I recently purchased a Model T that was converted to a tractor. It appears the engine and rear axle are from a '22 T. The upper radiator hose was leaking so I had to take some things apart to get to it.
Since I haven't quite figured out how to insert an image from my photobucket page I'll just give you the link to all of the pictures.
http://s116.photobucket.com/user/boaski/library/Model%20T%20Tractor?sort=2&page= 1
I know I need to replace the ring gear this winter as it's missing a few teeth.
Thanks,
Todd
Todd, how does this cute little thing achieve the gear reduction it needs at the rear wheels?
Todd,
Neat looking tractor conversion. It looks like the front wheels are concrete filled -- no problems with those ever going flat.
It also looks like this is your first posting. Welcome aboard! If you are new to Ts -- be sure to let folks know so we can share some cautions (they are save vehicles -- but they have some known areas that will bite you if you let them). Also if you are new to Model T Tractors/doodle bugs, be sure to let folks know also. I'm 80% sure I remember reading that you had to be careful with some of the conversion because if you tried to pull a lot, the front end would come up and over fairly easy compared to more modern tractors. But I have not played with those so I do not have any first hand experience. It doesn't look that much bigger than the John Deere riding tractor -- but I suspect it is a lot harder to turn. I would be temped to paint the wheels and seat yellow.
And as Fred ask -- please let us know more how it is geared down.
Again, welcome to the forum.
Respectfully submitted,
Hap l9l5 cut off
oops -- I forgot to post the photos of you and your tractor.
Respectfully submitted,
Hap l9l5 cut off
Thank you for the responses.
My exposure to Model T's is very limited and long ago. I traveled with my grandfather when I was in grade school to various Model A get togethers. He had 2 model A's. In high school I used to hang around an old guy in the neighborhood that that acquired all sorts of stuff during his years as a mechanic. I was told that he and his brother had quite a business replacing bands in Model T transmissions. By the time I started getting mobile enough to make it to his place it was the late 1970's and he was in his late 70's / early 80's. One day while I was down there he had a Model T with no body on it and a wood buggy seat. He fired it up and showed me how to make it go. He also had a completely original early T in the barn. Years later, after he passed away, his son sold everything very quickly. I had hoped to pick up the T I had learned to drive, but it was gone. Ever since then I've always kept someday owning a T in the back of my mind.
A few years ago I had heard of this tractor but had not seen it. Early this August I ran into the guy that owned it and told him that if his barn ever got too crowded to let me know and I'd give the doodlebug a new place to live. He only had to tell me he could use the extra space one time before I was there.
The story behind the tractor is that it was built by employees of a local factory, Marion Power Shovel, at night. The rear wheels are cast and many other parts are well thought out and well built. About 35 or 40 years ago the guy from the Shovel that owned it sold it to another individual. When the second owner got it he was not interested in the reel mowers and cultivators that had been built for it so he scrapped them. The second owner had it for 20 years or so and supposedly never started it or had it out of his garage. About 15 years ago the second owner told the guy I bought it off of about the tractor. After he looked at it a deal was made. The 3rd owner cleaned the points, put new gas in it and had it running with very little effort. The guy I bought it off of collected JD tractors & other stuff. It sounds like he lost interest in it.
When I brought it home it had a coolant leak. I pulled the the upper radiator hose off of it. Since it's red, has real old style clamps and has green paint from when the tractor conversion was done I'm led to believe it was original.
The T rear axle sits to the rear of the rear wheel housing. I would guess there are pinion gears on the ends of the narrowed axle with an internal tooth ring gear running around the inside of the cast rear wheels.
I'm in North-central Ohio. If anyone wants to take a look at it I'm always ready for input.
Now I just need to figure out what I'm doing wrong on the html code for inserting an image.
Todd - I have one I'm restoring now - a Shaw Conversion tractor based on a '25 T. There are pictures of it on this forum under "conversion tractors." -Ron
Todd,
You said, "Now I just need to figure out what I'm doing wrong on the html code for inserting an image." No html code is needed to post photos.
If you do not have the photos on your computer, do this:
Open a photo in your photobucket account.
Right click and select "save image as" to get it to your computer
Then below the "Add a Message" box at the bottom of this screen, hit the Upload Attachment button
Browse to the photo up placed on your computer and select Upload.
That will add some code to the message and you will be good to go.
Jim
Shouldn't park it over the dirty spots on yer garage floor. People are gonna get the wrong idea !
Garnet
Considering the stuff that's in my barn I am highly surprised there is a clean spot to be found.
I ordered some new radiator hose & a few other odds & ends from Snyders today. Hopefully I can spend a little time with a pressure washer this week and then get it back together. Once I can run it around some more I'm sure I'll find more things to fix.
Oops - got my forums mixed up. She's on Ford Barn Model T forum (could not get pictures to post here) under Conversion?
Will try pictures again. Before (day I brought her home) and during - when she was about 60% done (she's about 85% now):
Her engine:
Absolute shame that the 2nd owner scrapped the reel mowers and the cultivator - they had probably been sized to the tractor. Todd - she is GORGEOUS!!!
I posted information on this tractor conversion last fall. I only had time to start rebuilding the things that were wrong with it before I had to leave on my "vacation" in North Carolina. When I finally returned to it, I got it running and replaced the parts in the running gear, including welding up broken drive teeth. I don't have the PTO rebuilt yet or some of the saw rig ready for the back end. I did manage to make it to one threshing show so far this year.
file:///C:/Users/Lance/Dropbox/Documents/1922T%20Tractor%20Conversion/Tractor%20on%20Forum.html
Lance,
Looking great!! Didn't recognize it without that magnificent PTO hanging off the front.
Wow, those are both sharp tractors! You don't see many of them around my area of Ohio. Though there is one sitting for sale not too far away. It really looked closer to only being "yard art" rather than a functional piece of machinery again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30bygLsPSr8
I spent some time tinkering with the tractor this week. I decided to see what was making the front wheels so sloppy. Here are a few pictures of the front spindle assembly:
I took the hub cover off
Here is a picture of the bushing inside the front wheel:
I think about every pivot point is sloppy too. Going to need a little time looking at the Snyders catalog and maybe a little time making some new bushings. The good part is that things are much more "straight forward" than I thought they'd be.
While we were at it we decided to see what the inside of the rear wheels looked like:
The rear wheels are held on the shaft with a collar with a set screw.
We weren't prepared for how easily the wheel slid. Thankfully we stopped before it fell off.
Here are some pictures of the inside of the wheel as well as grease lines to the wear points. The drive is a simple gear on the end of the axle with an internal tooth ring gear in the wheel. The ring gear was cast in the wheel with the teeth machined into the cast gear boss.
Every time I tie into something different of this tractor I am more impressed with the way it was built.
I also need to get some gaskets for the carb. This appears to be a Holley NH.
Does this appear to be of 1922 vintage?
Hi: There is really no good way to date a tractor conversion. About the only model T part you have is the motor assembly and a few other misc parts. Yours is a very unique style that Ive never seen. You will need to research when the kit was made. You can tell the year of the engine by the motor number above the water neck on the side of engine. The kit stands a good chance to be made in the late 20s to 30s era. These were very popular during the depression era. They could have any year of engine as they were usually built from junk or wrecked cars. You have a very nice find. Good luck with it.... Donnie ...
The carb is a Kingston L-4 not an NH
Thanks for the replies.
From what we have been able to find out, this tractor was not made from a kit. This was made at a heavy mining equipment manufacturing factory in the late 30's or early 40's. At this point in time we still have more questions than answers.
The engine dates to mid year 1922, that's why I was wondering if the carb fit into that time period.