The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

Thanks for the responses. Some may seem a bit silly, but I cant count the number of times someone has given advice after the fact. 'What, you did not _____before you ____?!' So I take no chances now!

1. Can you work a tractor (eg plow snow) in H gear? While I can go slowly in L at gear 2, It actually can move snow better in H , gear 2. Only thing is I sometimes smell the engine working hard (not just diesel exhaust, but something else).

2. How can you tell if you have a double acting ram? Two hoses for attachment?

3. Above the working control selector lever is a turret like 'plop' that has a small knob on it. Whats that? Should It be set in some neutral setting?

4. How long do you usually idle vs turning it off/on again? 1 min, 2 min 5 min?

5. The lubrication points (nipples) are relatively easy to find, except for the front. Is there a lube point for the front where the horizontal bars (axle?) attach the wheels to the tractor? Is it under the radiator?

6. How often do you clean the sump strainer? Every time you change the oil? To get at it, do you just uncrew the bolts holding that plate at the base of the engine?

7. There is a difference between winter and summer diesel. If I have a relatively full tank in the fall with summer diesel, should I just use it up before getting winter diesel, or should I mix in winter diesel asap?

8. The oil level max-min is quite a wide range. Should I target somewhere in the middle, or at max? Does'nt matter?

9. The fuel injectors (the three devices on top of the engine with the copper wire attached) as I said earlier sweat a bit. Can I just tighten the top bolt a bit? advice?

Man! you have a bunch of questions!!!

I can answer most of them, so here goes.

1. Yes you can. Lo is painfully to slow to plow snow. The other smells you could be smelling could be the clutch or the motor over heating, an antifreeze leak, or a brake that's to tight, or a fuel leak. Our Dexta's will have different smells as you work them, most of them are just normal. You will know if it's the clutch or something really bad, it will do other things besides smell.

2. Someone that has this type of ram will have to chime in, I simply don't know.

3. Same as above.

4. If the temperature gauge isn't showing hot, there's no need to let it idle. I shut mine off when I'm done.

5. There isn't a nipple on the pivot pin. I put one on mine, but it doesn't come from the factory that way.

6. Depends on how many hours you use your tractor, I only clean mine every couple of years, but I don't put that many hours on it.

7. Here in Kentucky the diesel supplier will automatically start selling winter diesel in November. I don't take summer out to put winter in I just run it, if it gets to cold I just add the winter mix to what ever I already have in my tractor. The key to keeping moisture out of your fuel is to always keep your tank full, there's no room for it to sweat and gain any moisture that way, and keep good filters and change them regularly.
You have the newly installed heater and you keep your Dexta inside out of the weather, this will help you tremendously.

8. I always keep mine on the full mark. I check mine every time I use it. If it's just 1/4 of an inch low I don't worry about it, when your motor gets hot it will be up to the max. After my overhaul of the engine mine so far doesn't use any. And be sure you change the oil in your air breather regularly as well, because moisture will ruin the oil in it, this is a top priority for keeping your motor running in tip top shape.

9. The copper wire you are talking about is a copper tube that takes the unused fuel back to the fuel tank.
When you say "sweat" are you talking about moisture or fuel. If it's moisture then I wouldn't worry about that, but if it's fuel you can tighten them up ever so gently until they stop leaking. If you see that you are tightening them to the max, you will have to put new copper washers on them, or you could heat your old washers till there red hot, then let them cool. This will make them soft again, but if they're to used up you will have to get new ones.

I wish I could answer your other questions, I'm sure some one will chime in soon and help you out. And I'm sure some will have other ways than my ways to help you with the questions I have answered. We have a lot of knowledgable people on the board that will help you.

2 .. Double acting ram. This has two pipes that alternate between pressure and return to make it move in or out under power. To work a double acting ram you need another valve known as a DAR valve. You do not have this, see question 3.

3 .. The "plop" with a small knob is the flow control valve. This controls the rate of corrections of the lift when using draft control with soil engaging implements. The knob is usually screwed right in for maximum flow.

4 .. Just stop it! You do not have a turbo so it does not matter.

Hi Guys,

Lost in Sweden might also be asking on question 4 how long to leave the Dexta idle if one was to be using it again soon?
That's a good question with differing opinions around here ranging from stopping it every time to over an hour.
I have seen some big diesels left for hours or overnight in winter if it is cold (not me, I can't afford the fuel!)
But.....Once, the cows were out and I jumped off the Dexta, left it running and into the car to round them up and then headed home (15 miles away) from the other side of that section. When I came back a couple of days later there seemed to be no fuel in the tank!!! And, I thought that the Dexta was supposed to be easy on fuel!!!!
Curious what the rest of the world does.

Les