Name that Ford Industrial Tractor

[lmnop]

Greetings from New Zealand.

I have recently acquired a locally-built 1970's rough terrain forklift. back in those days imports to NZ were severely restricted and this forklift was manufactured from welded plate steel (some inch thick, some 2 inch thick).

That's an archive photo of one when new.

I got my one cheap as it had steering issues. I've been learning a lot about truck suspension while repairing it. Someone had welded a 3/8" plate steel cage to the rear and filled it with flatten lead pipe in an attempt to increase lifting capacity.

Unfortunately this had exceeded the weight capacity of the rear steering equipment collapsing a kingpin thrust bearing and causing the hydraulic steering ram to bypass it's seals. This turned out to the front steering hub etc from a british Bedford TK truck. I repaired all that and now the forklift is useable and very handy.

I want to protect my investment by keeping the engine/trans in good repair. With the help of an industrial equipment forum, the running gear has been identified as a Ford Industrial Tractor with select-o-speed trans (all mounted backwards, of course). I'd like to know exactly what model so I can get some service info.

I've been told the rear axle has "wet brakes" that require a specific transmission oil "tractor fluid" and that the mystery pedal on floor on LHS of my steering column is a diff lock.

I note that a transducer coming out of the top of the gearbox close to the sawn-off gear lever (!!!) appears to have been bypassed by taking one wire off one terminal and shorting it to the other one. I'd like to know what that is. Pressure transducer?

Some photos follow, and here are the numbers I've managed to snaffle off various locations:

438
6L25
*B295236*
castingJ122F(?)

Head castings:
T3
6E 5
D5NN6090-K

Inlet manifold:
D5NN 9425J

Transmisson casting has the following numbers:
D3NN7006C

Stamped:
BG42B21-438 L19(F?)

One other thing I would note is that there is a very loud whine coming from somewhere in the transmission that's so loud I wear earmuffs while using it. Comments?


Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Check Break]

Your transmission is not a Select-O-Speed. It is a 4spd with hydraulic shuttle. Engine is a 3 cylinder Basildon. Transmission and Center Housing (brakes and differential) both take M2C134D fluid, aka 134D. 134D contains a friction modifier for the wet brakes. Use a diesel engine oil. We use 15w-40 in the USA as it's readily available. Your "pressure transducer" is the neutral safety switch. Must be inoperable so someone shorted the two wires to send a signal to the starter solenoid. Your last photo shows the diff lock. Not sure about your noise. Check oil levels first, then make sure you're running 134D in the differential. Brake chatter is noisy but not continuous. Hope you don't have a gear train problem.

 

[lmnop]

Excellent info. Thanks!

Neutral safety makes sense. The forklift had a gear selector when it was made because there's a hole in the floor for it and a formica gear chart on the dash. Someone's selected a gear (no idea which one), then cut the gear lever off and defeated the safety switch.

Hopefully that's not related to the gear whine!

 

[shaun wallace]

From engineering numbers the yellow part could be a 4500 in US. Has had engine replaced. What does steering axle look like?

 

[Sean in PA]

Most of the casting numbers are from 1973 and 1975 (C3NN and D5NN), so the castings were designed in those years. They used a particular casting design for several years before coming out with a new design, which was usually just for some minor improvements.

*B295236* is a Basildon UK serial number from round the mid-'70's.

6L25 is an assembly date code for November 25 of a year ending in 6. Since everything else points to the mid-70's, my guess would be November 25, 1976. So it would more likely be from an industrial model that was made at the same time as the early x600 series, like the 535, which replaced the 4500 and was almost identical.

 

[shaun wallace]

I kicked around a 550 less loader and hoe for the tall trans fill.

 

[lmnop]

From engineering numbers the yellow part could be a 4500 in US. Has had engine replaced. What does steering axle look like?

The steering axle is purpose-built here in NZ (I suspect) from a 2" thick slab of steel to help with requirement for x% local built content.

 

[lmnop]

Most of the casting numbers are from 1973 and 1975 (C3NN and D5NN), so the castings were designed in those years. They used a particular casting design for several years before coming out with a new design, which was usually just for some minor improvements.

*B295236* is a Basildon UK serial number from round the mid-'70's.

6L25 is an assembly date code for November 25 of a year ending in 6. Since everything else points to the mid-70's, my guess would be November 25, 1976. So it would more likely be from an industrial model that was made at the same time as the early x600 series, like the 535, which replaced the 4500 and was almost identical.

Right. This engine/trans won't have been pulled from an existing tractor, the parts would have been imported new (most likely from England) specifically for this project.

But, if I do need spare parts here in NZ, the most likely source is a used tractor. So it is nice to know which tractors I need to look out for. :^)

 

[Sean in PA]

Right. This engine/trans won't have been pulled from an existing tractor, the parts would have been imported new (most likely from England) specifically for this project.

But, if I do need spare parts here in NZ, the most likely source is a used tractor. So it is nice to know which tractors I need to look out for. :^)

The most likely tractors that the engine, trans and rear axle were designed for were the 535 and 550, and those parts are the same between them. The main differences were that the 535 came stock with a loader and the 550 came stock with the loader and backhoe, and the 550 had fully hydraulic steering. None of the parts included in those differences are on your tractor.

 

[lmnop]

The 8 stud hubs on the rear. Are they an industry standard size?

How do I check fluid level on the trans/diff unit please?

 

[shaun wallace]

By that long rod in the plate there looks to be a chewed up looking plug not far from clevis.

 

[Sean in PA]

The 8 stud hubs on the rear. Are they an industry standard size?

How do I check fluid level on the trans/diff unit please?

The wheel stud spacing is standard Ford 3 cylinder 4xxx series tractor wheel spacing. To check the trans fluid level, unscrew the hex head plug on the top of the tube sticking up from the top of the transmission. It should have a dipstick built into the underside of the plug.