52 Fordson major overheated

Gord1955

Member
A guy close by has what he thinks is a 1952 major, was running it this summer and overheated it to the point of seizing, probably water pump or lack of coolant, turns over freely now, how much damage do you think he could have done? He just parked it and bought another tractor....he wants to sell it but just wondering if I should stay clear of it if there's a chance he did some major damage.
 
Have you checked the oil level, they will do that if the sealing rings let go like yours did, when running and he didn't notice. personally I've
seen them still run but the pistons have obviously been heat seized to the sleeves at some point. it could be totally worn out in the crank
department to if it hasn't messed the bearings during whatever happened now.

Personally I'd say unless it's got good tires and tin on you need, leave it there. 52 is a basic tractor with dead drive pto/hyds thats got
possible unknown issues with the motor. At least you know yours is shot, and why this one might run 10 mins, 3 weeks, or 10 years if it was a water
pump. you don't know until you try start it find it won't or burns oil like crazy, maybe drive it a bit and it turns into a 52 boat anchor when it
locks up again.

To be honest those old majors will wear so bad and still start, I've pulled some fairly nice ones apart that started without ether and run nice.
when I got in them I thought wow how did this even run it was so worn in the bores,had busted rings and so much wear on the crank and no oil
pressure the test gauge i used didn't move ! .

My Dad and I came to a humorous thinking that if a major had 2 pistons/rods missing, a good battery and enough ether to get it to start it would
still run. I took a couple apart for guys that brought them being told the gauge didn't work as they started so nice. I went to test them or fit
gauges on some tractors with just the oil light.

Yeah the guys got a nasty expensive surprise when they needed a full rebuild on a tractor worth $3000 on a good day if you can sell them now, the
$5000 Kijiji guys keep listing and re listing if you watch long enough and have a good memory . I quit rebuilding them to sell,and don't buy them
now ether unless it has a nice set of tires, that fit another one in my collection.

I got a pile of tin and other parts the only market for is exporting back in the u.k for guys restoring them there.. To be honest i'd find a 64
Ford 5000 diesel with live drive hyd/ pto ( 2 stage clutch) that has nice tin/tires unless yours are good. But needs motor work to use the other
motor you have spare. you may think how much you didn't like the 55 with a single clutch after that, been there done that L.O.L. I'm not trying to
come across as negative, but that seems to be the truth about old majors in Canada and the U.S at the moment, some guys have shipped the 5000's back as there wasn't any badged and using those colors in the U.K but they got to be cheap and real nice looking..
Regards Robert
 
Think he got his years wrong, it says Power Major on the tins and also has a 6 bolt rocker cover.....his overheating was a stuck thermostat - no water in oil, going to leave it alone anyway, got my work cut out for me as it is.
 
Hi if it was a live drive power major with that 2 stage clutch, and it wasn't to beat up with the rest of it for dirt cheap. you could sort a motor
for in that with your spare motor, and have the better pto/hyd system that doesn't wind the tractor along the ground. if you have a brush cutter on
and stop the wheel drive with the clutch. then walk away from your other one. that power is somewhere between 58/60, but not all of them had that live
pto option so you got to make sure i have one here without i parted !. Regards Robert.
 
Well, He said he wanted to pull the oil pan and see if he did any damage before he fires it back up, IMO you can't stop there- the head and pistons would have to come out as well if your going to do that, not only costly but a lot of hours to do that to a machine you're just going to sell.( he wont give me a price on it and seems determined to do it) Apart from just being filthy and of need of some paint it's all there and even has a front end loader on it, we will see what happens in the near future, as long as the crankshaft is good there is nothing more I care about, I have the rest.
 

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