How did you drive a Standard Fordson?

Lazy Sod · Oct 25, 2023

I've just remembered: we had a proper Fordson Standard fuel funnel, it was shaped like a square box with a curved bottom to fit the shape of the tank. I think that my brother still has it and uses it to rill up his DB 885. Another thing that we had was a Schrader tyre inflator, one end of the hose had an 18mm fitting that would screw into a plug hole and tyre connector on the other end. You set it up and with the engine running on 3 cylinders, you filled up the tyre with fuel/air mixture. Not so good for the longevity of the rubber I suppose, but better than a foot pump.

I've pumped up a few tractor rears with one. If that doesn't teach you patiencen nothing will. The new E1A Major that my father bought in the early 50s came wih one.

Andy Nash · Oct 25, 2023

Lazy Sod said:
I've just remembered: we had a proper Fordson Standard fuel funnel, it was shaped like a square box with a curved bottom to fit the shape of the tank. I think that my brother still has it and uses it to rill up his DB 885. Another thing that we had was a Schrader tyre inflator, one end of the hose had an 18mm fitting that would screw into a plug hole and tyre connector on the other end. You set it up and with the engine running on 3 cylinders, you filled up the tyre with fuel/air mixture. Not so good for the longevity of the rubber I suppose, but better than a foot pump.

I've pumped up a few tractor rears with one. If that doesn't teach you patiencen nothing will. The new E1A Major that my father bought in the early 50s came wih one.

I’ve used one of those tyre inflators. The VAK got a slow puncture at a ploughing match near Milnthorpe and I remember having to take the plug out and screw the inflator plug in with the engine running because the mag was weak and I daren’t stop the engine. Putting the ht lead back on again afterwards was the worst bit because I had to screw the cap on the plug by hand and take the shocks.

ford 7810 · Oct 25, 2023

Lazy Sod said:
I've just remembered: we had a proper Fordson Standard fuel funnel, it was shaped like a square box with a curved bottom to fit the shape of the tank. I think that my brother still has it and uses it to rill up his DB 885. Another thing that we had was a Schrader tyre inflator, one end of the hose had an 18mm fitting that would screw into a plug hole and tyre connector on the other end. You set it up and with the engine running on 3 cylinders, you filled up the tyre with fuel/air mixture. Not so good for the longevity of the rubber I suppose, but better than a foot pump.

I've pumped up a few tractor rears with one. If that doesn't teach you patiencen nothing will. The new E1A Major that my father bought in the early 50s came wih one.

Your fathers new major must have been TVO then .my wife’s grandfather bought a TVO one because he thought diesel engines gave you cancer

2wheels · Oct 25, 2023

Lazy Sod said:
I've just remembered: we had a proper Fordson Standard fuel funnel, it was shaped like a square box with a curved bottom to fit the shape of the tank. I think that my brother still has it and uses it to rill up his DB 885. Another thing that we had was a Schrader tyre inflator, one end of the hose had an 18mm fitting that would screw into a plug hole and tyre connector on the other end. You set it up and with the engine running on 3 cylinders, you filled up the tyre with fuel/air mixture. Not so good for the longevity of the rubber I suppose, but better than a foot pump.

I've pumped up a few tractor rears with one. If that doesn't teach you patiencen nothing will. The new E1A Major that my father bought in the early 50s came wih one.

aye, as you say the schrader was better than a foot pump. then along came the lawrence edwards pto compressor.

Exfarmer · Oct 25, 2023

ford 7810 said:
Your fathers new major must have been TVO then .my wife’s grandfather bought a TVO one because he thought diesel engines gave you cancer

he was correct, the older diesels were notorious for killing their drivers not sure if TVO was much better though
Nearly all the drivers of the old Ruston draglines died of cancer but those cabins with the engine in the back were full of fumes

Lazy Sod · Oct 25, 2023

ford 7810 said:
Your fathers new major must have been TVO then

No the E1A Major was a diesel, the first one on the farm.

ford 7810 · Oct 25, 2023

Lazy Sod said:
No the E1A Major was a diesel, the first one on the farm.

Well don’t mind me saying but how did you screw the tyre inflater in to the spark plug hole?

Lazy Sod · Oct 25, 2023

It's a fitting with the same thread as the plug to which the hose is attached, the orher end going on the tyre valve. My use of the term "tyre inflater" is to describe the whole thing, which was how it was used back then. The modern use of the term, to mean the combined pressure guage and the valve connector, which is fitted to the hose, is a different animal.

76masseyman · Oct 25, 2023

Lazy Sod said:
It's a fitting with the same thread as the plug to which the hose is attached, the orher end going on the tyre valve. My use of the term "tyre inflater" is to describe the whole thing, which was how it was used back then. The modern use of the term, to mean the combined pressure guage and the valve connector, which is fitted to the hose, is a different animal.

I think there was a similar item offered by Ferguson.

2wheels · Oct 25, 2023

Lazy Sod said:
It's a fitting with the same thread as the plug to which the hose is attached, the orher end going on the tyre valve. My use of the term "tyre inflater" is to describe the whole thing, which was how it was used back then. The modern use of the term, to mean the combined pressure guage and the valve connector, which is fitted to the hose, is a different animal.

it also had a ball valve system in it which let fresh air in to the engine cylinder thus avoiding most of a fuel/air mix.

e3120 · Oct 26, 2023

2wheels said:
it also had a ball valve system in it which let fresh air in to the engine cylinder thus avoiding most of a fuel/air mix.

I was thinking that it could do with something to let air in during the normal power stroke. Still haven't sussed this diesel with a spark plug hole, though. :scratchhead:

2wheels · Oct 26, 2023

e3120 said:
I was thinking that it could do with something to let air in during the normal power stroke. Still haven't sussed this diesel with a spark plug hole, though.

Petrol engines only.

essexpete · Oct 27, 2023

Exfarmer said:
he was correct, the older diesels were notorious for killing their drivers not sure if TVO was much better though
Nearly all the drivers of the old Ruston draglines died of cancer but those cabins with the engine in the back were full of fumes

Might it have been the brake linings as well?

Rusty_Relics · Oct 27, 2023

ford 7810 · Oct 27, 2023

Have you ever seen a clutch conversion like this

borderterribles · Oct 28, 2023

Andy Nash said:
The David Brown VAK 1 with the original governors was a bit like that. It tended to shut off going down hill and fly going up. There was a rod that you could pull out with three notches that you set to roughly the engine speed you wanted, and another lever for fine tuning. If you cut another notch in the rod it worked straight on to the throttle butterfly and you could fly! I upset someone in a new JD when 40k tractors had just come out!

Nearly as much fun as reaching forward and pulling the top off the oil bath air cleaner on the Major. If you had to stand up to do it,they soon sat you back down!

Andy Nash · Oct 28, 2023

Exfarmer said:
he was correct, the older diesels were notorious for killing their drivers not sure if TVO was much better though
Nearly all the drivers of the old Ruston draglines died of cancer but those cabins with the engine in the back were full of fumes

Dorman diesel engines. In the cab with you!

Av Gorritt · Oct 28, 2023

Speaking from bitter experience , the standard Fordson had a hook-down clutch / handbrake pedal . If you wanted to leave it you hooked the pedal down - but woe betide you if you missed the hook and the pedal shot up and gave you a real crack on the shin ! Not just a "bitty" thing , but a full blown shin - skinner .

Andy Nash · Oct 29, 2023

Av Gorritt said:
Speaking from bitter experience , the standard Fordson had a hook-down clutch / handbrake pedal . If you wanted to leave it you hooked the pedal down - but woe betide you if you missed the hook and the pedal shot up and gave you a real crack on the shin ! Not just a "bitty" thing , but a full blown shin - skinner .

The old David Browns had a hand clutch behind the seat which you worked standing behind the tractor.
It was great for backing up to implements, but so dangerous because if your hand slipped off it fully engaged the clutch and you would be in trouble. I guess it was for setting off belt driven machines. Handy, because if the belt came off it would rip your trousers off.

Alan Riach · Mar 27, 2024

Red Fred said:
I was at a farming wedding last week with Mrs Fred and was admiring the family's wartime Fordson which had been proudly brought out for the occasion. Mrs Fred asked me where the controls were as it was nothing like the conventional B250 she normally drives at home. Am I right in thinking the clutch and brake work off the same pedal by the rear axle? And do the gears have a conventional H gate? We have a wartime Allis that is petrol TVO but that is pretty straightforward to drive once it is warmed up with modern clutch, gears and brake pedals. Just curious!

The Fordson F and N models didn't have brakes as such. They only had an oil immersed multi-plate clutch and one pedal. The cunning design used a worm gear final drive. Worm gears are very inefficient (less than 50%). Any final drive gear system with less than 50% efficiency will not transmit power from the wheels back to the gearbox. Thus when the clutch pedal is depressed and disconnects drive from the engine, the tractor glides to a halt due to the worm drive efficiency problem. Even if you try and now push the tractor, the low efficiency worm drive "jam-up" will not allow it to move. No brakes to wear out. There is a small loop to keep the clutch pedal down if you want to stop temporarily without disengaging a gear. The penalty is the gross 50% loss of power to the drawbar (the 50% loss of power appears as very hot transmission oil), but the system served the Fordson well for over quarter a century until the E27 Major was introduced with a high efficiency spur gear final drive (but needed separate brakes).
The simple to drive one pedal system meant that the Land Army girls quickly became expert Fordson drivers in both world wars playing an important part in keeping Britain fed. Ford Detroit shipped 6000 Fordsons to the UK in 1917/18 and Ford Dagenham supplied many thousands in WW2.

How did you drive a Standard Fordson?

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