Kit Helps Repower Ford 8N With V-8 Truck Engine

Kit Helps Repower Ford 8N With V-8 Truck Engine ENGINES When Ron Stauffer began repowering an old Ford 8N tractor with a V-8 truck engine last winter he had no idea he d wind up with marketing rights to a key piece of equipment that made the job a snap The key to success is the adapter plate that couples the back of the V-8 to the original 4-cyl engine s transmission bell housing says the Portland Ind Ford enthusiast and dealer I had seen Ford 8N s re-powered with V-8 s to use in terracing contests during the late 1940 s and early 1950 s but I had no idea such an adapter kit ever existed Early-on in the project however I spotted an ad for just such a kit in an antique tractor magazine After making some inquiries I learned it had been invented by South Dakota farmer Delbert Heusinkveld It had even been manufactured for a time by the Funk Aircraft Company of Coffeyville Kan I tracked down Delbert and he told me he no longer wanted to be involved in selling the kits so he and I agreed I would market them Response has been unbelievable I ve sold 27 kits which sell for $750 apiece since last winter One went as far as Australia There s good reason for interest in the kits too says Stauffer since putting a V-8 engine in an old Ford tractor would be a difficult job without it If you have this kit the hardest part is the fine-tuning - installing the throttle and governor and hooking up the gas tank he says Stauffer s adapter kit consists of a 1 1/2-in thick steel plate 2 ft in dia The adapter plate is drilled and tapped so the bolt pat-tern on the back of the engine matches the front of the transmission bell housing He also supplies a steel frame that runs from the plate and wraps around the front axle of the tractor to help support the bigger engine Stauffer first used the kit to repower a 1951 Ford 8N with an overhauled flathead Ford V-8 truck engine manufactured between 1949 and 1953 The 100 hp 239 cu in engine replaced the tractor s original blown 25 hp 4-cyl 112 cu in engine Once I got the engine installed I had to lengthen the steering rods by 4 1/2 in the distance the bigger engine adds to the overall length of the tractor Stauffer explains I also had to move the radius rods forward because they help support the axle I also needed a bigger radiator to keep the engine cool I used one with two outlets on the top and two on the bottom because of the twin water pumps on that old Ford V-8 engine I added triple vertical exhaust stacks the tops of which are about 5 1/2 ft above the ground just for show If you wanted to do any kind of farming with it you d definitely want mufflers on it Stauffer says his Ford 8N will do 35 mph thanks in part to a Sherman step-up transmission he installed with the engine The transmission now offers 8 forward and 2 reverse gears Including $2 000 for the tractor Stauffer says he has about $7 500 invested in the project Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Ron Stauffer R L Stauffer Inc R R 1 Box 233 U S 27 South Portland Ind 47371 ph 219-726-9041

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