jcummins
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2007
- Messages
- 1,636
- Location
- Creal Springs, IL
- Tractor
- Kubota M7040, F3680, Mule Pro Fxt
Fastest Old Tractor to use on the road?
- Thread starter AUSSIE small farmer
- Start date
strum456
Platinum Member
If you're willing to do a little work, you could make yourself a fast Ford by obtaining some gears out of a Select O Speed and installing them in a non-SOS tractor. There are tons of SOS rear axles in salvage yards. A 4000 or 5000 with a SOS ring and pinion would likely be 3x faster, and they have good brakes.
Bayfisher
Bronze Member
Molalla1
Elite Member
DJ54
Elite Member
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2009
- Messages
- 4,227
- Location
- Carroll, Ohio
- Tractor
- IH Farmall 656 gas/ IH 240 Utility/ 2, Super C Farmalls/ 2, Farmall A's/ Farmall BN/McCormick-Deering OS-6/McCormick-Deering O-4/ '36 Farmall F-12/ 480 Case hoe. '65 Ford 2000 3 cyl., 4 spd. w/3 spd Aux. Trans
If you're looking for something older, but yet fairly modern, something like my '65 Ford 2000 3 cyl., 4 speed, with 3 spd. aux. transmission should fit the bill, if you're not towing a lot of weight, or, on flat ground. I traded our mechanic at work tractors, because he said this Ford was too fast, even in first gear, for mowing tall grass with his bush hog, with the straight 4 spd. transmission. Decent little tractor, with 1500+ hours on it, when we traded. He was correct with his statement, so I started looking for one of the aux. transmissions. As luck would have it, I found a new in box one at a dealer out in the country. Installed it myself, and made quite a bit of difference, although you have to run higher rpm's, to get up to 540 pto speed, if needed.
In the installation instructions, it stated NOT to accelerate over 1/2 throttle in 4th gear/OD. I had a buddy follow me several years back, when I finally got the gumption to see what she would do,on a very smooth road. Topped out at 35 m.p.h. I did it once, but more than likely never again. Just because it will do it, doesn't mean you have to.
If you'd be lucky enough to find one, or find a transmission like I did, they really aren't that hard to install. You need to split the tractor, remove the steering assy. from the torque tube, to get the measurements, to bore a hole through the torque tube. I used a carbide tooth hole saw, and bored through in approx. 1 minute. Really surprised me on that.You also need to remove the input shaft, and housing, on the original transmission.
Here is a link to Ford/NewHolland, with the parts list of the transmission. Official New Holland Online Parts Store and Online Parts Catalog for New Holland and Ford Tractors. It is N/A anymore, along with some parts, and I have no idea how many were produced. Ford is embossed in the casting of the transmission case, and all literature says Ford. Whether they contracted to Sherman to build it, I have no idea either. It's been in the tractor for approx. 9 years, and no problems yet. Ratio's are approx., 10% under, direct, and guessing at least 10% over.
In the installation instructions, it stated NOT to accelerate over 1/2 throttle in 4th gear/OD. I had a buddy follow me several years back, when I finally got the gumption to see what she would do,on a very smooth road. Topped out at 35 m.p.h. I did it once, but more than likely never again. Just because it will do it, doesn't mean you have to.
If you'd be lucky enough to find one, or find a transmission like I did, they really aren't that hard to install. You need to split the tractor, remove the steering assy. from the torque tube, to get the measurements, to bore a hole through the torque tube. I used a carbide tooth hole saw, and bored through in approx. 1 minute. Really surprised me on that.You also need to remove the input shaft, and housing, on the original transmission.
Here is a link to Ford/NewHolland, with the parts list of the transmission. Official New Holland Online Parts Store and Online Parts Catalog for New Holland and Ford Tractors. It is N/A anymore, along with some parts, and I have no idea how many were produced. Ford is embossed in the casting of the transmission case, and all literature says Ford. Whether they contracted to Sherman to build it, I have no idea either. It's been in the tractor for approx. 9 years, and no problems yet. Ratio's are approx., 10% under, direct, and guessing at least 10% over.