Increase the Horse Power on your Ford 8N, 9N or 2N Tractor: Easy Dyno-Proven Steps

[@DanGingell]

Thanks for the concern, everyone! It's great to know so many people care. I chose to have my sister help as a safety measure! If something went wrong with the dyno or while it was revved up, she was at the seat of the tractor and able to quickly turn it off if needed--much safer than having an empty operators seat! She's young and quick and was there to make the process more safe! I can even see clearly in video where she double checks to make sure the tractor is in neutral before starting it. My daddy loves his girls and has trained us well in the shop to operate with safety in mind. -Rachel

[@samuellogan8588]

Dan Gingell and Rachel Gingell ha wanting your engine to run clean we screw them out to get black reak

[@danwolff6726]

Dan Gingell and Rachel Gingell o ki no

[@patlowney2834]

Dan Gingell and Rachel Gingell what I want to see is family farming coming back to the good old USA no more corporations in the farming business we need to follow Willie Nelson's dream Willie didn't have the Farm Aid concerts for no reason at all it's time for Patriots to win for a change

[@davem4193]

Rachel, What other modifications did you do to the engine to achieve 32hp on the dyno? That's a very impressive number. Thank you for so many informative videos, I'm looking to purchase my first 8n so I appreciate your family sharing the knowledge.

[@consaka1]

@M Kasbal I'll second that. It was a good job and an informative video.

[@twwagner939]

glad to see young people involved with the older equipment. its becoming a lost art. good job!

[@pmessinger]

So cool, I learned to drive on a Ford Jubilee over 50 years ago. I miss that sweet little tractor. Lately, I'm working on going ahead and buying a tiny piece of land far from town(s) to have a place to work a garden and tend to some animals, but one tool I have to have is another little tractor to help do all the other things I've been thinking that I rather have been doing for so long. It sure was great to hear that tractor. Just what I needed to hear. Thanks!

[@splashdown50]

I learned to rebuild the carb on my ford 640 from one if her videos. So thanks for making and posting!!

[@njseashorechas2698]

I knew nothing about the famous Ford 8N except that I drove one when i was a kid! Sure is fun learning, Thanks!

[@todramsey729]

Wow , i have a 1939 9N , ferguson system, i just wanna say im greatful that y'all have done these videos ! Around this area its mostly j.d. and case, but this ford did set the land speed record, i like where i can fit these, anywhere ! T.y. for sharing your knowledge

[@rickbarry3571]

Interesting lesson, Rachel and Hannah. Blessings to you!

[@deantaylor1251]

Thanks for all the information sweetheart, your a Ford Tractor fountain of knowledge. You've helped me with many problems. Thank you and your sister

[@vancurry186]

This was great. Tell Dad thank you for raising such competent mechanics. Seriously.

[@rogercarrico4975]

Wow! Lots of great useful info here on how maximize the power of these old wonderful tractors. Thanks Gingells!

[@lukeloader]

Great video girls. Ignore the stupid replies some people are leaving on here. Any self respecting person would not leave such filth.

[@dnsmithnc]

And you're just drawing more attention to them.

[@crashk1955]

Thanks for the vid. Nicely presented. I watched it purely for interest in the tractor rather than learn horse power tips as I am a mechanic. Saying thanks to your brother for have you do the vid. No doubt you're prettier than him.

[@billglueck9705]

You and your dad are awesome! I want more HP from my Mustang GT! Can you help with that? ;) I grew up working on a farm and ran many of the tractors you work on. It's fun to see the details of the various repairs and maintenance. Your mechanical knowledge and ability to communicate are extraordinary. The quality of your videos is exceptional. You are a joy to watch and your passion for mechanical tinkering and tractors makes your videos really fun and informative. Great job!

[@dukeman7595]

I enjoyed these tips, especially with the governor.

[@sandwon]

Great Video. Glad to see that younger people are interested in Preserving History.The Ford N series are rock solid Tractors.

[@granch4211]

Super love it these old fords are great a little more power is always good

[@mikebaum5976]

Girls with tractors make me smile. Good job.

[@servicarrider]

A couple of tractor girls. That's pretty cool. I've been living in a big city to long.

[@russianbot4418]

I have a old 9N I did all this and more. A few years ago the radiator leaked out over winter and my dad never checked it before taking it out and working it hard. He got it so hot it smoked the paint off the head and lost 2 valve seats plus killed the temp gauge I had added when I restored the tractor years ago. (Doesn't pay attention with shit with equipment and been that way his whole life) During the repair work for that F-up I ported out the block and port matched the manifold to the tractor being the old ports on these engines are full of casting bumps, ridges and sharp edges on top of being way too small to start with. GRanted it may only be worth 3 - 4 HP tops, but when you only got 25 or so to work with, that pretty good percentage of gain!

[@kelceygerman1400]

My 1950 Ford 8n tractor has front mount distributor which is non-adjustable. The engine compression on these is only 6:1 versus the upgrade in 1952 to the side mount distributor and the increase in compression to the 6.5: 1. Increasing the engine speed from 2200 rmp working speed is a good thought but the points may have to be changed more often. I like that these engines are capable of 30 hp as this allows them to actually be used for other things.

[@bill45colt]

32hp from an 8n??? WOW,,,,wish i coulda done that with mine back in 1959!!! Thanks again for a great video!!

[@cliffclark6441]

So does Henry Ford. And a bunch of engineers. but they knew the engine would over heat.

[@DTD110865]

Note the much larger late-20th Century Minneapolis-Moline in the background.

[@keithlucas6260]

I've got one just like it, a G705....puts out 100 hp.

[@asb2106]

not everyone needs a beast like that. honestly i dont even think i could use something that large on my property! Love my 8n.

[@nfhines1202]

Awesome job Rachel! Very impressed!!

[@reddirtfarm7704]

holy shit! stop !! S.B.F 427w . 1 .300H.p.Nos.kit and have a ball !!!!!!!! and hold on !!!! lol?

[@shovelguggelheim8454]

Great job ladies. Cheers from Down Under.

[@franksummerlin3422]

Please add links to similar videos in your descriptions. I need to turn my '49 up to get the most out of it. Thanks!

[@barnfly6945]

Please do a video on replacing the steering gear on a 5000 Ford or similar. Thanks for the videos their big help.

[@dalemyers5096]

Next, stick a procharger on it.

[@bigospig]

Along with a cold air intake, NOS and a fart can muffler. ;)

[@stevenspaziani9159]

Nice informative video, and here I thought you had to put a Ford flathead v8 in one to get more power. lol. Thats a nice old tractor and I think its cool that you work on it yourself.

[@timmiedan1]

Thanks for the video ladies ! I just bought a 1940 9N and enjoyed the education that you've given me...

[@t3g3lst3n]

A tad more fuel = power A tad quicker ignition=power I swapped to a breaker less distributor, power gain was massive, but it lacks the vaccume adjustments of timing from cars, that help even more, now it's mechanical with a slung adjustment that's too laggy for a car with light clutch plate. Good information of basics of adjusting engine, now do sparkplugs, lots to gain there also ! As it's a balance vs fuel mixture. Different plugs, will burn richer fuel mixture better. ;) Now hit 100hp and snap the pto shaft... :(

[@WIDESIDE72]

Youre gonna void the warranty by turning everything up! 😬

[@brycefinch]

There ain’t no warranty on the dam thing anymore it don’t matter

[@turtletruth]

We just moved to Goodrich, MI, and have a small farm off Dutch Road. We stopped by the Steiner store in Lennon, Mi, and boy were we disappointed in the rudeness of its sales staff. My husband took a picture of me sitting in the store and the sales clerk said there's no taking photos inside the store! He further went on to say they signed legal documentation to prevent photos from being taken. We were berated and made to feel shame... (We won't be going back there again, and they should have a sign that says no cameras allowed!). Shame on Steiner ...

[@Gary-ts6dh]

We had a MF four cylinder diesel for many years while I was growing up on the farm. That is until Dad bought a Ford gasoline. Your vid sent me back years to when I helped Dad tune the Ford by doing the very things you've shown here. Thanks for the blast from the past!

[@mikeskidmore6754]

Wow 32 HP stock is 28 HP for a late model 8N My Grandfathers 1939 9 N was at 23 HP mostly because of much lower Governed RPM.. My Cousins had a MM Moline / White Dealership Scotts MI for years.. they had a larger M&W Dyno .. My MM 5 Star pulls 120 HP I guess I won't tell you what was done to the Motor either.. If you want and 8N with some power you need a Funks Kit to put a Flat Head V-8 Ford in it .. Many have been done but maybe not real practical for farm work .. My Grandfather had a 6' Mott Hammer Mower and 12 acre yard so I put in many hours mowing his lawn in first and second gear.. It's wet heavy clay ground and the reeds canary Grass would wrap around the mower shaft and stall the engine.. never happened to me .. but when it happened to my Grandfather he had to Jack up a real wheel to get the transmission into neutral and get it started again . Live PTO's are a huge improvement . Then again you need an overrunning clutch too .. for most any mower.. that does not have a live PTO ,, My Rachel can explain this in a video.

[@warrenmaris8085]

It's a bit more involved, but they can also be fitted with pistons from the V8 flathead.

[@AllAmericanDreamChaser]

I'm curious if boosting the fuel octane would increase the horsepower on these old tractors?

[@oldsguy354]

Short answer is NO. Those old flat head engines (with the valves next to the combustion chamber as opposed to over it-ala overhead valve) had such large combustion chamber areas (in relation to the displacement) they could not possibly achieve a compression ratio high enough (like 10:1) that would warrant the use of high octane fuel. Most of the old flat heads had compression ratios of 6 or 7 to one. 85 octane was plenty lol. And just for the record, high compression engines (10, 11, 12:1) don't get there power increase from the high octane fuel they use. The power comes from the higher compression. 10 bang parts getting squeezed in the space that 1 bang part normally occupied puts more bang in that same space. Think of it this way, 10 bang parts squeezed in to one container will produce a larger explosive force (pushing the piston harder which turns the crankshaft harder) than 7 bang parts in that container. Light volatiles (like gasoline) are less and less stable under higher and higher pressures. In high compression engines, it's not uncommon for the fuel air mix to ignite before the point at which it most efficiently and effectively applies explosive force on the piston. The higher the pressure applied to the fuel air mix, the lower the temperature it takes to ignite it. It doesn't have to wait for the spark plug to ignite it when there are other components in the combustion chamber hot enough to ignite it in the higher compression environment. Which causes all kinds of engine problems and dramatic decreases of power. Higher octane fuel resists the higher pressure and temperature better so it will ignite only when the spark plug tells it to at the best possible time for peak performance and efficiency and avoiding damage to the engine. I know that was a long story but it was nothing compared to all the crap loads of other variables going on in those engines. That's part of the reason modern computer controlled engines that can handle thousands of bits of data nearly instantly, then make a ton of fine tune adjustments nearly instantly to keep the engine at peak efficiency and/or power continually allowing modern engines produce 2 or 3 times the amount of power that a similar displacement older engine (with analog control systems if you will) and make that power on a third of the fuel the old engines burned. Fun facts::: Tetraethyl lead is not a naturally occurring component of gasoline. Lead was added to gasoline many decades ago to raise the octane rating, and help stabilize the fuel. Another fun fact:: ethanol has a higher octane rating than gasoline and is (these days) added to gasoline to raise the octane rating. The bad parts are, ethanol destabilizes gasoline-shortening the resulting products shelf life, and the real kicker....ethanol is 20 to 30 % less efficient than gasoline, so the more ethanol you add to auto fuel, the more auto fuel you will need to travel the same distance. There are fewer "bang" molecules in ethanol vs gasoline so it takes more ethanol to get the same power and when i say more, I'm talking about 25 to 30% more ethanol has to be burned to equal the power output of gasoline. Does that sound environmentally friendly to you? Lol

[@fomoco1454]

Great video Rachel!

[@spencerhall8224]

Great job, ladies! Fellas, they seem to be doing fine without any advice. I'm here to learn, not instruct.

[@dereksmith5019]

Can you show timing advance on an early 8N with front mount distributor ?

[@levikenyon1486]

From what I've ran into there is a small screw on the side and a timing plate with marks on it to adjust. it.

[@williamshaw3rd]

@@levikenyon1486 yup, same deal, just different location

[@rudywalls8544]

32 hp increase is pretty good!! Nice Minni Mo in the back ground

[@thomasbeck9075]

Thanks for the video I don't believe you can adjust the front mounted distributor but you certainly did a good job on this video I have owned, bought and sold these old tractors for 26 years I still have my dad's 47 model wouldn't take a million dollars for it I love to keep mine all original right down to the 6 volt system 😎

[@cliffclark6441]

Me to and mine really do work, like they was designed to do.

[@leebrooke1831]

Nice job, accurate and informative!

[@omorin34]

Yup, If I see you girls at a tractor pull I'm running the other direction.

[@cataldotamburrino6112]

heeeeeeeeee ciao whuaooooo Dan Ginnell and Rachel Ginnell siete fantastiche mi piacete moltisso con il trattore tutta accelerata exhaust revving mi piacerebbe vedere altri video come questo grazie mille siete fantastiche ciao ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@TheKiltedHomesteader]

Curious to what modifications were done to the engine (besides what was done in the video).

[@chefgiovanni]

Great tips. Thank you to all the small farmers for keeping it going.

[@ExploringAlabama]

Nice video, now I wanna go get on my tractor...

[@shaneoakley8757]

Just acquired a 1952 8N and y'alls channel. I love these old tractors and your accent.. 😊

[@bryanmartin2271]

Shane I'm crazy bout 8ns I have 3 plus a parts basket case 1 has a Sherman Combo another has a Hupp combo given those 2 - 12 forward n 3 reverse gears love the creeper gear just barely moves

[@keithweedt7236]

Rachel I have a 51 Ford 8n, what is the best way to brushog with out losing power everytime?

[@jasonnewell6834]

Your AWSOME I have that same M&Wdyno

[@russellsmowingandtrimming1973]

We just bought one of these, we are excited to put it to use. 😁

[@TheMikevt]

you should tell them "do not go farther that one turn on the governor" RunnnnnnnnnnawwwwaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!

[@robby844]

Its gas....

[@fullbore4664]

Thats OK if you have a dyno. At 30hp it will snap the half shafts. To Gain top end engine speed/power you need to sacrifice low end speed/power.

[@michaelclark2704]

Nice video. Found this video as I was watching the 8N carb rebuild video, also great. I have a 52 8n tractor which I love. I also have a 1915 Ford T. The 1915 T has a manual adjust spark advance, and a manual adjust high speed mixture control for the carburetor. But, alas, no governor. It would seem Henry took away these valuable adjustments for this more modern tractor.

[@MrShunkawarakin]

This is excellent, thanks!

[@fernhoppertimberworks8037]

The tractor in the video is a 1952. The earlier models had a front mount distributor which has a timing adjustment screw on the side of the distributor.the earlier tractors also some times had air adjustment screws along with fuel adjustment screws. The engines had a govenor to keep the engine from running to fast. The engine was designed to be a low rpm engine and use the torque to do the work not horsepower

[@oldsguy354]

I have to say that defeating Governor limits on engine speed (RPMs) in an effort to increase the power output seems counterintuitive to me. If that's your goal, just get rid of the governor all together. Then the operator can wind up the engine to self destruct speed any time they want too.

[@cliffclark6441]

Horse power = heat, the cooling system was designed for certain heat out put, when you exceed it you got problems.

[@tomr3074]

Going to use your technique. What other engine mods have you done ? Sounds really good .

[@ronaldfeuerstein435]

Hello.. Ive seen your rebuild videos and may i ask? Do you have any on a N2 ford starter rebuild? Ive been watching different ones but yours are much more informed in the way to do it.

[@mrbrown3462]

Like watching your videos. In the perfect world all these little things will improve these little fords but in the common world the average Joe isn't gonna have any gains because his tractor is 60-70 yrs old his distributor is wore out his carb is a little dirty and he is running 30-40 yr old plugs and wires, I have seen it had a guy bring me an 8n said it was starting hard,I pulled the cap off and the bushings were so bad in the distributor that the rotor was eating the cap but it still ran. I asked him when the last time was he did a tune up on it and his reply was 1957 he said why touch it if it runs.

[@davidhalopoff544]

governor good, carb good, but timing change like that could result in rapid overheating and a cascade of events during operations. Run it for a while under load and check for overheating before getting happy. I found running premium fuel up to 93 octane does as much with no timing change and a safety margin. true dis.

[@poohbear105]

You should make a video on how to get 30hp from a 8n

[@virgiljohnson9880]

Showing my 8 year old granddaughter that girls are smarter than boy's. Aubrey Marie ,,,,,zoom zoom zoom

[@jamesmoechnig3855]

Nice vid. I could use one on how to do this sort of tuning without the dyno.

[@ryanssawmill8224]

Yu should do a show on gearing after the rpm increase to match it up for pulling power

[@johnnyturbo8460]

So basically do a tune up. For even more power, do an oil change, spark plugs, plug wires, fuel and air filter etc...

[@CanadianBriar]

thank you for the great videos! I do have a question for you. i've got an 8N that hadn't run in 20+ years. I got it running, but the throttle is really sluggish in it's response and if I put it down to half throttle it just quits running. I haven't figured out why this is the case yet. i've got full range of motion with the carb and the throttle control arm from the governor, but it really doesn't seem to make a difference and when it does affect the RPM it's really slow to do so. any suggestions? I should mention that it's an early model, 1948 with the distributor on the front, not the side like yours.

[@kowalski363]

Great video

[@thewatchman2354]

I just fell in love.

[@kedarkarki6601]

very good job 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@kennywooldridge2276]

Another great video! I just bought my first tractor (a 1949 8N) and I'm learning tons of stuff from your channel! 😁👍 just subscribed

[@blackriflemensorganization6139]

Just got a '49 myself! It's a great little tractor! This family is chock full of good information. I hope to use my 49 on my homestead.

[@HunterSmith641]

Same! I'm only 13, but I'm glad I bought it! Got it nice and cheap, but it's a great little runner

[@theresahoffman8408]

Can you advance timing on front distributor? Speaking of front distributor, its too bad you dont have an aftermarket Distributor that is about 1/8" taller. It would help the fan belt from touching the plug wire caps at the distributor cap

[@duanebolen8359]

You can adjust the points too

[@Jason4Star]

Thank you for this. So what is the opportunity cost for these adjustments, aside from burning more fuel? More frequent maintenance? Does something wear out faster?

[@fredclay39]

Hey, I have a 1950 & a 1954 8n, do you know of a GOOD SERVICE SHOP in the Wentzville, Mo. Area? The 54 needs a clutch & 50 needs a tune up?? Thanks for your assistance & the GREAT VIDEOS.

[@bryanmartin2271]

I always thought Henry Ford down played the only 21 HP for tax reasons for himself and the small Farmer remember that these little Ford Tractors Took the Mule off the farm

[@glenntownsend2716]

2n tractor -fresh motor -tune up -new carb--still want run my 6 foot finish mower-not belt driven one but manual box pto driven.runs 5 foot brush hog ok --kinda disappointed.

[@muhammadsarfraz6593]

Hi, Please make a video about ford tractors hydraulic lever setting and control valve setting specialy for ford 3600. M sarfraz Pakistan

[@justinmarkum7969]

What modifications did you do to your tractor

[@c5back9]

This isn’t truly “increasing horsepower”. It’s simply increasing RPMs which results is running the engine at a higher minimum power setting.

[@CL-gq3no]

Increasing the RPMs will increase the horsepower. It won't increase torque, but at a higher RPM it will deliver the torque in less time which is what horsepower is. Torque in a given amount of time.

[@karinka88]

Nice video!

[@gearhead391]

Man what exhaust you have on it that's quite

[@thegreenerthemeaner]

There us but one internal adjustment for timing on a 49 and older 8N and all 2Ns, 9Ns and it's either TDC or 1° advanced.

[@2strokeguru]

Governor adjusting is by manufacturers for reasons like overspending damage and PTO setting tractor power is set to peak torque note charging critical settings can damage attachment

[@HomeShowTV]

@Kevin Bergeron If you maintain that attitude towards working vehicles that are 50+ years old in many cases, your farm repair budget must be quite a bit different than most that I have seen. Compression ratios slip over the years. Drivetrains loosen up. Carburetors even adjust over the years as airflow turbulence gets modified by erosion and friction polishing within the intakes. An engine is a living breathing thing. It changes over the years. It is simply not feasible to just avoid all factory set screws and adjustments under the theory that the manufacturer knew what he was doing and things are set the way they are for a reason.

[@zmxl1020]

Have you considered installing spark plugs with a colder heat range? Colder range plugs usually produce a better spark at high RPM"s. Great video!!

[@MDC2020]

I dont have a tractor but this video was great. :)

[@cudatom9290]

I did not see the HP increase?

[@tomrobards7753]

Love all your videos but an old man I knew t was factory trained told me not to adjust the RPM's unless they were to low because it could cause the engine to throw a connecting rod those rods aren't any bigger than the average man's finger .

[@jattslife]

Hi I just bought Ford 600 I want upgrade with power steering can u post a video how can I install power steering

[@CamaroMan79]

I have a 52’ 8N and it doesn’t have a tach and it also has a a non-adjustable front mount distributor so none of these things other than carb adjustment applies to mine.

[@zing913945]

Great video I can't wait to do these adjustments on my 9n !!!!!!

[@jdubya54]

Rachel. I need to install a nee governor spring on my Ford 600. The last one was broken and I cant find info on properly installing it. Can u help

[@lukebecker1959]

Good video but imma keep my 1939 9n original horsepower

[@jamest3597]

That is original there was no aftermarket parts

[@robertsilva4]

Man oh man!! where can i find me one of these ? Already have an 8N. Im talking about a tractor luvin cutie

[@diytips4028]

What if I can't move nor turn the distributor after loosening the hold down bolt on my 1950 Ford 8n side distributor?

[@applepie-pf8dp]

Thank you so much for sharing your videos Beautiful...

[@ronfreeman4999]

Rachel do you gals have a video for the front mount distributor timing advance? Thanks

[@autobotavengerfireballxl5339]

What mods have you done to your 8n Rachel?

[@97JoMiller]

would be nice to zoom in to see where exactly you are adjusting on the motor.

[@timothylines3867]

ya well yesterday I sharpened my mower blade all by my self. gril.