working on my tractor advice

[masonejoejoex2]

So my dad gave me his old tractor and i pretty much know nothing about it as far as working on it. Are there any good books i can read about how to work on my 1955 ford 850 tractor. I have seen a few manuals on the internet which ones are some of the best? How did most of you learn the skills?

 

[retired farmer]

My first learning experience was a windup alarm clock I took apart back in the early fifties. I did not get it fixed. From then on I took apart everything I could, fixed some, lost some. Then went to college and learned engines and transmissions. Asked a million questions of mechanics over the years and worked on a lot of stuff. Just wish I knew more about electrical problems. Just wish now I could have been a doctor or lawyer, I am tired of machinery and can't see close up enough to work on anything anymore.

 

[old]

No one manual covers it all. A simple owners manual is good to have but can be a bit hard to find and of course the I-T FO-20 is a good one. The way I learned was to do and do again till I got it right. My dad gave me a lawn mower years ago and I would take it apart and put it back together a lot and that is how I learned engine basics and from there I just went on to bigger engines. I also learned little on to keep my eyes and ears open and mouth shut and hang around older guys. One of my first jobs was a go-for at a old guys shop where I did clean up and handed him tools etc

 

[wisbaker]

Get the manuals the others have suggested. On the N
series board they have "50 tips" download and read
they have a lot of wisdom. If you are new to
mechanics in general any of John Muir's "How to
keep your (Volkswagen, Honda, Subaru) Alive a
manual of step by step procedures for the complete
idiot" will explain to you you basic mechanical
techniques that the tractor manuals assume you
know.

 

[masonejoejoex2]

thanks for all the tips im sure that will help to get me in the right direction

 

[souNdguy]

yep.. owners , parts and fo-20

 

[Keith Williams]

And he can down load the owners manual from the n board site.
HTH
Keith

 

[Royse]

Like the others. Trial and error, and asking questions. (Still am!)
Luckily for you, its the information age and you've got the right place to ask them!
Get the books, study them, and ask questions as best you can using the correct terms.
Pictures also help the guys here understand what you're trying to accomplish
and they may notice something in the picture that you may have overlooked.

 

[sixbales]

Two internet sites that will be helpful are

"John Smith's Old Ford Tractors"

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