1952 8N New Member

[my05hammer]

Hello. New to this forum. First time tractor owner. Not a farmer. Grew up in the burbs of Chi-Town. Spent my summers as a kid in the 70s-80s on a farm in central IL.

In 1989 Mom and Dad moved from the city to a little town in IL on the Mississippi. Dad needed a tractor for the "Farmette" and he bought a used 1952 8N. He used this tractor until about 5 years ago when he replaced it with some overpriced green tractor. The 8N has been sitting ever since. Dad just gave me the 8N and I have moved it to my house.

The tractor doesn't run at the moment due to sitting for 5 yrs. I have plans to get it running and do a cosmetic restoration. The engine will crank and does have good compression. The tractor ran great when parked. I plan on trying to get it started this weekend.

I am an industrial factory maintenance technician by trade and I have built a few hotrods/muscle cars over the years but never actually did the rebuild on the engines myself. I plan on overhauling the flatty myself. I would like to install the big bore kit and do a few other things to the engine to raise the power/rpm (shooting for 3000 rpm) and I have a very small turbo to add to it. I am 99% positive I can blow through the carb with the turbo due to the fact that the MS carbs are pressure balanced. We'll see how that goes as time progresses.

This tractor has the 26" rear wheels and the 16" fronts. I will be replacing the rears with 15-28s and the fronts with 16X6s. I want to add some modern electronics for a modern touch to the dash like a gps speedometer and digital gauges (Boost and AFR will be required).

I think I can get away with this project for around $6K-ish, and since Dad sold me the tractor for $1 (I was so happy to get the tractor after all these years that I paid Dad double his asking price and handed him a $2 bill). I feel that the investment won't be too out of line at this point.

I do have one question about the right side brake lever. There is a spring (I think Dad added it) that is attached to the lever and right fender to keep the lever up when not in use. I also noticed that there seems to be some sort of linkage for this pedal up near the transmission that is broken. Can someone post a pic of this linkage so that I can see how it was in its original form please? I want it to be in original configuration so that I know the brakes will be functioning as designed and I believe that this broken piece may have had something to do with keeping the pedal in the upright position.

Thanks!

 

[Bruce(OR)]

Welcome to the board.
Zoom Zoom go fast.
Many ideas on how to get there.
Staying stock and adding the Sherman combo can get you to roughly 25 MPH.
Engine swap into a V-8 can get you going a bit faster.
Others should be along shortly to help you get the brakes sorted out.
Then again, it was Bugatti who said, in reference to his cars archaic 17 inch mechanical brakes, My cars are designed to go. Not stop.
Untitled URL Link

 

[my05hammer]

Thanks for the reply. If the flatty doesn't work out I am looking at the Chevy 4.3L conversion.

 

[TheOldHokie]

(quoted from post at 02:59:44 12/08/22) Thanks for the reply. If the flatty doesn't work out I am looking at the Chevy 4.3L conversion.

Your father got it right - spend the money on an overpriced green or orange machine. You will get better results.

TOH

 

[Tim PloughNman Daley]

Welcome aboard. B4 you do anything else, especially if thinking about buying any new parts and just start replacing willy-nilly, get THE ESSENTIAL MANUALS and read
them religiously. Know how your machine operates B4 turning tegh key ON. A '52 8N would indicate it has the later side mount distributor, a better system than the
prior front mount setup. It is important that you know if you are using the OEM 6V/POS GRN system or has someone done a 12V switch-over job on it? If tractor has been
setting for more than a few weeks without a float charger on battery, chances are the battery is dead and needs replacing. 6V = GRP 1 AG TYPE (no golf or deep cycle)
or 12V = GRP 25 or 35 battery. Avoid bargain house brands - get decent one. Perform Fuel Flow Test first, engine cold. Go thru complete wiring using documents.

FORD 8N TRACTOR - 48-52; FRONT & ANGLE MOUNT DISTRIBUTOR:

FORD 8N TRACTOR ESSENTIAL PARTS & SERVICE MANUALS:

Tim Daley(MI)

 

[Bruce(OR)]

I'm only about $57K into an MX5400 with a Woods backhoe on it.
The rest of the toys are for playing.

 

[my05hammer]

Its 12v, needs a battery, and has side
mount dizzy.

 

[Bruce(OR)]

Here ya' go.
Untitled URL Link

 

[Tim PloughNman Daley]

A new battery will be the last thing you get and install when all else is done and ready to test on fire-up. Best to get all the manuals and documents first and read, read, read. There is much info on these boards too (seek archive search) but know that that comes with some false statements and misinformation too; opinions and stories of what grandpa did back in the day can cloud the facts. You can't go wrong with factual hard data using legit manuals. I also advise that you invest in a good brand battery when ready. The bargain-house brands sold might be cheaper in price but most all have poor lifespans and you end up buying a new one two years later. I've had very good succesS with INTERSTATE, and other good brands like DEKA; EAST PENN/DURACELL; and EXIDE. Then, to extend battery life, invest in a good float charger (DELTRAN BATTERY TENDER, typical) which when tractor is in the barn at idle, keeps the battery at optimum charge so it is ready to go when you need it. One must understand how a battery functions; specific gravity, lead plates, electrolyte, freezing, boiling, and overcharging are very important. Specific gravity can be checked with a Hydrometer. It is an eye-dropper-type device that contains a solution of acetate with several small colored balls inside. You test each cell in the water and device comes with a chart to indicate condition by amount of balls floating. Auto parts stores usually stock them. A better method is to have the battery tested on a special machine at a reliable starter/alt shop on their equipment. It will tell if the battery can sustain a full charge under load. Note that a trickle charger is not the same and some think they can just connect a battery when the charge gets low. If a trickle charger is left on unattended, it will overcharge the battery and boil out the electrolyte. Once that occurs, you just can't add more electrolyte - it doesn't work that way. The life of a battery will be be significantly depleted by constant discharging and recharging. A battery is the 'heart' of any machine. Proper maintenance will ensure the best possible lifespan out of it. Don't forget good, correct battery cables/connections and all wiring in system is correct as well.


Tim Daley(MI)

 

[my05hammer]

(quoted from post at 16:48:38 12/09/22) A new battery will be the last thing you get and install when all else is done and ready to test on fire-up. Best to get all the manuals and documents first and read, read, read. There is much info on these boards too (seek archive search) but know that that comes with some false statements and misinformation too; opinions and stories of what grandpa did back in the day can cloud the facts. You can't go wrong with factual hard data using legit manuals. I also advise that you invest in a good brand battery when ready. The bargain-house brands sold might be cheaper in price but most all have poor lifespans and you end up buying a new one two years later. I've had very good succesS with INTERSTATE, and other good brands like DEKA; EAST PENN/DURACELL; and EXIDE. Then, to extend battery life, invest in a good float charger (DELTRAN BATTERY TENDER, typical) which when tractor is in the barn at idle, keeps the battery at optimum charge so it is ready to go when you need it. One must understand how a battery functions; specific gravity, lead plates, electrolyte, freezing, boiling, and overcharging are very important. Specific gravity can be checked with a Hydrometer. It is an eye-dropper-type device that contains a solution of acetate with several small colored balls inside. You test each cell in the water and device comes with a chart to indicate condition by amount of balls floating. Auto parts stores usually stock them. A better method is to have the battery tested on a special machine at a reliable starter/alt shop on their equipment. It will tell if the battery can sustain a full charge under load. Note that a trickle charger is not the same and some think they can just connect a battery when the charge gets low. If a trickle charger is left on unattended, it will overcharge the battery and boil out the electrolyte. Once that occurs, you just can't add more electrolyte - it doesn't work that way. The life of a battery will be be significantly depleted by constant discharging and recharging. A battery is the 'heart' of any machine. Proper maintenance will ensure the best possible lifespan out of it. Don't forget good, correct battery cables/connections and all wiring in system is correct as well.


Tim Daley(MI)

I'm not gonna lie, I usually buy batteries from Walmart. The Walmart batteries that I have purchased have usually been Exide. The battery on the tractor now has been sitting in the weather for five years without being used I think it's pretty much seen better days.

 

[Abbby]

Walmart batteries are the way to go. Select the higher quality one. My 9N 12 volt has a Walmart battery dated July 2013 and no battery tenders for me.