Need help identifying my Ford tractor

[HuskerHath5]

The photo shows the plate under the hood and the numbers all match the stamped numbers on the clutch housing. The model number is throwing me for a loop according to what I've read about how to decode it. It seems as though the code would suggest a 2000 series but the L3 throws me off. Also, the draft link spring is in a housing and the axle housing seems square to me so that indicates possibly a 3000 series
The tractor number also doesn't make sense. It doesn't seem to line up with numbers in these series of tractors made in 1972.
Any help would be highly appreciated!

 

[JoeM(GA)]

BL323C

BL3 = 231A LCG( industrial low center of gravity) 1981-1982
2 = gas engine
3 = live 540 PTO
C = 8x2 speed trans (4 speed w-hi/low’

unit number of 2J7B give a build date of September 07,1982, day shift

 

[HuskerHath5]

Wow JoeM, you are all over this! I was way off track, in the farm tractors and wrong decade.
One question I have now after looking at some lists with the info you gave, how did you come up with 231A instead of 230A? The lists I'm seeing are not showing a 231A, just a 231 built from 1975-1978, and the 230A built in 1981-1982.
Also, would these tractors be based on the 2000 series farm tractors? Just curious.
Thanks for your prompt reply to my original question!

 

[JoeM(GA)]

I was just drawing from the info in the NewHolland manual vault, the 231 may be a typo

 

[Andy Wickiser]

Wow JoeM, you are all over this! I was way off track, in the farm tractors and wrong decade.
One question I have now after looking at some lists with the info you gave, how did you come up with 231A instead of 230A? The lists I'm seeing are not showing a 231A, just a 231 built from 1975-1978, and the 230A built in 1981-1982.
Also, would these tractors be based on the 2000 series farm tractors? Just curious.
Thanks for your prompt reply to my original question!

Here is a reference that shows Model BL3 as a 230A. Unit code shows assembly date of September 7, 1982 Day shift.

 

[Sean in PA]

Those are from two different revisions of the same document that I am the author of. I must have introduced a typo at some point. I just looked back at the reference documents that I used to create it and BL3 is a 231A. Sorry about that. I have several other small corrections in my next update and I will fix that as well.

 

[Sean in PA]

I just checked the New Holland parts site, and there apparently never was a 231A, and so that 230A was a correction that I must have made along the way when I discovered that. So from what I can see BL1 and BL2 were the 231 and BL3 is the 230A. The copy that Andy got his information from is the latest version.

 

[HuskerHath5]

Okay, this is great, thanks guys! I really appreciate the help and clarification!

 

[Sean in PA]

In any case, the 231 and the 230A were LCG models in the2600 series. The 230 replaced the earlier 2110 LCG model, and the 231A replaced the 230. They are pretty much the same as the 2600 with the exception of having shorter axle spindles and shorter stock rear wheels and tires.