eBay/Craigslist Bought a Ford 3000 Diesel Today off Craigslist

[Soundguy]

Your tractor was built Sept 16, 1966. Serial # C150545 - Production Code = 6J16 which translates to the date built. Nice looking tractor. Mine is a gas burner but a good ole dependable tractor. You'll get many years use out of her because it's just getting broke in good. :thumbsup:

yep.

and the model ID:

31013C

3 = 3000 65-3/68
10 = ag/all purpose chassis
1 = diesel
3 = live 540 pto ( dual stage clutch )
C = 8speed ( twin stick ) transmission

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Hope everything goes well with the redo. I wouldn't exactly call it a repair. Mine has the interchangeable balls also. I use the cat 2 balls with a cat 1 bushing. All my implements are cat 1, but some of my cousin's stuff is cat 2. If you use Pat's easy change will the stabilizer bars be too short?

Bar Hole Stabilizer for RH Ford Tractor 391 4 45 | eBay

Yes I checked that out during the dry fit last night. Since they do not connect near the Cat 2 balls Pat's Easy Change System will work just fine since my stabilizer bars are like the one in this eBay photo.

I do not plan to do much to the tractor other than clean it up inside and out and replace parts that have or in the process of failing. 51 years is beyond the life of many hoses and seals for sure. In time I will address the exhaust system and tractor seat cover damage.

Thanks for the break down of the ID code.

 

[Steave]

Thanks for the info on the stabilizer set up I never knew something like that exist.

Soundguy hope you're only a post away when I fight the axle nut on my 3000. I'm sure I'll need some help. I have the repair manuals I need and in a pretty well equipped farm shop but not sure how to remove the axle nut.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Steave that was the stabilizer set up that was standard on the new 1992 Zetor we had many years ago. They offer many options but mainly they have enough play to keep from breaking like some plus they are stronger than most that I have used. The ones with the I bolt ends like on the 265 MF broke like crazy until I found some heavier ends AND left a lot of slop in the bolts at the axle attachment end. Actually I very used long #8 bolts with several over size nuts for stand offs so they can flex a bit and that has worked well for the past couple years with the extra heavy duty 6' bush hog with Cat 2 lift pins.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Tomorrow afternoon I hope to get back to the 3000 so we can use it some this weekend using the PTO before we flush the transmission and differential. Cleaning out the oil bath breather pan is my first short task before I can move it.

Looked at a Land Pride 25 72 side discharge finish mower that is old but has new blades and all 4 new wheels complete with forks, bearing, etc. It is going to run $1000 I expect and calls for a 30-50 HP tractor but seems ready to go but the history is unknown. It weighs 718 pounds. I had my mind set on a rear discharge finish 3PH mower.

I do a lot of free mowing for the local churches and community so I think I would prefer the 7' size below. Well grass growing is not going to be an issue the next four months.

There is a 12 year old Bush Hog brand RDTH 84 rear discharge but it is going to be $300-$500 more but the history is known. It calls for a 35-55 HP tractor and has the gear box rated at 55 HP so it would be OK for the 3000 or MF 265.It was sold to a local person new and has seen very little use. I am not sure the blades have ever been sharpen. Rubbed out it will still be red paint for the most part.

I think the nicer Bush Hog brand will be easier to resale down the road since it looks better. It weighs 881 pounds per specs I found.

 

[fried1765]

Yea I've had mine for many years but don't recall exactly. Probably 20 years. My brakes are the same way and I've replaced the inside bearing on the axle shaft. (It's the easy one) just slide the axle out and replace the seal you can see. It helped a little but oil got back out to the shoes in about a year. The outside seal is another story. You have to take the axle nut off and remove the wheel bearing to replace the outside seal. The axle nut is slide onto the axle from the inside of the axle then tightened to hold the bearing. I'm going to build me some kind of large socket to fit over the axle and slide down to the axle nut. If I come up with something I'll let you know. I'm going to do mine this winter and will replace bearing and seals and brake shoes on each side. I'm hoping I don't have to replace the brake hub (expensive).

It's going to be kinda expensive after adding it all up. The bearings I think are about $60 each X 2, Seals about $15-20 X 4, Replace the Trans oil I think about 8 gals, I'll have to check to make sure. Lots of hand cleaner and bandaid's.

I bought a large (you need thinwall) inexpensive socket, and welded on a pipe extension. It worked great!
I think I paid $25 for the socket from ..... maybe Jet.com?, or E-Bay?
Hope I don't ever need it again (for the other axle).
I gave it away to a friend in Canada, who has a part time repair business.

 

[Steave]

I have a Land Pride AT2572 side discharge. A few times when the grass out runs me I wish I had the rear discharge to help with wind rowing but I usually keep up with the grass so no issue with the side discharge. The AT (Air Tunnel) mower scatters it out good enough and I use it to round up leaves in the fall. The Land Pride has served me well for lots of years and I've had to replace 1 spindle, few years back, and the belt 1 time replaced this year. I bought it used from a local dealer but if I had the choice you're talking about I probably would have gone with the rear discharge Bush Hog. Both are top of the line mowers but the 84" would make a lot of difference and the ford would match it real nice. I currently run my Land Pride on another tractor with less power but a lot more fuel savings. I have a 6' old Rhino finish mower I pull with the ford and it's set very low and cuts almost perfect with sharp blades.

Hope your ford gets better fuel mileage than mine. Mine loves the gas and you notice it when plowing or running the flail mower for a long period.

 

[Steave]

I bought a large (you need thinwall) inexpensive socket, and welded on a pipe extension. It worked great!
I think I paid $25 for the socket from ..... maybe Jet.com?, or E-Bay?
Hope I don't ever need it again (for the other axle).
I gave it away to a friend in Canada, who has a part time repair business.

Thanks for the idea, I didn't note the size socket needed when I had it off to replace the inner seal. So I'll have to wait until I take it apart to see what size I need. I've looked around on the net for large sockets and man they are expensive. I guess you just cut off the end that the pull handle or ratchet goes then weld on the extension pipe large enough to fit over the axle. I have a 3/4" drive craftsman set but I'm not cutting up one of the sockets. My set goes up to 2" socket but I'm thinking the nut is larger than that. I'll soon fine out when I finish some of the other projects and clear out the shop a little.

Gale Hawkins Sorry for hijacking your thread. I'll start another thread when/if I need help when I get started.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

If it is any subject that relates to the Ford 3000's then it is not hijacking.

We went for the Bush Hog brand of Rear Discharge Turf Hog 84 and got it home late today. It does not look bad for 12 years of age. Taking off tomorrow to try to get a few hours on the Ford so we can drain the transmission and differential.

 

[sd455dan]

I have a Land Pride AT2572 side discharge. A few times when the grass out runs me I wish I had the rear discharge to help with wind rowing but I usually keep up with the grass so no issue with the side discharge. The AT (Air Tunnel) mower scatters it out good enough and I use it to round up leaves in the fall. The Land Pride has served me well for lots of years and I've had to replace 1 spindle, few years back, and the belt 1 time replaced this year. I bought it used from a local dealer but if I had the choice you're talking about I probably would have gone with the rear discharge Bush Hog. Both are top of the line mowers but the 84" would make a lot of difference and the ford would match it real nice. I currently run my Land Pride on another tractor with less power but a lot more fuel savings. I have a 6' old Rhino finish mower I pull with the ford and it's set very low and cuts almost perfect with sharp blades.

Hope your ford gets better fuel mileage than mine. Mine loves the gas and you notice it when plowing or running the flail mower for a long period.

Wow a 3000 being a fuel hog??

My 3000 diesel was very very stingy on diesel and iirc was rated very close to the old Johnny poppers as 1 of the most fuel efficient diesels built during that period, the Gas 3000's not so much

per the Big Book of ford tractors 1965-68 3000

diesel horse power -hours per gallon 15.59
gas- horse power -hours per gallon 11.97

 

[Steave]

Wow a 3000 being a fuel hog??

My 3000 diesel was very very stingy on diesel and iirc was rated very close to the old Johnny poppers as 1 of the most fuel efficient diesels built during that period, the Gas 3000's not so much

per the Big Book of ford tractors 1965-68 3000

diesel horse power -hours per gallon 15.59
gas- horse power -hours per gallon 11.97

Yea my gas burner is a big hog especially compared to my Belarus diesel. I like the gas burner for putting around slow rpm's like running a post hole digger and using the boom pole around the place but for plowing it would be cost prohibiting if you were trying to make a living with it. Pulling a 2 bottom turn plow at around 1400 rpms it'll use a little over 1 1/2 gallons/hour probably closer to 2 gallons/hour. I guess that's not real bad but a lot more than my Belarus.

I'm not sure if I understand what you mean by the numbers you listed as hours per gallon?

The way the books calculate fuel consumption has always confused me and I've been fairly descent at math.

 

[fried1765]

Thanks for the idea, I didn't note the size socket needed when I had it off to replace the inner seal. So I'll have to wait until I take it apart to see what size I need. I've looked around on the net for large sockets and man they are expensive. I guess you just cut off the end that the pull handle or ratchet goes then weld on the extension pipe large enough to fit over the axle. I have a 3/4" drive craftsman set but I'm not cutting up one of the sockets. My set goes up to 2" socket but I'm thinking the nut is larger than that. I'll soon fine out when I finish some of the other projects and clear out the shop a little.

Gale Hawkins Sorry for hijacking your thread. I'll start another thread when/if I need help when I get started.

Steave:

I think I found it!
I bought the socket for my 3400 Ford axle (same as 3000) from ZORO.COM
I believe it was the ZORO item G1186455. Cost is shown as $22.14 plus shipping (USPS)
It is described on the ZORO site as:
Locknut socket 3/4 in. Dr. 2-3/4 in. Hex

Check out the ZORO picture; you will see that it is constructed perfectly to adapt for your use.
I can't be absolutely positive about the 2-3/4" size though, as I bought it almost two years ago, and no longer have it.

 

[fried1765]

Wow a 3000 being a fuel hog??

My 3000 diesel was very very stingy on diesel and iirc was rated very close to the old Johnny poppers as 1 of the most fuel efficient diesels built during that period, the Gas 3000's not so much

per the Big Book of ford tractors 1965-68 3000

diesel horse power -hours per gallon 15.59
gas- horse power -hours per gallon 11.97

I bought my personal "fuel hog" Ford 3400 TLB (same as 3000) 31 years ago with 1350 hours.
Now, 31 years later it has 1850 hours.
Using your fuel cost figures for comparison:

500 hours @ 15.59 hours of diesel per gal., I would have used 32.07 gal.
500 hours @ 11.97 hours of gas per gal., I did use 41.77 gal.

Over the 31 years, and the 500 hours, I have had the 3400 TLB, I could have saved 9.7 gal. of fuel, if my machine had been diesel instead of gas.
I understood my future needs, and bought accordingly. Gas or diesel did not matter.
I would have actually bought a diesel if I could have, but the gas (TLB) machine was a used cemetery machine, and in near perfect condition. Too good to pass up!

 

[Soundguy]

Yup, the gassers usually drink more than the diesels, and remember, 3 cyls swap.. If you e got a throaty hog of a 3 cyl diesel, it might be from a 4000

 

[Steave]

Steave:

I think I found it!
I bought the socket for my 3400 Ford axle (same as 3000) from ZORO.COM
I believe it was the ZORO item G1186455. Cost is shown as $22.14 plus shipping (USPS)
It is described on the ZORO site as:
Locknut socket 3/4 in. Dr. 2-3/4 in. Hex

Check out the ZORO picture; you will see that it is constructed perfectly to adapt for your use.
I can't be absolutely positive about the 2-3/4" size though, as I bought it almost two years ago, and no longer have it.

Hey thanks, I'll check it out. I've shopped on ZORO site before but I have to hide my credit card from myself before I go on there. That 2 3/4" sounds about right it's large but I'll wait until I have it apart to measure.

 

[Steave]

Steave:

I think I found it!
I bought the socket for my 3400 Ford axle (same as 3000) from ZORO.COM
I believe it was the ZORO item G1186455. Cost is shown as $22.14 plus shipping (USPS)
It is described on the ZORO site as:
Locknut socket 3/4 in. Dr. 2-3/4 in. Hex

Check out the ZORO picture; you will see that it is constructed perfectly to adapt for your use.
I can't be absolutely positive about the 2-3/4" size though, as I bought it almost two years ago, and no longer have it.

Yea I see what kind of socket you're talking about. Thinwall and the center can be removed easily and a lot less expensive than a reg socket. I'll sure check them out when buying. Thanks.

 

[Steave]

Yup, the gassers usually drink more than the diesels, and remember, 3 cyls swap.. If you e got a throaty hog of a 3 cyl diesel, it might be from a 4000

Very well could be. All the years running this 3000 and a few repairs here and there. I once told my brother it seems like ford gathered all the left over parts from who knows what and built my 3000. I've noticed a lot of parts specified will fit most fords in those years except the 3000. Never could figure that out but so far got any part that I needed.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

I bought my personal "fuel hog" Ford 3400 TLB (same as 3000) 31 years ago with 1350 hours.
Now, 31 years later it has 1850 hours.
Using your fuel cost figures for comparison:

500 hours @ 15.59 hours of diesel per gal., I would have used 32.07 gal.
500 hours @ 11.97 hours of gas per gal., I did use 41.77 gal.

Over the 31 years, and the 500 hours, I have had the 3400 TLB, I could have saved 9.7 gal. of fuel, if my machine had been diesel instead of gas.
I understood my future needs, and bought accordingly. Gas or diesel did not matter.
I would have actually bought a diesel if I could have, but the gas (TLB) machine was a used cemetery machine, and in near perfect condition. Too good to pass up!

fried1765 you make a valid point that gas vs. diesel seldom is a cost factor of ownership for many of us. A new injector pump and injectors for my diesel will run a tad more than a new carb and tune up kit and a lot more labor than for your 3000.

http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2313&context=tractormuseumlit

http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2306&context=tractormuseumlit

Day 1 of my spontaneous small tractor shopping I looked at a gas 3000 that started well and ran well but was a dog and a 3000 diesel that started and ran well (but not as quietly) and it to was more or less a dog eared old tractor with both setting outside. On the second day I took my daughter shopping with me and we paid for our 3000 diesel and the guy brought it early the next morning. I would have bought it just as quickly had it been gas if not quicker. I had rather have a 100 year old gas than diesel tractor for our usage.

It was a tractor that I thought was a good size for our needs and it not had the living daylights beat out of it. Today we used it for the first time after we got hitched to our new to us 2005 Bush Hog brand Rear Discharge Turf Hog 84" cut. Both the 3000 and it did awesome. The area at church that I worked on late today had not been cut in three months after I messed up the fuel lines and had the power steer issue with the MF265. We raised the RDTH 84 to its max height and the cutting and appearance were great in the 3-4 MPH range. I can not believe I have lived the last 25 years without finish cut 3PH mowing deck. It did not know about the rear discharge option until a few days ago but fell in love with it after the first 5 minutes of usage.

The rear tread from outside to outside is 6' on the 3000 so the 7' deck works out well. Since the deck's leading edge has rounded corners if my rear tires misses a tree then the deck should be pushed out of the day by the tree. I found mowing with the finish mower took much less effort than when using the bush hog. To be fair that may have been in part due to the 1966 Ford being more refined than the 1976 MF 265. Now it is a 60 HP workhorse for sure but just not the same easy of use as a Ford. The MF is more on par with a 4000 Ford I expect.

 

[fried1765]

Yea I see what kind of socket you're talking about. Thinwall and the center can be removed easily and a lot less expensive than a reg socket. I'll sure check them out when buying. Thanks.


View attachment 528084

Actually, I seem to remember now that all we did was cut the center out.
Then we used a pipe wrench to turn the socket, as it was deep enough to let us do that.
Am thinking that I should have saved mine, because we did not do the other axle.
I am 77 years old now though, so it is likely that the other side will outlast me.

 

[Steave]

You're ahead of me by a little and a lot of the work around my place will be left for others. Hard work hasn't killed me but I hope they find an easier way of playing.... I mean working. Sometimes I gripe about the work but actually I must love it since I've never done any kind of tractoring for a living, just hobby/farm shop.

Tomorrow is Veterans Day so happy Veterans Day to everybody. Welcome Home Comrades.