Ford 8n Windsor 351 conversion

[sixdogs]

You can run auxilliary haydraulics off the PTO shaft onto a pump but it might look awkward. You could also run a PTO pump to a hydraulic motor and do other things as well. From the site you linked to--- Marvin Baumann Antique Tractors :: Welcome ---most of these tractors are "lookers" that are clean and sleek and will see limited actual use. The parts in that 8N will not take much abuse and then you'll be taking it apart to replace very expensice and difficult to access things you wished you didn't break. Tractors are no fun to split on July 4th when everyone else is having a picnic.

Building a show tractor is one thing but actually trying to do some of the things you mention are probably more than than 8N can handle. You can beef up everything but the weakest link is the problem that will fail and bend things like a pretzel. A 12,000 lb alloy log chain with one link of grade 30 in the middle will fail at that point and then you have two unusable chains of little use.

You mention to maybe sell at a profit but that is unlikely. Even if you build a lot of them the learning curve and level of passon required probably exceeds that of someone with a day job. I have done these things in cars for decades and only now could turn a profit and that's if I'm lucky. Rule of thumb is you get back 50%-60% of money invested. Labor is for free and I know it's not fair but unless someone is found that wants the exact same combination you built and with their desired of workmanship quality, no dice.

I have done things like this with cars for decades and have learned, the hard way, of the limitations of old and fatigued metal designed and built when the engines of today were unimaginable. The only way I would build a re-powered early Ford with a modern gas engine is for the fun of the experience and the satisfaction of doing a really high quality build. The thrill is in the chase of the build in my view.

This photo from your link look pretty appealing.



He needs to bend the headers up but it looks clean and appealing. With that Sherman trans to gear it down it could pull a hay wagon or pull a rear lawn mower. Plowing would get it dirty or risk damage and, well, that's what I would do with it.

This is appealing--a narrowed Ford for vineyard work. It's very do-able and not a difficult job. A real head turner at the parades.





I would really like to encourage you to do such a build as that website shows so just my two cents here on the practical applications as well.

[wploetz]

Can I use my 800 pound box scraper as a wheelie bar?
Also, the 351 Cleveland doesn't fit the adapter kit from Awesome Henry so the 351 Windsor became my motor of choice.
Hey, maybe a turbo diesel in your street rod?

[wploetz]

Actually not looking to sell it or as an investment, just for my own pleasure. And thanks everyone for your input.

[Verticaltrx]

I also encouraged you a few post back. I have to say to the guy calling a 351 a boat anchor has no clue. The 351 in my mach 1 is anything but a boat anchor. I know you don't need a High hp 351 for your project but 351's can be a very powerful engine. Isn't the 351 what they ran in NASCAR for a long time? I'm not a NASCAR fan so I don't know for sure. I just want to say again good luck and have fun with your project.

I agree, the 351w is arguably the best small block Ford ever built. IMO it has so much more potential than the 302 which everyone seems to love. For those who love the 351c, simply bolt the Cleveland heads on a 351w and you have the same performance with much cheaper and readily available parts.

FWIW, the 351w in my '79 F-150 is making over 400lb-ft of torque just above idle, I wouldn't call that a boat anchor...

[ericher69]

Horespower TV did a side by side tear down and rebuilt of Cleveland and Windsor

They then rebuilt Windsor with Cleveland heads and called it Clevor

http://www.powerblocktv.com/episodes/HP2012-11

[Fordman1981]

Too bad he wasn't using a 351 Cleveland.

The 69 mach 1 was. 351W the 351 Cleveland was not available until 1970 in the mach1.

[wploetz]

Your 79 F150 351W, what mods did you do?

[dave1949]

If it matters, I have thought of putting a Kubota diesel in a 1500 lb street rod but can't figure out the acceleration thing. In a sense I would have to use the engine like a gas engine in that I would have to accelerate to control speed. Diesel trucks do it but tractors are fixed idle and variable ground speed? I keep thinking about it and how to solve the idle and acceleration aspect of a diesel tractor engine in a street-driven application and maybe one day 'll be in your shoes.

This Mother Earth News series on building a 100 mpg vehicle might help. MAX is powered by an 1100cc Kubota turbo diesel.

[ovrszd]

I wanna jump in here on the positive side. I'm proud of you for attempting this "out of the box" plan. I'm also sure your Dad would be proud of you as well. He didn't teach you to be a duckling and stay in line. That seems to be the mentality of some of the posts on this thread.

I once bought a new Jeep and with 79 miles on the odometer, sat it on jack stands and cut all the suspension off, everything below the frame. I built a rock crawler and added a Kenne Bell Supercharger to the engine. It would white smoke 37" tires in 2wd on pavement. Why??? Because I wanted to see if I could build a successful rock crawler that would also drive across the U.S. to find those places to play. Did it have restrictions?? Of course. Every build does. That's not the point. The point is to see if a man has the ability and talent to do such a thing. My Jeep was good for my Soul.

Build your tractor. Only request is you post a thread on here marking your progress when you do.

P.S. When I was a kid my neighbor put a Dodge Hemi V8 in an M Farmall. He used it daily in his farming operation, plowing, discing, mowing hay, baling hay, etc, etc. I thought it was the absolute coolest thing I had ever saw!!!

[wploetz]

I like the Jeep and The M projects. Those would be much more than I would be willing to tackle.
There are lot of real talented people out there.
I will post pics as I go. It will take a couple weeks or more to get all the parts here.