Ford Flathead Tractors

[j hancock]

A couple more flathead powered tractors.  The doodlebug with the V12 is probably out of a Lincoln.  Possibly a Zephyr?

[h67st]

Nice! Any idea what the horsepower difference is between stock motor and the V8s? I assume Ford didn't make these tractors stock with the V8.

[j hancock]

1 hour ago, h67st said:

Nice! Any idea what the horsepower difference is between stock motor and the V8s? I assume Ford didn't make these tractors stock with the V8.

Depending on what tractor you are starting with, HP would probably be in the 25-45 range.  The 17 stud flathead is 60 HP, 21 stud is 85-125 HP and the Lincoln/truck V8 is 125-150.  So, going with a V8 may double your HP.

Ford didn't make the stock tractors with V8's but they did some engineering with the V8's and there were also independent kits out there to do a tractor engine conversion.

[theakerstwo]

Funk conversions did some kits for the V8.Some had a flat head and some could have a 6 cylinder ford engine.

[41chevy]

Cool! I see the Doodle Bug was the original Rat Rod. 

I bought at Hersey many years ago a conversion kit made in Ohio, to put a Ford or Merc flathead in my Ferguson, just couldn't modify it too much family history.

 

[fxfymn]

Quote

Cool! I see the Doodle Bug was the original Rat Rod.

I'll try to find the picture of the Model A my Dad and Grandfather built to pull their home made orchard sprayer. Steel wheels, two transmissions placed back to back for very deep gear reduction, and of course very little original sheet metal. I spent many an hour "driving" the old girl as a kid when it was abandoned by the side of the garden.

The sprayer was pretty neat as well. Built on a 32 Packard chassis carrying a John Bean high pressure pump powered by a 28 Chevy engine supplied by a five hundred gallon wooden tank. They used it right up to when he closed the orchard in the early 60's. I'm sure it made any Packard fan cringe when they spotted those distinctive steel dished wheels on the sprayer.

[ZDB]

My friend built this one to mow his land lot out in California, says he dials the throttle in by ear to get 540 on the pto.

Edited July 13, 2017 by ZDB

[BillyT]

There is no end to the innovation of farmers and truckers! When my dad owned the salvage yard a nearby farmer hired him to convert an ancient crank start tractor to electric start! He drilled out an old car flywheel to mount on the front pulley and built a bracket to hold the starter! I was a little kid but when I became a teenager and learned to work on cars I wondered if that flywheel unbalanced the crankshaft! I'm sure he never had the thing balanced! I guess the thing ran such low rpm it didn't matter!😁

[mrsmackpaul]

how cool is that V 12, I cant think of what they are Lincoln or some such thing , there's one a dragster at our local radiator place 1 1/2 hours from the farm and a whole heap of other cool stuff 

 

Paul 

[41chevy]

7 hours ago, mrsmackpaul said:

how cool is that V 12, I cant think of what they are Lincoln or some such thing , there's one a dragster at our local radiator place 1 1/2 hours from the farm and a whole heap of other cool stuff 

 

Paul 

Lincoln  V-12. An almost bolt in for a flathead Ford or Mercury.  somewhat prone to overheating or at least running very hot.