. Tractor has a step-up/hi-lo add on transmission and I made sure that it was engaged. All this was attempted late this evening and I threw in the towel and hope to figure things out tomorrow. But with all that as described, why would the crankshaft not be blocked from rotating? The rear wheels are not turning at all. I don't have access to an impact wrench, but have read that a breaker bar on the ratchet and a BFH whack might do it, as does stuffing rope or cord into a cylinder down a spark plug hole. (I did that recently on clutch replacement on a chainsaw and it worked fine.) Someone evidently also put the tractor in neutral and engaged the PTO and immobilized the PTO shaft and that worked. Anyways, any help appreciated.

Brian

 

[Ray,IN]

I'm thinking The select-o-shift free wheels in high or low, can't remember now.

 

[soaked]

Hi Brian, if your clutch is slipping, could pull the starter, and jam a flywheel tooth.

 

[duey]

You should use the highest gear, not the lowest gear to restrain engine rotation... give that a try...

 

[Ray,IN]

You should use the highest gear, not the lowest gear to restrain engine rotation... give that a try...

Re-read his explanation. He blocked the rear wheels and said they are not moving.

 

[Jim.ME]

I'm thinking The select-o-shift free wheels in high or low, can't remember now.

It does not have an S_O_S transmission from his description.

 

[Jim.ME]

Hi-

I'm disassembling my 1941 Ford 9N to access the front oil rope seals and replace them since it leaks a bunch up there. Got it tore down to removing the timing gear cover and am confounded by getting off the (pretty sure its original) nut that secures the pulley. The tractor is in 1st gear, the crummy brakes are pushed almost to the floorboards and secured with the toothed cams, rear wheels chocked, and then when I use a suitable 1/2" drive socket to remove the bolt, with counterclockwise rotation, the crank and pulley move. Tractor has a step-up/hi-lo add on transmission and I made sure that it was engaged. All this was attempted late this evening and I threw in the towel and hope to figure things out tomorrow. But with all that as described, why would the crankshaft not be blocked from rotating? The rear wheels are not turning at all. I don't have access to an impact wrench, but have read that a breaker bar on the ratchet and a BFH whack might do it, as does stuffing rope or cord into a cylinder down a spark plug hole. (I did that recently on clutch replacement on a chainsaw and it worked fine.) Someone evidently also put the tractor in neutral and engaged the PTO and immobilized the PTO shaft and that worked. Anyways, any help appreciated.

Brian

High gear will hold against the engine turning more than low gear. Think about it. You start in low gear because the engine doesn't have power enough to start a load in high. Also, there will be a certain amount of "wind up" that has to be taken up in the power train before there is full resistance to the engine turning.

Have you checked with a local parts store or rental house to see if they have impact wrenches to loan/rent?

 

[Brian R B]

Hello, again.

I'll try to respond to all the helpful responses. Indeed fourth gear is the way to go and I understand why and with the hi-lo lever all the way forward and the tractor in fourth, the wheels DID move so I "solved" that matter. But I got the threaded nut-bolt off with a piece of galvanized pipe as shown and a bfh/Harley points adjuster/large hammer. Two quick blows to the pipe and the nut-bolt spun free! I had thought about the flywheel approach, the aforementioned rope in the spark plug hole approach, etc., but in the end had very good luck with the hammer and pipe.

FWIW: Type of hi-lo whatchamacallit transmission might be deduced by the picture of the lever I have attached. It has a chrome/shiny round knob atop it. Front position is lower (slow) gearing and rear position is high (fast). With lever in the middle position, the tractor does not go into gear.

Couple other things, musings really.

1) As long as I am into it, prob should replace the rear seal but that of course means a bigger job and more cussing. But there is the matter of oil collected in the bell housing or whatever it is called and that's not good. The age of front and rear seals is same: they are two or even three decades old.

2) A moot musing. I read, or thought I did, that for the front two-piece rope seal replacement to be done correctly, the oil pan has to be dropped, but seeing things disassemble I wonder if it could have been done (the bottom rope seal piece) with the pan bolted to the block in situ? Maybe pulling the old one out and pushing in a new one (again, bottom piece) is facilitated by having the crank out of the way. I guess I won't know. Not looking forward to a rear seal replacement but what should be done is a consideration.

All the best and thanks for the great responses.

 

[McNugget]

Hi-

I'm disassembling my 1941 Ford 9N to access the front oil rope seals and replace them since it leaks a bunch up there. Got it tore down to removing the timing gear cover and am confounded by getting off the (pretty sure its original) nut that secures the pulley. The tractor is in 1st gear, the crummy brakes are pushed almost to the floorboards and secured with the toothed cams, rear wheels chocked, and then when I use a suitable 1/2" drive socket to remove the bolt, with counterclockwise rotation, the crank and pulley move. Tractor has a step-up/hi-lo add on transmission and I made sure that it was engaged. All this was attempted late this evening and I threw in the towel and hope to figure things out tomorrow. But with all that as described, why would the crankshaft not be blocked from rotating? The rear wheels are not turning at all. I don't have access to an impact wrench, but have read that a breaker bar on the ratchet and a BFH whack might do it, as does stuffing rope or cord into a cylinder down a spark plug hole. (I did that recently on clutch replacement on a chainsaw and it worked fine.) Someone evidently also put the tractor in neutral and engaged the PTO and immobilized the PTO shaft and that worked. Anyways, any help appreciated.

Brian

I recommend a one piece seal for the front. Might require a new front pulley too.

 

[Brian R B]

I recommend a one piece seal for the front. Might require a new front pulley too.

I was JUST looking into one piece front seals when your suggestions came through. Here is the pulley. Light pitting, grooved/ridged/whatevered. It's time. The pictured one might be 85 years old.

 

[Brian R B]

Pulley, 1941 Ford 9N, front oil leaking on tractor.

 

[Ray,IN]

It does not have an S_O_S transmission from his description.

OK, I misread it he said, "Tractor has a step-up/hi-lo add on transmission",

 

[Jim L WA]

I don't know the part number, but NAPA has a one piece front seal that is supposed to work better than the rope seals. But unless your counter person has been around awhile they probably won't be much help.
Found it, NAPA part number 550199 Front Seal.