Future engine swap

[wmonroe]

I'm starting to do a little research for a possible engine swap someday. I have a ford 961 propane tractor that I bought from my wife's grandfather. The tractor runs great and I really enjoy it but the propane is kind of a pane in the butt. When it is time to fill it I load it on my trailer and take it to a place a few miles away to get it filled. It's not a big deal but it's just enough hassle that I don't use it as much as I would if I could fill it up at home, and if that place would close I would have to find another and it would t be very close.

Anyway, so all that leads me to the thought of swapping it over to a diesel engine and saving the old engine, propane tank, etc in case I ever want to change it back. What I would really like to do is change it to a ford 3 cylinder out of a ford 4000 or similar. Has anyone done this or know if it is a fairly simple bolt up swap or would I be better off finding a diesel out of a hundred series?

 

[Kirk-NJ]

A 3 cylinder diesel will not bolt up. A 4 cylinder diesel will bolt up. They did have a problem with the crankshaft balancer. The easiest thing to do is to change it over to gas. A carb, gas tank and possibly an intake/exhaust manifold (because the part number is different from LP to gas) and of course some hood Tin. Would be a lot cheaper than looking for a good running diesel engine.
I would even consider swap parts if you were closer.

Kirk

 

[wmonroe]

I guess that means a 3 cylinder gas won't bolt up either? I have access to a gas engine and 8 speed tranny.

 

[Kirk-NJ]

correct, 3 cyl gasser won't bolt up to your 961. Of course anything is possible with a welder and some $$$ but won't be a just bolt and go.

Kirk

 

[blueriver]

Use your home propane tank to fill it. If you don't have a tank u can lease them and they sell the hose to fill the tractor.

 

[wmonroe]

I have a 250 gallon home tank but without a pump I didn't think I could fill the tractor.

 

[buickanddeere]

Not gaining anything in the long run by swapping .

 

[jbooth]

I don't think a pump is required. I worked for a farmer in the late 50'S who had a propane tractor and we didn't need a pump to fill a Allis WD-45. About all I remember about filling the tractor tank was 1. Wear gloves as the lines get very cold. 2. Purge the fill line on the supply tank. 3. Hook the fill line to the tractor pump. 4. Open the vent on the tractor tank. 5. Fill the tank . When the vent on the tractor tank turns from clear to a fog the tank is full. Shut off the supply and close the vent. I am sure there is a procedure for doing this that will be more precise than what I have stated. There were quite a few propane tractors around in the late 50's and one of the factors was the ease of fueling the tractors. We just had a 250 gallon tank on wheels. Propane was very cheap at that time also.

 

[Soundguy]

I think id just swap to gas with tin and rank , carb and manifold it will be pepy with the higher compression, not to mention propane tractors are usually very very clean internally.

 

[wmonroe]

I don't think a pump is required. I worked for a farmer in the late 50'S who had a propane tractor and we didn't need a pump to fill a Allis WD-45. About all I remember about filling the tractor tank was 1. Wear gloves as the lines get very cold. 2. Purge the fill line on the supply tank. 3. Hook the fill line to the tractor pump. 4. Open the vent on the tractor tank. 5. Fill the tank . When the vent on the tractor tank turns from clear to a fog the tank is full. Shut off the supply and close the vent. I am sure there is a procedure for doing this that will be more precise than what I have stated. There were quite a few propane tractors around in the late 50's and one of the factors was the ease of fueling the tractors. We just had a 250 gallon tank on wheels. Propane was very cheap at that time also.

Thanks for the info. I'll have to do a little more research and then get a hose made up and give it a try.

 

[wmonroe]

I think id just swap to gas with tin and rank , carb and manifold it will be pepy with the higher compression, not to mention propane tractors are usually very very clean internally.

That might be the way to go. I was originally thinking diesel so I could move to one fuel type to keep on hand and diesel stores better than the junk gas we have now but it's not sounding too practical.

 

[Soundguy]

i just mentioned swapping to gas, as you can do that with just replacing carb, manifold and rigging a tank if needed. don't even have to change tin. just hang a tank in the hole. can be a boat outboard tank, etc... lawnmower tank.

manifolds are 85$ on amazon. carbs a bit more. For a few hundred she will be running on gas and no propane hookup to deal with. Bag the propane hookup and top water outlet ( swap, new one 15$ ), and likely sell the propane gear for the $$ to swap to gas.

heck. might find a guy with a gasser that will swap you tin, tank, carb and manifold for yours. lots of us own 'former' lp setups that are now gassers.

 

[wmonroe]

Swapping to gas would definitely be the most straight forward option. I guess I need to figure out exactly what I want to do and how bad I want to. I was hoping ford made it easy to bolt up one of the 3 cylinder engines and 8 speed tranny.

 

[Soundguy]

3 cyl engines and 8 spd trannies DO bolt up easy.. to other 3 cyl engines

remember, from 39-52 all engines bolted to all trannies.

from late 52 thru late 64, all engines bolted to all trannies

from 65+ all 3 cyl engines will bolt to anything else with a 3 cyl, even some of the stuf made way later....

They had to make a cut off point somewhere.


if you want a 3 cyl and an 8spd, then you need to get a 2000, 3000, 4000, etc.

 

[wmonroe]

That's good info, thanks.

I have access to a gas 2000 which is also part of what started this crazy idea. It's my dad's tractor and is in fairly rough shape and he was talking about scrapping it so I was thinking it would be good to scrounge parts off of it to use on my 961. Oh well just a idea.

 

[Soundguy]

what year 2000?

 

[wmonroe]

I'll check and see if dad knows next time I talk to him or I'll get the serial number when I'm over there next. I want to say a 73 but I'm not positive.

 

[blueriver]

I have a 250 gallon home tank but without a pump I didn't think I could fill the tractor.

No pump required ... ask your propane supplier for a filler hose.

 

[aczlan]

No pump required ... ask your propane supplier for a filler hose.

Doesn't work that way. You need a tank with a "wet outlet" where you can pull out liquid propane to fill another tank. Might be able to get away without a pump, but you will have to fill more frequently.

Aaron Z

 

[wmonroe]

No pump required ... ask your propane supplier for a filler hose.

When we had the tank set up I asked for a "liquid tap" so I could put a pump on it and they told me that if I have a pump I am considered a filling station and need inspections.