1968 Ford 5000 “Luanna”

I got the starter all repaired. I need to find the shim for it and it can go back together. Got a bit high on the solder and the zinc flux fumes but evidently I lived. Little sketchy as soldering with a propane torch can very easily ignite gaskets that allegedly may or may not be made of card stock. No senseless accusations now, I have my rights :p

Progress! Slowly but surely, we’re getting there.

Not to mention some of those old gaskets are made of asbestos too.

I suspect you’re right. The forbidden cotton candy.

Well the old gal runs again. Idles minty. Turns out the condenser went bad (even though I just replaced it! GRRRRR). Quick painless fix though. Still need to do a water pump and fuel pump, going to need to remove the loader for that but it’ll be fine

So after finding cracked wire insulation in a few places, damaged connectors, and generally just 56 years of mice and atmosphere I looked into a new wiring harness. Correct harnesses for something that has just one 8 pin connector, 500 dollars to start with, that ain’t even OEM. Think I’m going to spend 300 on new wire and stuff and just make an OEM- equivalent harness, matching terminals and colors to be OEM identical because I’m a near freak and I hate chasing wiring issues.

Or I may just solder new repairs on, but something about doing that on an expensive harness gives me the heebie jeebies.

Also a nice opportunity to convert to a higher amp alternator so I can run better lighting. 4 halogen sealed beams is probably taxing that little 20 amp genny good. Trying to keep the LEDs toned down in order to keep that “period correct” look.

@Rustbucket Garage I've made all new wiring harnesses for a few tractors. You should be able to keep the material cost under $50. I get all the free connectors and 16awg wire I need from work but small quantities of that stuff is pretty cheap. I like to print out a diagram of the terminals on the key switch so I'm sure I'm hooking everything up to it correctly. I also take inspiration from the OG wiring harness for mounting locations and wrapping.

Oh yeah, net material cost isn’t that bad, with the amount of different colors though it’s going to be a lot of upfront cost but I’ll have a ton for future projects.

Trying to decide now whether to pull the hodge-podged industrial loader off and sell it, and buy the proper one or sell the loader and buy a cheap backhoe I found to handle all the earthmoving chores. Dunno, it’s a really strong loader but it’s very inconvenient working around it being so close to the tractor body. Was designed for a 3 cylinder industrial, namely the 3500, 4400 and all the associated models. Mines a 4 cylinder so the frame is longer and the tractor rides higher, even though both are utility though.

Having grown up running compacts though, I will say having more tractor than loader is an enjoyable sentiment as opposed to something that doesn’t like moving stone and feels really worked with a load of soil.

Image fixed - MightyRaze

Little update. I cleaned and remanufactured (see also: spray painted) the radiator, installed a new thermostat, new coolant, fixed the steering slop, and also managed to find a good deal on a ROPS and canopy a couple towns over, so I wire wheeled the rust and brushed on a coat of paint (horrible idea BTW, I’m using a roller next time). Makes me wonder if I should brush paint my neighbors PT Cruiser, at least the paint will run :p

Managed to source a used upper grill which I polished and cleaned up a little. Adds a nice look to the tractor. Because the alternator is 22 amps I decided to pull off the front halogens and I’m mounting 4 LED pods on the canopy which should cut amperage draw down a bit. I also am going to call a local guy and see about getting the generator rebuilt because the bearings are going bad and the terminals aren’t the healthiest either. Charges fine, but needs some love.

Spent 70 dollars on the 8 bolts for the ROPS mount, 3/4-10 x 9. This thing is not going anywhere once it’s on.

Found a foot throttle kit for this tractor cheap online so that’s in the works, I saw a guy with one of these floating gears like on a big truck as they’re both sliding gear transmissions. I think that’s useful for accessing road gear when loaded with something so I intend to set that up. The rops came with some 3/16 wire mesh grating as a debris shield (the donor tractor was a highway mower) which I had no use for, so off it came. I will be welding some angle iron to it and making a brush guard to go on the bull bar on the loader so I don’t get a pokey stabby branch denying my nice new grill while I’m mowing with the old girl.

Update time! Got the ROPS mounted and its wiring roughed in. The halogens on there are coming off I decided in favor of some more LEDs. She’s still running great, it appears the resistor in the temperature gauge is messed up which causes a high reading. I’m thinking about buying an aftermarket instrument cluster and swapping in the OEM hour meter and faceplate as I don’t want to have the hour meter restarting from zero. I also can’t replace the individual gauge because the cheapest one I found was 120 dollars and the average was about 400. A cluster can be bought aftermarket for about 100 or so, so that’s an easy thing.

Decided that the wiring harness is good except for the couple bad spots on the front of the engine so my plan is to splice in some new wire with heat shrink solder connectors and there should be absolutely no issue there. Cheaper too.

Also on the docket is some new battery cables, a proper 4DLT battery, an alternator conversion, fresh hydraulic fluid in the loader and I’m also toying with the notion of limb risers/sweeps like on the dozers, but that remains to be seen.

It's looking great man! What kind of alternator swap you thinking, GM 1 wire?

Rustbucket Garage wrote:

Update time! Got the ROPS mounted and its wiring roughed in. The halogens on there are coming off I decided in favor of some more LEDs. She’s still running great, it appears the resistor in the temperature gauge is messed up which causes a high reading. I’m thinking about buying an aftermarket instrument cluster and swapping in the OEM hour meter and faceplate as I don’t want to have the hour meter restarting from zero. I also can’t replace the individual gauge because the cheapest one I found was 120 dollars and the average was about 400. A cluster can be bought aftermarket for about 100 or so, so that’s an easy thing.

Decided that the wiring harness is good except for the couple bad spots on the front of the engine so my plan is to splice in some new wire with heat shrink solder connectors and there should be absolutely no issue there. Cheaper too.

Also on the docket is some new battery cables, a proper 4DLT battery, an alternator conversion, fresh hydraulic fluid in the loader and I’m also toying with the notion of limb risers/sweeps like on the dozers, but that remains to be seen.

Ooh a 4dlt! Them things are HEAVY. I deal with them at work often. Never could figure out why they don't put handles on them. They weigh about 80lbs. Can you say BROKEN KNEE? Beautiful tractor BTW, I'm looking for an 8n myself.

Brianator wrote:

It's looking great man! What kind of alternator swap you thinking, GM 1 wire?

I believe so, I’ll be getting the steiner kit for it so I dont know any specifics but it looks exactly like a 1 wire clone with a rear tach drive. Not too bad of a job, 2 hours and a $240 kit. 55 amp alternator.

And thank you! Definitely come a long way from the day she came home.

Ifitaintbroke wrote:

Ooh a 4dlt! Them things are HEAVY. I deal with them at work often. Never could figure out why they don't put handles on them. They weigh about 80lbs. Can you say BROKEN KNEE? Beautiful tractor BTW, I'm looking for an 8n myself.

Definitely! I see myself enlisting a family member of younger blood than I to assist in lifting it in. My back is- shall we say- behind on maintenance lol.

8Ns are a personal favorite too, would love to completely restore one one someday. Grandad used to use one for his Syrup business, damned reliable tractor. And thank you, shes a working girl but I try to keep her looking good

Don’t want to go into details now, but I won’t be posting updates for a while. Had a wreck last night and I’m pretty shook up. She’s fine, I’m fine but long story short I ran into something with the loader bucket. Not going back up on the horse for a while probably.

@Rustbucket Garage man that sucks, glad y'all are ok

I take care of yourself man. Healing (physically and mentally) takes time sometimes.

> After the carb rebuild, she runs immaculate now

Awesome!

> Timing hasn’t been messed with since I got it so I doubt that’s an issue

Springs may be weak, snapped, or corroded.

On a points system with vacuum advance, you might have to clean and oil the base plate under the cap. On older Ford trucks, there is a little felt pad to add oil. Mineral oil, I think, not motor oil. Been 10+ years since I worked on one that old.


Looks awesome, I have been wanting and needing a FEL for a while, surely beats shoveling.

A guy about 20 miles from me, had an older JD fixed all up, and they stole it on him! So, I suggest a Tile or AirTag or something to help protect the investment. I guess from the post, they came with a trailer and just took it from his back 40.

> I will say having more tractor than loader is an enjoyable sentiment

Especially if you want to move a full bucket of gravel or limestone a few 100 feet.

@JB_4x4 I don’t know if I ever posted it but I went and replaced the condenser with a Napa one (last one was a no name kit) and she fired up first crank and ran perfect.

I eliminated the vacuum advance and just plugged it, seemed to help a little. Never bothered to check timing. Had her out quite a bit this year, put 30 hours on or so. No real issues aside from a bearing noise in the transmission, so that is on the docket for whenever I get the time to do it. Dropped out of college so hopefully that will help.

On another note. I got a good deal at auction on a genuine york rake. Cleaned it and painted it JD green (since green equipment are the ones that get towed anyways), and it works soooooo much better for grading than a box blade. Also super nice for rock picking.




She’s a real workhorse.

I friggin hate thieves. My great uncle has a small beef operation in East Texas and he had a gang clean out his barn TWICE doing that. They never caught the wastes of oxygen.

> I went and replaced the condenser with a Napa one

I probably missed it ? :-)

> I eliminated the vacuum advance and just plugged it, seemed to help a little.

I found this guy very informative about this subject. I started watching his channel maybe 8-10 years ago? I was going to skip his video because I thought "what can I learn from a 19 year old racing with an old "dent side?" Ford truck". Glad I watched, this article helped me solve a problem converting from computer to points, good and CORRECT information on distributor advance just can not easily be found.


Distributor advance at

http://gofastforless.com/

@Rustbucket Garage what's your uncles name?

ranch king pro 08 wrote:

@Rustbucket Garage what's your uncles name?

I'd recommend a PM

MightyRaze wrote:

ranch king pro 08 wrote:

@Rustbucket Garage what's your uncles name?

I'd recommend a PM

Definitely, we work at a sale barn so I wondered if I knew him

Put some nice grade 8 flange bolts, flange nuts and heavy washers on the front stub axle mounts. Was told that you need the heavy washers to prevent cracking in the axle doing loader work, mine looks great but I wanted to do the right thing.

Repainted the front axle because it looked horrible and was already repainted, got some new LED indicator bulbs installed, polished the instrument bezel, painted the gauge needles, fixed the 3 point ball retainers (pins sheared off, so I machined some crude retainer plates and bolted them in place).

The factory halogen bulbs have smacked limbs a couple times and I worry they will be damaged. Thinking of removing and storing them in a safe place and swapping in some LEDs mounted behind the brush guard. Don’t like LEDs for low beams but I can’t find a low profile halogen housing that would work, also I need to conserve the amps because I only have a 22 amp generator. Current draw from the LEDs on the ROPs is 72w/ 6A so I have some room to work with but I want at least a solid 10A running to charge the battery. Couple low profile LEDs would directly replace the LEDs at 3A each or would likely be less.

I’d like to mount 2 more LEDs on the rear fenders eventually on a different switch or swap in a 4 position light switch. Ideally one facing the 3 point and one pointing off to the right for hay implements if I decide to try my hand at that again.
I’m thrilled with how she’s running and looking, pretty proud of this ol sweetheart.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/vehicle-lights/construction-agriculture?p=2&product_list_limit=100&show=all


I do not know exactly which lamp is getting smacked by limbs. Maybe this would fit?

LED Tractor Work Light - RE306510 Sealed Beam Replacement for John Deere Tractors - 12W - 850 Lumens - Tractor Work Light

https://www.superbrightleds.com/vehicle-lights/construction-agriculture/led-tractor-work-light-re306510-sealed-beam-replacement-for-john-deere-tractors-11w-850-lumens-tractor-work-light

Sweet tractor, I would be wearing the tires off of it!

JB_4x4 wrote:

I do not know exactly which lamp is getting smacked by limbs.  Maybe this would fit?



Sweet tractor, I would be wearing the tires off of it!

It’s the ones mounted on the loader mast/the round sealed beams. Going to switch to some 3” round flat backs mounted behind the brush guard.

And thank you! She sure is easy on my eyes.





Mounted some grab hooks on the bucket, upgraded to flanged hardware and heavy grade spacer washers on the stub axle bolts. Was told by a few people those are needed for loader work (the washers) to prevent axle tube cracking. Mine is still cherry so an ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure. (That and new hardware looks nice )

New lettering came in and got mounted, same with the billet shift knobs. Humina humina Wahooey! Also painted the gauge needles, and removed the flaking paint from the instrument cluster and went to a brushed aluminum polish which I like.

Rear work lights wired in finally. Debating on a second pair on the fenders- one facing down towards the 3pt and one point off to the 5 o clock position for running balers and haybines and the like. Would like to try putting hay in with this ol girl someday, but not soon probably.

Did check the trans oil and it’s milky again… going to change it again. Wondering if going from the universal fluid to 90 wt could quiet some of the gear or bearing whine in the trans, but I wanna read up on that and make sure the rear axle sump and transmission sumps aren’t conjoined, as 90wt in the hydraulics is not something I want and this tractor has wet brakes so additives are mandatory.

May just get an extra pail and do the rear end while I’m at it, it was clean when I got the tractor so I didn’t bother but it certainly wouldn’t hurt to do.

I bought a v plow to mount to the bucket for snow removal and a set of snow chains.

Thinking down the road I want to install a splitter plate under the remote valve which would allow me to keep the original remote, maintain seat suspension travel clearance and I could also get a top and tilt kit. Can’t remember the number off the top of my head but I found a Gannon cylinder clone that will cross over. Tops are universal so that’s easy.

Kinda ironic I’m building a nearly 60 year old tractor to have more features than most new ones in this size range. Cept the AC… but a 445 4x4 with a sims cab is on my bucket list, to get air conditioning, R14 style tires, custom gauge cluster, single stick loader conversion with SSQA and 3rd function. Ideally this one can do all the “fun” jobs and the cab tractor can do the stuff that’s sweaty and nasty.