1951 8N 30 year tuneup

[wolc123]

When I bought this tractor, from the widow of the original owner back in 1988, it only had 1200 hours on it. I have about doubled that number of hours over the last 30 years. These days, I mainly just use it for firewood and on my two-row corn planter and cultivator. The year I brought it home, I replaced the distributor cap, rotor, points, condenser and plugs, with parts from "Central Tractor" in Lockport NY. This year the tractor started acting up a little bit, starting tough and running a little rough after startup when it was cold and damp. Today, for the first time, I was not able to get it started and I drained the 6 volt battery so much trying that it would just barely turn over. I tried a squirt of either, which did not help.

I put a 6 volt trickle charger on it and drove back to that same store (now "Tractor Supply"). They no longer carried Ford 8N parts, not even the spark plugs. I crossed the parking lot and picked up (4) Champion H-12 plugs at NAPA for $10.20. After I installed those, that old flat-head started as good as it ever did, and is running just like a song now. I guess I don't need any of that other stuff. I will have to see how it does when it gets real cold out. I suppose it likes those new plugs. The gaps on 30 year old ones were opened up to about .050 and they were carboned up pretty bad.

 

[AWSubie]

I've got a 1947 2N that I use mostly for brush hogging. As long as I watch that the gas doesn't get too stale and the wiring connections are cleaned up every so often it starts right up. I love these old tractors for basic tasks.

 

[RickB]

Sad thing is, you will go a long ways to find a set of points and condenser as good as those 30 year old parts are. DO NOT replace them until they fail.

 

[fried1765]

When I bought this tractor, from the widow of the original owner back in 1988, it only had 1200 hours on it. I have about doubled that number of hours over the last 30 years. These days, I mainly just use it for firewood and on my two-row corn planter and cultivator. The year I brought it home, I replaced the distributor cap, rotor, points, condenser and plugs, with parts from "Central Tractor" in Lockport NY. This year the tractor started acting up a little bit, starting tough and running a little rough after startup when it was cold and damp. Today, for the first time, I was not able to get it started and I drained the 6 volt battery so much trying that it would just barely turn over. I tried a squirt of either, which did not help.

I put a 6 volt trickle charger on it and drove back to that same store (now "Tractor Supply"). They no longer carried Ford 8N parts, not even the spark plugs. I crossed the parking lot and picked up (4) Champion H-12 plugs at NAPA for $10.20. After I installed those, that old flat-head started as good as it ever did, and is running just like a song now. I guess I don't need any of that other stuff. I will have to see how it does when it gets real cold out. I suppose it likes those new plugs. The gaps on 30 year old ones were opened up to about .050 and they were carboned up pretty bad.

A while back, I changed my '51 8N over to the Petronix electronic ignition.
Sometimes sits for over a year, always indoors, but in a coastal environment (damp).
I keep a 6V battery tender connected.
Starts whenever I ask it to.
It has hardened valve seats (engine rebuilt 40 years ago), and I use only 100LL from the local airport.

 

[Soundguy]

Fyi, it had hard valve seats from the factory too.

 

[fried1765]

Fyi, it had hard valve seats from the factory too.

Engine was rebuilt (40+ years ago) in a high school engine shop class.
Shop teacher at the time told me that original seats were not hardened type.

 

[Soundguy]

He was incorrect.

All N tractors left the factory with hard exhaust valve seats.
All N tractors except for wartime models left the factory with hard intake valve seats.

check yer N-Ford Master Parts Catalog, you'll find that p/n 52-6057-B, insert, exhaust valve seat; was installed in ALL N-engines 1939-1952. And p/n 40-6057-B, insert intake valve seat; was installed in ALL N-engines 1939-1952 (except 2N's s/n 86271-168259 WW2 production; last 2N s/n 357XXX)
Therefore the answer to your question, your 8N HAS HARDENED VALVE SEATS.

Glad he was a shop teacher and not a heart surgeon....

 

[fried1765]

He was incorrect.

All N tractors left the factory with hard exhaust valve seats.
All N tractors except for wartime models left the factory with hard intake valve seats.

check yer N-Ford Master Parts Catalog, you'll find that p/n 52-6057-B, insert, exhaust valve seat; was installed in ALL N-engines 1939-1952. And p/n 40-6057-B, insert intake valve seat; was installed in ALL N-engines 1939-1952 (except 2N's s/n 86271-168259 WW2 production; last 2N s/n 357XXX)
Therefore the answer to your question, your 8N HAS HARDENED VALVE SEATS.

Glad he was a shop teacher and not a heart surgeon....

Thank you!
That was 40+ years ago, and who knows where that shop teacher guy is.
Today though....I do have a really great heart doctor.

I don't use 100LL for it's lead content.
I use it to AVOID ethanol content.
If I could buy UNLEADED no-ethanol gas, I would definitely do so.

 

[Soundguy]

It's scarce here too. Marina, airport or a pump the next city up off the interstate. All of them are at least a 50 mile round trip.

I buy that canned gas for the weed eater to keep it happy.

 

[fried1765]

It's scarce here too. Marina, airport or a pump the next city up off the interstate. All of them are at least a 50 mile round trip.

I buy that canned gas for the weed eater to keep it happy.

I am near Bradenton, and a few gas stations do have it here.
My machinery stuff though, is up in Taxachusetts, where non-ethanol is banned!