8n as a first tractor restoration

[deereman75]

i have restored a number of chainsaws from the 50s as well as a few other machines but i am wanting to restore a tractor and i am wondering how good a 8n would be as a first project.

 

[Soundguy]

plenty out there, and cheap... good parts support.. easy to work on.

but if you want a tractor to use after you restore it.. move up to the 1955-1957 600/800 or 58-62 601/801 series. 63-64 000 4 cyl.

way more tractor.. way more options.. just as nostalgic, still good support, and still easy to work on, and only a few hundred bucks more expensive than an N on average... just at the end of the project you have a 'real' tractor

and if you want a real cool looking one.. pick a rowcrop.. like a 7xx series or the 9xx series or the 000 rowcrops. If you don't like a narrow front, you can find the rowcrops in oem wide front or aftermarket wide fronts.

soundguy

 

[deereman75]

thanks soundguy i will have to see what i can find i have always really liked the 8n but i will also consider the ones you recomended

 

[LD1]

I would first have to ask why? What is the main goal here?

Like soundguy said, if the goal at the end of the day is to have a "usable" tractor, move up to the 600/800 series. More power and live pto/hydraulics. Not to mention an higher re-sell value.

The 8ns MUST have the PTO running to raise the 3PH. And everytime you push the clutch to start/stop/change gears, the PTO stops. A real PITA for mowing or bushhogging.

But it your only goal is a project and the challenge of a restoration, the 8n's are probabally about as easy as they come:thumbsup: But just keep in mind that unless you buy one dirt cheap, you are probabally going to have more $$$ invested than it is worth.

If you do decide to go with the 8n, a few things to look for in a good one.

1. Later side distrubutor is better.
2. Sherman pre-transmission. The ones that offered step-up step-down gave the thing a 23MPH road gear. Very nice for going places in a hurry:thumbsup: And an added selling point (if re-sell is the goal)
3. Personal opinion here, but look for one that is the origional 6v system. When the engines got tired and needed rebuilt, they got VERY hard to start. TOO many people took the easy way out and went to 12v. I like the origional 6v systems. And unless a regulator/resistor was used, the starter suffered. Same goes for jump-starting directly to the starter with a 12v battery. It is too easy to knock the bendix off the end and then you have to fish it up out of the bellhousing. (dont ask me how I know:confused2

And if you plan on doing a COMPLETE restore, a couple of things that I would plan on right from the start.

Change the PTO-shaft. The 8n's were 1-1/8" 6-spline. Current standard is 1-3/8". Instead of using adapters, you can buy a whole new PTO shaft for ~$150.

Second thing is I would rebuild the 3PH lift cylinder. The 8n's had metal seals (kinda like piston rings) and they blead off pretty fast. The replacement for it is a new piston and o-ring style. It will hold an implement up for weeks on end provided the bore of the cylinder isnt tore up.

Good luck and keep us posted when you get started. Dont forget pleanty of pics as well:thumbsup:

 

[deereman75]

Thanks man you see I am 14 now and will be financing this whole project with a summer job. And i am in it more for the restoration, and seeing as we don't have space for it here (kinda hard to keep a tractor in a large-ish city lot) it will be moved to my uncles farm 2000 miles away after i finish working on it. There it will be under a tarp in the bush most of the time, only used for the one month of a year i am there. When i am using it, it will mostly be for stuff like a harrow or box-blade (and if I can afford it then a pto chipper). So i think i will go with the 8n and also do the things you suggested, but i am planning a full restoration. When i start it this fall i will keep you all posted (until then i will be restoring more of my old logging saws). Thanks for your advice.

Geoff from canada

 

[deereman75]

Oh and one more question do the 8n's have a hydraulic hook up at the back for attachments that require a hydraulic ram to work.

Geoff from canada

 

[Soundguy]

Oh and one more question do the 8n's have a hydraulic hook up at the back for attachments that require a hydraulic ram to work.

Geoff from canada

no.. that's why i sugested a 600/800, as there is a bolt on valve that attaches to the hyd cover to give you remotes. used the valves go for about 150$ for a single dual acting remote ( 2 hoses ), and 250-300 for a dual, dual acting remote ( 4 hoses ).. and they are still made.. about 350-650$ for a new one.

the 8n, to get rear SINGLE acting hyds you have to chain the 3pt hitch arms to the axles, remove the test port plug in the base of the pump.. use a 1/2-20 orb fitting plumbed to a hose and run that to your cyl, then when you rais ethe 3pt, the external cyl will go up... so yeah.. by disabling the 3pt you could run a single acting lift cyl for like a lift mower or disc.. but you loose 3pt.. and it's single acting only.

the 600/800 are litterally only a few bucks more than the 8n.. and are better tractors. if you can afford the 8n.. yo can afford a 600.. etc.

look for a *6* mode as that indicates live pto via 2 stage clutch.

6** means 134ci 33 hp engine ( 144ci diesel in the 01 series )
8** means 172ci 45 hp engine ( 172 ci diesel in the 01 series available )

both had a propane version available

*4* 4 spd non live pto
*5* 5 spd non live pto
*6* 5 spd, live pto
*71 and *81 sos 10spd trans ( powershift ).. kinda buggy.. avoid IMHO..

**0 made from 55-57
**1 made from 58-62

all 53+ had live hyds


soundguy

 

[simonmeridew]

Oh and one more question do the 8n's have a hydraulic hook up at the back for attachments that require a hydraulic ram to work.

Geoff from canada

Yes and no. The hydraulic capacity in gal/min of the N's is quite low--in the neighborhood of 1 gpm. Relying on this to power an aux. impliment with hydraulics means SLOW going. There is a little bolt in the bottom right side of the tractor that can be used for aux hydraulics, but you need to chain down the lift arms to get any power. This is a real work-around.

What many do for hydraulic power is fasten a second hydraulic pump either to the front or the rear of the tractor. The front one fastens onto the crankshaft below the radiator by replacing the stock crank pulley with an aftermarket pulley with a shaft sticking out the front of it, to which you fasten a hydraulic pump, and all the usual a to z hoses and valves.\\\The rear pump fastens over the pto shaft, is chained to something solid on the tractor to keep it from rotating with the considerable torque developed when hydraulic pressure is desired. The advantage of the rear pump system is that it and the hoses etc can be completely removed from the tractor when not needed. Either system will develop a great deal of gpm capacity, more so than many modern tractors, but any time you stick something onto the end, front or rear, of the tractor it's in the way of something and will either be broken off or just in the way.
sorry to be negative, just to let you know what to expect
on the bright side, someone with a little mechanical ability/knowledge and some common tools can rebuild an N tractor and end up with a neat powerful and valuable machine. Recommend the VHS tape as a source to rebuild the engine, and the I & T manual both $20 or so.\
simonmeridew

 

[deereman75]

thanks for the info the only thing is that i only have like a $1000 budget (to buy it) since i will be financing this whole project with a 1 month summer job (and what ever else i can save). Probably all i will ever use it for is a harrow, a box blade, and maybe a pto chipper (if i can get enough for that next summer). I will only use it for 1-2 months a year since i will have to keep it at my uncles farm 2000 miles away, so it is more for the restoration. whatever i get i will post the whole project.

Geoff from canada

 

[deereman75]

thanks simon i guess i was replying to sg while you were posting. And thanks for the idea for the hydraulics, although i probably wont need them for what I am doing (i more asked just so I would know).