The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

Hello,I have recently decided to restore my fathers old Super Dexta.It has has been laying up for 18 years with a cracked block after it was bored out (I was only a baby so I'm not to blame).Anyway,I just wanted to confirm if my dating of the old girl is correct.It has no documents(tell a lie its has but there off a 61 Dexta ) so I got the date of the gearbox casting.My understanding is that it was built sometime in May 1964,although as I've never dated a Fordson before(the Leyland's have a big badge with all info stamped on it ) I'm not sure if I'm right.Any information would be greatly appreciated ,and i hope the below photos are of some help:
Also i forgot to mention that the serial number is complete gibberish

Where I got the date from:
(4E8)


The injection pump:


Just below quadrant:


She had a Super Dexta cowl,but unfortunately it disintegrated in my hands along with what was left of the rad :


And lastly the bonnet,its Empire Blue underneath:

serial no. is stamped on the flange between engine and gearbox on left side

After removing a good 4 coats of paint i finally got it
(I thought it was gearbox side of the flange facing the rear )

09D 917297 which is late in the production so around mid to late 64



Thanks for all your help i really appreciate it

Now its time to start the real work!

Check out the engine code and number, see here:
http://www.fordsontractorpages.nl/phpbb ... f=3&t=2958

The number is left front top of block just below the cyl head. Supers start 16...., standards 14...

hi ,other casting numbers can be found on both sides back axel,
looking at it from back also under seat on hyd cover there is a casting number
the engine number as bensdexta has said is on a flat machined place
on the block under number one injector behind pump, the whole serial number
will be needed ,there only seems to be a couple of numbers showing in picture
good luck sky blue

If you look on the Wiki from the link at this forum heading and use the codes "fordsontractorpages" and "dotty" you will find lots of information and pictures on this subject. The article is called "Dating Your Dexta" but all the pictures show the position of codes which are the same on all Dextas.

Your gearbox housing is 1964 May 8th so all the other codes should be around that date unless she is a Dexta ASP.

So I went looking for the engine number,and my question as to why the engine was bored was answered.It appears that at one time the original Super D block "disappeared" and it was replaced with a standard Dexta block which was then bored out,and the original Super Dexta front cover was put on along with the new type simms pump and Super D internals .The new question is should I continue and get it pro welded or just chuck it out,I hear the old blocks are prone to cracking so will my block crack further?

Good news,everything bar the engine is matches and seems to point at mid to late 64

Again I'd like to thank everybody for there help

Engine Number:


Casting Code (5J8)1958?:

According to my graph of engine number vs clutch housing cast code, your number 14405.. equates to a standard dexta dated about Sept 1959.

I note that your engine cast code doesn't follow the usual format of month (letter), day of month (digit), last digit of year. That may be one for Lesfen!

So it's def not the orginal engine. What happened to the original block?

Ref cracking, as far as I know, cracking of the block is due to frost damage, ie no antifreeze. So no reason why a crack should get worse if you maintain the antifreeze.