TO20 Advice

[wlbrown]

I have a 1949 TO-20 which my dad bought used in the 70's. I have had problems getting and keeping it running. I want to try to make it a useful, reliable tractor. It was recommended to me to convert to 12v but I cannot find a conversion kit which says it is made for the 20. It was also recommended to go to electronic ignition and I see there is a kit for either 6 or 12v. Would leaving it 6V and adding electronic ignition be a good idea? My dad who was an auto mechanic replaced the axle seals a couple of times but they have leaked on both occasions after the repair. If you could give me any advice on these topics I would really appreciate it.

 

[Bruce(OR)]

I converted mine from 6 to 12V. If your 6V is working or a cheap fix, then fix it and save some money.
Axle seals can be fixed using the Ford 9N "Sure Seals" available from your local New Holland dealer or this site. You need to pack your bearings with "short fiber wheel bearing grease"
Typically used on the 50"s and 60"s vehicles with Drum brakes. Work in as much as possible before installing the seals. I actually wound up removing some after the seals would not seat while installing them. Use a ABS black plastic pipe around the outer edge of the seal and long enough to slide down over the axle. About three feet. Make sure the edge of the seal is tapered to allow easier installation and I actually ran Permatex #2 around the outer edge before sliding it into the axle bearing housing. Use sealant around the axle mount to trumpet gaskets. Keeps them from seeping. Then you can run your trans fluid up tothe bottom of the PTO side cover lower bolt and that will also keep any excess fluid away from the sure seals inside the trumpets. I have choosen to ignore the last advice desiring rather to see if the sure seals will survive being always in oil. Filling only to the bottom bolt hole on the PTO side cover keeps the oil from reaching the seals and possibly causing problems. I personally currently desire a full gear box and risk the seals.

Electronic converion. Points cost how much?
Until you convert to 12, stop spending money.

If you want to convert to 12V you will need a lower alt mount and a top adj. bar. You will need to fab this parts from scratch.
Top bar is easy. Bottom one is artistic.
6V starting problems can usually be traced back to the ground wire on a lot of problems.
Make sure the wire is not the smaller guage 12V wire and is connected to a good, clean surface.

 

[Gary MN]

Cleaning the grounds is the most important advise , every time my TO-20 has failed to start it has been the grounding that has been the problem

Gary

 

[Anonymous-0]

i had a new to-20, and they work just fine with
good maintenance. clean and tune everything

 

[phil(va)]

I have converted a TO-30 six volt system to the Petronics six volt electronic ignition and it works fine. Get the hot coil to go with it. Then run a new ground cable from your battery to a bolt on the bellhousing, and use a number 0 or number 1 cable. Clean all contacts real well.

 

[gshadel]

There is no specific 12V conversion for the TO20, but it is basically the TO30 kit, plus a make-it-yourself alternator bracket to fit the TO20 generator mounting points. Many a 12V conversions are simply guys spending money to try to treat symptoms that are due to some other underlying problem, like poor compression, worn out starter, or dirty electrical connections. Same goes for electronic ignitions. If the underlying problem is engine related (compression/valves, etc.) you will still have poor performance problems even after converting to 12V and electronic ignition. 6V systems & points are reliable as long as the tractor is maintained. I've got a 6Volter with points that fires up every time, even when it's -10 outside. I clean and check all my electrical connections and clean/check the point gap once a year, wheather it needs it or not.
But, there are lots of guys running 12V systems, one 12V benefit is a lot more power from a modern alternator to power nice bright halogen lights, horns, sprayers, and other 12V appliances. If you need to spend a bunch of $$$ to fix a 6V system, like a new battery AND generator, then it is just about a wash to go ahead and use that $$$ to convert to a 12V system.

Most questions about 12V problems on this Board are problems from poorly installed 12V conversions. If you switch to 12V, take the time and money to do it right, or you will be right back here asking more questions like "why isn't my 12V system charging", or "why does my 12V system burn-up the coil in about an hour" etc.
Before spending any money, you should spend a little troubleshooting time to determine why your TO is unreliable. If it is strictly electrical, that is usually very cheap to fix with some new wire, new crimp-on connectors, and cleaning all the connections. Check your engine compression, wet and dry, and get back with us. Your looking for 80 PSI or more. Many poor running/starting problems are actually electrical problems with the ignition causing a poor spark. Check your spark, you should have a blue spark. A yellow spark is weak and will cause poor starting and poor running. Electronic ignition will not correct an ignition problem due to dirty or shoddy wiring to the coil or distributor.

The Sure Seals work well on the axles of TO20's. I installed them 2-3 years back, no more leaking axles. Check your bolt torques where the axle shaft retaining hub bolts to the axle housing. Those bolts are not very tight, don't have lock washers, and have a tendency to back-off from back & forth driving. That allows oil to seep thru past the retaining hub and looks like a leaky axle seal.

George