Nothing yet. I punched a hole in my brand new front tire apparently from a stick in the bushog field (again) so I have another task to fix. I live so far out in the boonies, everything is a hassle or a journey to get to someone to check or fix this or that. Parents sent me to college to get edumacated, instead of trade skills. Sux to be me at times like this, not knowing mechanics! I'm hoping to find somebody with a timing light, which will be needed to check this timing, right? I heard they are obsolete for today's cars. In fact, the guy I bought this from last year, I remember told me he moderized something about the ignition----? I don't suppose that would have anything to do with this overheating would it? It starts and runs excellent. I see there is still a rotor cap on there. Some wires go to a white ceramic-block-looking set of screw connections hanging out there exposed. Hope to get someone to look at that timing soon.
Are todays tractor tires (front) made of puny rubber? Last flat I had fixed last month the mech said it was a stick punch hole, but it was so small I could not see the damage from the outside. I guess the guy bought the cheapest new tires he could get to sell the unit? Is there a cheap tire name to avoid? I'm thinking of putting old slick car tires on the front til I can get this overgown wilderness cut back under control.
I understand completely, we live 10 miles outside the limits of a small town with a population of 850. And it's the county seat!
No cell phone reception, satellite TV & internet are the only options, and the nearest town big enough to have a hospital, large stores, machine shops, radiator repair shops etc. is 45 miles away. One learns self-sufficiency out of necessity. As far as tools, you're better off buying than borrowing because you'll need a well stocked shop out there in the boonies. You will develop the mechanical skills, don't worry. :thumbsup:
The plus side? Peace & Quiet. The nearest neighbor is a mile away, and all we can hear are the birds singing and the wind through the trees.
Yes, you will need a timing light. Garage sales are great places to find tools, and you should be able to find an old but good one for $5 or less. I believe the timing marks are on the flywheel, but I'll need to check my shop manual. We have plenty of knowledgeable folks here who will know.
"Modernized" ignition? By what you describe, it sounds like the PO may have replaced the points with a pickup coil, or swapped the entire distributor, which would mean he changed the points/condenser ignition to an electronic one. If so, there should be a control module mounted somewhere, it would look like a box with a connector and wires leading to the distibutor. It could very well have something to do with the overheating, especially if the pickup coil was mounted on the original mechanical timing advance in the distributor. Many electronic ignitions have a built-in electronic timing advance, so if the mechanical advance is still functioning it could be advancing it too far. That could very well cause overheating.
I haven't looked around for one, but it wouldn't surprise me if electronic ignition kits are available for these older tractors. If so, then the whole distributor could've been part of the kit and thus replaced the original points distributor, which would eliminate the mechanical advance problem. At any rate, you
still have to get the timing light and check the timing. Then you'll be able to see if it's advancing correctly by goosing the throttle and looking to see if the timing mark is jumping ahead, and tell how far it jumps.
By "modernized" he may also have been referring to changing the electrical system from 6 volt to 12 volt. You can tell by the battery, is it a 6v or 12v? Also by if the generator was replaced with an alternator. It's very common because 6 volt batteries are very expensive these days.
EDIT: Upon further thought, that "ceramic block" thingy you describe could also be a ballast resistor. Some older auto ignition systems such as Mopar used to have them, and it's possible your tractor came with one from the factory. Though I'm a retired Ford auto mechanic and have a good background of mechanics in general, I'm not that familiar with old Ford tractors specifically. There are folks on this forum who know them far better than I do.
If you could post pictures, particularly of the inside of the distributor, it would really help. :thumbsup:
