Started it up and.........

After having split the tracotr at the rea and center housings, rebuilding the engine we attended to the final but important tasks of the new oil filter, fresh oil, charged the decaying battery, and starting the 172CID for the first time since installing new bearings, crank grinding, pistons, sleeves, rings, new head, exhaust, cooling, oil pump, water pump, plugs, points, cap, rotor, wires, etc, etc.

It was a tense moment as we connected the battery, throttled and choked it, pushed the starter, and within 1/4 second she sprang to life and ohh soo sweet a sound! It was a very smooth and sweet hum. A couple minor adjustements with timing and carburetor and she evened out well.

We installed new clutch, bearings, springs, rebuilt carb, replaced cracked rear housing new 15x28 trear tires, tubes, rims and centers. Next is to test the lift and locate the power steering fluid leak on the steering assembly and pull it out of the shop and trailer it home for the final degreasing.

And, now the fun begins...taking it apart again. Cleaning, degreasing, grinding, priming and painting. Then reassembly. After that, I drive it down the road 6 miles without hood and fenders to a local auto body shop.

A local auto body shop is allowing me to clean out an unused back room with large exhaust fan for the priming and painting. Lost my warm weather window for painting, but now I have a heated stall to take my time (sort 0f). I have to pay a small rental fee when I am in there for heat and space. he will charge me when I am in there working on it. A full day 40.00/ So, I hope to have it in and out within three to four days...yeah right.

The way life is, it will be another month or two until the final roll out, and I'll be driving it home in the snow...hoodless and fenderless again.

Soon I will post some pictures.

9N'er

I always wanted to hear what a 'new' engine from an early Ford tractor sounded like and now I have the ability to run her with high compression and oil pressure and that's way to cool if you ask me. I wish I could hear a brand new rebuilt N-Series engine...perhaps someday.

After the restoration of the 1940 9n Whimpster, and the same with a 56 850 and 51 Farmall A, I had to finally get into a total rebuild where necesssary. I plan to keep this vintage 4WD PS tractor.

I had to make room for it both in storage space and in the pocket book, Sold a couple tractors and downsized for practical family needs at this time for the building projects going on all DIY. Someday too, I'll post a photo of the furniture and cabinet shop I am completing

And now, stumbled on and purchaed the Ford 821/41 Elenco 4Wd and graduated to 4WD, power steering \172 4 speed but still managed to restore and learn and keep a 40 some year old Ford.

So, all-in-all I'm learning and growing but hope to some day locate a 39 9N and completely gut it and rebuild it and in the meantime, locate those hard to find items and squirrel them away for that day when it arrives...way down the pike. Who knows.

All I know is 4 tractors later it's still a lot of fun and still an adventure, and my skills are improving by leaps and bounds. It would make sense to start it all off with an early 9N and become initiated and baptized in Tractor School from the 9N.

9N'er

Good luck.

Good job. Keep us posted on your progress.