1951 8n tractor update

[bentwrench54]

hi all, updating on our 1951 8n. took the radiator to a local shop for repair after it blew while discing the back garden.

noticed that it was only held in with one bolt on the one side and a block of wood for a spacer on the opposite side.

put it back together, only to find the radiator started leaking after the fan shroud contacted one of the tubes. guy at the shop was nice enough to reseal it for me.

go to put the tractor back together last night, test fit everything, plenty of clearance. put the hood back on, fill it with coolant, put gas in the tank, guess what......

the fan is smacking the shroud.

i'm REALLY thinking about removing the shroud. i put in a 160 thermostat while i had everything apart.

hopefully after this is all finished i can get the hydraulic fluid changed. have a 5 gallon bucket of gear oil at home waiting for it.

 

[flembo]

Can you determine where it hits and adjust the shroud or bend it out a little rather than remove it.

 

[HCooke]

Is an old shroud or a new one? The new one are
notoriously bad fitting. I have several Ns. Some
have shrouds - some do not. None of them overheat.

 

[Charles Krammin]

The block of wood that the PO put in should have got you attention, and the shroud hitting should have been the other SOMETHING IS OUT OF ALIGNMENT.
Could be it was in an accident and the radiator mounts (what the radiator bolts to), is higher on one side or lower on the other and when you bolt it down (correctly) with a rubber piece in between mount and radiator, it is forcing the radiator out of alightment.
The neck of the radiator should be free and center in it hole of the hood so the hood doesn't force it out of alighment.
On my 2N I had to put 2 washers on one side of the radiator mount, with the rubber washer, to get it in alighment.
I also had a problem of a home made bolt on mount for my Dearborn cable bulldozer (snowplow), that the bolt was hitting the bottom hose, when one front wheel was at it highest. Cured by moving ot mount.
I would not do away with the shroud, as it is meant to direct more air through the fan. the shroud can also be a problem if it is the wrong one or is bent.
The fan blades can also be bent.
Charles Krammin SW MI

 

[bentwrench54]

Thanks Charles, I wound up pulling the shroud out last night as it started falling apart when I tried to bend it. It was likely the original shroud. The fan isn't bent thankfully.

I didn't measure the mounting surfaces or check for level, but it doesn't appear to have been in an accident. The hood and grille don't fit very well at all, but that will have to wait until for funds to be dealt with.

When I put the radiator back in, I used new bolts and I cut up the old rear tire tube into squares to make a pad for the one side until it was as thick as the original rubber pad.

If I don't like the results of pulling the shroud, I have some aluminum sheet that I will bend up and make one.

Hopefully run it down the road get it good and hot so I can change the trans and hydraulic oil!

 

[Ken N Tx]

(quoted from post at 10:06:04 06/28/14) Thanks Charles, I wound up pulling the shroud out last night as it started falling apart when I tried to bend it. It was likely the original shroud. The fan isn't bent thankfully.

I didn't measure the mounting surfaces or check for level, but it doesn't appear to have been in an accident. The hood and grille don't fit very well at all, but that will have to wait until for funds to be dealt with.

When I put the radiator back in, I used new bolts and I cut up the old rear tire tube into squares to make a pad for the one side until it was as thick as the original rubber pad.

If I don't like the results of pulling the shroud, I have some aluminum sheet that I will bend up and make one.

Hopefully run it down the road get it good and hot so I can change the trans and hydraulic oil!

My 2N has been running without a shroud..

 

[Plane Bart]

I have a brand new in the box fan shroud I will let go of real
cheap if you want it

 

[Plane Bart]

New shroud from this site