11 replies to this topic

[Macgyver]

I work with a kid who said his father is selling an 8n with a 6cyl. I have never heard of this tractor having that engine in it before.Was this an option or could it be that someone put an old flathead in the tractor.The package comes with a back blade,york rake,brush hog and post hole digger.I was just wondering if it is worth going to look at r if it is someones own franken tractor.

[Amigatec]

I believe that was a kit upgrade. If you look at it, you will see we're the hood and steering arm have been lengthened.

The thing to remember is the trannys and rear axle are still made for the 4 cyl.

[Cvans]

Quote

The thing to remember is the trannys and rear axle are still made for the 4 cyl.

This is an excellent thought. In most cases the tractor running gear is sized for abuse so if used sensibly you will probably be alright.

[trowel]

Not a very common convertion but the convertion was good match with the overbuilt running gears, like any tractor abuse will break things, the tractor will not go any faster or have impressive power but if you have driven 8N's or 9N's before the increase in power will be noted, with the added 2 cylinder it will pull a plow, run hay balers and sickle mower with less strain but only with the original equipment that was meant to work with.

[GTTinkerer]

There also were and still are kits to put the old Ford flathead V8s in the 8N.

http://awesomehenry.com/   http://staufferv8.com/

Edited by GTTinkerer, February 21, 2012 - 08:24 PM.

[Texas Deere and Horse]

The Co. that sold a convesion kit was called Funk.

Back in 1948 the Ford tractor owners were looking for more power to be able to pull a 3 bottom plow instead of the standard 2 bottom. A fellow named Ollie Glover of the Glover Equipment Company in Milford, Illinois started converting the Ford N's to use the 95 horsepower industrial 6 cylinder Ford engine. A chance meeting with company representatives led to his teaming up with the Funk Aircraft Company of Coffeyville, Kansas, and Funk began manufacturing and selling the conversion kits for the N tractors. About that same time, Delbert Heusinkveld was installing the 100 horsepower Ford V8 engines into 8N's. He met with the Funks and convinced them to make the kits for the V8 as well as the 6 cylinder. Most of the Funk conversion kits were sold and installed on new tractors right at the dealer. The Funk production records were lost in a fire in the early fifties but estimates place the number of flathead 6 cylinder kits produced at around 5000, V8 kits at only 100 to 200. A limited number of overhead valve 6 cylinder kits were also sold before production of the conversion kits stopped in 1953. No one knows how many original Funk Fords are still around as many were converted back to their regular engines in the decades to follow. It seems the highly collectible Funks of today were held in low regard for many years and used tractor dealers found them difficult to sell. The Funks are easy to spot by their raised and extended hoods which accomodate the larger radiators. Kits to convert 8N's to V8 power are available today

[trowel]

I did not know the upgrade could pull a 3 bottem plow, thanks a bunch for setting me straight.

[IHCubGuy]

Those kits are neat to see.  I never did like the way they resolved the issue with fitting the hood back to the dash on them though.  Of course they may not have cared back then on a farm tractor.

At our local show in 2010 I saw this one that a guy took to the extreme and installed a V12 out of a Lincoln into an 8N.

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[Texas Deere and Horse]

Boy, If you get that much power to the ground, that thing would pull a 5 bottom plow. I have seen the 6's and v-8's, but never a v-12.
Thanks for sharing !!

[Cvans]

Those old flat head V-12's  are such a nice sounding engine.  Years ago a friend had an old Lincoln with the V-12 and it just purred. I never got over it.

[mjodrey]

That one with the V12 "looks" cool,but would be useless,in my opinion.

[Blown331]

My dad has 5 8N's with flathead 6's.  Seems hard to believe but he really does.  Hes also got a few 8N's with the original engines that he wants to put flathead V8's in.