ploughmyfield.com

Hi Geoff,
First of all are you a member of FoFH? www.fofh.co.uk. If you are then this is exactly the question you could have asked in the forum. but if you’re not I’ll ask the good people who look at this website if they can help.

Have you tried Patrick at Fergiland.com he may have the parts?

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A couple of interesting links to mention to you today.

Electronics Manual

The first is a Finish site where I have found a whole ferguson Tractor manual available for download. It is 46MB in size and over 460 pages. It is similar to an electronic copy I have and print out to take into the workshop to stop my paper original copy getting covered in grease and oil.

http://www.ferguson-talli.net/FE-20.php and the item to download is “FE 20 TE Service Manual”

Pictures Available

I am trying to create an online picture resource of interesting ferguson pictures. It would be useful to have a pictorial representation of an original ferguson item to check yours against, remember where to put so and so. The hope is I will add more as Time goes by. If you have a set of photo’s you think others would be interested in then please get in touch and if suitable I will get them added. I hope soon to add, 2 furrow plough, TE-F20 engine rebuild and dismantle.

Two are available so far.
1. Ferguson 3 Ton Trailer –  a friend is rebuilding his 3 Ton Trailer and I thought it would be a good idea to take some pics along the way.

2. Ferguson TE-F20 Engine – after completing the rebuild of the engine I just wanted to add some pictures of it to the web. If there is something not right with the way it looks please tell me.

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Well the title isn’t exactly right. It’s amazing how many other items where supplied as part of a new ferguson 3ton trailer delivery. I now have everything, except the trailer. By that I mean all the many items supplied with the trailer that where actually attached to the tractor so you can lift, pull and tip your MK2  3ton  trailer. I even have the instruction book.

The original manual measured 7 1/2″ x 5 1/2″  and consisted of 23 pages

Take a look at these diagrams from the original 3ton trailer manual.

Now take a look at these  pictures I took of my tractor, (below). I have gathered these items together over a period of several years. Trying to buy them all at once can prove expensive. Recently the autohitch part has been fetching very high prices on the internet and at auctions. Recently the tipping pipe has also seen prices double or tripple for an off tractor example. I believe as people have got hold of the autohitch they are now looking for the pipe.  The last piece of the set I aquired was the tipper pipe that connects from the tractors hyrdaulic pump  to the trailers hydraulic ram via a hose to raise and lower the trailers body.  I swapped one of my number plate holders with Roy for the pipe supplied with his tractor. A none tipping trailer was also available which didn’t need the tipper pipe.

Tipper pipe showing the end that connects to the trailers flexible hose.

Connection of tipper pipe to the back corner of the tractor’s hyrdaulic pump. The thread needed to connect to the tractor is listed in ferguson manual as two sizes, a: 1/2″ BSF at 16 threads per inch (TPI), b: 1/2″ UNF which has 20 TPI.

The combination of the Auto hitch I have is unusual. the t-bar (lying in the floor in the middle) is from a TE-20. You can tell this as it has the destinctive button shape half way along used to engage the latch which when pressed lowers the hitch. Or when raised locks the hitch in the up carrying position.  The hook (hanging down from the tractor) is from and later FE/MF35 it was fatter than the skinnier TE-20. I have a TE-20 hook but prefer the later fatter type.

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Hi John,
I’m glad you like the site.
Please send a report and photo’s of the Heritage museum. I’m sure lots of others would be interested in your view.

Yes I will be making a timing disc. I have access to a (CAD)Computer Aided design package. I’ll be adding the disc as a download for you all to make your own. it’s a bit like blue peter here!

I will be do documenting everything I can john it’s an essential part of the website.

To Do

• Make template for timing (30BTDC (hole in flywheel) 32BTDC spill timing point, 0TDC (just as a check for the valve timing)
• Ask Holland brand workshops if they have a number one port swan neck I can borrow for the pump.
• find a hexagon spanner to undo the nuts on the front of the pump.
• Read the Manual agin and again.
• Find some time when I can do it.

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I hope you are all well,
The tractor has been the last thing on my mind just lately. We’ve had our son’s first birthday, I’ve been to Munich on business and next week I’m off to the Scottish island of Jura to run up and down the hills for 14 miles.

I don’t know when I am going to schedule some time to look at the timing, which still seems very daunting to me.

Funny I never thought of myself as being an inspiration to anyone so this email was a nice surprise. I’ve had this great email from Geoff who also donated £10 which will keep the website up and running for a month for everyone to enjoy. Thanks Geoff.

I was starting to well up by the end of your email. Then I got to the part about wind whistling through my hair. Geoff, I don’t have any hair! not to worry, I’ve never had any hair! Well once upon a time I must have. I’m only joking Geoff, Its nice to see all my friends loosing there hair now as well and getting really paranoid about it. I do like to tease them. Anyway back onto the subject of tractors, here is Geoff’s letter

Geoff, I took the pump out of my tractor to drain the green sludge out of it (green sludge was one hydraulic fluid) With the pump cleaned and refitted and new hydraulic fluid it’s been great ever since.

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Thanks again mike,
Yes I’ve been in the garage stopping the leaks from the fuel and oil pipes. I think I’ve got it sorted now.
I love that last picture of the ploughs outside the croft. Very staged but very aesthetic.
I hope you get the computer working. I bought a Machintosh (Mac) computer and a time capsule backup. I can go back over a year to find a file. It’s also great for web edition and movie editing.
I notice your fergie plough in the first picture is a Sherman (Ford Ferguson) plough as it has the cast top section that connects to the top link. I later models this was 4 bent pieces of metal.

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Thanks Again Mike.
Yes I am very proud of my FT57 lamp I’ve been waiting a long time to find one as the right price. Now all I need to do is find a pair of fold out side lights. Does anyone have a set they would sell?
I’m coming round to the idea of leaving the light in chrome.I just don’t think I bring myself to spray paint it!

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The readers of this blog are great.
What a paint job. I see once the tractor had a lighting kit? I’m looking forward to the rest of your travel posts.

Thanks for emailing in.

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Busy so not much posted just some pics and a movie! startup is getting very close.

By turning the engine over I hope to circulate oil around the engine before startup.

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There is so much going on at the moment and not enough time to do it all. So I’ve got a roundup of a couple of items I’m tinking aboout.

Airfix
The Airfix kit I came across whilst looking through eBay sold for a staggering £598.88 Wow, you really could buy a tractor or two for that money. This quarters classic Massey has an article about a gentleman who bough two TE-D20 tractors for £230 bargain.

Donations
A big thank you to Jim and Jerry who have made large donations to the ploughmyfield website by clicking on the button on the right. Thank you very much. Your donations will pay for the server space for the site for 2 months.

Shot blasting
The mystery blaster turned out to be a man called Darren Willis.  I’m down in Derby this week and he is kindly shot blasting some more items for me. Radius arms, cradle for fromt axle, front axle, fan blade, air intake tube are all having the paint stripped from them. I’m picking them up tomorrow so etch primer tomorrow night then fitting on Thursday! 

Painting
I’ve added a final coat of Ferguson grey to the starter motor before fitting it tomorrow night. I have to say it looks Fab. I can’t wait until it’s all been painted.

I have to say it looks even better in real life. The grey is a lot darker and more shiney. I’ve also sprayed around the back of the block where the starter is positioned as there is no way I will get in once the start has been bolted on.

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Did you know that Airfix’s first model want’s a spitfire or a hurricane but a tractor! A ferguson TE-20 tractor to be precise.

This one has come up on eBay with 4 days to go it currently stands at £230 ( almost as much as a real one) I wonder how much it will go for? Here is the link so you can keep an eye on it.

eBay Airfix Ferguson Tractor Kit

Here is the sellers information:

• Plastic construction kit of the Ferguson TE tractor made by Airfix. 1/20 Scale.
• This was the very first Airfix kit and made in the 50’s in England.
• The kit offered here, is a true collectors dream. All the components are present, even the tiny box with small parts is still sealed and never opened!
• Complete with original instructions and translation in Swedish!
• NOTE: A version which I’ve never seen before, all the parts are molded in blue plastic and tires are cream colored rubber!

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Front Dynamo Decompression Assembly

I can’t stress enough how important it is to take loads of photo’s at every stage of the process of restoration. With digital cameras now costing less than £50  (www.ebuyer.com)there is no excuse to not be snapping away. I try to take pictures of everything, you never know when they are going to come in useful. Take the picture above, I’ve dismantled the front decompression assembly and I can’t remember how it goes back together. Now with the aid of the photo I can. I can also see the position of the cover over the dynamo brushes and which side the bracket goes that attaches to the top of the dynamo to adjust tension. Photo’s Priceless!

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Ploughmyfield is in the news.
Have you got your spring 2009 copy of Classic Massey yet? Mine arrived through the letterbox this morning.

On page 42 as part of the article ” Our Tractors” Scott Lambert mentions this website. I sold him one of my excellent number plate brackets some time ago to complete the restoration of his TE-D20 tractor. Scott wanted to promote the site as he feels the standard of the reproduction number plate bracket should be talked about.  Thanks Scott.

Loads of other great articles in the spring edition including buyers tips for the TE-D20. Roy are you reading this now there is no excuse to delay the buying of your very own TE-20 as the guide gives you all the info on how to find the right tractor.

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I sold a number plate bracket to a customer in Belgium.

He was very pleased with it and wondered if I had made any to go on the left hand wing rather than the right as he has lots more tractors. It is also illegal to drive with one on the right and not the left whilst driving on the right of the road. I explained that I’d just had a batch made and it might be some time before I got some more made and had the chance to enquire about getting them folded to suit the left hand wing. It will be cheaper if I got a batch done than a one off.

Along with the enquiry Ivan sent some pictures of his restoration. I puts my efforts to shame. I thought you all might like to look how a restoration should look.

I love the space he has in his workshop and the number plate looks great.

The casting on the back is from the howard rotavator which he is also restoring (nut and bolt)

Does anyone have information about the Lucas lighting kit that was made for the european market? I saw a model recently with the number plate on the left It looked funny. But then again the right one looks funny to people in europe.

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I got asked by Steve how I paint my parts and how I get them ready for painting.

I’ve added a page as I think this is a subject that will interest a lot of people.

This is still a work in progress with some picture to add. Please add your comments at the bottom of the Painting Parts Process page and let me know how you do it. 

http://www.ploughmyfield.com/painting-parts-process/

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Festival Of Britain Guide Cover

Don’t ask me why but I bought this guide to the festival of britain in 1951. I think I was drawn to the striking design of the cover.  One of the areas covered by the many exhibits was “The Country” which had a heavy focus on mechanisation. There is a picture of a Ferguson tractor pulling a 3 Ton trailer. and a great adver for the Ferguson system.

Ferguson Advertisement 1951

Layout of the "The Country" exhibition

Did anyone go to the exhibition. Can anyone remember what it looked like or have photo’s of the country at all. I’m going to do a bit more digging to see if I can find out what it looked like.

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I’ve been round to see a friends Tractor. It hasn’t run for a year or so and the green moss is staring to grow on it. Mike says he had it running a couple of years ago.

Mikes Tractor

It has the plate TE-A130359 so originally it was a straight petrol. I originally went to look at the tractor several years ago as it has most of the lighting kit. I have been researching the plough lamp bracket as I’d like to go back into production with a repro version. Mikes tractor still has the bracket, but not the rear number plate bracket.

Cyclops Light and one side light

Bonnet Up

I keep on trying to get Mike to sell me the one side light he does have. The other has been broken off at some point. Mike still accuses me of taking it. 

As I started to look round the tractor I found it more and more interesting. It has at some point been converted to TVO I think. why do I think this. Well there seem to be a lot of shims under the head gasket. About 5mm worth. This would make the bore 85mm instead of 80mm.

Interesting Engine

It looks as though it has the remains of the back of the manifold shield you normally see on a TE-D. I don’t know what a TE-A or TE-D exhaust should look like so I can’t tell you if this is the right one.

It has the cross over switch to change the fuel supply from petrol at startup to TVO once warm. I didn’t look at the dash to see if it had a temperature gauge!
So I have no idea why it has a diesel Fuel tank fitted.

The exhaust elbow has a support bracket on it. I’ve never seen that either.

And I’m not sure if this as a 12Volt dynamo? can you tell me, please leave a comment below.

There will be more pictures of the lighting kit which I believe was fitted when the tractor was new in the lighting page to the right.

Thanks Mike for letting me get the information I need. Watch this space for plough lamp brackets on sale soon.

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I’ve updated the lighting page. Let me know what you think by leaving a comment to this post. click on the comments button just below this post and check out the new lighting section on the right.

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Me Ploughing

I’m feeling a little sad with the tractor not working at the moment so I’ve posted this video of my ploughing last year. This is what I’ll be doing once I get the engine rebuilt

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Phil's completed 30 cwt trailer

I was passed  some information today about a supplier of Ferguson trailer parts and complete trailers.

The company is Fergie Trailer Shop   and is owned by Phil Kolbe. I made an enquiry about the side rails for a ferguson 3 ton trailer. Phil responded quickly and I hope will be able to help me friend.

The products Phil supplies are quality items and I know he’s spent a lot of time making sure the items he produces are as true to the originals as possible. I wish you well for the future Phil. 

The company started by producing a 30cwt reproduction but it looks as though they are branching out into the 3ton trailer aswell. I would say get in touch if there is something you are after as they have more itms than are listed on the website!

When communicating with Phil don’t forget to mention you saw the advert on ploughmyfield.com

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