V8 conversion in an 8N
 

went to farm tractor auction today, Auuman did the auction. a V8 converted 4 cylinder Ford tractor sold for $24,750.00 WOW, it was not a Funk but a homemade conversion. Sounded wicked with an Isky 77b cam and 2 two's and Offy heads but really expensive. will sell mine for lees than that!!

Re: V8 conversion in an 8N
 

An 8N in fairly descent condition will go for up around 4,500 bucks down here and that's if it has good metal, presentable paint, and good tires. The engine cradle kit that ties the trans-axle to the front axle structure is available from Awesome Henry and allows a flathead V8 installation. I don't know what they charge for them now days. They used to be around 1,000 bucks. It can be expensive to build a decent flathead 8BA but a person would stay well under 15K bucks to build one DIY. If you pay someone else then it likely would be 25K.

Re: V8 conversion in an 8N
 

8n's around hear are $1500 to 2500. I bought two of them lately gave $2000 for a one owner shed kept tractor. best sheet metal I have ever seen, good engine but the PO did not know how to use a grease gun. 2nd 8n was $2500 for a good running tractor with bush hog, scrape blade and a home made tote. typical sheet metal, dented and rusty but a cover paint job over bondo. My sons both use that one for work on their properties. Made this out of first one

Re: V8 conversion in an 8N
 

The one in auction:


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https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/attac...3&d=1633907046

Re: V8 conversion in an 8N
 

I did not build the tractor, only was one of the guys who helped Andy M. build the engine. All of the 3 pt hitch and the PTO was removed. Hood was extended between gas tank / battery opening and the dash. Repro banjo wheel, 35 wire wheels

Re: V8 conversion in an 8N
 

As far as tractor utility goes, a machine with no 3-point nor PTO is basically for show purposes only. It can pull stuff on a draw bar but that's about it. I'd get a good Ford 5000 before considering a V8 powered 8N so that I can justify the expense at around 5,000. I can't afford a dog that don't hunt.

Here in south TX, most old 8Ns are crusty and rusty turds and they try to ask 1,500 to 2,500 but anyone who knows what it costs to fix one up will wait till a better example shows up. Those usually have had a ton of money poured into them to get them back to usable shape so 3,500 to 4,500 is in the ball park for a good start. The high end ones are the ones that have a decent workable front end loader on there and come with at least a 5 ft shredder. No shredder and no loader models are still in the 2,500 category depending on condition. A lot of the new sheet metal for these doesn't hold a candle to the original Ford made sheet metal. It's easy to tell a rebuilt one from a good original.

I'm not an 8N fan so I purchased a 1956 850 for 3,500. It has a lot more power than any of the early N series plus it has better gearing to pull a shredder. Old Fords are way less expensive to purchase and operate than any of the new Japanese or Indian tractors.

Re: V8 conversion in an 8N
 

About 7 years ago, I bought my first tractor. I was looking for a 8N, because my father had 2 of them in the 50's, for his asphalt work but, a 641 came up and I bought it. I've since bought another 640, for parts, then, I went crazy and bought two 850's, a 861 and then a 650 and some non Fords too :)

The 8 & 9N's are nice little tractors but, they won't lift as much or pull as much as a 640 and not even close to a 850. The 8N's sell, here in OR, for 1000 - 2000, for a average "work" tractor, a nicely restored one for ~$3500.

The 861, is my work tractor, it has power steering and a dual clutch, the the first 850 I got isn't pretty but will do a LOT of work, the last 850 I got was a family owned one with the original sale invoice and is my show and tractor pull one. I put 1600 lb of wheel weights on it (1160 outside 440 inside) and single rib 8N 4.00x19 fronts on it, no other changes and 2nd, in it's first pull.

The V8, 8N's, while very cool looking, will be to high geared for actual work, w/o a Sherman, auxiliary trans.

Re: V8 conversion in an 8N
 

not the gears but the rpms that make these things fast. talked with a man from SD and he talked about pulling 4 bottom plows with one, he cautioned to start it moving first then lower the plows into the ground, otherwise you could/would brake an axle. He also said he could plow twice as fast as most tractors back then could. around here most 8n's are used for bush hogging small areas and small plowing/grading jobs for property owners. you can do a lot of work for little money

Re: V8 conversion in an 8N
 

It would be easier to have the dual clutch of the 860 but I'm so used to the 850 that I don't worry about it much anymore. I cut a 6 acre lot last year that had mesquite growing up well above my head. I run the front tires tubeless with a lot of sealer or the tires would fall off in a heart beat. That thing will bog down some on a big mesquite bush but it will just keep on going. I figured something would break but it just kept on chugging along. I sure don't want to do that again. That mequite is some hard old thorny pita to cut.

The NAA and 600 series have less cubic inches than the 800 series but they do pretty well with that overhead valve 134 and will certainly get it done. The 800 series with the 172 OHV has five or six more HP at 35 but it feels more like 40HP sometimes. They have a lot of torque.

Re: V8 conversion in an 8N
 

Basically, a 8N is 21 hp, a 650 34.25 hp and a 850 39.55 hp. Those numbers are based on the actual Nebraska Tractor Tests, the industry standard.

The 8n can pull as much as 2550 lb, the 850, 5170 and the 650, 3860 at their max weight. The 8N is a lighter tractor by 4-600 lb to the 600 & 800 series.

The Funk conversion had 3 Ford engines, V8, 226 6cyl and the most powerful, was the 223 OHV 6.

This is one of those. I believe it's still for sale, in Grants Pass, OR. High price though.