AXEMAN78's '63 Super Major

[AXEMAN78]

Hi All, I'm new to the forum so thought I'd introduce myself and my '63 Super Major, my first tractor that I've recently purchased, she still needs a few odds and ends to tidy her up abit but will hopefully get them done over the winter and spring.





one thing I've noticed when she starts from cold she smokes a lot for about 5 to 10 minutes of a bluey/grey colour but then when she's warm she runs as clear as anything....... can anyone advise if this is normal or suggestions to the cause? Many thanks in advance to any replies. Paul

[Brian]

Welcome to the board.

It would depend what part of the world you are in as to the smoke. In a very cold climate blue/grey smoke at start up is common until the cylinders warm up. I do not think I would worry too much, your breather on the side of the timing cover looks nice and clean so she is not blowing oil out of there.

[AdrianNPMajor]

Lovely tractor. What will you use her for?
Re cold start, and following on from Brian's comments, have a look at this beautiful 1200hp Perkins engine starting on a cold morning. [It's not a tractor, but it makes the point.]
Best, Adrian.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMj2EMZcMDU

[AXEMAN78]

Thanks for the replies...... it never really too cold here in Lancashire Brian hahaha, I nipped across to her yesterday to try and get a photo of her smokey start up..... but flat battery put a stop to that but if you think its nothing too serious than that's a good do. Thanks for the link to the clip Adrian, just bought her for a hobby tractor, the odd road run and take her to the odd rally and show, she's missing a tipping pipe and top link, plus various other small bits, but i'll post on here as bits get done and I'm sure there be more questions along the way......... What are other forum members views on fitting a power steering kit?? Paul

[Brian]

Well, Lancashire is in the far North when you live in Norfolk! . We have members world wide so it is a bit difficult at times to judge where the question comes from.

Perhaps she is just clearing out all that rain from the exhaust.

Power steering kits are available on e-bay but I have no experience of them, I have never found that Henrietta has needed one as she steers very easily although I know some that do not.

One tractor I drove last year in Robinvale, Victoria, when setting up the display for the Fordson Tractor Club out there, steered like a crawler. I could only move the wheel a few degrees from centre and had to do many shunts to get her into line. I could have done with power steering on that one.

[oehrick]

Hi Paul and welcome from another in the deep, sun drenched South East

Unless you intend to fit and use a loader or wide bald front tyres I'd keep clear of power steering, messy looking things that spoil the look of a tractor which, if kept lubricated in the steering department, steers like a car on or off road.

Probably best to spend any power steering budget on a bigger battery and any left over on bigger tyres on one side so you can drive round those great Lancastrian bumpy bits without having to lean - not a problem for Brian and I since the ice sheets ironed Norfolk flat for us

[AXEMAN78]

Hahaha Cheers Brian and Rick, its good to hear other peoples views on power steering, to be fair she steers fairly well but has a tell tale drip of oil down the drop arm..... output shaft seal to be done over the Christmas break, it arrived yesterday along with a couple of other odds and ends, so hope to get her a bit nearer and if the weather is owt like to get her away on a bit of a run to stretch her legs. Paul

[oehrick]

Hey Paul,

When Pascal posts you'll see he has one of the most appropriate sig lines on the forum - "Fordson's don't leak oil, they are just marking their territory."
At least the steering arm seal is not a nasty one to get at Hope the brakes are good, given your humps and hollows and just in case you are not aware, do not be tempted to run with the handbrake dragging downhill, plates & discs on a gearshaft = friction welds solid and tractor set solid

Have a good Christmas

[RH]

Lovely looking tractor Axeman.
After all these years, the old FM is still a lovely looking tractor to me.
We used to live over the hill to the east of you.

I too would steer clear of the power steering set-up.
I do have one that is wicked to steer, but a very strong chap had a loader on it before me, and I think he damaged the steering rack, as it pops and cracks when turning!
Have a parts tractor, so can pull bits off and see if they are better.
The best steering one is a worse than terrible looking FPM I just got. This one shows me how they would likely all steer at one time!
I'd post pictures of it, it looks so bad at present, but don't have a photo -hosting account.

[AdrianNPMajor]

You've got good tyres all round. The central rib on the fronts is designed to take the weight under road conditions so as to ease steering input - check out the track in the dirt in your photos.
In the field, balance is everything, and when you are using rear-mounted implements you won't find yourself in a situation where the front of the tractor is digging in, requiring more input to the steering wheel - quite the contrary.
I've never driven a Major with a fore-end loader, but this is the only scenario where I can imagine you'd need power steering.
Best, Adrian.

[oehrick]

We had a Super with a MIL loader and bucket and bald, wide front tyres (ironic really as it belonged to Bussey and Sabberton who used it in their tractor tyre yard and delivered it on their trade plates) It had power steering and as it bowled up the A140 it was shimmying all over the place due to accumulated slack. When the bucket was full of spoil, on soft ground it took the sort of effort Brian described above to turn the wheels WITH the PSU the counterbalance weight was cast in a tea chest so not massive but I think most of the PSU energy was devoted to eating fanbelts !

Dunno where it went to but when I was looking for the Major's log book I found the one for the Super..........

[AXEMAN78]

Thanks for all the comments guys it's nice to be made welcome as a newbie on a forum..... and a bit worse as a newbie tractor owner too I already guessed about the handbrake with it acting on the transmission, being a landrover owner for over 20 years, you get used to footbrake or nothing..... which in the case of some of my old series 3's from days better best forgotten the brakes weren't the best..... though they seem good and sharp on the major. I been wondering as to which levelling box and lift rod my tractor should be fitted with, they are both stamped it the castings with E1A numbers and look more like the type off a power major.... Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance again and hope all have Merry Christmas

[Brian]

The FMD/Power Major box has the adjusting handle on the back and a plug on the top to access the gears. The Super Major one has a top entry handle and the box itself is in two halves which you split to get at the gears. Super lifting rods are also different. Will see if I can find some pictures.

[henk]

Maybe this will help. These are from a New and Power Major.
http://people.zeelandnet.nl/hmdetroije/ ... e%202.html

[AdrianNPMajor]

Wow! Great photos and explanations. You've opened up stuff that I haven't been near.
Much respect and many thanks, Henk.
Best, Adrian.

[AXEMAN78]

Thanks Brian for the explanation, mine is the type you describe with the side entry handle and the bottom ends of the forks are on a sleeve.... I've seen some that are like a one piece part at the lower end of the lift rod but if these were for a super or not I'm not sure..... Thanks for that link Henk that's an interesting and useful link to have access to. So by looking at it i'll have to track down some of the right linkage parts for her, will add those onto the shopping list but not urgent I guess as whats fitted is useable and she hardly concours standard . You guys are on here are a great help.... Many thanks Paul

[AXEMAN78]

As well as having the full scale I have a couple of smaller versions of my tractor that I'd like to show you, both based on the Universal Hobbies 1/16th scale and 1/32nd scale Super Major models, they might not be everyones cup of tea but I have a few models in the cupboard that get the odd tweek on the dark wet winter nights......

First is based on the 32nd scale tractor, I swapped the cast front wheels for a set of tin ones and replaced the rears with a set of 14x30's, then tickled a bit of silver paint on to the exhaust...





And secondly is a 16th version, again swapped on to bigger wheels although at some point the rears need looking at to make them 6 stud and more in keeping, and with the addition of a power steering kit and the odd splash of silver paint.....







Paul

[Brian]

Nice job Paul, with one error. To be perfect the exhaust should be blue not silver. That is how they came from the factory but it soon burnt off. All replacement exhausts were silver.

[AXEMAN78]

Hahaha Cheers Brian, to be fair they did come with blue exhausts, but wanting to have a smaller version or two of my real one I attacked them with the silver paint..... I've been looking through photo's but not found too many of my real tractor..... hopefully will post a few more up when I take the new battery over to her. I know I've a lot to learn about this hobby tractor of mine, what bits are right and what bits are wrong, what's missing and peoples thoughts on any ideas that I may have, but appreciate the comments and help that you guys are giving me on my journey into tractor ownership Cheers and Merry Christmas to all lets hope everyone has a good one