The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

I've got Doris the NP super dexta stripped down to her main castings, front axle/steering all removed and she's on axle stands at the back waiting to be dragged up into the workshop above the barn. To do this, I have to split her in at least 2 bits as there a circq 1.3m sq hole in the floor that she needs to fit through.

The question is, where to split her? The best place purely from a geometry perspective is the behind the gearbox or between gearbox and clutch housinbg but I want to to do the bare minimum in the drafty barn especially as all the tools are upstairs in the workshop and its a hike between the two.

Andy suggestions on where to split and any gotchas? I've drained the oil out of all the relevant places and my next door neighbour is on hand with his loader to move the bits under the hatch to hoist it up.

Cheers
Andy

Hi Andy,

From a purely practical point of view I would just take the engine off as it gives you access to the clutch and input shaft seals which could do with inspection if you are doing a restoration. It will not give you equal sized parts as the engine is a lot smaller than the back end, but the advantage of being able to fix a clutch or input shaft seal if needed may outweigh the inconvenience of dealing with getting the larger half into your barn.

It reminds me very much of how my first tractor came home. Multiple pieces in a 6 x 4 box trailer. Sounds like you have a great project under way. I am looking forward to seeing how you get on.

Regards, Frank.

Do you anticipate doing much work to th back end? I've done little to mine beyond replacing half shaft bearings/seals and washing everything out. Hydraulics comes off separately anyway. So as Frank says maybe you only need to do the clutch /input shaft seals? I imagine that if she gos up in bits, she'll have to come out in bits, so there'll be a limit what you can do up there.

Great to see you're back on the trail

Manyn thanks Ben & Frank - hope your not suffering from over-indulgence too much!

I'm going to be taking most of it to bits, so many things are leaking and need attention that I have no choice. My main aim is to do as little work as possible in the open barn and do most of the work when its up in the workshop. I may split it at the engine as Frank suggest but I need to split it elsewhere too to get it through the hatch into the workshop above.

The rear axle seals have failed so I need to dismantle the axle but thought this would be better off done in the workshop, but it would allow me to get it through the hatch. However if I could split it behind the gearbox without inner complications then this would be easier for me.

Re-assembly will be easier as I'll have the yorkshire boarding on the lower part of the barn and lights next year and hopefully it will be summer/autumn.

I'll post some picture soon.

Cheers
Andy

Hi, Good project Andy, Will look forward to follow this. Good luck with it.

mikkel

It is very easy to split it behind the gearbox. only complications is the brakerods etc on the outside. Nothing inside

Marvelous! Behind he gearbox it is?
30 years ago it used to be behind the bike sheds - but that's a different story

We split Doris between engine and gearbox in the end, dragged her up unceremoniously by the back axle up through the 3 foot sq hole of the barn roof into the workshop. Had to wiggle her a bit but she went through in the end.

I've found a few bodges on the tractor so far, bent nails used as spacers to take up the slack in the front axle bearings etc. however the latest one still took me back. There has been a slot cut in the bottom of the bell housing with an angle grinder to let oil out, presumably from the rear crankshaft seal. Crude but effective I guess - is this common?

Cheers
Andy

I hope this slot is cut at the length of the tractor, otherwise you may have a weakened bell housing. but remember

Here's some picture
General view of Doris in the workshop

Main body without engine

Engine block

Bell housing with crudely cut slot to drain out oil leaking into bell housing

Closer view of bell housing with slot - looks like an angle grinder - its at an angle, not even straight.

Cheers
Andy

Right - I'm back on track now with Doris - I did have a slight diversion whilst I built this brewery

however it's now in production and I now have this just below the workshop which can be an advantage or a disadvantage depending on what you are doing

The good news is that in building the brewery I acquired the following items to help build it that will prove even more useful to Doris than to the brewery


Cheers
Andy

Very nice..... and to think I was feeling pretty large at having a refrigerator in my shop..... You got right down to business.....Have a cold one for your friends across the pond......

will do - I've got a new beer just finishing being conditioned so I'll try one or two of those