Crazy D takes a look at an 8N Ford that he had just purchased and decides to take us through what you should look for when buying an 8N Ford. Let's take a look at what he has for us.
"Worked hard and put away wet" is a reference to farm horses. That is to say, pulling in the summer heat, sweated up horse not wiped down after the work is done.
I had to laugh when you mentioned leaking seals. If I bought ANYTHING that was 70 years old, even if it had been well maintained, I'd expect a few leaks. Hell, I'm only 51 years old and have a few leaks myself now and then lol!
"Worked hard and put away wet" is an old horseman's saying. It means to work a horse into a hard sweat and put it in the barn for the night still wet (without letting it cool down or spraying the horse down with water to bathe it). Thank you for a great video!
Your video actually helped me with my experience in getting my 8N tractor. I have a few videos with this antique hard worker around the house. Thank You for your hard work of sharing your knowledge.
When starting a Ford 8N you set the throttle about a quarter to third, turn the key on, make sure it is in neutral, press the starter button, and rapidly pull the choke out then back in. One or two times of that cycle with the choke, they will usually start. The right rear tire. Newer looking but it was mounted either backward or it was meant to go on the left side. When pulling, the cleats on the tire have to push the dirt or mud toward the outside edges of the tire. As mounted they pull the dirt or mud toward the center of the tire allowing it to spin more
I believe I would still have a 8n Ford over a sub compact tractor. They are excellent tractors. I'd buy multiple 8Ns over these new tractors. I'd have plenty of spare parts.
I'll take the old Ford N8 any day over anything new it's nice to have the new hydraulic system I understand all that but when everything breaks down in your new tractor it's going to be costly the N8 is easy to fix and almost anyone can use it they will be around to the end of time I promise you this I've seen these things do some amazing stuff yes these new tractors are stronger can haul more and can definitely lift more but the test of time will tell that
“Worked Hard, put away wet” Has to do with “wiping down a horse” after working it hard. Don’t expect - for long - to abuse a horse - or a 70 plus year or younger piece of machinery, to keep too excited to see you the next day, or months later, if you don’t give it any “love”
Great video, I know it will help a lot of folks. Also on 8n’s and Jubilee’s the rear axle hubs are prone to wear which in turn causes leakage at the hub seals. There will be gear oil present on the outside of the rear rim if that’s the case. I’ve found the front mount distributors are easiest to work on if taken off. Much easier to remove two bolts than sheet metal, but that’s my $0.02...Maybe we could see a video like this on a Farmall H and/or M...I’ve never owned or worked on one but I plan to have one or both in my collection, they’ve always been some of my favorites. Keep up the great content!
Great video!!!!! I like the 52 8N because the distributor is on the side. I also run them and see how much blow by is coming out of the oil fill spout. I used to have a 52 and it was a great tractor except for the dead lift. I was mowing with it before and the deck turning actually pushed me through the neighbors fence 🤣😅😂
I had no problem replacing my '48 8Ns distributor without removing sheet metal or the radiator. That said, you overlooked what, in my opinion, is a key thing to look at when buying one of these, the rear wheels. The wheels are prone to rotting from the inside out. If you see rust around the bead, be suspicious. Replacement wheels aren't hard to find, or even that expensive, but swapping tires can be a bear of a job. If the tires still have life in them, breaking their beads from an old rim can be an awful job.
We’ll done sir, I consider your video to be a resource. Looking forward to checking out the rest of your tractor videos. Would be interested in hearing your thoughts on purchasing and fixing a classic with and without attachments vs. purchasing one of the newer model compacts.
My Grandpa had one. He had a big Maddy and an International I think too. When anything needed done on the farm the little Ford was his go to. I think the Massy could move the world if you could get it hooked up but he just used t 8N for everything. Never seen him work on it.
It was the first machine that I drove, my Dad taught me on the farm in Iowa where it was used for everything. They even put chains on it for in the mud in the feed lot for cattle and some pigs.
Road hard and put away wet. I believe it was referring to hourses that were worked hard and then put away in the barn without taking care of it. I see Doctorfloc said it better than I :-)
I loved your video as I recently became the proud owner of a 1952 Worthington (Mower Co.) G-4, golf course and landscaping tractor. This mower uses the Ford 8N motor and power train and F1 pickup parts. I hope to restore it to operation.
Picked up an 8N with a starred 9N serial number for $1000. Has been sitting for 7 years. Replacing the tank, fuel bowl, fuel cap and front tires. I think I got a good deal.
You do not have to remove the hood or the radiator to get at the distributor on a front mount. It’s simple as pulling the two bolts out and removing the whole distributor and taking it to the work bench. The distributor can only fit back one way so nothing to worry about with timing and whatnot.
Worked hard and put away wet is an old horse saying. Horses will sweat and lather up when they get hot from hard labor. Before a horse in this condition is stabled or turned onto pasture they should be cooler off by walking, given a bath and a rub down. This to prevent issues caused from a build up of fluid in the muscles and lungs. That is why you also want to keep a hot horse from drinking it's fill when hot. If you do they can get colic or other intestinal discomfort issues.
Love my 8n, 70 years of being worked har and it still goes and does what I need. Btw, is this the Car Wizards shop?? Looks like some of Hoovie’s cars in the background.
Value, in the 1970s my landlord was paying between 250 to 650 for them he kept them for a few years then sold them and went and bought differnt ones. Ive seen them on cl for as much at 5k with some implements and or rebuilt. So the price is honestly all over the place. A neighbor was moving to a farm I told him to buy one to mow and clear his long driveway, he did he found one for 500 but he had to replace the back and frt tires and it had leaks comming out of every seal and gasket over the whole tractor. To bring that one up to par im thinking he spent way too much for it as it needed its origanl cost in replacement parts. 1400 bucks beside the tires.
Before trying to start the tractor be sure to check to see if the gas is turned on. I alway disengage the clutch when starting and it is also best to be seated as you could get run over if it should start in gear.
I just bought a 1950 for $800, came with a 4 foot brush hog. New rear tires, converted to 12 volt, rolls over fine, good spark, all fluids look good. Sat for 5 years after his dad died. He said that it ran when parked. I'm thinking fuel problem. Going to work on it on my next day off.
Seriously if I can buy one for a few 100 bucks that needs work, I'd buy it. These were built to be worked on at the farm by the farmer or his wife or one of the kids. Its about as simple as you can get. Ill bet 90% of the problems can be fixed with a Bobby pin. Or bubble gum. Serious 70 years old. Come on, its not going to be new. Why not buy an old one and rebuild it? Thats 1/2 the fun. And these were built to store outside year round. Its just a little tougher in dead winter to start one, but if you have to plow the driveway it beats the shit out of trying to use a garden tractor or lawn tractor.
I bought a Ford 8N and drove it home 6 miles .. when I went to look at it. It had a new battery and it had tire chains and the bar on the 3 point arms and that was new and a new alternator .. but I was able to start it up and drive it before I bought it.. he even put 5 gallon of gas in it .. and I paid $800 for it the only work I have to do is breaks on it
I bought 9N with 12 volt conversion which wasn't charging the battery as indicated on the ammeter. An experienced tractor mechanic gave me the fix which I could not find on You Tube. He had a 1964 Chevy alternator wire connector wire he plugged in to the alternator and alligator clipped it to the battery wire. The ammeter shot up indicating a charging condition. I purchased the connector at Autozone and wired it in with an on/off switch I installed on the dash which needs to be switched on before starting (this energizes - adapts the alternator to the proper voltage output to the battery) then the ammeter should show charging. You then switch it to the off position. The ammeter should continue to indicate charging during operation.
Work hard and put away wet is from the day of the horse or mule doing the work. They would be wet from sweat, and putting them back in the barn before letting them cool off, and drying them off was abuse. Great way to for them to get sick.
The reason craz doesn't understand "worked hard put away wet" is because his older relatives were closer to horse drawn plowing. Horses actually needed care after working hard all day. Like rubbed down to remove sweat so rest would be more beneficial than standing in the stall wet and crusty. Horses dont need baths. They need rubbed down with brushes which at the end of the week will tell the tale if you are caring for the animal doing all the work. Doesn't mean anything to a tractor EXCEPT: check the oil and water. Transmission oil and air cleaner oil. That is the put away wet designation which you do if a poor farmer and want to run all day working before starting machine.
On some of them Ford's you have to open throttle a quarter of the way then while you're cranky pull the choke out and it should start because the choke will not stay out because they're made that way
I do like your page a lot. I have subscribed to your channel. as for the old saying,""rode hard and put up or away wet " ,refereed to a sweaty horse not being combed and cared for .. I have been out on horses & mules as a young boy.We did ride forever,playing tag among other games. I am going tomorrow to buy a 1949 2 N. Thanks for the info. God Bless .
Might add does it have a Sherman , just bought a cherry 8n and to my surprise when I picked it up it had a cable operated Sherman which of course the cables froze up that's my next project hoping I don't have to split the tractor to replace it it good video by the way!!
Looks like to me, the right rear tire is backwards?maybe iam wrong 😕. Isn't there a adjustment to tighten up the steering to tighten it up? Please respond to my questions.
Like with the horse comment... A problem you run into is is you're looking for one for work. The perspective of many is from the collector point of view, or as if you're inspecting a current used piece, versus a WW2 era relic that is still in use, useable, and effective. Understand: Even the very senior oldsters in your community probably never farmed or used one of these. Their parents probably had one that they drove when they were a kid. Good advice and facts on maintenance or operation may be sketchy or only partially true. Lastly, buy the tractor, not the story.
Not sure if anyone mention this but look at the foot peddles. You can tell how much use a tractor has had by the wear on these peddles. The more dimples showing means less use.
If you ever have to replace a radiator on one of these old tractors just go to your local junkyard and get a 20 or $30 radiator from a small car like a Honda Civic. They wanted $400 for my Kubota radiator and I got a Honda Civic radiator for $30!
"Rode/worked hard and put up wet" refers to using horses. Also , if there is play/wear in throttle shaft-should move in rotary motion-not up and down. Also the 3 pt rocker shaft- no vertical /up and down movement. And last,but not least, atempt to move the rear wheels,like you did the front ones.
This is just standard car stuff ( dry rotted tires, milky stuff in the radiator) i was really hoping for N series spastic stuff that would actually help me a bit more.
"Rode hard and put away wet" is a reference to horses. If you ride them hard and put them away wet, it is bad for the horse. They can get sick or sores. It is so bad that if someone does it they are careless and don't care about their mounts.
It's rode hard and put away wet. It's in reference to horse riding. Usually working horses. Horses need to be cooled down and brushed out to help them regulate their body temp after hard use. No different than people after exercising.
If the rears are more than an inch or two different in actual measured outside diameter you can kiss your differential gears goodbye.ESPECIALLY if you ever drive the tractor on a hard surface.
I found an 8n Ford for sale in between Dodge city and Cimarron Kansas and it looks like it has overdrive and decent tires its has a speedometer ( i call it a speedometer because I don't know what else to call it) and it has been converted to 12 volt and needs a new starter and i was wondering how much it would be worth if i decided to buy it because the people that are selling it are asking $1600
To change the points on my 8n I don't remove the hood. I remove the coil, then distributor cap, then remove distributor. Then you can work on the points on your work bench.
I started at the front and worked back on my 1940 9n. I'm scared about the pump as it has zero lift on the arms. I assume i need to rebuild or replace the pump assembly??
..the ignition parts can be gotten easily at Napa, at least on the '50-'52's..rather deal with those knowledgeable guys than a chain place like Tractor Supply, etc...if you have a New Holland dealer around, they usually stock the parts, also, believe it or not...
We have a tractor. 🌠9N 222xxx🌠. 8N wheels , front distributor , 4 spd , both brakes right side. Looks to they may have moved starter button to dash from next to shifter. Need help to identify. Also need lead on oval 2 bolt steering box. Thanks in advance.
“Worked hard and put away wet” is an old horse farmer’s term for a draft horse team or buggy horse, worked hard and then just put in the barn with out drying off or any other care......ps. ( Mennonite horse farmer since 1992 ).
Worked hard and put away wet it’sa reference to the horse days. From what I’ve read proper horsemanship says you’re supposed to cool off a tired sweaty horse before putting it up in its stall. Interesting how this saying has lingered.
