Last year, I responded to a call from the Ferguson Enthusiasts of North America. A Florida member was selling his home and wanted to find a home for his 1950 Ferguson TO-20 tractor. I contacted Judy, the head of the group who had sent the email, and she put me in contact with Bob Carr, who was the guy giving away the tractor.
I asked Bob where in Florida he was. The Ocala area, he said. Really? I'm in Eureka! So am I, said Bob. I'm on NE 148th Terrace! I'm a block away, said Bob.
So I went to look at it. It was disassembled, but it was all there. It looked like too big a job for me, so I contacted my next door neighbor, Denny, who restores stuff. He looked at it and thought he could restore it, so that's where it went.
They had to clear the decks first of projects they were working on, but now it was time for the Fergy. First up is the engine rebuild.
I asked Bob where in Florida he was. The Ocala area, he said. Really? I'm in Eureka! So am I, said Bob. I'm on NE 148th Terrace! I'm a block away, said Bob.
So I went to look at it. It was disassembled, but it was all there. It looked like too big a job for me, so I contacted my next door neighbor, Denny, who restores stuff. He looked at it and thought he could restore it, so that's where it went.
They had to clear the decks first of projects they were working on, but now it was time for the Fergy. First up is the engine rebuild.
"Poor Boy" honing the cylinder.
Denny joined in to clean up the threads on bolts.
Marking a gear for top dead center.
The keys needed to come out of the old crank.
This should be a fun restore, different from the old cars and trucks the guys work on. Believe it or not, parts are readily available for this old 65 year old tractor, manufactured the same year I was. And that is old.
I have access to a IH 440 That needs to be sold-- I'm going to try to start her soon.. I have been told she ran 25 years ago and has been sitting in the barn..
ReplyDeleteI'm sure my parents had fun manufacturing me-- NOS-- Unavailable..
It was not was not built in Taiwan/China-- It can be repaired..
ReplyDeleteI have many fond memories of Driving a '52 Ferguson, my grandfather owned, which later went to my father. I first drove it at age 11 with my grandfather's guidance. By the age of 14, I was using it to drive through the swamp at full throttle in high gear, skidding logs with it. Deep snow cover helped smooth out the skidway by January. But, before it did I took a six inch chain hook to the back of the head when it got stretched and released going over a hummock.
ReplyDeleteI caught a lot of crap from my uncle and not so much from my father, for using "road gear" in the swamp. I was unapologetic, though. 'Cause I would have caught a lot more crap from my father if I couldn't keep up with those two cutting...
That incident was also the genesis for switching the exhaust to a vertical stack. The hummock tore the under the tractor exhaust right off.