New to your Forum

[PghBill]

Gentlemen,
Just joined, but have snooped around your forum for a few weeks. Recently acquired a Super Dexta with a Ford 703 series 19-97 loader. She doesn't run too bad, but the shaft and hub on the adapter plate for the loader pump went after a few trips around the farm lifting logs. Looks like it was just barely hanging on by a couple of small pieces of spline on the shaft when I got it.
Appears the adapter is home made but is well made. The hub was machined out to fit around the cap screws protruding from the adapter plate. I don't know if the cap screws thru the adapter plate into the crankshaft pulley are right or left hand threads. I tried to remove them, but I'm afraid of twisting them off if I go the wrong direction. Can any one advise?
There is so much information here! I love it !!
Bill
P.S. Would post some pics but don't know how.

[Bensdexta]

Would post some pics but don't know how.

Bill take a look here: http://www.fordsontractorpages.nl/phpbb ... oto#p20079

[PghBill]

Bensdexta,
Thanks for the info !
Here's one of my pics. Had to re-size it a few times. Leaving town for 10 days will try to post more when I get back.

[PghBill]

Well it's been quite a while and many dollars but I've got the old girl back in service
Tore into her in Feb. and found two bad pistons. (results of the dreaded either I'm sure) Valve seats in the head were pretty banged up. Fuel injectors were skunky. Fortunately, I found the cylinders in really great shape and within spec. Also the crankshaft journals measured right on the money ! .
All new rings, bearings and mains. Bought a complete new head,a set of rebuilt fuel injectors. Honed the cylinders and replaced two pistons and wrist pins.
Installed new sending unit and temperature gauge.new oil sending unit, new proofmeter and cable, one new front spindle, bushings and bearings in both spindles, two new fenders, new indicator lights for the generator and oil pressure, two new front tires, new thermostat, new on/off light & accessory switch,new steering wheel, power steering kit, new pivot pin in the front axle, WHEW ! Then onto a new fuel tap. Installed a heater plug from a Fergy 35 thru a time delay relay hooked to the heater button and powered thru the key on my light switch. Reworked the front and rear loader brackets,installed new hubs and shaft for the loader pump, new grills, Installed the front loader and put an ARPS 728 back hoe attachment on her. Purring like a kitten and pulling like an ox ! Took her back up to the farm last week and put her to bed in the barn.
A lot of work but It's a great machine !!

[MarksDexta]

Bill, I'm curious. Did you purchase the items locally in the states or did your order from order from the UK? I'll be needing many of the same parts you've replaced. Reading through other experiences about ordering from the popular supplier in the UK, they are hit or miss and as a result I've been leary about ordering from them.
Thanks,
Mark

[Cvans]

Hi Bill:
I know it was a lot of work but you couldn't have picked a better tractor as far as I'm concerned. In the last forty years I've operated a lot of different tractors and after having purchased a Dexta last year I'm wishing I had known about them years ago. I sure like mine and consider it my favorite small to medium size tractor. I don't think you will ever regret the effort you put into yours.

[PghBill]

Mark,
I did a LOT of shopping around! The only part I secured from the UK was a diaphram for the injector pump. And that's only because I found it on Ebay at a really cheap price. Some parts came from Ebay, some from New Holland, ( only because they weren't available any where else ) A lot from Fix That Ford and Griggs Tractor. If you need help locating parts ,drop me aline at ( seminormal@verizon.net) and maybe I can assist you as to where I found it, Also bought a really great CD Manual from a guy in France. Was the most informative CD I found after purchasing several others. I can help you with that also.
Bill

[PghBill]

Chris,
I've been impressed with this tractor since I bought it. Nothing like a real piece of machinery that was built to last !
Too bad everything now days is pretty much junk

[Cvans]

Too bad everything now days is pretty much junk

Isn't that the truth.

[ol'Blue]

Bill, could you tell us a little about the power steering kit you installed?? Where it came from, costs, and ease of install.... As far as I am concerned, the only little thing Fordson left off these awesome little tractors was power steering.... Even after a full spindle rebuild mine is hard to maneuver in tight areas..... Thanks....

dave

[PghBill]

Dave, Sure know what you mean about the steering. With a front loader on it's really tough.
Looked for a power steering kit for my Super Dexta and could only find one that claimed to fit in Turkey. Emailed them for a price and after 3 weeks I got a reply and a price of $799.00. Decided I didn't want to deal Internationally especially at that price.
While rebuilding my tractor, I noticed that the spindles I ordered would also fit a Ford 2000. Started thinking, and researched the dimensions for the rest of the steering parts. Found the steering arms and radius rods were the same size on the Dexta and 2000. Had noticed lots of kits for the Ford 2000 during my searches so I went back and started looking. Found a kit on Ebay that a guy was listing for $399.00 so I went for it. When it came it was a Turkish kit with no real directions just a few pictures. Only found a few issues.
1. The Pump for the 2000 was a gear driven pump designed to mount to the engine and drive off of the top end gears. Also it was a CCW rotation pump so I couldn't convert it to belt driven which would have to be CW rotation. Went to Ebay and purchased a CW pump for $35.00. Went to Tractor Supply and bought a two piece pulley ($25.00) to fit the 1/2 inch pump shaft and a 3-1/2 inch pulley to give myself enough belt angle to drive the pump.Welded them together and put it on the pump. While rebuilding my engine I noticed a flat area below the generator with two tapped holes and screws in them. Further investigation showed these screws had no purpose so I used them to mount the pump bracket that I fabricated. I had to swing the generator up to make room for the pump so I had to fabricate a new adjusting bracket for the generator. Bought a new belt at NAPA to go around everything. And had to trim out the hood over the generator because of raising the generator up and out.
Because of the loader, I had to locate the hydraulic reservoir on the opposite side of the tractor to find a place to fit it in. Also because I located the pump on the opposite side of the engine than was designed, I had to have new hoses made at NAPA.( $30.00 )
2. The drag link didn't have enough offset to clear the oil pan. Fortunately I have a Machinist in the family and had him fabricate two 4 inch "extensions" out of 1-1/2 inch round bar to receive the ball joints and thread thru the pitman arms on the spindles.($0.00) That gave me 1 inch clearance under the oil pan.
This is a power assist system that works well and makes steering with one hand on the spinner easy as pie!
Wished I'd have documented the install with some pictures. But I didn't. I will try to get some pictures next week when I get back up to the farm and post them on here.
Bill 1962 Super Dexta ( Babe the Blue Ox )

[Cvans]

Interesting information. I do not have a loader on my Dexta but I do on the Ford 850 and would like to put power steering on it. Will have to check Flea-bay and see if there is a kit there for it.
Thanks again.

[ol'Blue]

Thanks Bill, sounds like you were determined to figure out a way to make it happen. I wonder if the power steering pump from a Massey would work on the Dexta. The 152 motor was used in many of the Masseys. This would be a bolt on gear driven pump. This would save some of the fabrication. I mowed with my old Dexta today and enjoyed every moment of it. Thanks so much for your input on the steering adventure....

dave