New Major Simms Pump Rebuild

Thanks in advance.

It is impossible to rebuild or service the injection pump without the proper tools and a completely dust free room. The smallest piece of dirt that gets into the pump can destroy it as all the tolerances are so small. They are measured in microns, thousandths of a millimeter. This and the injectors are the only parts of the tractor I would advise you had serviced by a specialist.

As far as the oil is concerned, the vaccum governed pump is lubricated by the flow of diesel through it and only requires a small amount of oil when it has been stripped down for service. The later Simms Minimec only requires oil in the governor housing to lubricate the governors. This should be changed everytime you change the engine oil.

This information comes from the Fordson workshop mnaual that I got from Fords when I started servicing these tractors in the early 1960's. I have a Major and a Super Major in my collection.

If you get a service manual from Ford it will give you all this data.

Granted this is a diesel injection pump(1953-1963ish) and the use of proper tools and pressure gauges is required for a rebuild.I am mostly after the knowledge of rebuilding plus any of the (field)adjustments so that it can be shared with fellow readers.

As Woolman asks one of the same questions I have had, and this pertains to what is field serviceable and what is not.There should be no mystery here on some of the things that make these units function.My goal here is to take out some of the mystery of these units.

As for myself, some of my pumps have "not" worked for years or even decades and are very dirty inside and out.They need some simple things and do not require expensive rebuilds.But one appears to be needing a complete rebuild.In this case the expense is more than the tractor is worth, thus my reasoning for attempting a mild requild.If the pump is too bad to use I will simply buy another Major that has a good one and merge-meld parts, pieces, and what not to make another living tractor.Easier said than done.

Here is my list (please add your own practices if you have them) of things I do to further the service of the pumps and I have done most of them:

1:Upgrade the fuel filter and/or add an additional water trap style filter.2:Test the governor diaphrahm for leaks.3:(Woolman's question)Add a filler plug 1/2 the way up the upper side cover and add very clean *engine oil* (some say diesel)to the pump(making sure everything is clean before the cover is removed and after).4:Upgrade and repair all diesel fuel lines including the return "system" to the fuel tank (this one is always neglected).5:Upgrade the nuts to cinch nuts on the front of the pump where the fiber disc is located.6:Check timing.

7::::This is a tough one which I am thinking of doing: replace the lower two bearings.

8:Idle speed adjustment(I will not write this one as I am not sure of my method).

Thanks for your input.