8n Ford Or.. A Fool And His Money

I'd love to have an 8n I have a 1946 2n that I've been very slowly restoring. The lack of live hydraulics is a real PITA, but there's a little gizmo that you can rig to take care of that when mowing or grading.
Mike, What's the gizmo?
 
Mike, What's the gizmo?
It's called a Zane Thang from Zane Sherman at Yesterday's Tractors and it's a fairly simple mechanical connection between one of the lifting arms and the control quadrant. Heres a link to the description, although it's very old and I didn't pay as much as is listed here. http://www.yesterdaystractors.com/nboard/messages/865639.html It's actually so simple that he asks that no one posts pictures of it. :) Works very well.
 
It's called a Zane Thang from Zane Sherman at Yesterday's Tractors and it's a fairly simple mechanical connection between one of the lifting arms and the control quadrant. Heres a link to the description, although it's very old and I didn't pay as much as is listed here. http://www.yesterdaystractors.com/nboard/messages/865639.html It's actually so simple that he asks that no one posts pictures of it. :) Works very well.
Thanks, Mike. It sounds like it operates similar to the constant draft control. I have struggled with the lack of live hydraulics and PTO on my 8N for some 40 years. We finally got a Nor Trac with live PTO and full hydraulics. Much more convenient although it doesn't have the maneuverability of the 8N.

I had toyed with the idea of tapping into the hydraulic system on the 8N to operate a hydraulic top link, the purpose to make a small dump bucket, but never followed through. I also worked on a design to make a trip mechanism for the top link. The mechanism would be reset by lowering the arms.
 
Thanks, Mike. It sounds like it operates similar to the constant draft control. I have struggled with the lack of live hydraulics and PTO on my 8N for some 40 years. We finally got a Nor Trac with live PTO and full hydraulics. Much more convenient although it doesn't have the maneuverability of the 8N.

I had toyed with the idea of tapping into the hydraulic system on the 8N to operate a hydraulic top link, the purpose to make a small dump bucket, but never followed through. I also worked on a design to make a trip mechanism for the top link. The mechanism would be reset by lowering the arms.

I'm not sure how the 8N is set up, but I do know that the 9N/2N has a test port on the side that some people (including the PO of mine) have used to drive extra hydraulics. On mine at least, this is considered to NOT be a good thing to do, so you might want to double check for your tractor.
 
The test port is in the same location on the 8N. It appears that the control arm regulates the flow of fluid into the pump so you can't really isolate the the port from the three point. I had never actually tried it and now have no reason to want to do that. It would be kludgey at best.

My reason for doing so was to be able to dump the box mentioned in post #3. At the time, I used it for cutting and hauling firewood and it would have saved me the bother of unloading by hand. With the Nor Trac, I have a front end loader so I don't need that capability at present. At some point though, I will build another box for the Nor Trac and I have purchased a cylinder for that purpose. The Nor Trac has two external hydraulic circuits which simplifies matters.

But I still like my little 8N! I have hauled hundreds of cords of firewood and over a hundred deer out of some pretty rough terrain with it.
 
I have a 2N that I am about half way in on switching the motor to a chevy 4.3L v6. There is a guy on the internet who sells the adapter to mount the engine, adds quite a bit of hp without extending the tractor so all the tin is the same.
 
I have a 2N that I am about half way in on switching the motor to a chevy 4.3L v6. There is a guy on the internet who sells the adapter to mount the engine, adds quite a bit of hp without extending the tractor so all the tin is the same.
I (and others I suspect) would enjoy some pictures and descriptions of that project.
 
I'll make a note to update when I get a chance to get more done on it. Preoccupied with my new American Pacemaker 14x54 lathe, a trip to the ocean for the next week and at some point getting the new house built...
 
I have a 2N that I am about half way in on switching the motor to a chevy 4.3L v6. There is a guy on the internet who sells the adapter to mount the engine, adds quite a bit of hp without extending the tractor so all the tin is the same.
That would be more than 10X the horsepower! Are you sure the rest of the drive train is up to the task?

Back in the late seventies, I replaced the 235 c.i. straight six in a 1962 3/4t. stepside Chevy pickup with a Buick 364 c.i. V8, It doubled the h.p. and with the OEM four speed, it would just about climb trees. I made my own adapter for the bell housing as well as the adapter for the crankshaft. I over-revved the engine passing a gravel truck on a grade and threw a rod. Should of never down shifted.
 
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