Tractor Stories

This is what I accomplished today before it got too hot to work. I was out after 7 a.m. and quit before 11:30 when the temp got to 94 degrees. I think it got to about 100 today. Anyway, you can see a decal above the PTO and a nice decal on the fender of the Ford 640. Also I managed to get the metal part of an old gear shift knob off the shift lever and put on a new one. I also managed with great effort to put all new gauges on. The ammeter was easy but the rest required a variety of sweat and effort. The temperature gauge was the hardest since the sensor end came off in the engine and I had to remove the battery box to get it out. As soon as it came out a flood of coolant came behind it. The oil gauge was another challenge. Finally the proof meter took a lot of work. I needed three hands or four for most of the work. It was a good day. Tomorrow I put some more together. Tractor Boy

This evening I got a few minutes to work on the 8N again. This time I replaced the Proof Meter (tachometer), added a gas gauge which is like the one riding mowers have – a float extends into the gas tank and sort of tells the gas level when the vehicle is still. I would have replaced the steering wheel, but so far have not figured out how to get the old one off. I removed the center nut and used some Parts Blaster liquid to loosen the fifty-three years of rust. No luck this evening. I drove the tractor around the yard, enjoying both the new ammeter (which I think I have wired correctly now) and the Proof Meter. I also greased everything I found that had a grease fitting. I found a few more after I ran out of grease in one of the grease guns. I have two full size grease guns and a new air powered one which I have not yet used. The one grease gun is empty now. Tomorrow I will work on the Ford 640 and remove the rear wheels and fenders to paint them, hopefully remove the gas tank and add ...