Recently, I proclaimed to a couple of tractor friends, “I may be too stupid to own antique tractors.” There may be truth to that statement, but I’m willing to take measures to be smarter.
I’m fortunate to have the right people in my inner circle. If not for them, my venture in owning certain tractors would be for not. I admit that I rely greatly on their expertise.
I monitor certain Facebook groups. A member of the Shaw Du-all group managed to acquire two N model tractors, an N5 and an N8W. He immediately put the N5 up for resale. I was aware, but I didn’t seriously consider making a bid for it. Not right away.
The N5 was still for sale. The second owner was willing to let it go. Last fall, we came to terms on purchase,and I made arrangements to pick it up. The tractor was in TN.
The previous owner informed me he could only find a forward and reverse gear. He also was having difficulty getting the little tractor to run. He bypassed the original coil and went the modern route. Of course, a more modern coil needed a 12 volt power source. He ingeniously hid the battery well. The man had a good plan. Unfortunately…..well, I’m getting ahead of myself.
The N5 went directly to my friend Steve Farmer. He had a pretty good idea why the transmission had a problem. The shifting forks were out of sinc.
Steve is my go-to mechanic and also my assistant in research. Jerry Rawlings is my go-to fabricator. Jerry was still working on my R8 at the time.
Authors note~ Jerry had a glimpse of the N5 on its way to Steve’s shop. He informed me that the automotive coil and battery needed to go. He wanted an opportunity to look it over.
Steve discovered the problem of why the transmission wasn’t correct. Unfortunately, he was ailing last winter and not up to demands of shop work. Jerry got his wish. After the R8 left to be painted, the N5 replaced it in his shop.
The N5 had been neglected. The paint made it look good, but there were issues and more issues.
The transmission wasn’t a big problem for a fabricator that built three tractors from spare parts. The engine was more of a battle.
The first thing Jerry discovered was that the original coil was so far out of time it was never going to fire properly. It was also weak. Jerry discovered the cylinder walls were lightly scored. He gave me a choice. Overhaul or replace with another engine.
I was actually ready to search out another power plant. I had luck finding an engine for the R8. Jerry wasn’t of the same faith. He wasn’t sure good lighting would strike twice. Under his advice, he overhauled.
Even now, I’m going to proclaim. I am not impressed with the Briggs and Stratton 14FBC engine. That wasn’t the company’s best effort. Maybe I’m mostly disgusted with the unavailability of parts now. I had a difficult time finding a replacement coil. A new friend in RI came through with some help on that.
Jerry managed to get the engine running, and the tractor was moving and stopping as it should. It’s all adjusted correctly, and linkages are right.
Of course, Jerry made a couple of improvements. He made a step
Jerry also spaced the rear wheels for a wider footprint. I’ll reveal why that was necessary when we discuss another tractor project. I also own the N8W now, but that’s a story for another time.
I opened this article with a proclamation. Well, I leave it to your call. It’s not a good idea to overfill the crankcase. That tends to get past the rings and foul the sparkplug.
I actually did my own repair, okay with the advice from Steve. Jerry and another long-time partner in crime, Kevin Periman.
Jerry had warned that the spark plug needed to be replaced. Well, it’s really necessary when an idiot kills it. Maybe I’m being too hard on myself, but I need a harsh critic for positive self-improvement.
The right sparkplug is getting hard to come by. That didn’t surprise me. The fates smiled on me. I found one or two. After a little fumbling on my part, the little machine purred like it did when Jerry sent it home with me. At least for now. The little engine smokes a little, but it’s old, I’ll allow that.
Kevin and I got a little creative. The seat was too low and uncomfortable. Not now! It’s good to have friends that weld and have metal scrap laying around
I also came up with a toolbox for it. Got to have somewhere for the pull rope.
Another frustrating fact, I’m not discovering much in my research about the N models. If the basis for year of manufacture is from the engine. This N5 was built in 1954. Jerry hinted that the engine may not be original. He read that the 14FBC didn’t have a long life expectancy. Is there any truth to his theory? The transmission and rear-end date from the late 30s or 40s Did Stanley hold off in creating the N series until the 50s?
My personal opinion is that I like the N model a little better than the R model. The N is more operator friendly. It’s an easier tractor to mount. I think the clutch, transmission, and rear-end are more stout. I also think the tractor’s balance is far better. Both my R8 and R12T have front wheel weight to counter a light front end. The N models don’t seem to need the extra weight. That’s just my opinion. Who am I to judge?
Antique Iron Media 