Super Dexta restoration

BigWill

Well after spending nearly 4 years building a landrover, it's time to give the Dexta a complete makeover. It's a super with a single clutch and part of the job will be converting it to Live Drive. Engine is ok, bottom end is perfect(famous last words) by looks of it, we have just had the head completely done with new seats, valve guides, valves etc, injectors had new nozzles and injector pump overhauled. Running sweet as a nut now so time to go to next phase. Moved it into the shed over Xmas and tackled into be
Reading it down Saturday. We have a lot of parts got for it already from NC tractors in Tyrone to tackle all the mechanical jobs.
So to do
Steering box overhaul
Front axle refurb
Back axle seals, brakes, lift arm pins etc
Pick up hitch needs major tightening
Gearbox rebuild, usual sticking in gear, also dual clutch modification.
Draft control spring seized
Wheel bearings
Electrics will be all new
Also going to try and fit some safety start switch to prevent her starting in gear
Remove cab and fit roll bar
Pedal bushings
Handbrake
Etc etc, loads to be done before we get to the tinwork but it's all expected from a yoke that's over 54 years old

BigWill

BigWill

Few pics of her as we got her, power wash on way home 😊😊

BigWill

TheBody

Great stuff. Make sure to post lost of pictures for us as the build progresses.

Good luck!

Nekarsulm

Thats not a Super Dexta, unless its had a serious amount of chopping and changing done to it over the last fifty three years.....
Standard Dexta with a Super bonnet badges, perhaps?
But I'm looking forward to the build. Dexta's are seriously overlooked, with far too much attention going to the Major and the pre-Force model's.
How much play is there in the steering box?

BigWill

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Thats not a Super Dexta, unless its had a serious amount of chopping and changing done to it over the last fifty three years.....
Standard Dexta with a Super bonnet badges, perhaps?
But I'm looking forward to the build. Dexta's are seriously overlooked, with far too much attention going to the Major and the pre-Force model's.
How much play is there in the steering box?

Only change made was the bonnet and nose cone was replaced by last owner 10 yrs ago, what else do you see changed? Checked chassis number with Fordson pages which indicates super

BigWill

About 1/2 turn feee play in steering

Nekarsulm

Never saw a Super without the dual clutch before, thought that was a sure sign of the model. They are a great wee tractor!

BigWill

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Never saw a Super without the dual clutch before, thought that was a sure sign of the model. They are a great wee tractor!

Yep, to be honest I have given up trying to verify this. The serial number, engine numbers etc are confusing, I had ladsthat are well versed in fordson (which I'm not) look at her and it seems fordson produced many single clutch supers as demos before they were officially launched but were basically a top of range fordson with diff lock, pick up hitch, 152 engine, mech inj pump and then the newer bonnet and nose cone etc. My engine number is the later one which of course could have been swapped but the previous owners had the tractor since the 70's and never changed it but they did fit a fordson bonnet after the other one was damaged beyond repair several years ago and painted the wings and wheels white at the time also. The old brown logbook also reads fordson super Dexta but that doesn't mean anything other than what was described at the time. Anyway I have decided to restore it as a super as my mate has the fordson so just to be different 😜😜😜😜

Nekarsulm

The Super looks better in my eyes anyway. Especially if you go with the white wheels.
Will you need to get a complete gearbox?

BigWill

Nekarsulm wrote: »

The Super looks better in my eyes anyway. Especially if you go with the white wheels.
Will you need to get a complete gearbox?

Ya, like the look of the super better myself. I have a complete back end but there is no need to change the complete gearbox. Haven't done it yet but got advice from lads who know and it's only a matter of changing the front inner section of the gearbox where the input shaft gear drops down to connect to the lower shaft, looks straight forward enough, I prefer to keep my old gearbox housing to keep the original casting numbers etc. Going to drop the engine out next and I'll soon find out ðŸ‘ðŸ‘

BigWill

So some pics of the strip down





Going to drop engine next and tackle gearbox repairs. Selectors are badly worn and ball spring locators are seized, common fault that these stick in gear so time to get the smell of gear oil everywhere !!

John J. Lyons

The early super dextas were common with single Clutch early 60's
Looks good project

BigWill

John J. Lyons wrote: »

The early super dextas were common with single Clutch early 60's
Looks good project

Thanks John
It'll be grand to get stuck in soon, started into it last Saturday week and spent most of the last week in bed with the flu afterwards so have to shake it off before gracing the cold again 😩😩😩😩

BigWill

3 hrs of Blood, sweat, tears, praying, cursing, angle grinder, big hammer, small hammer and wd40 and the basta_d wings and old cab mounting plates eventually removed, done the usual and cut the two bolts from tthe top and hammered them down through the half axles!! Never seen a set so badly siezed in place !!! Must be in place 40 yrs at least!! Last owner said he never had to remove them since 1978 when he bought it, I'd well believe him 😞😞😞😞

stock>

looks like lots of bruised knuckles and leaking ATF on this project...............

I suppose it will be to Greendragon3 standards .................

BigWill

stock> wrote: »

looks like lots of bruised knuckles and leaking ATF on this project...............

I suppose it will be to Greendragon3 standards .................

Lol , it will be to my standard and hopefully to greendargon3 standard too ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜

BigWill

Anyone having trouble posting ?

BigWill

So started into gearbox rebuild, the stuck in gear problem is the main reason, I want to modify the selector rail blocks to fix the problem for good. I planned on widening the blocks to solve the issue but have since measured up and designed new ones and they are being machined up at the minute. If they are a success I intend to make a few sets to selling to other owners who might want to do the same. Sketch might explain better !

BigWill

Damage to internal parts

BigWill

Box completely stripped out now and and spent bloody ages trying to clean out the gunge and muck that was growing in there, every time the gear levers were taken off to unstick the gears down through the years, they must have dropped a bolt every second time !!! Found half a dozen 3/8th bolts, nuts, washers and a coin in the bottom of the box. The oil had set like tar in the middle section was was a bast--d to clean. I'll give it a good wanting outside while it's empty before I start putting the internals back.

BigWill

Got selector blocks today and well happy with the result, pics show the way the extra meat on them will lock in the gear lever. I am getting some more machined up while it's fresh in the lads mind if anyone wants a set, PM me.

DX85

This post has been deleted.

BigWill

Cracking on with the gearbox mods, I had a new selector shaft made longer for the high/low gear lever to fit a safety switch which will only allow the tractor to be started in neutral. These Dexta were deadly the way you can start them in gear and many a one had a close shave with one starting it from the ground. I had a third groove grinded out to give me the middle neutral position and the longer shaft will be able to carry a striker to operate the switch when in neutral. Used a switch from a Massey 35 and just drilled the top of box in line with shaft and tapped 3/4" UNF for the switch.




Switch protruding into box, striker being machined up to clamp on shaft to make switch.


Had a small problem, the switch was too short to protrude enough into box as the top of the casing is 15mm thick so I had to make an extension piece for now. Easier to source a longer switch but I had this and decided to go with it.

BigWill

emaherx

BigWill wrote: »

Very nice work BigWill. A nice safety upgrade

BigWill

Carrying on with the boring stuff of wire brushing with a grinder, etc and and etch priming the casings


The rear axle trumpets ready to prime

The rear main housing was so badly ganged up with ****e that had set like tar and no amount of de greaser would move it, so I had to completely strip it out completely to hot powerhose it out.

BigWill

Etch primed these tonight, gave them a quick run over with the wire wheel again before spraying.

BigWill

Etch primed these tonight, gave them a quick run over with the wire wheel again before spraying.

BigWill

Got the gearbox rebuilt and mated back together with bell housing tonight, slowly but surely😄