F20 Experts

Neat tractor. Common model. Probably
lots of folks on here that are
familiar. Easy to work on, other than
the parts are heavy. Old school
forgotten about technology though.
They marked the end of an era on a
number of things. Crankcase inspection
holes, ball bearing mains, manueley
oiled rocker arms, crank start only,
and cable driven turning brakes to
name a few.
 
(quoted from post at 00:04:15 10/31/21) Congrats on your purchase. Send me an email and I will
send you a link to a manual for it. As far as the questions,
we are not mind readers.
Thanks,
[email protected]
My son and I have been tinkering with old tractors for only a few years. He is 20 now and learning quick. He has 2 H and 1 M. This F 20 is a new beast for us both. I am a 50s Ford guy myself.
We understand this F20 will not sound like one of his letters series running. It starts easy, idles pretty good, but the lower part of the engine seems to be louder and clanky sounding. Almost like a rock tumbler if that makes sense. Is that normal sound?

I know it has no oil pump and we have to squirt oil in the top at start up, what oil pressure should it have?

Like stated starts easy, the carb was rebuilt but it dies after driving a few minutes, acts like starving for fuel, starts back up pretty easy, that I am guessing would be a carb adjustment. And this whole set your timing thing is new to us as well.

The guy I bought it from is a hot rod race car mechanic and was going to steal the engine to put in his IH old crawler. But once he rebuilt the carb and all, he said he hated to tear down the old tractor so took it to his farm.

If I knew how to post a video I have one of it idling.

Thanks
 
Site wont let me post a video or the Youtube link for it. If interested in seeing it I can e-mail or text to you.
Thanks
 
well those engines have babbit poured brgs. there is inspection holes in the lower block. many times the babbit gets worn and no one keeps up
on stuff. there is shims to remove as the brg. wears. and yes they have an oil pump. have only low oil pressure maybe 15 lbs. oiling the top
is only to oil the valve train.
 
F20 do sound dorrerent.Totally different
engine compared to H/M.Primitive.Order
the book ASAP. F20s are fun tractors
cvphoto106483.jpg
 
I think a new to site user has to post
5 times in order to post pictures.
Spam control tactic. Might be the same
for videos.
Engine chatter can be heard on these a
little more so than H's and M's. But
it should still be in the realm of
normal chatter, and not rod nocking,
clunking, squiltching, etc. Should be
like hearing the rocker arms tapping
as they are opening and closing the
valves and so on. This engine runs at
lower RPM's. That, I think enhances
being able to hear the moving parts.
These tractors originally did not have
a muffler. Most people still just run
em with a straight pipe.
It has an oil pump. It just don't pump
oil up to the rocker arm assembly.
Not sure about the dieing issue. Might
need more info on that.
Set your own time, as in spark
advance. Well, in a nut shell, the
advance all the way up shorts out the
points to kill tractor. Just a little
bit down from there, the spark is
retarded to after top dead center. As
the control goes further down, it
advances the time. All the way down,
it advances it to whatever degree
before top dead center it is suppose
to be. As you operate tractor you were
suppose to advance the spark a little
at a time as you would increase the
throttle. Most people just go with up
to kill, half way down to start, and
all the way down to run. But, I like
to be playing around with the advance
all the time, and advance it with the
RPM's. If you just move the advance,
and not the throttle, you can
definately hear how different it runs
and sounds. I like to retard the spark
while driving just to see how slow I
can make the engine run, and still hit
on all 4. Pretty cool sound. Kind of
makes it sound like your on a pull,
when your really not. When your parked
and at idle, you can further reduce
the rpm's if the advance is retarded
and not all the way down.
If I'm having trouble with tractor
running right, I usually run it at
fully advanced untill I can figure out
whats wrong. Carb adjustment, fouled
plug, or wire, ect. And I always hand
crank mine fully advanced. The mag
impulse (the clicking you hear when
hand cranking) must evidently put
spark after top dead center. Either
that, or I might just have my timing
set just where this is the case. Mine
just seems to fire over better with
advance all the way down, instead of
half way down when hand cranking. It
don't kick me neither. I'd only be
going half way down with the advance
for hand cranking if it were, for
sure.
 
(quoted from post at 11:15:35 10/31/21) well those engines have babbit poured brgs. there is inspection holes in the lower block. many times the babbit gets worn and no one keeps up
on stuff. there is shims to remove as the brg. wears. and yes they have an oil pump. have only low oil pressure maybe 15 lbs. oiling the top
is only to oil the valve train.
Thank you all!
If anyone is interested to here it running I can e-mail or text you a video.
Mine: [email protected]
913-208-7964
Thanks again everyone!
 
If the bottom end of your motor sounds like bowling balls rolling down a
ally,Its probally the main bearings pitted.Run it,put some heavy oil in
it,It will be fine
 
That style of rear wheels is so neat. I think I remember that those came out on the later F-20s? What year is yours?
 
Congrats on your F-20. I have a '39 narrow model on original rubber rims and a road gear.

Your tractor DOES have an oil pump. It's job is to pump 3-5 lbs of oil pressure to get oil thru the filter, then gravity to
the governor housing, the two main ball bearings, then into 4 trays under the lower connecting rods to provide a small well of
oil for a finger on the connecting rod cap to sling around. Lubrication for the connecting rod bearings and the cylinders is purely splash.

The oilers up top are for the valve train. They need a few squirts every morning. Not to get confused with the to priming
cups to prime the manifold with gasoline for starting.

Get an operating manual. Lots of places need lubrication.
 
Starting easy and dying after a few minutes under load is probably a fuel restriction. Pull the drain plug on the carb, put a receptacle under it, and let the gas run for a few minutes -- the flow should fill a pint jar pretty quickly. If it's slow, work through the fuel system back towards the tank until you find the restriction. There is a screen in the carburetor inlet fitting that a lot of people don't know is there.
 
(quoted from post at 08:47:04 11/01/21) Starting easy and dying after a few minutes under load is probably a fuel restriction. Pull the drain plug on the carb, put a receptacle under it, and let the gas run for a few minutes -- the flow should fill a pint jar pretty quickly. If it's slow, work through the fuel system back towards the tank until you find the restriction. There is a screen in the carburetor inlet fitting that a lot of people don't know is there.
Thanks, we are in that process now. Pulled card yesterday its a fresh rebuild but cleaning anyway. Found a spot in the fuel line that looks like a hole was JB welded. Also sediment bowl had no screen of any kind, just the bowl. Had some crap in it, so its in pieces up to the tank. Making a new fuel line today, and will put card back on.
Thanks again.
 
(quoted from post at 14:48:22 11/01/21) Where are you from u
Outside of Lane KS
I tried to update my profile to put that but it just asks if I want to change e-mail preff. And password.
 
(quoted from post at 19:52:26 11/02/21) Yep
I have been by there, are you the dad or son. I have spoke to the son at Croans before. John and I are pretty good friends. Although, I am not one of the regulars there.
Thanks
Brian Spini
 
(quoted from post at 17:49:44 10/31/21) Tractor is a 1937.The cast wheels are from a '39.The round spoke is what cam standard in '37.
This tractor is a 1936.

Thank you all!
Changed oil, rebuilt carb, the sediment assembly was clogged, removed it from the tank. Cleaned it real good and now the tractor runs great. Good oil pressure as well. Its a pretty cool machine.
Thanks again.
https://youtu.be/xlqZnnnF0Aw
 
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