What year model?

[Purryburry]

I have a ferguson tea20 and on the chassis near the transmission dipstick are the numbers 152 then a space and the number 1. Directly underneath all those numbers is another 1 on it's own. I believe that these numbers may tell me the date my tractor was built. Can anyone advise? Many thanks. Mal

 

[Bob (Aust)]

1st May 1952.

My Birthday - or at least the day I turned 8 years old!

 

[Purryburry]

Thanks Bob. Being Aussie (same here) can you tell me how
much transmission oil in liters to use?

 

[Bob (Aust)]

G'Day Mal

Sorry, my manuals are in the old pounds, shillings and nnalert, not the modern metric stuff. I'm sure these will be Imperial Gallons (4.5 liters per Imp Gallon?), not US Gallons.

Transmission: 5 Gallons
Engine: 12 Pints
Cooling System: 15 pints
Fuel Tank: 8 Gallons
Steering Box: 5 Pints

5 Imperial Gallons should be 22.5 liters but with undrainable oil, a 20 liter drum should be enough.

Changing transmission oil - warm up the transmission, open all drain plugs, allow to drain for as long as possible. You won't get the full 5 gallons in the transmission as there is undrainable oil. Fill with about 4 gallons (18 liters), let it settle and dip with the dip stick before topping up. You can also remove the bottom bolt in the round "port hole" cover on either side of the transmission, when the oil just trickles out, the transmission oil is at the correct level.

Don't buy those one or four liter plastic bottles of oil from your local servo - they are far too expensive. You need to buy a 20 liter drum from either an oil depot, Repco, Supercheap etc.

If the old girl lives outside, remember water can leak into the transmission areound the gear lever and around the spring at the back of the seat. You can buy a small rubber boot from any Sparex/AGCO dealer for a couple of bucks, that fits around the gear level and stops water getting in.

I religiously run the cooling system 50% green stuff (Ethylene glycol) and 50% tank rain water (our town water supply here in Roma is artesian with a ph of 8.5 to 9!) and change each two years.

I also use LRP fluid available at any servo, in my fuel as it is an upper cylinder lubricant, despite the fact a Standard engine will run on unleaded fuel.

Some years ago I replaced the distributor points with a Pertronix Igniter system and Pertronix high voltage coil. Makes starting far easier and gave the old girl a whole new lease of life.

Hope that helps?

Bob in Oz
'53 TEA20

 

[Purryburry]

Great info thanks Bob. Have friends in Roma who come from
down here (Coonabarabran). His name is Carl Chambers and
he has a mobile diesel repair business.

Will take your advice and make sure I get the rubber gear
boot.

 

[John (UK)]

From the numbers you give and if they are cast into the side of the centre axle housing it could be 1951 or 1952...but you may not have given us the correct numbers as there are always a few of these numbers on the castings. The numbers we need are just forward of the round inspection port on the right side. They are in one vertical line and you may see the impression of two screws, one at either end of the number, this is where they changed the date. If there isn't anything like that then give me the engine number between the Coil and the oil filler stamped into the Block and I will be able to give you an approximation of the date.If you would like a copy of the Tractor instruction Book, email [email protected]

 

[HeyCharger]

On my grey Fergie (which is actually yellow) I"ve found the VIN number and the engine number, BUT on the left hand side of the data plate is stamped vertically into the body (not the plate) the numbers 9300.
What does this indicate?

 

[Bob (Aust)]

As you are in Sydney, there is every chance your Grey Fergie will be a TEA/D20?

Not sure about the "9300", possibly a casting part number? I'm sure John (UK) will know, but it is not the casting date.

You are looking for this..........

("1 7 3" = 1 July 1953)

Or this.........

("6 7 3" = 6 July 1953)

Bob in Oz
'53 TEA20

 

[HeyCharger]

This number 9300 is what I was referring to;

Someone told me that it was an Australian assembly number????

 

[Bob (Aust)]

Never seen that before!

What is the tractor serial number on the data plate? The Serial Number appears to be TEA40???? indicating possibly a 1954 or 1955 manufacture?

To my very limited knowledge, Fergys were never "assembled" in Australia. Harry Ferguson UK owned Victorian registered foreign owned company, Harry Ferguson of Australia Limited (ABN 008 304 283, deregistered 20 May 1960) which changed it's name at some stage to Ferguson of Australia Ltd (ARBN 007 476 726, deregistration date unknown). The Australian company was based in Melbourne but I am unable to ascertain their original address.

The tractors were imported into Australia fully assembled - I don't think they were ever fully assembled in Australia. I have seen a photo of a large wooden "car box" with "Ferguson" stenciled on the side, so don't know if they came in boxes (with wheels etc removed), or fully assembled and mobile.

I do know Fergy tractors were not all imported via Melbourne, but were shipped from the UK direct to the distributors in each State. Twenty five years ago when I tried to trace the origins of my 1953 TEA20, I found the original owner (now deceased), a sugar cane farmer at Bundaberg bought the tractor from his local dealer. He believes the tractor was shipped from the UK to Brisbane and trucked to Bundaberg.

What I can't discover is why Australian Fergys all appear to have printed aluminium name tags screwed to both sides of the bonnet and some had a blue line painted around the bonnet.

Sorry, I can't answer your question. John (UK) may have some idea?

From the yellow colour of your Fergy I wonder if it was ever a Council tractor and the number may be a Council number? As a kid in Tasmania in the 1950s, I remember the Hobart City Council used yellow painted Fergies with gang rotary mowers to cut the lawns in parks.

Bob in Oz
'53 TEA20

P.S. The red ignition light appears to be on the wrong side of the dash?

 

[Bob (Aust)]

Mal

"His name is Carl Chambers and he has a mobile diesel repair business."

Would that be Town & Country Mechanical up on Mitchell Road? If so, I know the guy by sight. He has a big, old tractor parked outside his workshop.

He should have a great business. With 1% unemployment and our critical trade skills shortage in the Maranoa, it is easier to find a brain surgeon than a good mechanic! The gas drilling companies have decimated our tradesmen.

Even the drover's dog could be selective in accepting work in Roma!

Bob

 

[HeyCharger]

Hi Bob. VIN TEA407835 Eng SC80755E (85mm engine) Rear Housing 27-8-4 The Dash Stamp in question 9300.
So from my limited knowledge, everything points to it being a '54 model.
The guy I bought it from said that it was painted yellow as it had previously been used by a hire company in Sydney?????
Rod.

 

[Bob (Aust)]

Rear Housing 27-8-4

Yes, 27 August 1954, so the old girl turns 57 years old in about a month - and is just as beautiful as the day she was born! :lol:

(That is the transmission casting date. The date of manufacture is probably 10 to 14 days later.)

The "9300" may mean something, I'm no expert but John (UK) may have seen it before.

Bob in Queensland