Slip Knot, need you expertise on My 850 Ford overheating

[slip knot]

OOFFF. I forgot yours had a FEL on it. even getting the tin off is a major PITA. Neverseize is your friend with these old machines


While you got the tin off can you look on top of the head, above the plugs. Should be a set of numbers. mine has EAF and 6090 but it could have conn and 301100. or it may be something else too. the head on my 861 is cracked and I'm trying to locate a replacement but cant find an original. I don't want a head off a 134cuin motor. ports are smaller IIRC. I'm trying to sort out the numbers.

[walrus]

OOFFF. I forgot yours had a FEL on it. even getting the tin off is a major PITA. Neverseize is your friend with these old machines


While you got the tin off can you look on top of the head, above the plugs. Should be a set of numbers. mine has EAF and 6090 but it could have conn and 301100. or it may be something else too. the head on my 861 is cracked and I'm trying to locate a replacement but cant find an original. I don't want a head off a 134cuin motor. ports are smaller IIRC. I'm trying to sort out the numbers.

Can you get aftermarket heads? probably junk but....

[slip knot]

yeah they offer some but they start at $600- $800 for a bare head.

The 172 was offered in a lot of different equipment. I've bought them out of old brush chippers and an old golf course fairway mower so they are out there. its just finding the correct ones.

[walrus]

yeah they offer some but they start at $600- $800 for a bare head.

The 172 was offered in a lot of different equipment. I've bought them out of old brush chippers and an old golf course fairway mower so they are out there. its just finding the correct ones.

Worth more than my tractor

Got fan belt on, its bitch, pulley bolts have to just so or belt won't fit in between pulley and frame. Got shroud on Radiator and installed. While Radiator wasn't that dirty there was quite a bit of crap on the lower portion , pressure washer took it out and then air blow gun to get rest. Got cowl sitting on it, not going to bolt it in until pump is back on. parts won't be here until Friday at earliest.

Looked for numbers on head, are # above spark plugs. Didn't see anything on there?

[slip knot]

My mistake. the numbers will be on the opposite side probably hidden under the muffler. No big deal.

[walrus]

My mistake. the numbers will be on the opposite side probably hidden under the muffler. No big deal.

I have full exhaust so no can see that side.

[walrus]

I'm thinking of looking at 1951 841 with Elanco 4 wheel drive.  Never heard of such a thing. It has a loader. Haven't talked money, but I assume its pretty rare?? Anyone know anything about them? Read a few things about them like they aren't maneuverable, I assume they don't steer well?  Not sure what kind of tranny it has but driveshaft comes out of side of tranny, banjo is offset to one side big time.

[slip knot]

Never seen one in the wild. I would be very careful in looking it over. I would imagine parts are NLA on it.  But if you get it take lots of pics.

[strik9]

Early ag fwd usually means big turning  circle.  Also can mean if they are not relatively common in the used market parts are unavailable long ago. 

   Get a base model if possible in ancient stuff.  Parts are easier.

[walrus]

Its not to far from here. After sleeping on it I doubt I would buy it unless its really cheap which I doubt it will be. The guy says his dad is 3rd owner. He posted a couple pics but it was almost dark when he took them.  Looks in decent shape for an almost 70 yr old machine.  Think I'd buy a newer John Deere with a 3 cyl Yanmar diesel if I went to a 4 wheel drive or a Kubota

[walrus]

Got shaft and coupling today, put them in, bolted  Hydraulic pump back on, hooked hoses. Started it up after adding antifreeze. Watched temp rise, hit 210 and then saw Tstat open and temp dropped to 160 or so(180 degree Tstat). Shut it down to check coolant level, started it back up, got hose and added water. its clearly circulating water, no exhaust in radiator(head gasket not blown). Once full it idled for awhile and stayed below Tstat temp. Shroud definitely changes the way air blows back toward the engine.  I felt that right off. Tomorrow I'll put bush hog on see what it does.

[slip knot]

Hopefully the fan shroud resolves your overheat problem.

[Uncle Buck]

A fan shroud can make a big difference in how efficiently a cools an engine.

[walrus]

Got it back together finally, back issues slowed me down. Started it up and drove over to pick something up in FEL bucket. Temp gauge was all over the place, fluttering I guess? Not sure if thats a lousy gauge or air in system? Saw Tstat open, down temps went, then back up, down and so on. Finally it seemed to settle down as I let it idle in front of shop for awhile. Hung below 180 which is TStat temp. Could there be a blockage in head so coolant isn't filling head therefore not covering temp probe. Simple mechanical gauge so not sure how it could flutter?  This shouldn't be so difficult. Still haven't tried to really work the tractor to see what happens

[slip knot]

I don't know about blockage but I have seen some of the industrial units with a bypass port located in the center of the head, between #3and #4 plugs that was routed back to the water pump. From what I recall it was an issue of coolant not flowing enough in that area so the added line dumped coolant back to the pump for faster coolant flow thru that area. I've never seen this mod on ag tractors tho, just industrial units.

Put it to work and see how it acts.